Softwr

Technology · head to head

Aha! vs Shortcut

Aha! logo

Aha!

Technology

Roadmapping software for product builders

From
$59/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shortcut logo

Shortcut

Technology

Project management for software teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Shortcut has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Aha! sold as eight separate products rather than one subscription, so Roadmaps, Discovery, Ideas, Whiteboards, Builder, Develop, Teamwork and Knowledge are each priced per user; Shortcut limited reporting compared to Jira
  • They diverge on capability: Aha! covers Strategic roadmaps, Shortcut covers Stories & epics.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aha! and Shortcut actually diverge.

Attributes where Aha! and Shortcut differ
AttributeAha!Shortcut
Starting price$59/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux
Founded20132014

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Technology).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Aha!

  • Strategic roadmaps
  • Release planning
  • Idea management
  • Requirements & user stories
  • Visual workflows
  • Gantt charts
  • Pivot tables
  • Custom scorecards

Only in Shortcut

  • Stories & epics
  • Iterations (sprints)
  • Kanban boards
  • Roadmaps
  • Reporting
  • Docs
  • API & webhooks
  • Mobile apps

Both cover

  • GitHub
  • GitLab
  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • GDPR

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Aha!

  • Product roadmapping linked to strategy and goalsnot Shortcut
  • Collecting and scoring customer feedback through Ideasnot Shortcut
  • Customer research and interview analysis with Discoverynot Shortcut
  • Agile delivery tracking with Developnot Shortcut
  • Internal product documentation with Knowledgenot Shortcut

Shortcut

  • Sprint planningnot Aha!
  • Bug trackingnot Aha!
  • Feature developmentnot Aha!
  • Product roadmappingnot Aha!
  • Team collaborationnot Aha!

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Aha!

  • Sold as eight separate products rather than one subscription, so Roadmaps, Discovery, Ideas, Whiteboards, Builder, Develop, Teamwork and Knowledge are each priced per user
  • Roadmaps at $59 per user per month is expensive next to general project tools, and Discovery and Ideas add $39 each
  • The Develop integration with Roadmaps requires the Enterprise or Enterprise+ tier
  • Annual billing is by invoice only; monthly is card

Shortcut

  • Limited reporting compared to Jira
  • Designed specifically for software teams, not general project management
  • Can experience slow loading times with very large projects

Pricing, plan by plan

Aha!

$59/month
  • Startup$29/month
    • All premium features
    • Discounted pricing for early-stage startups
  • Premium$59/month
    • Strategy setting
    • Roadmap creation
    • Feature prioritization
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Unlimited reviewers and viewers
    • Advanced features
  • Enterprise+$null/month
    • Everything in Enterprise plus workflow automation
    • Capacity planning
    • Concierge support

Shortcut

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Kanban boards
    • Sprints
    • Roadmaps
  • Team$8.5/user/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Advanced reports
    • WIP limits
  • Business$12/user/month
    • Unlimited workspaces
    • OKRs
    • Advanced custom fields
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Volume discounts
    • SSO/SCIM
    • Premier support

Which should you pick?

Choose Aha! if

  • You need strategic roadmaps.
  • You also want release planning.
Aha! review

Choose Shortcut if

  • You need stories & epics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want iterations (sprints).
Shortcut review

Questions people ask

Is Aha! or Shortcut better?
Neither clearly leads. Aha! starts at $59/month and Shortcut at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aha! or Shortcut?
Shortcut has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $59/month for Aha! and Free for Shortcut.
Does Aha! or Shortcut run on more platforms?
Aha! runs on Web. Shortcut runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux.
Can I use Shortcut for free?
Yes. Shortcut has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Aha! starts at $59/month.
What is Aha! best used for?
Aha! is most often used for product roadmapping linked to strategy and goals, collecting and scoring customer feedback through ideas, customer research and interview analysis with discovery, agile delivery tracking with develop. Of those, product roadmapping linked to strategy and goals and collecting and scoring customer feedback through ideas are not what Shortcut is typically brought in for.
What can Aha! do that Shortcut cannot?
Aha! covers Strategic roadmaps, Release planning, Idea management, Requirements & user stories. Shortcut covers Stories & epics, Iterations (sprints), Kanban boards, Roadmaps. Both handle GitHub, GitLab, Slack, SOC2.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aha!: Does Aha! have a free tier?

No. Aha! offers a 30-day free trial without requiring a credit card, but there is no permanent free plan. Pricing starts at $59/user/month for Aha! Roadmaps.

Source
Shortcut: Does Shortcut have a free plan?

Yes, Shortcut offers a free plan for up to 10 users with core features like kanban boards, roadmaps, sprints, and reports. Paid plans start at $8.50 per user per month.

Source
Aha!: How is Aha! pricing structured?

Aha! uses per-user billing. Premium plan charges all users equally regardless of permission level. Enterprise plans only charge for workspace owners and contributors, with unlimited reviewers and viewers at no additional cost.

Source
Shortcut: Does Shortcut integrate with GitHub?

Yes, Shortcut has native GitHub integration that automatically syncs pull requests and commits to stories, and includes GitLab and Bitbucket support as well.

Source
Aha!: Can I use Aha! offline?

Aha! is a cloud-based SaaS platform with no offline mode mentioned in documentation. All features require internet connectivity to the cloud servers.

Source
Shortcut: Can I use Shortcut for non-technical projects?

Shortcut is built for software teams, though you can customize workflows for other use cases. Linear and Asana may be better suited for non-technical project management.

Source
Aha!: What does Enterprise+ plan include?

Enterprise+ includes workflow automation, capacity planning, custom tables and calculations, advanced license management, account backup and export, anti-virus scanning, IP access control, and concierge white-glove support.

Source
Shortcut: Does Shortcut support SSO and SCIM?

Yes, SSO and SCIM support are available on the Enterprise plan, allowing centralized identity management for large organizations.

Source
Aha!: How many integrations does Aha! support?

Aha! Roadmaps offers 40+ integrations including Jira, Azure DevOps, Slack, Salesforce, and Zendesk. Salesforce and Zendesk require additional add-on purchases.

Source
Shortcut: What's the difference between Shortcut and Jira?

Shortcut is lighter and faster with less setup required, while Jira offers deeper customization and enterprise features. Shortcut works better for modern software teams wanting simplicity; Jira suits enterprises needing extensive configuration.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Aha!

More on Shortcut

Keep looking

Other head to heads