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Project Management by Team · Researched comparison

Best Issue Tracking Software for Software Teams

By the TaskReports Editorial Team
Published 14 Nov 2026 · Updated 14 Nov 2026Last verified 14 Nov 2026How we score

TaskReports may earn a fee from some links on this page, and some placements are paid and labelled. Neither one decides the order. See our disclosure.

The short answer

Jira is the top pick for software teams because its backlogs, sprints, and roadmaps cover the full agile workflow, with deep integrations into code, docs, and CI tools. The Standard plan at $9.70 per user per month on monthly billing adds project roles and 250 GB storage, while the free plan covers up to 10 users.

Best overall Jira $9.70 per user/month (monthly billing) Also great Linear $10 per user/month (billed annually) Also great GitHub $4 per user/month
On this page

Key takeaways

  • Jira leads for software teams, with backlogs, sprints, and roadmaps in one agile system.
  • Linear suits fast-moving teams that want a minimal, keyboard-first tracker.
  • GitHub keeps issues beside code, with Team at $4 per user per month.
  • ClickUp, Asana, and Monday.com cover issue tracking inside broader project tools.
  • Zoho Projects and Shortcut suit small dev teams that want low cost and simple setup.

Comparison

How these compare
ToolBest forPrice rangeFree plan
JiraBacklogs, sprints, and roadmaps$9.70 per user/month (monthly billing)Yes
LinearMinimal, keyboard-first tracking$10 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
GitHubIssues beside code$4 per user/monthYes
ClickUpIssues inside project work$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
AsanaIssues the whole company can read$10.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
Monday.comVisual issue boards$9 per seat/month (billed annually)Yes
Zoho ProjectsLow cost tracking with Gantt$4 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
ShortcutLean, dev-focused tracking$8.50 per user/month (billed annually)Yes

How we choose

We compared vendor pricing pages, product docs, and feature lists for each tool, focusing on sprints, backlogs, code links, and dev integrations. We reviewed what each plan includes, where the useful features sit in the plan ladder, and how the free plan limits them. We did not claim hands-on testing. Prices come from the vendor pricing pages listed in Sources, checked on 2026-11-14, and a tool with no public price is shown as quote only.

Our full method

The shortlist

★ Best overall

Jira

Best for Backlogs, sprints, and roadmaps

  • Backlogs, sprints, and roadmaps in one system
  • deep Atlassian integrations
Price$9.70 per user/month (monthly billing)
See Jira pricing

Jira is the standard issue tracker for software teams, with backlogs, sprints, boards, and roadmaps that cover the full agile workflow. Issues link to code, docs, and releases, and automations move work when a pull request merges or a build passes. The Premium plan adds advanced roadmaps, unlimited storage, and 24/7 support for critical issues.

The free plan covers up to 10 users with 2 GB storage, which is enough for a small dev team to start. The Standard plan at $9.70 per user per month on monthly billing for the first 100 users adds project roles and 250 GB storage. Jira fits software teams that want deep agile tooling in the Atlassian ecosystem.

Price: $9.70 per user/month (monthly billing)

Free plan: Yes

Website: atlassian.com

Watch out for

  • Setup and admin take more time than simpler trackers
  • the free plan caps storage at 2 GB
2

Linear

Best for Minimal, keyboard-first tracking
$10 per user/month (billed annually)

Linear is a fast, minimal issue tracker built for software teams that want speed over settings. Keyboard shortcuts, cycles, and triage keep issues moving, and the clean interface shows the sprint without clutter. The Plus plan adds triage rules, custom workflows, and Insights dashboards for larger teams.

The free plan covers unlimited members with a limit of 250 issues and two teams, which is enough for a very small team to start. The Basic plan at $10 per user per month billed annually adds unlimited issues and teams. Linear fits fast-moving software teams that want a minimal, keyboard-first tracker.

Price: $10 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: linear.app

What we like

  • Fast keyboard-first workflow
  • cycles and triage keep issues moving

Watch out for

  • Free plan caps at 250 issues and two teams
  • time tracking needs the Plus plan
See Linear pricing
3

GitHub

Best for Issues beside code
$4 per user/month

GitHub keeps issues beside the code, so a software team can link a bug to the pull request that fixes it and track the change in one place. Issues, projects, and milestones work with Actions, code review, and protected branches, and the Team plan adds code owners, required reviewers, and draft pull requests. Enterprise adds SAML SSO and advanced security.

The free plan covers unlimited public and private repos with unlimited collaborators, which is enough for most small teams. The Team plan at $4 per user per month adds code owners, required reviewers, and 3,000 Actions minutes. GitHub fits software teams that already host code on GitHub and want issues beside it.

Price: $4 per user/month

Free plan: Yes

Website: github.com

What we like

  • Issues link to pull requests and code
  • Actions run CI beside issues

Watch out for

  • No built-in sprints or roadmaps without Projects setup
  • Actions minutes are capped at 3,000 on Team
See GitHub pricing
4

ClickUp

Best for Issues inside project work
$9 per user/month (billed annually)

ClickUp tracks issues beside tasks, docs, and goals, so a software team can run sprints, bugs, and specs in one workspace. Custom statuses, sprint views, and automations follow the team workflow, and time tracking sits beside the issue list. The Business plan adds workload views, goals, and advanced automations.

The free plan covers basic tasks and docs with generous limits, which is enough for a small dev team to run real sprints. The Core plan at $9 per user per month billed annually adds unlimited storage and integrations. ClickUp fits software teams that want issue tracking inside a broader project tool.

Price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: clickup.com

What we like

  • Custom statuses and sprint views
  • docs and time tracking beside issues

Watch out for

  • The many views and settings take time to learn
  • the free plan caps storage at 100 MB
See ClickUp pricing
5

Asana

Best for Issues the whole company can read
$10.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Asana tracks issues as tasks with owners, due dates, and custom fields, so a software team can run bug triage and sprint work on the same boards as the rest of the company. Timelines and portfolios show issue progress across teams, and the Starter plan adds dashboard and reporting views. The Advanced plan adds workload, approvals, and deeper reporting.

The free plan covers up to 10 collaborators with basic project views, which is enough for a small dev team to start. The Starter plan at $10.99 per user per month billed annually adds timeline, dashboard, and reporting. Asana fits software teams that want issue tracking the whole company can read.

Price: $10.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: asana.com

What we like

  • Timelines and portfolios show issue progress
  • goals link work to targets

Watch out for

  • Workload and advanced reporting need the Advanced plan
  • the free plan covers only 10 collaborators
See Asana pricing
6

Monday.com

Best for Visual issue boards
$9 per seat/month (billed annually)

Monday.com tracks issues on color coded boards with owners, priorities, and statuses, so a software team can see the bug queue at a glance. Automations move issues between stages and notify owners when dates change, and the Pro plan adds private boards, time tracking, and formula columns. Integrations pull in alerts from GitHub and other dev tools.

The free plan covers up to two seats with basic boards, which is enough to test the layout with a small group. The Basic plan at $9 per seat per month billed annually adds unlimited boards and viewers. Monday.com fits software teams that want a visual issue board the whole company can follow.

Price: $9 per seat/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: monday.com

What we like

  • Visual boards and timelines
  • automations move issues forward

Watch out for

  • Gantt view needs a subscription plan
  • the free plan covers only two seats
See Monday.com pricing
7

Zoho Projects

Best for Low cost tracking with Gantt
$4 per user/month (billed annually)

Zoho Projects tracks issues with tasks, milestones, and Gantt charts, so a small dev team can plan sprints and releases in one tool. Bug tracking, time logs, and forums sit beside the project plan, and the Enterprise plan adds custom fields, SLAs, and advanced analytics. Integrations connect with Zoho Desk, GitHub, and other tools.

The free plan covers up to three users with basic projects, which is enough for a very small dev team. The Premium plan at $4 per user per month billed annually adds Gantt charts, task dependencies, and time tracking. Zoho Projects fits small software teams that want low cost issue tracking with a Gantt view.

Price: $4 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: zoho.com

What we like

  • Gantt charts and milestones at a low price
  • bug tracking built in

Watch out for

  • Free plan covers only three users
  • advanced analytics need the Enterprise plan
See Zoho Projects pricing
8

Shortcut

Best for Lean, dev-focused tracking
$8.50 per user/month (billed annually)

Shortcut, formerly Clubhouse, is a dev-focused issue tracker with stories, epics, and iterations, so a software team can plan sprints without the weight of a large platform. Workflows, docs, and objectives sit beside the backlog, and integrations connect with GitHub, Slack, and Figma. The Business plan adds OKRs, advanced custom fields, and unlimited workflows.

The free plan covers up to 10 users with one team and one workspace, which is enough for a small dev team to start. The Team plan at $8.50 per user per month billed annually adds more teams, workflows, and integrations. Shortcut fits small software teams that want a lean, dev-focused alternative to Jira.

Price: $8.50 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: shortcut.com

What we like

  • Stories, epics, and iterations for dev teams
  • GitHub and Slack integrations

Watch out for

  • Free plan covers only one team and one workspace
  • OKRs need the Business plan
See Shortcut pricing

What to check before you buy

Check which plan holds sprints, roadmaps, and reporting, since those features often sit above the free plan. Confirm integrations with the code host, CI tools, and chat the team already uses. Test the tracker on a real sprint before buying, since a layout that looks good in a demo may slow the team down in practice. Ask who owns setup, and how long it takes to move issues and history into the new tool.

FAQ

What is issue tracking software for software teams?

Issue tracking software for software teams covers tools that log bugs, plan sprints, and track work from backlog to release. It usually combines boards, backlogs, sprints, and roadmaps, so a dev team can see what is open, who owns it, and what shipped, without losing bugs in chat or email.

How much does issue tracking software cost for software teams?

Entry plans in this guide run from $4 to $10.99 per user per month, with free plans from Jira, Linear, GitHub, ClickUp, Asana, Monday.com, Zoho Projects, and Shortcut. Jira Standard at $9.70 is monthly billing, while most others bill annually. Always check the vendor pricing page, since list prices change.

What is the difference between Jira and Linear?

Jira is a full agile platform with backlogs, sprints, roadmaps, and deep integrations, which suits large teams with formal processes. Linear is a minimal, keyboard-first tracker that suits fast-moving teams that want speed over settings. Jira fits teams that need roadmaps and reporting, while Linear fits teams that want the sprint to stay simple.

Can a software team track issues for free?

Yes, a software team can track issues for free with Jira for up to 10 users, Linear for up to 250 issues, GitHub for unlimited repos, and free plans from ClickUp, Asana, Monday.com, Zoho Projects, and Shortcut. These plans cover boards, backlogs, and basic sprints, which is enough for a small team to start.

What should a software team check before buying?

A software team should check which plan holds sprints, roadmaps, and reporting, since those features often sit above the free plan. Confirm integrations with the code host, CI tools, and chat the team already uses. Run a real sprint on the shortlist before buying, and pick the tracker the devs will update every day.

Sources we checked

Related guides

How we score

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