Bitbucket is a Git repository hosting platform focused on source code management, while Jira is a project and issue tracking tool for agile teams. They serve different purposes but are often used together since both are Atlassian products with deep integration.
Bitbucket vs Jira — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Bitbucket if your primary need is Git repository hosting with integrated CI/CD pipelines and unlimited free users, especially if you're already in the Atlassian ecosystem. Choose Jira if you need powerful agile project management, sprint planning, and team-wide issue tracking with deeper DevOps integrations—many teams use both products together since Jira links directly to Bitbucket commits.
Atlassian's Git repository platform with native Jira integration and enterprise-focused features.
Enterprise project management platform with advanced agile workflows, reporting, and automation.
Structured comparison data for Bitbucket vs Jira with 165 attributes.
Maximum CI/CD Pipeline Minutes (free tier/month)
Advanced Agile Features (Sprint Velocity Tracking)
Bitbucket vs Jira — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Bitbucket vs Jira.
Yes—and this is recommended. Bitbucket and Jira have deep native integration as Atlassian products. You can link Jira issues to Bitbucket commits and pull requests, automatically update issue status when code is merged, and view commit history directly in Jira. Many development teams use both: Bitbucket for version control/code review and Jira for sprint planning and team-wide task management.
Which is better for small startups with limited budget?
Bitbucket has a significant advantage for startups: unlimited free users on its Cloud tier. If your team is primarily developers managing code, Bitbucket's free plan covers all your repository needs. Jira's free tier caps at 10 users, so for teams larger than that, costs scale quickly ($7.50/user/month). However, if you need agile sprint management for a small team, Jira's free tier covers basic agile workflows.
No—Bitbucket cannot replace Jira for project management. Bitbucket is version control software; Jira is a project management and issue tracking tool. Bitbucket handles code repositories, pull requests, and CI/CD. Jira handles sprint planning, agile workflows, and team-wide task visibility. They serve complementary purposes, and most professional development teams use both.
Is Bitbucket or Jira better for DevOps teams?
Jira is better for DevOps teams overall due to 500+ integrations with DevOps tools (Jenkins, AWS, Kubernetes, etc.) compared to Bitbucket's 200+. However, Bitbucket excels at CI/CD specifically—Bitbucket Pipelines is built-in and eliminates the need for external CI tools. For comprehensive DevOps workflows across infrastructure and operations, Jira's broader integration ecosystem is more valuable.
Atlassian deprecated Bitbucket Server on March 31, 2024, and ended support. All on-premise Bitbucket deployments must migrate to Bitbucket Cloud. This is a major difference from Jira, which still offers Data Center for enterprise on-premise needs. If on-premise hosting is critical, Jira is the better Atlassian choice.