Short answer: for 25 users billed yearly, Azure Boards is the cheapest Jira alternative at $1,440 a year, because the first five users are free. Zenhub Teams ($1,497) and Trello Standard ($1,500) come next, then Plane Pro at $1,800. Jira Standard costs $2,250 for the same team, so five of the eight tools here cost less, while Linear Basic at $3,000 costs more.
Eight tools priced at one 25-seat scenario against Jira Standard, with each yearly cost checked on vendor pages in October 2026.
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Jira's bill grows with every person on the team, so a 25-person software team feels the gap quickly. Atlassian's Standard plan costs $2,250 a year for 25 users billed yearly, and that figure is the benchmark for this guide. Eight alternatives are priced at the same scenario, plus two extra plans from the same vendors, so each row answers one question: what does the team pay for a full year?
Toolradar data: 52% of the 244 project management tools we track are paid only, and 48% offer a free or freemium plan. For a team of 25, the free plan is the first number to check, because it decides whether any seat costs money. The wider field is covered in the best project management software guide and the project management category.
Methodology: every price is the vendor's US dollar list price before tax, read on the vendor's own pricing page in October 2026. The Jira figures come from the US price table on Atlassian's pricing page. That page's structured data quotes $7.91 a user a month, which does not match its price table, so check Atlassian's calculator before you buy. The scenario is 25 users for one year, and monthly prices are multiplied by twelve. Discounts, promotions and add-ons are left out. Vendors that publish only euro prices are not converted, so they are left out of the table.
Top Picks
Picked by editorial review, informed by G2 and Capterra review volume and rating and by media mentions, the signals behind our category rankings. How we rate
Work item tracking and Kanban boards on the Basic plan, with the first five users free.
Starting price
$6 /user/mo after 5 free users
4.2 (201 reviews)
Best for
Software teams already on Microsoft tools that want work tracking and Kanban boards for the lowest yearly bill.
Sprint planning, roadmaps and reports on top of GitHub, with the Teams plan billed yearly.
Starting price
$4.99 /user/mo, Teams, billed yearly
4.3 (69 reviews)
Best for
Engineering teams that already keep work in GitHub and want sprints without leaving the repo.
Boards, cards and automation with unlimited boards on the Standard plan, billed yearly.
Starting price
$5 /user/mo, Standard, billed yearly
4.1 (37,904 reviews)
Best for
Small teams running kanban workflows that do not need sprint planning or sprint reports.
| Tool | Starting price | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Boards (Azure DevOps) | $6/user/mo after 5 free users | 4.2 201 reviews | Software teams already on Microsoft tools that want work tracking and Kanban boards for the lowest yearly bill. |
| Zenhub | $4.99/user/mo, Teams, billed yearly | 4.3 69 reviews | Engineering teams that already keep work in GitHub and want sprints without leaving the repo. |
| Trello | $5/user/mo, Standard, billed yearly | 4.1 37,904 reviews | Small teams running kanban workflows that do not need sprint planning or sprint reports. |
| Plane | $6/seat/mo, Pro, billed yearly | 4.4 15 reviews | Product and engineering teams that want Jira-style tracking at a lower price and may prefer self-hosting. |
| ClickUp Visit | $7/user/mo, Unlimited, billed yearly | 4.3 19,870 reviews | Teams that want one tool for tasks, docs and sprints and do not need SAML single sign-on. |
| Shortcut | $8.50/user/mo, Team, billed yearly | 4.5 540 reviews | Engineering and product teams that want a modern tracker and will pay $300 a year over Jira Standard. |
| Linear | $10/user/mo, Basic, billed yearly | n/a | Product and engineering teams that want a modern tracker and will pay more than Jira Standard for it. |
| Asana | $10.99/user/mo, Starter, billed yearly | 4.4 27,636 reviews | Cross-functional teams that run software work alongside marketing or operations and accept a higher price. |
Azure Boards (Azure DevOps)
Work item tracking and Kanban boards on the Basic plan, with the first five users free.
- 4.2 on G2 (201 reviews)
- Starting price
- $6/user/mo after 5 free users
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.2 (201 reviews)
Best for: Software teams already on Microsoft tools that want work tracking and Kanban boards for the lowest yearly bill.
- Pro: The first five users are free, so the other 20 seats are the only paid seats for a team of 25.
- Pro: Basic includes Azure Boards work item tracking and Kanban boards, plus unlimited private Git repos on Azure Repos.
- Pro: The team saves $810 a year against Jira Standard for the same 25 users.
- Con: Basic + Test Plans costs $52 a user a month, so test management is a large step up in price.
- Con: The page bills per user per month with no yearly rate, so the yearly cost is twelve monthly payments.
Azure DevOps is one of the best values in DevOps platforms thanks to its generous free tier: 5 users get full Basic access free, including Repos, Boards, Pipelines, and Artifacts.
Watch out
The free tier covers only 5 Basic users. User #6 triggers $6/month per user for ALL additional Basic users, not just the 6th.
- Starting price
- $4.99/user/mo, Teams, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.3 (69 reviews)
Best for: Engineering teams that already keep work in GitHub and want sprints without leaving the repo.
- Pro: Teams costs $1,497 a year for 25 people, which is $753 less than Jira Standard for the same team.
- Pro: The Free plan covers up to 50 users with automated sprint planning, planning poker, real-time roadmaps and basic sprint reports.
- Pro: Teams raises the cap to 5,000 issues and 50 connected repos.
- Con: The Free plan caps issues at 250 and connected repos at two, which a 25-person team is likely to exceed.
- Con: The page lists Google sign-in on Teams and no SAML option, which matters for teams that enforce SSO.
Zenhub's pricing is quite generous, especially with its robust Free tier supporting up to 50 users and 250 issues.
Trello
Boards, cards and automation with unlimited boards on the Standard plan, billed yearly.
- 4.5 on Capterra (23,615 reviews)
- 4.4 on G2 (14,064 reviews)
- 3.0 on Trustpilot (225 reviews)
- Starting price
- $5/user/mo, Standard, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.1 (37,904 reviews)
Best for: Small teams running kanban workflows that do not need sprint planning or sprint reports.
- Pro: Standard costs $1,500 a year for 25 people billed yearly, which is $750 less than Jira Standard.
- Pro: Standard removes the free plan's 10-board cap and raises file size from 10MB to 250MB per file.
- Pro: Built-in no-code automation is included on every board, so the Standard price covers it.
- Con: Standard does not list Timeline or Calendar views, which Premium adds at $10 a user a month billed yearly.
- Con: SAML single sign-on needs Atlassian Guard, a separate subscription that starts at $4 a user a month, or $1,200 a year for 25 people.
Trello remains the simplest kanban board on the market, and its pricing reflects that simplicity.
Watch out
Butler automation on Free (250 runs/mo) depletes fast, a single rule on a busy board with 10 card moves/day burns 300 runs in a month, forcing an upgrade or disabling automations entirely
- Starting price
- $6/seat/mo, Pro, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.4 (15 reviews)
Best for: Product and engineering teams that want Jira-style tracking at a lower price and may prefer self-hosting.
- Pro: Pro costs $1,800 a year for 25 seats billed yearly, $450 less than Jira Standard for the same team.
- Pro: The free plan covers 12 users, so a small team can test the tracker before any seat costs money.
- Pro: Pro includes 500 AI credits per seat a month, work item types and properties, teamspaces and 5 guests per paid member.
- Con: Monthly billing on Pro is $8 a seat, or $2,400 a year for 25 people.
- Con: Recurring work items, intake forms and the Customers view start on Business at $13 a seat a month billed yearly, which is $3,900 a year.
Plane offers a very generous Free tier for up to 12 users, making it highly accessible for small teams.
Watch out
No explicit mention of data storage limits
ClickUp
Tasks, docs and sprints in one workspace, with unlimited storage and Gantt charts on the Unlimited plan.
- 4.6 on G2 (14,240 reviews)
- 4.6 on Capterra (4,630 reviews)
- 4.3 on TrustRadius (693 reviews)
- Starting price
- $7/user/mo, Unlimited, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.3 (19,870 reviews)
Best for: Teams that want one tool for tasks, docs and sprints and do not need SAML single sign-on.
- Pro: Unlimited costs $2,100 a year for 25 users billed yearly, $150 less than Jira Standard for the same team.
- Pro: Unlimited storage, Gantt charts and native time tracking are on the Unlimited plan itself, not only on Business.
- Pro: Free Forever covers unlimited members on 60MB of storage, so a team can start at $0 before buying seats.
- Con: Monthly billing on Unlimited adds $900 a year for 25 people.
- Con: Google sign-in starts on Business at $12 a user a month billed yearly, and SAML only appears on the custom Enterprise plan.
ClickUp is the value leader among mainstream project management tools.
Watch out
Free plan includes only 100 automation actions per workspace per month and 5 active automation rules
- Starting price
- $8.50/user/mo, Team, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.5 (540 reviews)
Best for: Engineering and product teams that want a modern tracker and will pay $300 a year over Jira Standard.
- Pro: The Free plan covers up to 10 users with Kanban boards, a roadmap, iterations (sprints) and GitHub, Slack and Figma integrations.
- Pro: Team has unlimited users and includes a reports suite, work-in-progress limits and access to all integrations.
- Pro: Business adds strategic objectives, advanced custom fields and advanced reports.
- Con: Team costs $2,550 a year for 25 people billed yearly, which is $300 more than Jira Standard.
- Con: Monthly billing on Team adds $450 a year for 25 people.
Shortcut's pricing is quite generous, especially the Free tier for up to 10 users.
Watch out
Storage limits (5GB Free, 250GB Team/Business) could incur overage.
- Starting price
- $10/user/mo, Basic, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
Best for: Product and engineering teams that want a modern tracker and will pay more than Jira Standard for it.
- Pro: The free plan covers 250 issues and 2 teams, so a team can trial the tracker on real work before paying.
- Pro: Basic includes unlimited issues, unlimited file uploads, admin roles and 5 teams.
- Pro: Business adds unlimited teams, private teams and guests, plus Zendesk and Intercom integrations.
- Con: Basic costs $3,000 a year for 25 people billed yearly, which is $750 more than Jira Standard.
- Con: Business costs $4,800 a year for 25 people, and SAML and SCIM sit on Enterprise only.
Linear is the fastest, most polished issue tracker available, and its pricing is refreshingly simple.
Watch out
250-issue cap on Free: once you hit 250 active issues, you must upgrade or archive old issues. Growing teams hit this within 2-3 months of real usage
- Starting price
- $10.99/user/mo, Starter, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.4 (27,636 reviews)
Best for: Cross-functional teams that run software work alongside marketing or operations and accept a higher price.
- Pro: Personal is free for one or two people, with unlimited tasks and projects.
- Pro: Starter includes AI Teammates and Asana Dash, billed on the yearly plan at the per-user rate.
- Pro: The yearly plan saves $2.50 a user a month against Starter's monthly price, or $750 a year for 25 people.
- Con: Starter costs $3,297 a year for 25 people billed yearly, which is $1,047 more than Jira Standard.
- Con: Advanced is $24.99 a user a month billed yearly, or $7,497 a year for 25 people.
Asana is the structured project management tool for teams that need goals, portfolios, and workflow automation, not just task boards.
Watch out
Goals, portfolios, and workload management are Advanced-only ($24.99). Teams that need OKR tracking must pay the premium, no mid-tier option exists
Other Project Management tools worth considering
More published tools from our Project Management category, ordered by our category ranking. They are not part of the editorial picks above.
What a Jira alternative has to cover
A Jira alternative has to replace the parts of Jira a software team uses every day: work items with statuses, boards, a backlog, and reports on finished work. Most cheaper tools handle boards and tasks well. They differ on sprint planning, roadmaps, guest access and admin controls, and those differences are what the higher tiers sell. This comparison prices each tool at the plan closest to Jira Standard, not at the cheapest plan the vendor offers, so every saving is measured against a like-for-like tier. If you want the wider field first, start with the Jira alternatives list. For a head-to-head view, Jira vs Linear covers the closest modern rival.
Why the seat count and billing term matter more than the headline
A $2 difference per user a month looks trivial on a pricing page. For 25 people it is $600 a year. The billing term can move the bill as much as the tier does. Atlassian's US price table charges $9.05 a user a month for Standard on monthly billing, against a yearly band for 16 to 25 users, so the same team pays $465 more a year without changing tools. Free plans shift the picture too. Jira's free plan covers 10 users, Trello caps free collaborators at 10, Zenhub caps free issues at 250, and ClickUp caps free storage at 60MB. Each free tier runs out at a different point, which is why this guide prices every row at the same 25 seats.
Key Features to Look For
Free plan limits (Essential)
Jira's free plan covers 10 users. Trello's covers 10 collaborators and 10 boards per Workspace, Zenhub's covers 50 users with 250 issues, Shortcut's covers 10 users, and Plane's covers 12 users. Each cap is a point where a 25-person team has to start paying. Zenhub's user cap sits above 25 people, so its 250-issue cap is the one that matters.
Sprints and roadmaps on the free tier (Important)
Shortcut's free plan includes iterations (sprints) and a roadmap, and Zenhub's free plan includes automated sprint planning and roadmaps. Plane's free plan includes cycles and modules. Trello's free plan lists boards and cards, not sprint planning.
Single sign-on (Essential)
SAML and SCIM sit on the top tier at Shortcut, Linear and ClickUp. Trello reaches SAML through Atlassian Guard, a separate subscription from $4 a user a month. Zenhub's Teams plan lists Google sign-in but no SAML option.
Guests and private teams (Important)
Linear puts private teams and guests on Business at $16 a user a month. Plane's Pro plan includes 5 guests per paid member, and ClickUp's Unlimited plan includes guests with permission control.
AI credits and AI features (Nice to have)
Plane's Pro plan includes 500 AI credits per seat a month, and Business includes 1,000. Zenhub's Teams plan adds AI-suggested labels and AI sprint review, and Asana's Starter plan includes AI Teammates and Asana Dash.
What to check before a 25-person team switches
-
Count the paid seats first. Azure DevOps charges nothing for the first five users and bills the rest per user, so a team of 25 pays for 20 seats.
-
Compare the yearly and monthly prices before you sign. Trello Standard is $5 a user a month billed yearly, and billing monthly adds $300 a year for 25 people. Asana Starter's gap is $750 a year.
-
Find the tier that holds your controls. Plane's recurring work items, intake forms and Customers view start on Business at $13 a seat a month billed yearly, which is $3,900 a year for 25 seats.
-
Test sprint reporting against your process before you move. Zenhub's Teams plan adds AI sprint review, Shortcut's Team plan includes a reports suite, and Trello's Standard plan does not list sprint reporting.
Evaluation Checklist
Count the seats that will be paid. Azure DevOps covers five users at no charge, while the other paid plans in this table bill every seat.
Pricing Overview
Free plans
Free
Per-user entry plans
Zenhub Teams, Trello Standard, Plane Pro and ClickUp Unlimited, which cost less than Jira Standard for 25 users billed yearly.
$4.99 to $7 a user a month, billed yearly
Mid-priced plans
ClickUp Core, Shortcut Team, Linear Basic, Trello Premium and Asana Starter, which cost $2,400 to $3,297 a year for 25 users billed yearly.
$8 to $10.99 a user a month, billed yearly
Higher-tier plans
Business and Advanced plans, which add guests, private teams, advanced reports, Google sign-in and more AI credits for teams that need controls.
$12 to $24.99 a user a month, billed yearly
Pricing Comparison
| Tool and plan | Entry price | Cost at 25 users a year | Free plan (limits) | Billing basis | Hidden costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jira Standard (benchmark) | Yearly band for 16 to 25 users | $2,250 | Free for up to 10 users | Yearly band; $9.05 a user a month billed monthly | Monthly billing adds $465 a year |
Azure Boards (Azure DevOps Basic) | $6 a user a month after 5 free users | $1,440 | First 5 users free | Per user per month; no yearly rate on the page | Basic + Test Plans is $52 a user a month |
Zenhub Teams | $4.99 a user a month | $1,497 | Up to 50 users, 250 issues, 2 repos | Billed yearly; no monthly price listed | Teams lists Google sign-in and no SAML option |
Trello Standard | $5 a user a month | $1,500 | 10 collaborators and 10 boards per Workspace | Billed yearly; monthly billing adds $300 a year | SAML through Atlassian Guard costs $4 a user more |
Plane Pro | $6 a seat a month | $1,800 | Free plan for 12 users | Billed yearly; $8 a seat a month billed monthly | Business at $13 a seat a month comes to $3,900 a year |
ClickUp Unlimited | $7 a user a month | $2,100 | Free Forever with 60MB of storage | Billed yearly; monthly billing adds $900 a year | SAML only on Enterprise; Google sign-in on Business |
ClickUp Core (newer plan) | $8 a user a month, shown with a $12 regular price | $2,400 | Free Forever with 60MB of storage | Billed yearly as shown on the page | Costs $300 more a year than ClickUp Unlimited |
Shortcut Team | $8.50 a user a month | $2,550 | Free for up to 10 users | Billed yearly; monthly billing adds $450 a year | Business at $12 a user a month comes to $3,600 a year |
Linear Basic | $10 a user a month | $3,000 | Free: 250 issues and 2 teams | Billed yearly; no monthly price on the page | Business at $16 a user a month comes to $4,800 a year |
Trello Premium | $10 a user a month | $3,000 | Same as Trello Free | Billed yearly; $12.50 a user a month billed monthly | Adds Timeline and Calendar views |
Asana Starter | $10.99 a user a month | $3,297 | Personal free for 1 or 2 users | Billed yearly; $13.49 a user a month billed monthly | Advanced at $24.99 a user a month comes to $7,497 a year |
Verified in October 2026 on the vendor pricing pages: Atlassian Jira pricing, Azure DevOps pricing, Zenhub pricing, Trello pricing, Plane pricing, ClickUp pricing, Shortcut pricing, Linear pricing and Asana pricing. Costs assume 25 users for one year, in US dollars before tax, with monthly prices multiplied by twelve.
Mistakes to Avoid
- ×
Comparing a monthly price with a yearly one. Asana Starter's $13.49 monthly rate and $10.99 yearly rate are a wide gap for 25 people.
- ×
Counting every person as a paid seat on Azure DevOps. The first five users are free, so a team of 25 pays for 20.
- ×
Assuming Jira's yearly band is the monthly rate. The yearly Standard band covers 16 to 25 users, while monthly billing for the same team comes to $2,715 a year.
Expert Tips
- →
Start on the free plan that fits today's team and move up only when a cap blocks real work, not when headcount grows on paper.
- →
Ask each vendor for its monthly and yearly rates in writing. Zenhub and Linear list only the yearly price on their pages, and Azure DevOps lists no yearly rate at all.
Red Flags to Watch For
-
A headline per-user price with no billing term attached, since the same plan can cost a 25-person team far more each year when billed monthly.
-
A free plan whose cap is not stated on the pricing page, because the cap decides whether the team stays free.
-
A free tier that is generous on one limit and tight on another, such as Zenhub's 50 users against its 250-issue cap.
The Bottom Line
For a 25-person team billed yearly, Azure Boards, Zenhub Teams and Trello Standard are the cheapest Jira alternatives, and each costs less than the $2,250 a year that Jira Standard charges. Plane Pro and ClickUp Unlimited also cost less, while Shortcut Team, Linear Basic and Asana Starter cost more.
Price is only half the decision. Trello's Standard plan does not list sprint planning, Zenhub needs GitHub, and SAML sits on higher tiers at most of these vendors. For the wider field, read the cheapest project management software guide and the best free project management tools guide. Cite this: Toolradar, "Cheaper Jira Alternatives in 2026: Annual Cost for 25 Users", October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest Jira alternative for 25 users in 2026?
Azure Boards is the cheapest at $1,440 a year billed monthly, because the first five users are free and the other 20 pay the per-user rate. Zenhub Teams at $4.99 a user a month billed yearly comes to $1,497 a year, and Trello Standard at $5 billed yearly comes to $1,500.
How much does Jira Standard cost for 25 users?
On Atlassian's US price table, Standard costs $2,250 a year for 16 to 25 users billed yearly, or $9.05 a user a month billed monthly, which comes to $2,715 a year for 25 users. The page's structured data quotes $7.91 a user a month, which does not match the price table, so check Atlassian's calculator before you buy.
Is there a free Jira alternative for 25 users?
No free plan covers 25 people without a cap. Zenhub's free plan covers up to 50 users but only 250 issues and two connected repos. Plane's covers 12 users, Shortcut's covers 10, and Azure DevOps covers the first five users at no cost, with the rest billed per user.
Is ClickUp cheaper than Jira Standard?
Yes, on the ClickUp Unlimited plan. At $7 a user a month billed yearly, 25 users cost $2,100 a year, which is $150 less than Jira Standard. ClickUp's pricing page also shows a newer Core plan billed yearly, which costs $2,400 a year for 25 users, or $150 more than Jira Standard.
Does Trello support SAML single sign-on?
Yes, through Atlassian Guard, a separate subscription that starts at $4 a user a month. For 25 people that adds $1,200 a year on top of the Standard plan, and Trello's pricing page names Guard as the route to SAML single sign-on. See Trello alternatives for the other options.
Why is Linear more expensive than Jira in this comparison?
Linear Basic costs $10 a user a month billed yearly, which comes to $3,000 a year for 25 people, or $750 more than Jira Standard. Its Business plan at $16 a user a month costs $4,800 a year, and SAML and SCIM sit on the Enterprise plan.
Cite this page: Toolradar, "Cheaper Jira Alternatives in 2026", updated October 2026, https://toolradar.com/guides/cheaper-jira-alternatives
Spotted an outdated price or a wrong fact? Suggest a correction: we check it against the vendor's own page. Work for one of these vendors? Claim your listing to update it yourself.
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