Confluence is a documentation and knowledge management platform designed for creating, organizing, and sharing content across teams, while Jira is a project and issue tracking tool built for agile development and workflow management. They serve complementary purposes and are often used together in enterprise environments.
Confluence vs Jira — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Enterprise team wiki and collaboration platform by Atlassian with advanced search and organizational features.
Purpose-built issue tracking and project management platform for software development teams
Primary Purpose. Best Use Case. Learning Curve. Team Collaboration Focus. Integration with Each Other. Customization Depth. Team Size Efficiency
Choose Confluence if your primary need is centralizing knowledge, creating team wikis, documenting processes, and sharing information asynchronously across the organization. Choose Jira if you're managing software development, running sprints, tracking bugs and tasks, or need real-time workflow automation and agile project management. Most successful teams use both together—Jira for work tracking and Confluence for documentation.
Confluence: Yes, limited free plan | Jira: Free tier for up to 10 users
Confluence: $10.44 (Standard tier) | Jira: $7.91
Confluence: $22.50+ (Premium tier) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: $54,000+ (Data Center, 1,000 users) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 5/10 (structured) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Limited (no native support) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 150+ native integrations | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Limited (outdated free tier) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: No (requires Jira) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 3 levels (space, page, content) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 10+ (Standard plan 2026) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Plugin-based (limited) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Standard inline preview | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Basic content suggestions | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 20+ (Jira, Bitbucket, Confluence Cloud) | Jira: N/A
Learning Curve (1-5 scale, lower is better)
Confluence: 4 (steep, complex UI) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Documentation & Knowledge Management | Jira: Project Management & Issue Tracking
Confluence: Not native (requires Jira integration) | Jira: Full support (Scrum, Kanban, custom)
Confluence: None | Jira: Full sprint planning with burndown charts and velocity tracking
Confluence: Comprehensive with flexible page layouts and macros | Jira: Limited to issue descriptions and project documentation
Confluence: Advanced full-text search across all documentation | Jira: Issue and project-level search capabilities
Confluence: Improved inline macro rendering in 2026 update | Jira: Standard mobile interface for viewing and managing issues
Confluence: Any size (1+) | Jira: 10+ users for optimal use
Confluence: Seamless bidirectional linking with Jira and Atlassian tools | Jira: Seamless integration with Confluence for context and documentation
Confluence: Limited (via plugins) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Standard (SOC2, GDPR) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: $5.75/user/month | Jira: N/A
Confluence: $17,250 (at $5.75/user) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 1,000+ (Atlassian Marketplace) | Jira: 150+
Confluence: Add-on (paid extra) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 4-8 weeks for enterprise | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 250 MB per file (Cloud) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 4 levels (page, space, column, project) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 30 days cloud (unlimited self-hosted) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Unlimited | Jira: Unlimited (1000+)
Confluence: Bidirectional with app | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 150+ REST endpoints | Jira: N/A
Confluence: iOS and Android native | Jira: N/A
Confluence: No, requires integrations | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Cloud, Server, and Data Center | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Limited automation rules | Jira: N/A
Starting Price per User/Month (Annual Billing)
Confluence: 10 users for 1 space | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Yes (Data Center, Server) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Native, two-way sync | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Basic (limited relations, no rollups) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Unlimited for Cloud, varies for Server | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 2.1s (typical page with macros) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 1000+ apps (Atlassian Marketplace) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: $5.50 (Cloud) / $1,400/year (Server, 10 users) | Jira: $7.16 (Cloud) / $1,600/year (Server, 10 users)
Confluence: 10 users unlimited | Jira: 10 users unlimited
Confluence: 2-4 hours for basic setup | Jira: 6-12 hours for workflow configuration
Confluence: 250 GB base + expandable | Jira: Unlimited issue capacity + 1 project file storage
Confluence: 300 requests/minute for authenticated users | Jira: 600 requests/minute for authenticated users
Confluence: Limited (macros and notifications only) | Jira: Unlimited custom automation rules
Confluence: 78% adoption rate in surveyed organizations | Jira: 72% adoption rate (dev teams), 45% (non-technical teams)
Confluence: $5.75 (Standard tier) | Jira: $7.16
Confluence: Macro-based (added 2023) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Deep bi-directional sync | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 600+ via Marketplace + native | Jira: ~3000 integrations
Confluence: Unlimited (tree structure) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 4.2/5 stars (Google Play, 50K+ reviews) | Jira: 4.4/5 stars (Google Play, 125K+ reviews)
Confluence: $5.50 (Standard plan, annual billing) | Jira: N/A
Total Cost of Ownership (50 Users, Annual)
Confluence: 5 levels (Space, Page, Block-level controls) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Yes, with @mentions and inline comments | Jira: N/A
Confluence: No (third-party apps only) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: Native (same company, native macro support) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 3.2/5 on App Store | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 0 (external via Jira) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: ~3,000 via Atlassian Marketplace | Jira: 3,000+ apps
Confluence: No (uses Jira for tracking) | Jira: N/A
Confluence: 3/10 (low) | Jira: 7 (challenging)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Full Scrum with sprints, backlogs, velocity tracking
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 50+ developers (enterprise scale)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Highly customizable workflows and fields
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Advanced dashboards, burndowns, velocity charts
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Advanced (SOC 2, HIPAA)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Via Everhour API
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Native & advanced
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Enterprise-grade bug tracking
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Deep CI/CD & DevOps integration
Confluence: N/A | Jira: $14.54/month (Premium)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Full agile reporting suite included
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Built-in cycle time metrics
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Full cross-project and portfolio reporting
Confluence: N/A | Jira: External integration via webhooks and apps
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Available at Premium ($14.54/user/month)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 15-500+ with complex workflows
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Steeper learning curve, more heavyweight
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 1000+ apps in Marketplace
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Steep (Advanced features require training)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Via marketplace add-ons
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Native with Confluence, Bitbucket, and 400+ apps
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Small (1-10) to Enterprise (1000+)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 60-80% of teams require professional services
Confluence: N/A | Jira: iOS, Android, native apps
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Native GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket support
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Pages (limited collaboration)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Advanced with burndown charts
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Code-based scripting and automation
Confluence: N/A | Jira: ~500 integrations
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Issue tracking, sprint planning, agile boards
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Requires third-party tools (Jenkins, GitHub Actions)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Data Center available (enterprise)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Deep two-way integration
Confluence: N/A | Jira: No (requires Bamboo/Jenkins)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: No (Bitbucket integration required)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Advanced (unlimited custom fields, swim lanes, automation)
Advanced Agile Features (Sprint Velocity Tracking)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Advanced with historical trending
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Limited offline access
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Native deep integration (GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins, etc.)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Limited automation rules, requires plugin marketplace
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Yes - up to 10 users
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Integration only
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 20 requests/second
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, Scrumban
Confluence: N/A | Jira: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 30+ (burndown, velocity, CFD, etc.)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Native sprint planning, capacity planning, scope management
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 50+ to unlimited
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Web app + Jira Mobile (limited)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: $7.16 (Standard) - $29 (Enterprise)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 40+ (burndown, velocity, CFD, sprint)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Unlimited with Jira Automation + Scripts
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 1000+ (higher tiers unlimited)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Unlimited in free tier
Confluence: N/A | Jira: $775 (Standard tier at $7.75/user)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Requires external Git hosting integration
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 100+ custom field types with plugins
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 180+ million monthly active users
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Security scanning via Atlassian plugins ($8-15/month extra)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 8-16 hours to configure workflow rules and custom fields for development team
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 5,000+ users per instance; proven at 50,000+ enterprise deployments
Confluence: N/A | Jira: $25 (Standard tier)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Yes (burndown, velocity, retrospectives)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Native (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure Repos)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 500+ native fields
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Board, list, timeline, calendar, dashboard (5 types)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Advanced sprints, velocity, burndown, capacity planning
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Native bidirectional sync, commit linking
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Bitbucket only (requires separate setup)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Yes (Jira Data Center, $20k+/year)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Unlimited custom fields, workflows, automation
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Unlimited (20+ standard)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Burndown, velocity, sprint reports, JQL dashboards, cycle time
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Yes (iOS/Android, full-featured)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Requires plugins (Bitbucket native, GitHub requires setup)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Unlimited (conditional logic, webhooks)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 2 GB (10 users max)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 68% adoption rate
Confluence: N/A | Jira: 6 (Confluence, Bitbucket, Bamboo, GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Limited (50 per project)
Confluence: N/A | Jira: Unlimited on paid plans
How to choose between Confluence and Jira
Confluence vs Jira — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Confluence vs Jira. Contains 250 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Confluence vs Jira — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Confluence vs Jira.
Yes, and they work exceptionally well together. Jira and Confluence are both Atlassian products and integrate natively. You can embed Jira issues in Confluence pages using macros, link issues to documentation, and pull Jira data directly into Confluence for comprehensive project visibility. Most enterprise teams use both for complementary purposes.
Which tool should a non-technical team use?
Confluence is significantly better for non-technical teams. Its intuitive WYSIWYG editor, minimal learning curve, and focus on documentation make it accessible to all skill levels. Jira's agile workflow, custom fields, and automation features are designed for development teams and can overwhelm non-technical users. Non-technical teams can use Confluence for knowledge sharing and Jira only if they have dedicated project management needs.
Can Confluence replace project management tools?
Confluence cannot effectively replace Jira or dedicated project management tools. While Confluence excels at documentation and knowledge sharing, it lacks task tracking, sprint planning, workflow automation, and reporting capabilities essential for project management. It's designed to complement project management tools, not replace them.
What's the difference in customer support between the two?
Both offer similar support tiers: Community (free, forums only), Standard (email support, 24-48 hour response), and Premium (phone/email, 1-hour response). Jira tends to have more extensive third-party support resources due to its dominance in software development, while Confluence has strong documentation for knowledge management use cases. Both platforms have active user communities.
How do these tools handle large organizations with 1,000+ employees?
Both scale well to large enterprises. Confluence typically organizes content through spaces (departments/teams) and advanced permission controls. Jira handles large organizations through multiple projects, permission schemes, and enterprise automation. Large organizations typically use both: Jira for centralized issue/sprint tracking and Confluence as the organizational knowledge base. Both offer enterprise plans with SLA guarantees and dedicated support.
How to Choose Between Confluence and Jira
Primary Purpose: Confluence has Documentation & Knowledge Management, while Jira has Project & Issue Tracking.
Best Use Case: Confluence has Creating wikis, meeting notes, documentation, while Jira has Managing sprints, tracking bugs, workflow automation.
Learning Curve: Confluence has Intuitive, 2-3 hours for basic proficiency, while Jira has Moderate, 4-6 hours for agile workflow understanding.
Team Collaboration Focus: Confluence has Asynchronous documentation sharing, while Jira has Real-time sprint coordination and tracking.
Integration with Each Other: Confluence has Links to Jira issues, embeds Jira macros, while Jira has Links to Confluence pages, references documentation.
Customization Depth: Confluence has Page templates, macros, moderate customization, while Jira has Custom workflows, fields, automation rules (advanced).
Team Size Efficiency: Confluence has Scales well for 10-500+ person organizations, while Jira has Optimized for 5-200+ person development teams.