According to Atlassian Product Licensing Specialists Automation Consultants, Jira, a recently developed project management, bug and issue tracking software, is one handy tool every business should incorporate into their systems. However, as with any other software used in business, you’re wondering, is Jira free for commercial use? The short answer is Jira isn’t free, but you’re entitled to a 7-day free trial or a 30-day free trial, depending on your package. Here’s more about the software.

What is Jira?

Jira is a software used for issue tracking, bug tracking, and project management. The word Jira was inherited from a Japanese word-Gojira- meaning Godzilla. Initially, the software was designed exclusively for bug and issue tracking, but it has evolved into a powerful work management tool.

Jira uses Kanban visual interface that allows users to manage projects by moving index cards across categories on a digital corkboard.

Who Needs Jira?

Jira is a multi-purpose tool useful to different teams in a company:

Test Case Management Teams

Jira has transformed into a central hub for teams involved in coding, collaboration, and release stages. It also integrates with different add-ons to allow QA testing seamlessly during the software development cycle.

Project Management Teams

Jira software is designed to fit any project. Teams can create a custom workflow or use their project template. The software tracks each part of the project that needs to go through the workflow steps to completion. Users can also use customizable permissions to determine who can see and execute specific tasks.

Software Development Teams

This team uses Jira software to manage its participants, budgets, and other requirements from the first day. It integrates with different CI/CD tools to enhance transparency during the software development lifecycle.

Agile Teams

Jira provides handy boards for teams practising agile methodologies. The boards act as task management hubs for mapping tasks into customizable workflows. The premise for using such boards is to enhance transparency and visibility in a team. The boards also have a time tracking features and provide real-time performance reports to allow teams to monitor productivity over time.

Jira Pricing

The first step to using Jira software is to buy a Jira license. Businesses have two options when using the software:

• To run it from the Cloud or,
• To self-host with their servers

Both options have their pros, cons, and pricing plans. For example, if you plan on using the Jira Cloud option, you get a 7-day free trial on all its packages- Jira Core, Jira Service Desk, and Jira Software. Moreover, Atlassian, the developer, offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. A few other perks that come with Jira Cloud are:

• 2 GB of file storage
• Ten users
• Scrum and Kanban boards
• Agile reporting
• Community customer support

On the other hand, Jira Server users enjoy a 30-day free trial and no restriction on the number of users. The free trial can be extended twice, allowing your business to enjoy 90 days of the free trial. Jira Server comes with a range of features, including:

• Support for SAML 2.0
• Disaster recovery options
• Project archiving
• Optimisations for Amazon Web Services

Next, you need to choose a plan, depending on your business needs. Jira has three plans, namely:

• Jira Core: It’s a project management tool for different types of teams
• Jira Service Desk: This is a fully-fledged service desk software for IT and service teams
• Jira Software: This version is specially designed for software development teams

The pricing for each plan differs based on the number of users. Jira Software and Jira Core plan using Server licenses, for example, have tiers. However, using the Jira Software version on Cloud, you pay a monthly charge based on the per-user rate.

For the Jira Service Desk version, pricing varies by users or agents. You get a Jira Starters License when your Jira Service Desk has three agents or fewer or when your Jira Software or Jira Core has ten users. Moreover, Jira Cloud and Server license options come with a maintenance service. Atlassian offers one-year software maintenance that includes access to:

• Critical bug fixes
• Standard support
• Patches
• New releases, upgrades, features and enhancements

So is Jira Free for Commercial Use?

Jira isn’t exactly free for commercial use. Businesses are entitled to 7-30 day free trials depending on the license they need but must pay to use any of its tiered plans. The charges differ by the number of users, pricing plan, and stage levels.