Trello vs Jira
pricing comparison · 2026 · Updated April 2026
Trello pricing ranges from $0–$17.5/user/month, while Jira ranges from $0–$14.54/user/month. Both products are similarly priced at comparable tiers.
Trello and Jira are both Atlassian products — but they serve very different audiences. Trello is a lightweight Kanban board built for visual task management, favored by small teams and non-technical users. Jira is a full-featured issue tracker originally built for software development, now used across engineering, IT, and operations teams at every scale.
Both start free. Trello paid plans run $5–$17.50/user/month; Jira paid plans run $7.91–$14.54/user/month. The real cost difference is complexity: Jira's power comes with a steep learning curve, while Trello's simplicity hits a ceiling for complex workflows.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | Trello | Jira |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free /month | Free /user/month |
| Standard | $5 /user/month | $7.91 /user/month |
| Premium | $10 /user/month | $14.54 /user/month |
| Enterprise | $17.50 /user/month | Custom |
Cost at Scale
Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.
Trello
9 scenariosJira
6 scenariosMarket Intelligence
Trello
- Median annual cost
- $500
- Based on
- 137 deals
Jira
- Median annual cost
- $85,618
- Average negotiated discount
- 11%
- Based on
- 484 deals
Contract Terms
| Term | Trello | Jira |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewal | Yes | Yes |
| Cancellation | Not clearly communicated; users report receiving only an indirect email approximately 7 business days before charge | Contact required before renewal date |
| Minimum commitment | Monthly or annual | 1 year for annual plans, month-to-month available |
| Price escalation | No published schedule; new features (e.g. Planner) are progressively moved to paid tiers | 5-20% annual price increase every October (5-10% for Jira/Confluence, 8-20% for Jira Service Management). Annual contracts signed before October lock in current pricing. |
| Can downgrade | No | Yes |
Our Verdict
Choose Trello for a visual, zero-learning-curve board for small teams managing straightforward projects. It excels for marketing campaigns, content calendars, and cross-functional coordination where simplicity beats power.
Choose Jira for software development, IT service management, or complex multi-team projects requiring sprint tracking, backlog prioritization, and detailed reporting. The learning investment pays off at scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Trello cheaper than Jira?
Both are free for small teams. Trello paid plans start at $5/user/month; Jira starts at $7.91/user/month. For teams over 10, Trello can cost slightly more at higher tiers ($17.50/user vs $14.54/user).
02 Can Trello replace Jira for software teams?
For basic task tracking, yes. But Trello lacks sprint velocity tracking, backlog grooming, and advanced reporting. Most dev teams outgrow Trello within 6–12 months of scaling.
03 Which is easier to set up?
Trello. Most teams are productive within minutes. Jira typically requires a day or more to configure project structures, workflows, and permissions.
04 Can you migrate from Trello to Jira?
Yes — Atlassian has official migration tools. Cards become issues, lists become statuses. The migration takes under an hour for most teams.