Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
reviewer1523823 - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineering & Quality Manager at a leisure / travel company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Poorly designed and confusing with a dated user interface
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup was pretty straightforward."
  • "The work items structure is not hierarchical and that needs to be changed. It's too flat."

What is most valuable?

The integrations with other solutions, such as BitBucket for pull requests and the check traceability, are pretty good. That's about it. I'm not a big fan of the solution overall.

The initial setup was pretty straightforward.

What needs improvement?

The solution, in general, is a poorly designed and confusing product. The user experience is not ideal and the user interface is convoluted. The interface in particular could use a big refresh as the actual navigation within the interface is not particularly smooth.

The work items structure is not hierarchical and that needs to be changed. It's too flat.

There's excessive scope for customizing the project and the platform. Therefore, there are too many integrations, which leads to very high levels of complexity in terms of management.

Key indicators that are useful to Agile teams such as burn-down charts or burn-up charts, cumulative flow control, et cetera, are available, however, they're not easily accessible from the default user view, whereas they should always be present. Key indicators must always be present. They actually take a couple of clicks to actually get to them.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for two years. It hasn't been too long.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable. It doesn't crash or freeze. There are no bugs or glitches. It's reliable in that sense.

Buyer's Guide
Jira
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Jira. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. If a company wants to expand it, it can do so.

We have about 200 people who use the solution currently. They're mostly software developers but they're end-users as well.

While the solution is being used extensively, we're fine with maintaining our current level of usage.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is very good. We're satisfied with the level of support that is provided to us. They are knowledgeable and responsive.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I've personally used lots of other solutions, however, when I moved to this company, they already had Jira deployed. Jira is the only system of its type that's been used here.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not very complex. It was pretty straightforward. If a company wants to implement it, the setup should be pretty simple.

There's ongoing integration work on a project like this. Therefore, the initial setup was only a few days, however, then, as you add things to it, you add more time to the deployment.

What other advice do I have?

We are a customer and end-user of the product.

I would highly recommend not using this product if your focus is software development. Organizations should seriously consider alternatives such as Azure DevOps or TFS, which are more focused on modern interfaces and more accurately modeled to modern workflows.

I'd rate the solution at about a three out of ten. It doesn't really offer a whole lot that's actually usable from a software development context beyond extremely simple and free alternatives.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Group CTO at a retailer with 51-200 employees
Real User
A stable platform for managing software development
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is managing software development."
  • "The help desk and services management features are in need of improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Jira as our help desk solution, as well as for managing our software development efforts.

How has it helped my organization?

Jira has helped with respect to managing our software development, although it does not suit us well as a help desk.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is managing software development.

What needs improvement?

The help desk and services management features are in need of improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Jira for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is fine. We have fifty people in the company who are using it.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not used the vendor's technical support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was done before I joined the company.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I am currently in the process of searching for better help desk management solutions.

What other advice do I have?

My advice for anybody who is considering this solution is to ensure that it meets your requirements. For example, we have been trying to use it for help desk management, but have found that is not well suited for this task.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Jira
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Jira. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
PeerSpot user
Software Developer at DataStax
Real User
It is a platform that gives the user the option to customize its interface

What is our primary use case?

This software is implemented in the different departments of the company since it allows us to plan, organize and verify or monitor the different projects we develop day by day, thus improving communication and workflow.

How has it helped my organization?

The implementation of JIRA in the different business departments has allowed us to increase labor productivity since the teams work much more efficiently thanks to the tools provided by this powerful platform, which has made the communication much more specific and better. And when planning any task, the whole team is aware of every detail.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features or functions that I have found in this software are several but mainly that it is a platform that gives the user the option to customize its interface to the point that it can be fully adapted to the team that implements it. This generates a great advantage since it is much easier for users to adapt to it and be able to work in a much more comfortable and highly effective way, in addition to providing tools that can be followed up on tasks or projects and give priority to them. It is really useful because in this way the team can focus on those who need a much closer delivery date.

What needs improvement?

This product or software still requires improvements, especially in its interface since its learning curve is somewhat high because it offers so many features that the user tends to get confused, or the software adaptation time is much longer than it should be. Besides, its configuration is not very simple, and its support team sometimes does not respond immediately, so it is often necessary to solve problems on their own.

For how long have I used the solution?

Less than one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Although it still requires many improvements, it is a software that is kept updated to ensure that its users can be much more pleased when using it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Its scalability is somewhat limited since it is based on the number of users, and when wanting to obtain a greater number of users, the prices are somewhat high.

How are customer service and technical support?

Their customer service sometimes tends to fail because problems are not attended to immediately, but it is something that is not consecutive. But nevertheless, I believe that in an emergency this could bring problems.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have not used another solution previously.

How was the initial setup?

The initial configuration was complex because it is not simple, and that's because the software does not provide enough information to understand it.

What about the implementation team?

It was initially implemented by the suppliers since it is somewhat complex and the team was not yet ready to perform it, but they had a really positive performance.

What was our ROI?

The investment has been fair since we have obtained advantages from its implementation, mainly because productivity has increased.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It should be very clear about the plan that you want to implement and what number of users will use it. In this way, you will pay for what you really need and will cover your needs since this software is based on the number of users implementing the same plan.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not evaluate other solutions.

What other advice do I have?

This software is ideal for tracking problems, managing, planning and carrying out real-time monitoring of the tasks or projects you want to develop in a much simpler way and in the shortest possible time. So I think that if you are looking for a solution that is based on more than the management, this is the indicated choice.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user839079 - PeerSpot reviewer
Fachbereichsleiter with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Helps us work in Agile and Scrum formats across multiple locations and time zones
Pros and Cons
  • "It helps me to use virtual Scrum boards across four locations, three time zones, and to plan my work. It fully supports the Scrum approach, and the Agile way of working, and it has Agile thinking behind it.."
  • "I struggle with Epics, how they are implemented in JIRA, because they don't work like any other Story, I see a list of Epics, but although I can order them, there are some mismatches with how the Epics are used compared to what Scrum expects, or what Story mapping expects an Epic to be."
  • "I would like to see visualization of release planning. I can list the releases and I can give dates to releases, but to show how they are happening on a timeline, I would need to order the Portfolio part. But just for this, it may be too much to use the Portfolio for that."

What is our primary use case?

We run pilots and product development using this for Agile and Scrum applications, in mechatronic product development.

It has performed well so far. We like it, we would like to expand it.

How has it helped my organization?

It's a tool that won't change the way that you work, but it supports the way that you work. Agile is changing your teams, changing your organization, the way that you work, and then JIRA will help you doing that across multiple locations, for instance. 

We don't do physical boards. I run a team with four locations, in three time zones. I need to work with online tools, and this is where the tool helps me. It helps me to use virtual Scrum boards across four locations, three time zones, and to plan my work.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are 

  • the easy handling
  • drag and drop
  • what you see is what you get.

It's, smooth, accessible. It fully supports the Scrum approach, and the Agile way of working, and it has Agile thinking behind it, so this is very much helpful.

What needs improvement?

I struggle with Epics, how they are implemented in JIRA, because they don't work like any other Story, in a good way. I see a list of Epics, but although I can order them, there are some mismatches with how the Epics are used compared to what Scrum expects, or what Story mapping expects an Epic to be. 

For instance, if I rate an Epic, the Story points, and I rate the related user Stories, the Story points, they all count together. They're all summed up together. So, the overall Story points for the Epic, including the Stories, is double of the Story points. It just doesn't make sense. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I had to delete all my Story points on the Epics because they were counted including the Story points. This is not correct, and I would immediately improve that. 

I would like to see visualization of release planning. I can list the releases and I can give dates to releases, but to show how they are happening on a timeline, I would need to order the Portfolio part. But just for this, it may be too much to use the Portfolio for that.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the solution has been near perfect. I haven't faced yet any technical interruptions. 

There was one issue we had, technically, when we added 30 more users. The server hung. I don't know whether it was because of the tool, or what the reason was.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability, I can't really touch yet. We have small scale approaches. We are about to scale. I think the idea about how to scale is not yet clear. It works perfectly for a team, that is pretty clear. How you do this for more teams, I haven't investigated this too much. Maybe the tool contains this, but currently it's not fully clear to me.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We switched because the visualization is a great help. So, really to transfer from a physical Scrum board to a virtual Scrum board implemented in JIRA, as well as so teams can work with us, and collaborate with us, on a Story to produce a result. Recently we tried to work with PDC task management. As a team, we had to learn it. It's possible as well, but not as easy and flexible as JIRA.

What other advice do I have?

I'm not the selector of the vendor, but from what I can tell, from what our IT selects, the vendor should be 

  • available for global support, should be accessible in 24 hours, if there's a larger issue
  • able to collaborate with large enterprises, which sometimes have different cultures, different languages
  • able to integrate into the existing work environment - we have this tool, and that tool; the tool should fit into our tool landscape
  • able to provide training.

I would rate JIRA a nine out of 10. It's not a 10 because it's inconsistent, sometimes, in how it acts and reacts, like my example with the Epics. But it's a high rating because it's user friendly, it's easy to use, you do not need much training on it. If you know how to work with Scrum, you can easily use it for your own work in a small team. For multiple teams, I'm not sure. I can't judge this because I haven't done this yet.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user372507 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. Business Analyst / Product Owner at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Vendor
We spend hours and sometimes days looking through completed stories in order to determine how to manage a defect in our existing system.

What is most valuable?

In terms of requirements management, the ability to write the descriptions and acceptance criteria are helpful. We can also group the stories by epic and associate stories by themes. There are tags that help us categorize stories. We can attach documents such as use cases and spreadsheets for detailed information as well as link to other stories.

How has it helped my organization?

We are able to track the development work for a particular story or set of stories through the Kanban board easily. The tool helps with team collaboration and raises visibility to the backlog of work to those who are interested in the project’s requirements.

What needs improvement?

We spend hours and sometimes days looking through completed stories in order to determine how to manage a defect in our existing system. We used to use Word and Excel for requirements documentation, and thought primitive, still, I was able to find specific requirements for just about any topic in a matter of minutes by using various searches and by simply knowing that a requirement probably resides in a specific document. I would ask that Altassian improve its keyword search capability and provide reports that could group information in the way I want it grouped for re-use by maintenance and production support teams when troubleshooting an existing system.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've used it for three years for managing the product and sprint backlog of our agile projects. The product was never designed for requirements management yet our organization still insists we can and will use it to manage requirements. We considered some add-ons to the product but so far.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

I am not aware of any issues with the deployment.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I am not aware of any issues with the stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I am not aware of any issues with the scalability.

How are customer service and technical support?

From what I can tell the technical support is adequate. I do not deal with Altassian so I cannot provide a valid answer.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I was not involved in the decision to use this product. Our Product Owner team made some recommendations for add in products and stand-alone ones; however our recommendations were rejected due to cost considerations. Previously we used Excel, Word and Visio to represent the requirements. We stored the documents in a common share and versioned the documents each time changes were made.

How was the initial setup?

We have a complex implementation. I do not know if the initial set up was straight forward. We have many, many teams across the country using JIRA. Since we have a single implementation used by all teams. I can see all the projects and the stories etc. by logging in with my credentials.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer914079 - PeerSpot reviewer
Java Architect at a healthcare company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Great usability, easy collaboration capabilities and offers a clear user interface
Pros and Cons
  • "The ordinary user has an interface that is very clear."
  • "Some of the interfaces, especially on the administrator side and for permissions, are not so clear. They aren't very user-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for our own projects.

What is most valuable?

The solution, for the most part, offers good usability.

The ordinary user has an interface that is very clear.

It's very easy to collaborate, especially on-site when there are a lot of moving pieces. It's a great collaboration tool.

What needs improvement?

Some of the interfaces, especially on the administrator side and for permissions, are not so clear. They aren't very user-friendly.

For admin to get permissions and stuff like that for their members it's a little confusing sometimes. That said, the rest is very clear.

The integration of what we call "Issues" in Jira could be better. The Issues integration with Bitbucket Pipelines could be better. If Jira can provide an easier way to configure and use this functionality, that will be helpful for workers.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Jira for more than ten years now. It's been a while at this point. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I looked at other options, however, Jira is so famous and well known that I did not have to look for other software.

What other advice do I have?

We are a customer and an end-user. We use Jira for internal projects. I'm a Java architect.

I'd rate the solution at a ten out of ten. I'm very satisfied with its capabilities. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1446150 - PeerSpot reviewer
Lecturer at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Great for development and scrums but needs more flexibility
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution helps a lot with scrums."
  • "I'd like some more features around software testing. I'd like to see some more stuff done around data testing. That's what I'm most interested in."

What is our primary use case?

Right now, I'm just trying the solution out. I'm doing a POC.

What is most valuable?

The solution helps a lot with scrums.

It's great for development. 

The documentation is quite good.

It has some automated software testing which is useful.

What needs improvement?

I'd like some more features around software testing. I'd like to see some more stuff done around data testing. That's what I'm most interested in.

They could be better around generating documentation and essentially helping with test scenarios, test cases, or test results in a way that is more user-friendly.

The product needs to be more flexible to adapt more effectively. Sometimes you fix the style or the format and it might not suit the environment. I'd like to be able to more effectively configure it.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've only used the solution for less than a year at this point. It hasn't been too long.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is quite stable. It's not really buggy and it doesn't crash or freeze. It's pretty reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The product can scale if a company needs it to. They should be able to expand it to have it meet their needs.

How are customer service and technical support?

I haven't really dealt with technical support. I study the solution mostly on my own. I've never spoken to them and therefore can't speak to how their services are.

In a few months, once I have used it on a deeper level, I may get the chance to reach out. However, as of right now, that has not been the case.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not complex at all. It's quite straightforward. We didn't have any issues with it.

I'm not sure how long the deployment takes. I'm a lecturer and consultant, and therefore my role is more to help people use the tool rather than set up the tool for them.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I use the free version of the solution. We don't pay for it at all. 

What other advice do I have?

I use the current version of the solution.

Right now, I'm on the free version. I'm just trying it out right now, to see if I like it.

I would recommend the solution to other organizations.

Overall, I would rate it at a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior Functional Analyst at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Good dashboards and reports help us to better manage and complete our projects
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features in Jira are the dashboard, reports, and boards that help us to control the advancement of the project."
  • "We would like to see the integration of a lite-version of Confluence, just to manage some of the templates and documents."

What is our primary use case?

We use Jira to manage scrum projects for the different projects in our company. Our business is a development company that uses the cloud version of Jira to manage the sprint and releases for each project for each client. We manage scrum and cascade projects with our clients.

How has it helped my organization?

Jira allows us to manage the project in a visual way, where you can easily see your sprint board and you see the status of your project, as well. It helps us to finish the sprint on time and easily move issues that are not finished to the backlog or to the next sprint. 

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features in Jira are the dashboard, reports, and boards that help us to control the advancement of the project.

The boards also help us to determine our velocity, and if we reach the release date it helps to determine which issues need to be moved in the event they will not be finished on time.

What needs improvement?

We would like to see the integration of a lite-version of Confluence, just to manage some of the templates and documents.

Without a plugin, implement the Route in projects created before this feature did so in the most recent versions of Jira.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been used Jira since 2016, and it helps us a lot.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Jira Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: January 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Jira Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.