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 8.6, while Atlassian is ranked #3 with an average rating of 7.8. GitLab holds a 30.4% mindshare in EAP, compared to Atlassian’s 5.0% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of GitLab users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Atlassian users who would recommend it.

GitLab

Read 82 GitLab reviews

10,610 Views
8,690 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Jira Align

Read 41 Jira Align reviews

2,426 Views
1,494 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

GitLab

Jira Align

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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: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

GitLab vs. Jira Align

March 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 842,194 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 (8th), Build Automation (1st), Release Automation (2nd), Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (7th), 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 (9th), Value Stream Management Software (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Enterprise Agile Planning Tools category, the mindshare of GitLab is 30.4%, up from 30.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Jira Align is 5.0%, down from 5.5% 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

Tonia Spight-Sokoya

Program Support for Third Party External SPM Lead Business Execution Consultant/PMP PM at Wells Fargo

User-friendly with good documentation and the ability to integrate with other third arty vendors

I am really focused on identity access management and getting access to the vendors. Right now, I'm setting up vendor access through Azure. You can do that or with the IAM. Sometimes we have to create several different types of access because we have vaulted databases. We have the Unix databases, I have MySQL, and we have Mongo, where I get access to those user classes or to the databases in the host group. Those are all different access scenario forms that I submit after I do the configuration in the form with the security team. I need clarity on the IAM. I'm not clear on PAM eighter. Is there a form that they have to submit to get access to the internal cyber-risk teams to get their access for people to be able to use the tool on the Confluence side? Do they have to send some kind of form to the operation's security or enterprise security? To be able to get the access for privileged access, do they need to be working on projects that have vaulted databases? I still need to figure out how that works. Other companies that are competitors of Jira and Confluence, are able to create their active directories for the vendors that don't come in internally. They only do access through the cloud and through third-party, two-factor identification. That's something I was wondering if that was already implemented in the packages, the package for Confluence. It would be nice to have that right in the solution.

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 aspects of GitLab are the ability to create branches, merge branches, and compare branches to resolve code conflicts."

"It is very flexible and easy because you can store data on cloud."

"I have found the most valuable feature is security control. I also like the branching and cloning software."

"This is a scalable solution. We had around 200 users working with it."

"The most valuable feature of GitLab is the ability to upload scripts and make changes when needed and then reupload them. Additionally, the solution is user-friendly."

"GitLab is very well-organized and easy to use. Also, it offers most features that customers need."

"If you want to maintain your issues in GitLab and raise your book of work and features, then GitLab is a great tool for collaboration and integration with code deployment and CICD pipelines."

"The most important features of GitLab for us are issue management and all the CI/CD tools. Another aspect that I love about GitLab is the UI."

More GitLab pros

"Align enables the capture of all capabilities."

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

"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."

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

"The deployment phase of Jira Align wasn't difficult."

"The most valuable features in Jira Align are the dashboard and the reporting feature."

"In our workflow, we utilize a dashboard. Our product development backbone relies on two-week sprints. At the beginning of each sprint, we conduct a planning meeting to discuss and challenge the backlogs. Throughout the sprint, we conduct daily sessions to review code, ensure alignment with coding standards, and address any issues. Once all tasks are completed, we proceed with the deployment process."

"Being able to do PI planning using the program levels is most valuable. I find that the program-level reporting is most useful."

More Jira Align pros

Cons

"Their RBAC is role-based access, which is fine but not very good."

"GitLab could improve the patch repository. It does not have support for Conan patch version regions. Additionally, better support for Kubernetes deployment is needed as part of the package."

"We'd always like to see better pricing on the product."

"I would like to see static analysis also embedded in GitLab. That would also help us. If there's something that it does internally by GitLab and then that is already tied up with your pipeline and then it can tell you that you're coding is good or your code is not great. Based on that, it would pass or fail. That should be streamlined. I would think that would help to a greater extent, in terms of having one solution rather than depending on multiple vendors."

"It would be really good if they integrated more features in application security."

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

"The solution could be faster."

"The solution does not have many built-in functions or variables so scripting is required."

More GitLab cons

"The tool's corporate pricing is expensive."

"Jira Align can improve the visibility of executive teams."

"The solution’s stability could be improved."

"In my company, we found the solution to have many issues regarding its ability to handle claims and other processes since the solution is not available on a single window."

"One area where Jira Align could improve is in its licensing model. There was a significant change in the licensing module about six months ago, which resulted in increased costs for customers like us. This change wasn't communicated clearly, and it made it challenging for companies to adopt Jira Align without facing higher expenses. In terms of features, I would like to see improved workflows in the next release, as that would greatly benefit our organization."

"Jira Align fails to provide its users with a complete package in terms of portfolio management."

"The product needs to improve its configurations."

"Jira Align's user interface needs improvement because its user experience is really bad."

More Jira Align cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"It is very expensive. We can't bear it now, and we have to find another solution. We have a yearly subscription in which we can increase the number of licenses, but we have to pay at the end of the year."

"The solution's pricing is acceptable."

"We are using the free version of GitLab."

"The solution's standard license is paid annually. They have changed the pricing model and it used to be better. There is a free version available."

"Regarding pricing, I would rate GitLab as moderately priced, maybe around a seven or eight out of ten. It could be more flexible for clients but generally offers good value."

"The price of GitLab could be better, it is expensive."

"Its price is fine. It is on the cheaper side and not expensive. You have to pay additionally for GitLab CI/CD minutes. Initially, we used the free version. When we ran out of GitLab minutes, we migrated to the paid version."

More GitLab pricing and cost advice

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

"The software is very good, but the price is expensive. Our licensing costs are on a monthly basis, but there are no additional costs to the standard license fees."

"The license for Jira Align is priced fairly."

"Jira Align's pricing is reasonable."

"Jira Align is an expensive solution."

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

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

More Jira Align pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

27%

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

25%

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Insurance Company

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?

Certain features in Jira are not available in GitLab, such as the functionality to have weights at the milestone and epic levels. Hopefully, these features will be resolved with work items in GitLa...

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 31% of the time

GitHub CoPilot vs GitLab

Compared 11% of the time

SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) vs GitLab

Compared 8% 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 45% of the time

ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management vs Jira Align

Compared 22% of the time

Rally Software vs Jira Align

Compared 5% of the time

Microsoft Azure DevOps vs Jira Align

Compared 5% of the time

Planview AgilePlace vs Jira Align

Compared 4% of the time

More Jira Align Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

GitLab

March 2025

Download GitLab product report

Buyer's Guide

Jira Align

March 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

March 2025

Free Report: GitLab vs. Jira Align

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