GitLab is an integrated DevOps platform combining version control, CI/CD, and project management in one system, while Jira is a specialized issue tracking and project management tool that excels at agile workflows but requires integration with other tools for development operations.
GitLab vs Jira — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
DevOps-first Git platform with built-in CI/CD, available as SaaS or self-hosted for complete control.
Enterprise project management platform with advanced agile workflows, reporting, and automation.
Built-in CI/CD Pipeline. Git Repository Hosting. Agile Board Customization. Starting Price (Cloud). Learning Curve. DevOps Integration. Enterprise Support Options
Choose GitLab if your team needs an integrated DevOps platform with built-in CI/CD, repository hosting, and project management to reduce tool sprawl and simplify workflows. Choose Jira if your primary focus is agile project management with highly customizable workflows, you already have development tools in place, or you need the most cost-effective entry point for issue tracking.
GitLab: 400 minutes with shared runners | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Community and Enterprise editions available | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Unlimited on all plans | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Built-in for all tiers | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Approximately 30 million users | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Yes, with 5GB storage limit | Jira: Yes, limited
Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes (Private Repos)
GitLab: Included in Ultimate ($99/month per user) | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Issues, Epics, Roadmaps, advanced Boards, Milestones | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Requires separate account/platform | Jira: N/A
GitLab: 10 concurrent pipelines | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Yes (SAST, DAST, container, dependency) | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Native Git (no external required) | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Yes (issues, boards, wiki, milestones) | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Yes (free Docker registry) | Jira: N/A
GitLab: $228/year ($19/month) | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Third-party plugin required | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Yes (free Community Edition) | Jira: N/A
Maximum CI/CD Pipeline Minutes (free tier/month)
GitLab: Built-in full-featured system | Jira: N/A
GitLab: 3 (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite) | Jira: N/A
GitLab: 5 (SAST, DAST, dependency, secret, container) | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Forgejo, GitLab Community Edition | Jira: N/A
GitLab: $8.25 (Premium at $99/year) | Jira: N/A
GitLab: 400 minutes (shared) | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Yes, included in all tiers | Jira: N/A
GitLab: 10,000+ (with performance degradation) | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Open-source Community Edition available | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Via third-party plugins/SAML | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Basic; limited test case tracking | Jira: N/A
GitLab: 400+ via marketplace | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Included in Free tier (SAST, DAST, Dependency, Container) | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Community, Premium, and Ultimate editions | Jira: N/A
GitLab: Yes - includes 50,000 CI/CD minutes | Jira: Yes - up to 10 users
GitLab: Native GitLab CI/CD | Jira: Not included
GitLab: Integrated | Jira: Integration only
GitLab: 5-8 built-in | Jira: 100+ templates
GitLab: $99 (Premium Edition) | Jira: N/A
GitLab: GitLab CI/CD (native pipeline engine) | Jira: N/A
GitLab: 2,500+ | Jira: 1000+ apps in Marketplace
GitLab: Merge Requests with code owner enforcement | Jira: N/A
GitLab: DORA metrics, advanced audit, compliance reporting (Premium+) | Jira: Advanced (SOC 2, HIPAA)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Full Scrum with sprints, backlogs, velocity tracking
GitLab: N/A | Jira: 10+ users, enterprise scale
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Highly customizable workflows and fields
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Advanced dashboards, burndowns, velocity charts
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Unlimited custom workflows and fields
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Enterprise-grade bug tracking
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Deep CI/CD & DevOps integration
GitLab: N/A | Jira: $14.54/month (Premium)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Full agile reporting suite included
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Built-in cycle time metrics
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Full cross-project and portfolio reporting
GitLab: N/A | Jira: External integration via webhooks and apps
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Available at Premium ($14.54/user/month)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: 15-500+ with complex workflows
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Steeper learning curve, more heavyweight
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Steep (Advanced features require training)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Via marketplace add-ons
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Native with Confluence, Bitbucket, and 400+ apps
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Small (1-10) to Enterprise (1000+)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: 60-80% of teams require professional services
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Project Management & Issue Tracking
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Full sprint planning with burndown charts and velocity tracking
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Limited to issue descriptions and project documentation
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Issue and project-level search capabilities
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Standard mobile interface for viewing and managing issues
GitLab: N/A | Jira: 10+ users for optimal use
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Seamless integration with Confluence for context and documentation
GitLab: N/A | Jira: iOS, Android, native apps
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Native GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket support
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Pages (limited collaboration)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Advanced with burndown charts
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Code-based scripting and automation
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Up to 10 (limited features)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Issue tracking, sprint planning, agile boards
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Requires third-party tools (Jenkins, GitHub Actions)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Data Center available (enterprise)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Full support (Scrum, Kanban, custom)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Deep two-way integration
GitLab: N/A | Jira: No (requires external integration)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: No (Bitbucket integration required)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Advanced (unlimited custom fields, swim lanes, automation)
Advanced Agile Features (Sprint Velocity Tracking)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Advanced with historical trending
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Limited offline access
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Native deep integration (GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins, etc.)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Automation through scripting only
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, Scrumban
GitLab: N/A | Jira: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps
GitLab: N/A | Jira: 30+ (burndown, velocity, CFD, etc.)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Native sprint planning, capacity planning, scope management
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Free tier for up to 10 users
GitLab: N/A | Jira: 500+ apps via Marketplace
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Web app + Jira Mobile (limited)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: $7.16 (Standard) - $29 (Enterprise)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: 40+ (burndown, velocity, CFD, sprint)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Unlimited with Jira Automation + Scripts
GitLab: N/A | Jira: 1000+ (higher tiers unlimited)
GitLab: N/A | Jira: Unlimited in free tier
GitLab vs Jira — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for GitLab vs Jira. Contains 182 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
GitLab vs Jira — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for GitLab vs Jira.
Can Jira replace GitLab for development teams?
No. Jira is an issue tracking and project management tool, not a DevOps platform. It cannot replace GitLab's Git hosting or native CI/CD capabilities. However, Jira can integrate with external Git repositories and CI/CD tools to support development workflows. GitLab can replace Jira's project management for smaller teams, but Jira offers superior agile customization.
It depends on team size and features needed. Jira's entry price ($7.50/user/month) is lower initially, making it cheaper for small teams. However, at 50+ users, GitLab ($29/user/month) can become the better value if you eliminate costs for separate Git hosting, CI/CD, and other DevOps tools. Jira's per-seat licensing scales linearly, while GitLab's value increases with integrated features.
Jira is purpose-built for Scrum with 100+ customizable templates, sprint planning tools, and advanced burndown reporting. GitLab has basic agile features but lacks Jira's depth in Scrum-specific workflows. For pure Scrum execution, Jira is the stronger choice. However, GitLab works well for DevOps-heavy teams practicing agile who need Git and CI/CD in one platform.
Yes, GitLab includes basic issue tracking integrated with repositories and CI/CD pipelines. However, its issue management features are simpler than Jira's. GitLab's strength is linking issues to code commits and CI/CD builds, while Jira excels at agile board customization, reporting, and sprint planning.
Yes. Many teams use Jira for project management and agile workflows while using GitLab for development. Jira integrates with GitLab repositories through its issue linking and commit tracking features. This approach leverages each tool's strengths but increases complexity and cost compared to using one platform.
Built-in CI/CD Pipeline: GitLab has Native GitLab CI/CD included, while Jira has Requires third-party integration.
Git Repository Hosting: GitLab has Integrated Git hosting, while Jira has External repository required.
Agile Board Customization: GitLab has Basic agile features, while Jira has Highly customizable agile boards.
Starting Price (Cloud): GitLab has $29/user/month, while Jira has $7.50/user/month.
Learning Curve: GitLab has Steep - full DevOps platform, while Jira has Moderate - focused tool.
DevOps Integration: GitLab has All-in-one platform, while Jira has Requires multiple tools.
Enterprise Support Options: GitLab has 4 tiers + self-managed, while Jira has 5 tiers + premium SLA.