Jira vs monday.com: Which Project Management Tool Is Better in 2026?

Jira

From $7.53

monday.com

From $9

Quick verdict

Overall pick: Tie

Pick Jira if you are a software or agile team that wants the lower starting price per seat ($7.53 vs $9) and can live without built-in docs and guest access. Pick monday.com if you need built-in docs and guest/client access, which Jira lacks, and are willing to pay the higher per-seat starting price. Both cover Kanban, Gantt, time tracking, automations, AI assistants, and a public API, so the decision turns on price versus those two missing features.

Jira's entry plan ($7.53) is 16% cheaper than monday.com's ($9).
Both offer a free plan, so you can test them side by side at no cost.
Only monday.com offers: built-in docs / wiki, guest / client access.

Try Jira →Try monday.com →

Cost calculator

Team size: 5 users

Tool	Monthly	Yearly
Jira · per user	$37.65	$452
monday.com · per user	$45.00	$540

Based on entry-level paid plans. Prices change, so check the vendor before you buy.

Which one should you choose?

If you need…	Pick	Why
Agile software team running sprints	Jira	Jira is built for software teams and agile sprints and starts at $7.53 per seat, below monday.com's $9.
Operations team needing a customizable work OS	monday.com	monday.com is positioned for operations and non-technical teams and includes built-in docs, which Jira does not.
Team that must give clients or guests access	monday.com	monday.com supports guest/client access; Jira does not list guest access as a feature.
Team wanting an internal wiki alongside project tracking	monday.com	monday.com has built-in docs/wiki; Jira has no built-in docs feature.
Budget-sensitive buyer comparing per-seat cost	Jira	Jira's starting price is $7.53 per seat versus $9 per seat for monday.com, both billed per seat.

Feature comparison: Jira vs monday.com

Feature	Jira	monday.com
Free plan	✅	✅
Starting price	$7.53 /user/mo	$9 /user/mo
Kanban boards	✅	✅
Gantt / timeline view	✅	✅
Native time tracking	✅	✅
Built-in docs / wiki	—	✅
Workflow automations	✅	✅
Guest / client access	—	✅
AI assistant	✅	✅
Public API	✅	✅

Highlighted rows are where the tools differ.

Pros and cons

Jira

Lower starting price at $7.53 per seat versus $9 for monday.com
Purpose-built for software teams and agile sprints
Covers Kanban, Gantt, native time tracking, automations, AI assistant, and public API
Offers a free plan

No built-in docs or wiki
No guest or client access
Higher per-seat cost than monday.com only if seats scale, since pricing is per seat

Try Jira →

monday.com

Includes built-in docs/wiki, which Jira lacks
Supports guest and client access, which Jira lacks
Covers Kanban, Gantt, native time tracking, automations, AI assistant, and public API
Offers a free plan and suits operations and non-technical teams

Higher starting price at $9 per seat versus $7.53 for Jira
Billed per seat, so cost grows with team size
Not specifically positioned for software teams or agile sprints

Try monday.com →

At a glance

Jira

Issue and project tracking for software teams.

Founded 2002 · From $7.53 · 6/8 tracked features

Best for: software teams, agile sprints

See Jira alternatives →

monday.com

Customizable work OS with colourful boards.

Founded 2012 · From $9 · 8/8 tracked features

Best for: operations teams, non-technical teams

See monday.com alternatives →

FAQ

Is Jira cheaper than monday.com?

Yes, on starting price: Jira begins at $7.53 per seat and monday.com at $9 per seat. Both are billed per seat and both offer a free plan.

Does Jira have built-in docs or guest access?

No. Jira does not list built-in docs/wiki or guest/client access, while monday.com includes both.

Which tool is better for software teams?

Jira is positioned for software teams and agile sprints. monday.com is positioned for operations and non-technical teams.

Do both tools have Kanban, Gantt, and time tracking?

Yes. Both list Kanban boards, Gantt/timeline views, native time tracking, workflow automations, an AI assistant, and a public API.

How is each tool priced?

Both are billed per seat. Jira starts at $7.53 per seat and monday.com at $9 per seat, and both offer a free plan.

Related comparisons

Data last reviewed: pending verification. All Project Management tools →