GitLab vs Jira Align comparison

GitLab and Atlassian are both solutions in the Enterprise Agile Planning Tools category. GitLab is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.4, while Atlassian is ranked #3 with an average rating of 7.8. GitLab holds a 30.8% mindshare in EAP, compared to Atlassian’s 4.9% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of GitLab users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Atlassian users who would recommend it.

GitLab

Read 81 GitLab reviews

11,146 Views
9,010 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Jira Align

Read 41 Jira Align reviews

2,780 Views
1,688 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

GitLab

Jira Align

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 18, 2024

GitLab and Jira Align compete in the software development and project management category. GitLab has the advantage due to its strong focus on code repositories and DevOps solutions.

Features: GitLab emphasizes code repositories, seamless code merging, and a powerful CI/CD integration system, providing comprehensive DevOps control. Jira Align focuses on agile processes by aligning business and IT strategy, offering detailed planning and reporting tools for large organizational needs.

Room for Improvement: GitLab could improve its AWS integrations, leadership metrics, and documentation. Jira Align requires better integration with Jira, intuitive features, and customization for diverse needs.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: GitLab uses Public Cloud for deployment, offering open-source flexibility, though its support might be inconsistent for free users. Jira Align is enterprise-focused with reliable support, but feedback suggests potential gaps in long-term support.

Pricing and ROI: GitLab offers a free version along with paid tiers that vary in pricing, reaching $99 per user/month for the Ultimate tier. This is justified by extensive features enhancing DevOps processes. Jira Align is priced higher and might be costly for SMEs but provides value for larger corporations with its strategic planning capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed GitLab vs. Jira Align Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

GitLab vs. Jira Align

January 2025

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Helped 832,138 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

GitLab

Ranking in Enterprise Agile Planning Tools

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Security Tools (10th), Build Automation (1st), Release Automation (2nd), Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (9th), Rapid Application Development Software (12th), Software Composition Analysis (SCA) (5th), Fuzz Testing Tools (2nd), DevSecOps (3rd)

Jira Align

Ranking in Enterprise Agile Planning Tools

3rd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites (8th), Value Stream Management Software (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Enterprise Agile Planning Tools category, the mindshare of GitLab is 30.8%, up from 29.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Jira Align is 4.9%, down from 5.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Agile Planning Tools

Featured Reviews

Gaurav Chandel

AWS DevOps/ Site Reliability Engineer at Tata Consultancy

Boosted productivity with automated pipelines and seamless collaboration

There are some challenges with repository file management as GitLab may struggle to manage larger files. Improvements could be made regarding size management and file partitioning. Also, the UI has remained the same for a couple of years and could benefit from an update with AI features and better customization.

Read full review

ShyiamaKishun

Senior Manager, Technology & Delivery at S&R TECHNOLOGY

Has a straightforward setup process and efficient project management features .

Jira Align supports program increment planning by facilitating the planning aspect, including team setup, dependency management, and defining the layout for each step or stage in a project. The platform aids in breaking down targets into parts, aligning with Agile principles, and ensuring a structured layout. The most impactful feature of Jira Align for project management lies in its capabilities related to planning and setting up projects. The platform visually understands targets, offering a clear and detailed layout. We can determine when to speed up the process or access the project. We can address the issues related to planning and development efficiently. It is a great product to use, aiding in project planning and alignment. I recommend it to others and rate it a ten out of ten.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable features of Gitlab are integration with CIE and the ability to rapidly deploy solutions, projects, and applications. It is very easy to use, and there are no complaints."

"GitLab is very useful for pipelines, continuous integration, and continuous deployment. It is also stable."

"The solution's most valuable feature is that it is compatible with GitHub. The product's integration capabilities are sufficient for our small company of 35 people."

"The most valuable feature of GitLab is its convenience. I am able to trace back most of my changes up to a far distance in time and it helps me to analyze and see the older version of the code."

"The best thing is that as the developers work on separate tasks, all of the code goes there and the other team members don't have to wait on each other to finish."

"GitLab's source control is excellent."

"When a developer checks in code, it is automatically built and deployed, and automated test cases are also run. We have extensive integration with GitLab, which helps us with source code management. We run the static code analysis using SonarQube."

"A user friendly solution."

More GitLab pros

"The biggest advantage of Jira Align, in my opinion, is its user-friendly interface, making it simple and easy for end users to navigate and utilize. The most valuable feature of Jira Align for me is its automation capabilities, allowing us to create automation rules based on logical conditions for our projects. In terms of cross-team collaboration, Jira Align's integration with our project squads has been highly effective. It enables seamless creation of stories linked to incidents and changes, facilitating better visibility and understanding of the relationships between them. Regarding road mapping and dependency tracking, Jira Align enhances our project planning by aligning with our best practices and providing robust capabilities for mapping out dependencies and tracking progress."

"The interface of Jira Align is very easy to use and manage"

"Jira Align helps us manage communication and tasks for a variety of teams without overlap."

"Jira Align is an intuitive tool that features a roadmap view...The initial setup was straightforward...Jira Align is definitely worth the money."

"The technical support team responds quickly and resolves issues effectively."

"Some of the most valuable features are the configurations and dashboards."

"The product's most valuable feature is CMDB for services desk management and backlog projects."

"The most valuable features are the ability to customize the entries and to update them quickly. Since the new version they released, we started utilizing the customization features to create specific codes and symbols for our teams that were not available before. For example, in team A each person had their own symbols and we had our own demarcation. When our project or task was completed, we had a code that we could enter online that let the main project managers know that it was time to remove it."

More Jira Align pros

Cons

"GitLab could improve by having more plugins and better user-friendliness."

"I rate the support from GitLab a four out of five."

"The user interface could be more user-friendly. We do most of our operations through the website interface but it could be better."

"I would like to see AI support in GitLab."

"Merge conflicts and repository maintenance could improve. If there is someone new to the system they would not know if there is a conflict."

"GitLab should work on improving their user interface for GitOps as it is lagging behind."

"GitLab's Windows version is yet not available and having this would be an improvement."

"We'd like to see better integration with the Atlassian ecosystem."

More GitLab cons

"Jira Align should reduce the many information fields we need to provide while closing defects."

"Maybe some of the terms and the connectivity could be improved."

"It should just have the integration with Jira. We haven't looked at it since Atlassian bought the product."

"Other companies that are competitors of Jira and Confluence, they are able to create their active directories for the vendors that don't come in internally."

"I would like to see Jira Align merge and integrate better with Jira as a whole. A lot of the time, the data from Jira won't map very well into Jira Align."

"We have experienced errors with the internal server that occurs frequently."

"Jira Align's setup process could be more straightforward, and they could make training and educational documentation more accessible."

"The initial setup was a little bit complex."

More Jira Align cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The initial setup cost is excellent and you can add the premium features later."

"As I work in a vast enterprise, I'm unsure about the licensing cost for GitLab. It's the management team that takes care of that."

"We are using the free version of GitLab."

"On a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the pricing a five out of ten."

"We are using its free version, and we are evaluating its Premium version. Its Ultimate version is very expensive."

"GitLab's pricing is good compared to others on the market."

"The solution is based on a licensing model that includes technical support and is paid annually."

"The solution is based on a subscription model and is reasonably priced."

More GitLab pricing and cost advice

"Jira Align is quite expensive for small-to-medium companies, but it's quite reasonable for larger ones."

"Our customers buy licenses. We are not involved in its purchase."

"Jira Align was reasonably priced then, especially for a bundle license that accommodated around 50 monthly users."

"The license for Jira Align is priced fairly."

"My company pays approximately 399 USD per month for the solution."

"Jira Align's pricing is reasonable."

"Jira Align is an expensive solution."

More Jira Align pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

29%

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

28%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about GitLab?

I find the features and version control history to be most valuable for our development workflow. These aspects provide us with a clear view of changes and help us manage requests efficiently.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for GitLab?

The pricing of GitLab is reasonable, aligning with what I consider to be average compared to competitors.

See all answers

What needs improvement with GitLab?

There are missing search features, particularly when searching repositories or applying filters. Additionally, I have encountered issues with the deployment of CI/CD pipelines, especially dealing w...

See all answers

What do you like most about Jira Align?

I joined the company because they had a large project, and as a startup company, they needed to scale up efficiently. My task was to review the current baseline, assess the team's capabilities, and...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Jira Align?

The platform's communication features could be more robust for better team integration.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Jira Align?

We use Jira Align for business strategies, collaboration, and reporting. The solution allows us to manage the various products and features delivered on that platform.

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Azure DevOps vs GitLab

Compared 35% of the time

SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) vs GitLab

Compared 9% of the time

GitHub CoPilot vs GitLab

Compared 9% of the time

AWS CodePipeline vs GitLab

Compared 6% of the time

Tekton vs GitLab

Compared 5% of the time

More GitLab Competitors

OpenText ValueEdge vs Jira Align

Compared 47% of the time

ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management vs Jira Align

Compared 21% of the time

Rally Software vs Jira Align

Compared 5% of the time

Planview AgilePlace vs Jira Align

Compared 5% of the time

Microsoft Azure DevOps vs Jira Align

Compared 4% of the time

More Jira Align Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

GitLab

January 2025

Download GitLab product report

Buyer's Guide

Jira Align

January 2025

Download Jira Align product report

Also Known As

Fuzzit

AgileCraft

Overview

GitLab is a complete DevOps platform that enables teams to collaborate and deliver software faster.

It provides a single application for the entire DevOps lifecycle, from planning and development to testing, deployment, and monitoring.

With GitLab, teams can streamline their workflows, automate processes, and improve productivity.

GitLab

Jira Align is a cloud-based agile planning tool designed to help enterprises visualize, manage, and carry out large-scale software and IT projects. Jira Align’s features are designed to align the activities of your company’s development team with the overall goals of the organization by helping you achieve the following results:

Connect and coordinate enterprise-level business teams.
Make your entire enterprise’s work visible to drive and improve business outcomes.
Improve product quality with a fully aligned organization.
Shorten delivery cycles by increasing operational efficiency.

With Jira Align’s integration with Jira Software, businesses can simplify governing large-scale software development efforts by translating their strategy and goals into the technical execution and delivery of work.

Jira Align uses the aggregated data from Jira Software to produce reports on every aspect of the development process. Product stakeholders are granted immediate visibility into the progress that has been made and can easily identify delays and their causes.

The solution also assists in budget planning by assigning expenses to various work items and giving management real-time insights into ongoing expenditures and performance against set budgets.

Jira Align Features

Some of the top features and benefits of using Jira Align include:

Strategy management: Jira Align provides a clear visualization of where your enterprise is holding via strategic snapshots. The snapshot helps guide teams throughout the product. With the snapshot in view, it becomes easier to see and track the goals your company wants to carry out.

Progress monitoring: View a progress bar that provides indication of the level of completeness of your projects. The interface is populated with live data, which assists with planning and execution reporting.

Reporting and metrics: Jira Align creates valuable insights using the aggregated data it collects, ensuring that changes are tracked across teams and results are made visible early on in the process. These metrics allow managers to quickly determine what actions need to be taken.

Scalability: Jira Align is designed to work within organizations with hundreds of technical staff members and it can scale to support tens of thousands of users.

Backlogs and workflows: Effectively manage your work utilizing backlogs and workflow boards.

Customizable dashboard: Lay out key data points to help management keep tabs on important items. Easily make decisions based on active live consolidated data along with forecasting, risk tracking reports, and more. To help lower risks, Jira Align provides you with a visualization of program cross dependencies. It also displays a comprehensive view of resource utilization across projects, and highlights inefficiencies so that they can be resolved quickly.

Reviews from Real Users

Jira Align stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its program-level planning options and its reporting capabilities.

A project manager at a consultancy notes, “I like how things can be sorted out, and it shows the different objectives one can do. You could also create a team view that would allow your team to see work outcomes. Jira Align also helps with the reporting, because we can export data to Excel or another format.”

Atlassian

Sample Customers

1. NASA 2. IBM 3. Sony 4. Alibaba 5. CERN 6. Siemens 7. Volkswagen 8. ING 9. Ticketmaster 10. SpaceX 11. Adobe 12. Intuit 13. Autodesk 14. Rakuten 15. Unity Technologies 16. Pandora 17. Electronic Arts 18. Nordstrom 19. Verizon 20. Comcast 21. Philips 22. Deutsche Telekom 23. Orange 24. Fujitsu 25. Ericsson 26. Nokia 27. General Electric 28. Cisco 29. Accenture 30. Deloitte 31. PwC 32. KPMG

Anthem, nielsen, Homeland Security, NCR, dimension data

Buyer's Guide

GitLab vs. Jira Align

January 2025

Free Report: GitLab vs. Jira Align

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