Jira Align vs Microsoft Azure DevOps comparison

Atlassian and Microsoft are both solutions in the Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites category. Atlassian is ranked #9 with an average rating of 7.8, while Microsoft is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.2. Additionally, 92% of Atlassian users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Jira Align

Read 41 Jira Align reviews

1,643 Views
968 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure DevOps

Read 130 Microsoft Azure DevOps reviews

17,067 Views
13,567 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Jira Align

Microsoft Azure DevOps

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Jira Align and Microsoft Azure DevOps based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Jira Align vs. Microsoft Azure DevOps Report (Updated: October 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Jira Align vs. Microsoft Azure DevOps

October 2024

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Helped 816,406 peers since 2012

Categories and Ranking

Jira Align

Ranking in Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites

9th

Ranking in Enterprise Agile Planning Tools

3rd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Value Stream Management Software (1st)

Microsoft Azure DevOps

Ranking in Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites

2nd

Ranking in Enterprise Agile Planning Tools

1st

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

130

Ranking in other categories

Release Automation (1st)

Featured Reviews

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

Akshat Prakash

Consultant at BP

Allows us to deploy code to production without releasing certain features immediately and agile project management capabilities offer resource-leveling

My company has experienced benefits from using it or from recent updates in Azure Pipelines. For instance, we can manage different code versions from the same repository across different environments. We also use feature flags; the code is deployed, but the feature can be made visible to the end user at a later time. Additionally, as part of the deployment, we integrate automated and regression testing, which stops the deployment if testing fails, thus preventing regression bugs. This saves time and increases productivity by reducing the need for manual testing. Lastly, it integrates with the project management aspects, allowing us to link code deployments with project milestones. Azure DevOps supported our shift towards DevOps culture or practices. We shifted to the cloud environment and started migrating from our data centers about eight or nine years back. It has been a long journey. However, we have used Azure DevOps for almost five to six years in every project. We also use automation testing in Azure, so we have an integrated test suite that allows us to perform functional and regression testing effectively via the Azure DevOps system.

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

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

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

"I like the way the UI functions."

"The tool helps us to stick with the timeline and budget of our projects. It also helps me to identify dependencies and red flags and intervene wherever possible. I have found the key metrics tab also useful."

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

"The reporting structure is great."

"I've had no issues with Align's stability."

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

More Jira Align pros

"Two of the most valuable features include the integrated project management suite, which consolidates source code and project management in a single location, and its powerful reporting capabilities."

"I like the tracking and that we can monitor our velocity."

"The CI/CD pipeline setup is more user-friendly. You can manage various stages, and there are over 400+ plugins available for each stage."

"The product is easy to use and very stable."

"Monitoring is most valuable."

"My first impression of DevOps, after using Jira, is that it has a much better, more intuitive, and more user-friendly interface."

"The build and release management features are valuable."

"What I like most about Azure DevOps is how easy it is to manage projects and control deployments."

More Microsoft Azure DevOps pros

Cons

"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."

"One feature that needs improvement is the tool's ability to change schedules automatically. Users can't simply drag and drop tasks to reschedule them without notifying the entire team. This lack of functionality can hinder project management control, as changes should be communicated transparently to all team members."

"AI is utilized worldwide; they could implement the functionality for notifications and other organizational operations in the product."

"For future releases of Jira Align, I would suggest making workflows simpler and more user-friendly."

"Jira Align has price packages for different purposes. Users must do their own research and see if it fits their purpose."

"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."

"I've encountered limitations in using Jira Align for certain aspects, particularly in implementing OKRs. Jira Align's highest hierarchy is Epic, which may not always align perfectly for specific initiatives. Additionally, while Jira Align offers functionality for tracking OKRs and generating dashboards, I've found that it lacks in some areas. As a result, we've explored alternative solutions that better meet our needs in these areas. Its Kanban feature is also limited."

"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."

More Jira Align cons

"Requirements management is an area that can be improved."

"The portfolio is one area where DevOps has room for improvement. Built-in reporting and visualization also could be better. We're using Power BI and Tableau to compile more complex reports and dashboards. Azure DevOps has some out-of-the-box reporting capabilities, but they're very simple. It's usually okay on the team level, but if you have to run a complex report, it's difficult and insufficient, so we use Power BI as an extension."

"The solution could work to improve their reporting."

"I think Azure DevOps could improve the traceability or business intelligence about the execution of DevOps processes."

"The functions have too much dependency right now, so it makes it really, really hard to upgrade and make a change in the code."

"I have not been able to use the integration with automation features, such as test management automation, with a framework that is written in Java."

"We are currently in the process of moving all of our on-prem to the cloud platform. We are trying to make that move and host the majority of our DevOps services in the cloud because the cloud is where most of the things are going nowadays. However, the process of this transfer is not straightforward, and it could be a lot easier. Microsoft hasn't provided the maturity for migration tools. It could be a lot easier in that respect. I want to see them continue to advance the API capabilities. They could add some more robust functionality to the administrative layer within ADO services. There are a lot of configuration elements that you need to take care of at the organization level and the project configuration level from an administrative capacity. When you're dealing with process templates and things of that nature, you have to do them all manually. Being able to automate some of that using scripts or API functionality would be really nice."

"Compared to JIRA, I think Azure DevOps is missing some management elements, like some reporting features. It would be helpful if some things were clearer when we're adding attributes. For instance, sometimes we want to add some categories or attributes, and it's not so easy."

More Microsoft Azure DevOps cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

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

"The pricing and licensing costs are rated lower, around six mainly due to significant increases in licensing costs that were not well-received by users."

"The license for Jira Align is priced fairly."

"Jira Align is an expensive solution."

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

"Jira Align's pricing is reasonable."

"The tool is moderately expensive."

More Jira Align pricing and cost advice

"The price is reasonable for the solution."

"Compared to other tools, Microsoft Azure DevOps is a cheap solution."

"The solution costs $5 or $10 per user, per month."

"As a Microsoft Partner, you get a discount on the pricing. Licensing costs are around $80 a month for DevOps, but for Azure, it is about $200 a month."

"The majority of the components are reasonably priced."

"The price is cheaper than Jira and some of the other competing tools."

"The price is reasonable, but of course, you can find others that are cheaper such as Atlassian."

"As the cost structure is per user, I would recommend paying the cost structure based on the amount of data you use rather than the number of users."

More Microsoft Azure DevOps pricing and cost advice

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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites solutions are best for your needs.

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

28%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Government

Manufacturing Company

13%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

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

Which is better - Jira or Microsoft Azure DevOps?

Jira is a great centralized tool for just about everything, from local team management to keeping track of products and work logs. It is easy to implement and navigate, and it is stable and scalabl...

See all answers

Which is better - TFS or Azure DevOps?

TFS and Azure DevOps are different in many ways. TFS was designed for admins, and only offers incremental improvements. In addition, TFS seems complicated to use and I don’t think it has a very fri...

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft Azure DevOps?

Valuable features for project management and tracking in Azure DevOps include a portal displaying test results, check-in/check-out activity, and developer/tester productivity.

See all answers

Comparisons

OpenText ValueEdge vs Jira Align

Compared 47% of the time

ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management vs Jira Align

Compared 19% of the time

Planview AgilePlace vs Jira Align

Compared 6% of the time

Rally Software vs Jira Align

Compared 5% of the time

Targetprocess vs Jira Align

Compared 3% of the time

More Jira Align Competitors

GitLab vs Microsoft Azure DevOps

Compared 43% of the time

Jira vs Microsoft Azure DevOps

Compared 16% of the time

Rally Software vs Microsoft Azure DevOps

Compared 6% of the time

TFS vs Microsoft Azure DevOps

Compared 4% of the time

OpenText ALM / Quality Center vs Microsoft Azure DevOps

Compared 4% of the time

More Microsoft Azure DevOps Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Jira Align

November 2024

Download Jira Align product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure DevOps

November 2024

Download Microsoft Azure DevOps product report

Also Known As

AgileCraft

Azure DevOps, VSTS, Visual Studio Team Services, MS Azure DevOps

Learn More

Atlassian

Microsoft

Overview

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.”

Microsoft Azure DevOps is a cloud service that enables developers to collaborate on code development projects and create and deploy applications quicker than ever before. The service helps unite developers, project managers, and software development experts through a collaborative experience while using the application. For the users' convenience, Azure DevOps offers the user cloud services through Azure DevOps Services or an on-premises service using Azure DevOps Server. In addition, it supports integration with additional services and adding extensions, including the ability for the user to create their own custom extensions.

Azure DevOps provides a variety of unified features that can be accessed through their web browser or IDE client, such as:

Azure Pipelines - Develop and deploy services to support ongoing application integration and delivery. Azure pipelines, which work with almost every project type and most languages, will automatically test code projects in order to make them available to others.
Azure Artifacts - Share packages and integrate package sharing between teams. Packages include NuGet, npm, and Maven, in addition to other private and public sources. Developers can now share and consume packages with other developers from different public registries.
Azure Repos - Offers source control of your code through Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC) or Git repositories. Developers can now keep track of any changes that are made in their code over the course of their project.
Azure Test Plans - Offers continuous and manual/exploratory app testing through several tools. Test Suites, or a collection of Test Cases, are grouped together in a container called a Test Plan.
Azure Boards - Provides a suite of Agile tools to track work, support planning, code defects, and general issues while using Kanban and Scrum software. Teams are in need of tools that are flexible and will help them grow. Azure Boards is a service that helps developers manage their software projects.

Benefits of Microsoft Azure DevOps

Microsoft Azure DevOps offers many benefits, including:

A quick setup and easy deployment
An elastic scale
Exceptional security
No-maintenance operations
Effortless collaboration through domains
The ability to create and deploy products faster than traditional software

Reviews from Real Users

Microsoft Azure DevOps stands out among its competitors for a variety of reasons. Two major ones are its ability to forecast how long each task will take and the ability for users to follow the entire development process.

PeerSpot viewers note the effectiveness of this solution. An executive chief operating officer for a cloud provider notes, “We can forecast tasks and the number of hours a task will take and can compare it with how long a task actually takes.”

Carlos H., a product and system director at SPCM, writes, “I think the most usable thing is that you can follow the whole progress of the development process. This makes it very useful for us.”

Sample Customers

Anthem, nielsen, Homeland Security, NCR, dimension data

Alaska Airlines, Iberia Airlines, Columbia, Skype

Buyer's Guide

Jira Align vs. Microsoft Azure DevOps

October 2024

Free Report: Jira Align vs. Microsoft Azure DevOps

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