The Shortcut Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Shortcut in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Shortcut
The Insider’s Guide
Issue tracking, sprints and roadmaps for software teams
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among project management tools, read from Shortcut’s own pages.
Made by Shortcut Software Company · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Shortcut’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Shortcut’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 42 of the 79 other project management tools we grade
Shortcut is a project management and issue tracking platform for software development teams. Work is organized as stories and epics that move through customizable workflows on kanban boards, are planned into iterations and roll up into roadmaps and objectives. It also includes docs, reporting, an API and an MCP server, plus Korey, an AI agent that turns rough notes into specs and tickets. The company was founded in 2014.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Shortcut, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, and this is a web app where the work is building the thing: workflows, spaces, a backlog, teams.
- 1
Best for software teams that plan in stories and sprints
Shortcut is issue tracking for software teams: stories and epics on kanban boards, planned into sprints and rolled up into a roadmap.
- 2
Paid plans start at $8.50 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $8.50 per user / month, billed yearly.
- 3
There is a free plan
Free plan for up to 10 users: 1 team, 1 workspace, 1 workflow and 5 GB of storage, with kanban boards, a roadmap, iterations and docs.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Stories, epics and workflows
Work is tracked as stories grouped into epics. Stories move through workflows a team can customize: 1 on Free, up to 5 on Team and unlimited from Business.
- 6
Kanban boards and backlog
Spaces show stories on kanban boards with saved filters, and a backlog is used to sort and prioritize work before it enters a workflow. Work-in-progress limits start on Team.
- 7
Iterations
Iterations are time-boxed sprints for a set of stories. On paid plans, automations can create future iterations and move unfinished stories into the next one.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 42 of 79
That is against the other project management tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Shortcut you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Shortcut at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $8.50 per user / month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial with full access to Business plan features, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Shortcut Software Company, since 2014
- Category
- Project Management
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for software teams that plan in stories and sprints
Shortcut is issue tracking for software teams: stories and epics on kanban boards, planned into sprints and rolled up into a roadmap. The free plan takes up to 10 users but only 1 team, 1 workflow and 5 GB. There's no desktop or phone app, no self-hosted version, and single sign-on is a paid add-on even on Business at $12.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Team is $8.50 a user a month billed yearly, which sits just past the $8 middle for project tools here and short of the $10 dear end. Ordinary, then. Monthly it's $10, Business is $12 for objectives and key results, and SAML sign-on is a paid add-on even there. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Free for up to 10 users, with kanban boards, a roadmap, iterations, docs and the GitHub, Slack and Figma integrations. The caps are 1 team, 1 workflow and 5 GB, so a second squad means paying. Paid features get 14 days, no card. |
| Features | B | It covers the whole job for a software team: stories in epics, workflows you shape, kanban boards with saved filters, a backlog, time-boxed iterations, roadmaps, objectives, docs and velocity and cycle-time reports. Linear and Jira cover the same ground, so nothing here is unique. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and this is a web app where the work is building the thing: workflows, spaces, a backlog, teams. The vocabulary of stories, epics and sprints is a help if your team already talks that way and a hurdle if it doesn't. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Slack, Figma, Sentry and Zendesk, plus an API and an MCP server. That's as far as it goes, though. No desktop or mobile app is listed, and the iOS app announced in 2018 is off the US App Store. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Shortcut is for
- Fits if you're a software team that plans in stories, epics and sprints
- Works for teams of 10 or fewer who can live with 1 team and 1 workflow on the Free plan
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a phone or desktop app, because none is listed and the old iOS app is gone
- Not for you if you need to host it yourself, as there's no on-premises or self-hosted version
- Tight if you're staying free with two teams, since the Free plan allows 1 team, 1 workflow and 5 GB
- Pricey if you need SAML sign-on or SCIM, which are paid add-ons on Business and included only in Enterprise
- Watch out: Team stops at 5 teams and 5 workflows, and objectives and key results need Business at $12
Good to know
Good for
- Software teams that plan in stories, epics and sprints
- Teams of up to 10 that can stay on the Free plan
- Early-stage startups and nonprofits that qualify for free access
Worth knowing
- The Free plan is capped at 10 users, 1 team, 1 workflow and 5 GB of storage.
- SAML single sign-on and SCIM are paid add-ons on Business and are included only in Enterprise.
- Shortcut's FAQ says it does not offer an on-premises or self-hosted version.
- Shortcut's product and pricing pages list no desktop or mobile app, and the iOS app it announced in 2018 is no longer on the US App Store.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$8.50
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Shortcut has a free plan. Paid plans start at $8.50 per user / month, billed yearly.
Free
$0
Up to 10 users, 1 team, 1 workflow and 5 GB of storage, with kanban views, a roadmap, iterations, docs and GitHub, Slack and Figma integrations.
Team
$8.50
per user / month, billed yearly ($10 billed monthly)
Unlimited users, up to 5 teams and 5 workflows, 250 GB of storage, the full Reports page, work-in-progress limits, automations and all integrations.
Business
$12
per user / month, billed yearly ($16 billed monthly)
Unlimited teams, workflows and workspaces, strategic objectives and key results, advanced custom fields and additional charts. SSO is a paid add-on.
Enterprise
Custom
Volume discounts, SAML SSO and SCIM included, premier support SLAs, custom terms and onboarding support.
The free plan
Free plan for up to 10 users: 1 team, 1 workspace, 1 workflow and 5 GB of storage, with kanban boards, a roadmap, iterations and docs.
Trying it first
14-day free trial with full access to Business plan features, no credit card required
Read from shortcut.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save up to 25% with yearly billing
Team is $8.50 per user / month prepaid yearly against $10 billed monthly, and Business is $12 against $16. The pricing page describes this as saving up to 25%.
Stated on shortcut.comNonprofit
Free for qualifying nonprofits
The Shortcut Nonprofit Plan gives eligible organizations with valid charitable status a full membership at no cost, on application.
Stated on shortcut.comStartups
12 months of Business free for startups
The Shortcut Startup Program gives approved startups the Business plan and SAML SSO free for 12 months. Applicants must be new customers with fewer than 50 employees.
Stated on shortcut.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Issue tracking, sprints and roadmaps for software teams. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, kanban boards, Gantt & timelines, issue tracking, goals, AI agents, reports.
Linear and Jira cover the same ground, so nothing here is unique.
- Stories, epics and workflows
- Work is tracked as stories grouped into epics. Stories move through workflows a team can customize: 1 on Free, up to 5 on Team and unlimited from Business.
- Kanban boards and backlog
- Spaces show stories on kanban boards with saved filters, and a backlog is used to sort and prioritize work before it enters a workflow. Work-in-progress limits start on Team.
- Iterations
- Iterations are time-boxed sprints for a set of stories. On paid plans, automations can create future iterations and move unfinished stories into the next one.
- Roadmaps and objectives
- Epics are laid out on a roadmap and grouped under objectives. Strategic objectives with key results are part of the Business plan.
- Reports
- Paid plans open a Reports page with velocity, cycle time and lead time, and cumulative flow charts. Business adds reports that reach back beyond 100 days.
- Korey and AI agents
- Korey is Shortcut's AI agent for turning rough notes into specs and tickets. An MCP server connects a workspace to coding tools such as Cursor and Claude Code.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- GitHub
- GitLab
- Bitbucket
- Slack
- Figma
- Sentry
- Zendesk
- Notion
Shortcut is made by Shortcut Software Company, and has been around since 2014.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
42/79
Other project management tools it is graded above
Shortcut's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 42 of the 79 other project management tools we grade, and level with 11.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 53 of 79) and worst on ease of use (C, above 2).
Its paid plans start at $8.50 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 40 of the 74 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 14 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 80 project management tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Shortcut’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 16 of 79
- BFree plan and trialAbove 53 of 79
- BFeaturesAbove 27 of 79
- CEase of useAbove 2 of 79
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 6 of 79
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 78 project management tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Shortcut is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Shortcut you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $102 a year.
What you could make
- Issue tracking, kanban boards, Gantt & timelines, goals and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, GitHub, GitLab and Bitbucket among them, and has an API.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Shortcut’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Linear, Jira, GitHub Issues, YouTrack and Plane
The 5 tools Shortcut is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
Linear
Free plan · from $10/mo
Issue tracking and product planning for software teams.
- Only Linear lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Shortcut also covers Gantt & timelines, goals, AI agents and reports.
- Linear also covers tasks.
- 3.2GPA
Jira
Free plan · from $9.70/mo
Issue and project tracking for software and business teams.
- Only Jira lists iOS and Android apps.
- Shortcut also covers goals, AI agents and reports.
- Jira also covers tasks and workflow automation.
- 3.4GPA
GitHub Issues
Free plan · from $4/mo
Issue tracking and project planning built into GitHub.
- Only GitHub Issues lists iOS and Android apps.
- Shortcut also covers goals, AI agents and reports.
- GitHub Issues also covers Markdown and workflow automation.
- 3.2GPA
YouTrack
Free plan · from $4.50/mo
Issue tracker and project management tool from JetBrains.
- Only YouTrack lists iOS and Android apps.
- YouTrack is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Shortcut also covers goals, AI agents and reports.
- 2.8GPA
Plane
Free plan · from $6/mo
Open-source project management with cycles, wiki and AI agents.
- Only Plane lists macOS, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Plane is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Shortcut also covers goals, AI agents and reports.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Shortcut free?
Shortcut has a free plan. Free plan for up to 10 users: 1 team, 1 workspace, 1 workflow and 5 GB of storage, with kanban boards, a roadmap, iterations and docs.
How much does Shortcut cost?
Shortcut lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Shortcut work on?
Shortcut is available on Web.
Does Shortcut offer any discounts?
Shortcut publicly lists the following: Save up to 25% with yearly billing; Free for qualifying nonprofits; 12 months of Business free for startups.
Does Shortcut have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Shortcut is listed for Web.
Does Shortcut have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Shortcut is listed for Web.
Is Shortcut open source?
Shortcut is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Shortcut have an API?
Yes. Shortcut offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Shortcut integrate with?
Shortcut's listing names GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Slack, Figma, Sentry, Zendesk and Notion.
Does Shortcut have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day free trial with full access to Business plan features, no credit card required.
Who makes Shortcut?
Shortcut is made by Shortcut Software Company. It dates from 2014.
What are the alternatives to Shortcut?
The closest alternatives to Shortcut in our directory are Linear, Jira, GitHub Issues, YouTrack and Plane.
How does Shortcut compare with other project management tools?
Shortcut's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 42 of the 79 other project management tools we grade, and level with 11.
Is Shortcut good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Shortcut C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $8.50 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 40 of the 74 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Shortcut?
To replace Shortcut you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Shortcut’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Shortcut's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-05-18.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Shortcut Software Company. Prices change, so check shortcut.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Shortcut, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/shortcut
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Shortcut: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/shortcut
Know someone choosing between project management tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/shortcut/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded project management tools after Shortcut, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Project Management Insider's GuideEvery one of the 80 project management tools we grade, compared
- GitHub Issues Insider's GuideIssue tracking and project planning built into GitHub3.4 GPA
- Freedcamp Insider's GuideProject management suite with a free plan for unlimited users3.2 GPA
- Huly Insider's GuideOpen-source project management with chat, docs and video calls3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Shortcut’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Shortcut is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Shortcut Software Company. Prices and plans change: check shortcut.com before you buy.