Software · head to head
Jira vs Trello
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Jira free tier strictly limited to 10 users with only 2 GB storage; unsuitable for growing teams; Trello free tier limited to 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace
- They diverge on capability: Jira covers Scrum boards, Trello covers Cards & lists.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Jira and Trello actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Jira
- Scrum boards
- Roadmaps
- Agile reporting
- Custom workflows
- Issue tracking
- Sprint planning
- DevOps integration
- Bitbucket
Only in Trello
- Cards & lists
- Drag-and-drop interface
- Activity feed
- Due dates & reminders
- File attachments
- Comments & mentions
- Power-Ups ecosystem
- Google Drive
Both cover
- Kanban boards
- GitHub
- Confluence
- Slack
- SOC2
- ISO27001
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Jira
- Software development teams leveraging AI-powered Rovo for trend analysis and bottleneck identificationnot Trello
- Organisations requiring integrated issue tracking, project planning, and team alignment toolsnot Trello
- Enterprises with 1,000+ users needing advanced analytics, security controls, and custom deployment optionsnot Trello
Trello
- Project trackingnot Jira
- Content calendarsnot Jira
- Sales pipelinesnot Jira
- Onboarding processesnot Jira
- Personal task managementnot Jira
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Jira
- Free tier strictly limited to 10 users with only 2 GB storage; unsuitable for growing teams
- Per-seat pricing ($7.91–$14.54/user/month) accumulates significantly for large teams; 50-person team costs £3,955–7,270 monthly
- Enterprise tier requires annual billing and sales contact; no transparent per-user pricing available
- Premium features (cross-team planning, advanced automation) available only at $14.54/user/month tier or above
Trello
- Free tier limited to 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace
- Free tier automation capped at 250 monthly Butler runs
- No offline access; web-based platform requires internet connection
- Advanced views (timeline, table, dashboard) not available on Standard plan
- SSO only available on Enterprise plan
Pricing, plan by plan
Jira
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Jira review.
Trello
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 10 boards/workspace
- Up to 10 collaborators
- 250 monthly Butler automation runs
- Standard$5/user/month
- Unlimited boards
- Unlimited Power-Ups
- 1,000 monthly Butler runs
- Premium$10/user/month
- All Standard features
- Timeline, table, dashboard, calendar views
- Unlimited automation
- Enterprise$17.5/user/month
- All Premium features
- Unlimited workspaces
- SSO and user provisioning
Which should you pick?
Choose Jira if
- You need scrum boards.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Cloud, Web.
- You also want roadmaps.
Choose Trello if
- You need cards & lists.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos.
- You also want drag-and-drop interface.
Questions people ask
- Is Jira or Trello better?
- Neither clearly leads. Jira starts at Free and Trello at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Jira or Trello?
- Jira starts at Free and Trello at Free.
- Does Jira or Trello run on more platforms?
- Jira runs on Cloud, Web. Trello runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos.
- Can I use Jira for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Jira best used for?
- Jira is most often used for software development teams leveraging ai-powered rovo for trend analysis and bottleneck identification, organisations requiring integrated issue tracking, project planning, and team alignment tools, enterprises with 1,000+ users needing advanced analytics, security controls, and custom deployment options. Of those, software development teams leveraging ai-powered rovo for trend analysis and bottleneck identification and organisations requiring integrated issue tracking, project planning, and team alignment tools are not what Trello is typically brought in for.
- What can Jira do that Trello cannot?
- Jira covers Scrum boards, Roadmaps, Agile reporting, Custom workflows. Trello covers Cards & lists, Drag-and-drop interface, Activity feed, Due dates & reminders. Both handle Kanban boards, GitHub, Confluence, Slack.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Trello: What are the free tier limitations for Trello?
Trello Free supports up to 10 boards per workspace, unlimited cards, 250 monthly Butler automation runs, and up to 10 Power-Up attachments. Limited to 10 collaborators per workspace.
SourceTrello: What features are included in the Standard plan?
Standard ($5-6/user/month) adds unlimited boards, custom fields, advanced checklists, 1,000 monthly automation runs, list colors, and calendar view access.
SourceTrello: Does Trello offer SSO and on which plan?
SSO through Atlassian Guard is included only on the Enterprise plan ($17.50/user/month or $210/year per user).
SourceTrello: How many file attachment options are available?
Free tier includes 2 Power-Ups per board, Standard adds unlimited Power-Ups, and Premium and above offer full Power-Up marketplace access with custom integration options.
SourceTrello: Is there offline access to Trello boards?
Trello is a web-based application requiring internet connection. Mobile apps are available for iOS and Android but do not support true offline editing.
Source