Jira jira.atlassian.com

Free alternatives to Jira

Jira costs $7.91/mo on the Standard plan, or $94.92 a year. Here are 5 free and open-source options, what each one does, and what you give up compared with paying.

Prices checked Aug 14, 2026Can AI replace it? Half-bot

01At a glance

Alternative	Type	Where it runs	Works on
Plane	Open source	Hosted or self-hosted	Web, Your server
OpenProject	Open source	Hosted or self-hosted	Web, Your server
YouTrack	Free	Hosted or self-hosted	Web, iPhone, Android
Redmine	Open source	You host it	Web, Your server
Taiga	Open source	Hosted or self-hosted	Web, Your server

02Each alternative, in detail

PlaneOpen source

The closest modern Jira-shaped escape hatch; the self-hosted stack is not a weekend hobby

Versus paying: Plane is the closest modern substitute, but Jira still has the deeper workflow engine, marketplace, service-management linkages, release reporting, and enterprise governance.

Setup: Hosted signup, or the official Docker/Kubernetes self-hosting stack

Watch for: Self-hosting is a multi-service deployment: Docker or Kubernetes plus PostgreSQL, RabbitMQ, object storage, a domain, TLS, and usually email configuration.

55,600 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

plane.so →

OpenProjectOpen source

The enterprise project suite; free in money, expensive in menus

Versus paying: OpenProject handles projects and agile boards, but it is less developer-native than Jira and has a much smaller ecosystem for CI, service management, releases, and workflow extensions.

Setup: Hosted Enterprise Cloud signup, or Community Edition via Docker Compose/all-in-one Docker or supported Linux packages

Watch for: The free Community Edition needs a Linux server; the recommended Docker setup still requires persistent database/file volumes, a hostname, TLS, and mail configuration.

15,200 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

openproject.org →

YouTrackFree

A full project tracker for ten people; user eleven is where JetBrains remembers billing

Versus paying: YouTrack is excellent for small engineering teams, but its free plan stops at ten users and its integration and marketplace footprint is far smaller than Jira's.

Setup: Hosted YouTrack Cloud signup, or the official Docker image for YouTrack Server

Watch for: The cloud edition installs cleanly; self-hosting requires Docker volume mapping, enough storage, a one-time setup token, and external HTTPS/reverse-proxy work for a public server.

jetbrains.com →

RedmineOpen source

Issue tracking, time sheets, Gantt, and wikis from the era when software admitted it needed configuration

Versus paying: Redmine lacks Jira's refined backlog and sprint reporting, automation rules, modern issue UX, marketplace breadth, and managed administration.

Setup: Install the Ruby on Rails application against PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB, or SQLite; packaged containers/appliances are third-party conveniences

Watch for: The official install is a real Rails deployment, Ruby and gem versions, database creation, migrations, a production web server, email, backups, and upgrades are all the operator's job.

6,000 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

redmine.org →

TaigaOpen source

Scrum and kanban without Atlassian archaeology; reporting and integrations are thinner

Versus paying: Taiga makes Scrum and kanban pleasant, but reporting, workflow customization, permissions, release planning, and integrations are materially thinner than Jira.

Setup: Hosted Taiga signup, or the official multi-container Docker Compose production stack

Watch for: Production self-hosting is not one container: it needs Docker/Compose familiarity, several Taiga services, PostgreSQL, RabbitMQ, environment files, a reverse proxy, TLS, and email settings.

844 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

taiga.io →

03Jira's own free plan

The Free plan covers up to 10 users with 2 GB of storage and 100 automation rule runs per month.

04What you give up by leaving Jira

the Atlassian Marketplace and its long tail of organization-specific apps
deep two-way integrations with source control, chat, support, and CI systems
advanced roadmaps, reporting, automation, and cross-project dependency planning
enterprise identity, permissions, audit, data residency, and support guarantees
migration fidelity for years of custom fields, workflows, links, and issue history

A Jira ticket is often connected to a pull request, deployment, support case, audit trail, roadmap, and three teams' reporting rules. Rebuilding the visible board is straightforward; replacing the shared organizational contract around issue IDs, permissions, automations, and history is not. The subscription buys continuity and integration upkeep more than draggable cards.

05Questions

Is there a free alternative to Jira?

Yes. This page compares 5: Plane, OpenProject, YouTrack, Redmine and Taiga. 4 of them are open source, so you can run them yourself.

How much does Jira cost?

$7.91/mo on the Standard plan (annual billing, per user per month), which is $94.92 a year. Free plan: The Free plan covers up to 10 users with 2 GB of storage and 100 automation rule runs per month. Prices checked Aug 14, 2026.

What do you give up with a free alternative to Jira?

Most often: the Atlassian Marketplace and its long tail of organization-specific apps, deep two-way integrations with source control, chat, support, and CI systems, advanced roadmaps, reporting, automation, and cross-project dependency planning and enterprise identity, permissions, audit, data residency, and support guarantees. Each alternative on this page lists its own gap under “Versus paying.”

Can AI build me my own version of Jira?

Half-bot. Issues, workflows, a backlog, sprints, and a board are a credible multi-day build for one small team. The replacement stops being small when Jira is the company's system of record: custom schemes, permissions, automation, reporting, marketplace apps, two-way integrations, and years of workflow history are the product people are actually paying not to migrate.

Prices change; confirm on the vendor's site before you decide.