Wrike vs. Jira: Compare Jira Alternatives

As the pressure grows to do more with less, many of us are looking for project management solutions that can make our lives easier. But which to choose?

If you’ve been searching for the right work management platform, you’ve probably found many different options. Whether your needs are basic or complex, there are a number of popular solutions that might fit the bill. But there’s no point adding yet another temporary fix to your towering tech stack — you want a future-proofed platform that will boost productivity, enhance delivery, and help your team do the best work of their lives.

If you’ve been shortlisting the most appealing options, Jira and Wrike are probably near the top. While they might seem similar, there are actually some crucial differences that can affect how each platform can help your team. To help you properly evaluate Jira vs. Wrike, we’ve put together a cheat sheet comparing their capabilities, features, and pricing. That way, you can be sure you choose the right platform for your needs.

What is Jira?

Part of the Atlassian Group, Jira originated as bug tracking software for development teams, but has since grown to encompass a number of different products. Jira Software, Jira Core, and Jira Work Management are all tools that help businesses and organizations manage their work, collaborate with colleagues, and integrate with various other parts of the Atlassian family.

Since 2017, Trello is also an Atlassian product, so if you’re researching your options for work management software, you might find yourself comparing Wrike vs. Jira vs. Trello. While Trello offers simple boards that were the go-to option in the early 2000s, these days Jira and Wrike offer the more advanced capabilities and robust functionality required by modern teams and organizations. 

What are the advantages of using Jira?

If you’re comparing Wrike vs. Jira, you might be getting confused about what each platform has to offer. Let’s take a quick look at the advantages of using Jira:

• Because it’s part of a bigger group, it offers integrations with a range of products, including over 3,000 Jira Software apps that can be tailored for your use case.
• Due to its origins in software engineering, Jira is great for issue management. It has a robust ticketing system that can help track and resolve problems in an efficient way.
• Agile teams respond well to Jira because it was built to make scrums, sprints, and Kanban methodology easy with boards, backlogs, and roadmaps. 
• Jira comes with cross-functional dependencies; this means users can link tasks from multiple projects with dependencies like “blocked” or “blocked by” to better indicate when tasks should begin or end.
• While they may be subject to additional charges, Atlassian issues regular updates, improvements, and additional products, so there’s always something new on offer.

What are the most popular features of Jira?

• Intuitive board view: Users can monitor progress, oversee work, and track due dates using Jira’s easy-to-use boards. 
• Form builder: Work requests can be created using drag-and-drop functionality.
• Issue security: Individual tasks can be protected, safeguarding them and any sensitive material inside from non-authorized users.
• Easy import/export: Users can bring in data from other tools and spreadsheets, and also send it out via CSV, Word, XML, and JSON.
• Advanced search functionality: A combination of filters and Jira Query Language makes it easy to search for work quickly and efficiently in your Jira workspace.

What are the disadvantages of using Jira?

• There is no connectivity between Jira Work Management and Jira Software, but third-party connectors are available. This separation means that users can’t easily create a single source of truth. Jira serves a small subset of use cases, but if users want full functionality across multiple departments, they will need to purchase or integrate with other platforms.
• Some users have reported that the interface is complex, “can be overwhelming,” and “some advanced functions can be difficult to learn, especially if you are not experienced with these tools.”
• Jira doesn’t offer native time Gantt charts, which means it can’t support projects managed through Waterfall methodology.

What is Wrike?

Founded in 2006, Wrike is a flexible and powerful work management solution that helps teams, organizations, and enterprises to plan, collaborate, and execute in one easy-to-use platform. 

Its advanced configurability and cutting-edge AI capabilities make it the first choice for 20,000+ companies in over 140 different countries, which use it to work effortlessly across multiple functions, industries, and locations. 

Packed with productivity-boosting features such as custom request forms, automated approvals, and AI-led recommendations, Wrike accelerates work for teams of every size. Dynamic dashboards and interactive Gantt charts enhance visibility, while live editing, real-time communication, and @mentions help to keep collaboration flowing. 

What are the advantages of using Wrike?

If you’re comparing Wrike vs. Jira, you might want to take a closer look at what Wrike has to offer: 

• Easy, enjoyable experience: Wrike’s newly updated interface is its most intuitive yet, with natural navigation, attractive design, and instantly accessible features. Wrike can be launched in minutes with no coding or complex onboarding needed.
• Simple, straightforward pricing: Wrike has native, out-of-the-box functionality for all use cases. If Jira users want to match this functionality exactly, they will have to pay for add-ons.
• Accelerated approvals: Say goodbye to endless feedback loops with Wrike’s native proofing functionality. You can edit in context using your favorite creative tools, leave real-time comments for colleagues, and share with stakeholders.
• Intuitive organization: Wrike offers a clean, clutter-free organizational system, with dedicated spaces, native folders, tasks, and subtasks. Search and find what you need in seconds.
• End-user autonomy: No need to waste time asking admins to change features, adapt workflows or create Custom Item Types. Wrike users have the ability to do it all themselves, reducing bottlenecks and accelerating time to delivery.
• 15+ different views: Stay on top of your work with Wrike’s enhanced visualization features. View work as a to-do list, a table of tasks, a colorful Kanban board, or a shareable Gantt chart. Switch between views in seconds — the choice is yours.
• Resource management: Trying to do more with less? Wrike makes it easy, with comprehensive resource management features including built-in time tracking, drag-and-drop task management, advanced analytics, and one-click reports. 
• Trusted security: Wrike is the safest solution, with powerful security protocols, AES 256-bit encryption, and 99.9% uptime provided by US and EU data centers. Wrike Lock functionality gives users complete control over their sensitive data.

Who should use Wrike?

Wrike is used by teams of every size, in every industry, in every part of the world. These include: 

• Marketing departments and agencies: Wrike has long been the number one choice for marketers because of its intuitive digital marketing features including industry-leading DAM integrations, proofing solutions, and instant insights into 50+ marketing channels.
• Event planners: Get complete visibility on each stage of operations, from planning to execution, and keep your team on track for the big day with shared calendars, Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and instant messaging. 
• Creative freelancers, teams, and agencies: Wrike makes creative collaboration a dream, with customizable creative requests, automated approvals, and proofing and version control for 30+ file types. Create, edit, approve, and publish — all from one place.
• Professional service teams and firms: Whether it’s legal, IT, HR, or any other type of service, Wrike helps teams deliver faster, better work than ever before. Streamline work intake, automate request forms, and invite internal and external approvers to collaborate.
• Project management offices and teams: Juggling multiple projects? Wrike is the end-to-end solution project managers need, with detailed dashboards, interactive Gantt charts, ready-built templates, and intuitive strategic planning features.
• Software developers: Designed by engineers for the most efficient software development experience, Wrike combines the best project management features with superior cross-functional tools to collaborate, launch, and monitor award-winning products.
• Distributed teams: Wrike offers on-site, remote, and hybrid teams everything they need to centralize and secure their work. Available on desktop, Mac, and mobile apps, Wrike is accessible any time, anywhere, keeping productivity high and momentum moving. 
• Agile or Waterfall teams: Whether you use Agile project management, Waterfall, or any other work methodology, Wrike is packed with templates, features, and customizations that can help you make the most out of sprints, scrum ceremonies, and more.

What are the most popular Wrike features?

With dozens of features available, there’s something for everyone on Wrike’s platform. Every industry has its favorite, but the features that keep our customers coming back time and time again include:

• Interactive Gantt charts: Convert plans into timelines with Wrike’s best-in-class Gantt charts. Create critical paths and dependencies, and drag and drop due dates as needed.
• Built-in time tracking: Keep workloads balanced, team members motivated, and client billing accurate with Wrike’s manual and automatic time tracking tools.
• Custom Item Types: Adapt your workspace so that it reflects your way of working, your preferred language, and your business processes. 
• Kanban boards: Visualize your workflow, share progress with colleagues, and shift tasks from one board to the other. Toggle between alternative views to stay on track.
• Automation: Let AI handle your most time-consuming tasks. Automate work intake, approvals, project phases, and much more.
• Templates: Lean on Wrike’s library of pre-built templates to get started quickly on everything from product launches to marketing campaigns.
• Blueprints: Turn repeatable tasks into one-click Blueprints that standardize work across your organization. Click to turn meeting notes into fully fledged project plans in seconds.
• Shared calendars: Get a clear picture of your team’s workload and progress by connecting your calendars and syncing your schedules. 
• One-click reports: Share insights with stakeholders in seconds with Wrike’s reports. Create your own from scratch or customize a template with key infographics and details.
• Single source of truth: Store and organize all your work and assets in one shared place, with projects, programs, and spaces — all updated in real time.

Why should your team choose Wrike over Jira?

When it comes to comparing Wrike vs. Jira vs. Trello, the choice is yours, but it’s important to keep in mind some key differences. Trello is a great option for small teams who value the simplicity of Kanban boards and the ability to keep track of to-dos. Jira is popular with those who are already familiar with Atlassian and its wide range of products, and comfortable taking the time to learn its capabilities.  

In contrast, Wrike is one of the easiest platforms to get to grips with. The onboarding process is simple, you can get started in seconds, and customer support is available to help you get the most out of your experience. You can also access a wide range of resources such as webinars, community discussions, and how-to guides to help you on your journey.

Wrike can also scale with you as you grow, with cross-functional capabilities that enhance team collaboration for organizations of every size. It’s filled with unique time-saving features such as Blueprints and native proofing processes. It’s also completely customizable, reliably secure, and entirely future-proofed, with built-in resource planning, time-tracking, and budgeting tools that help modern teams do more with less.

You don’t have to take our word for it, either: Wrike consistently nabs the top spot in industry awards and expert reviews. In 2022 alone, the platform was named top-rated for Project Management, Collaboration, and Project Portfolio Management by TrustRadius and designated a leader by the highly respected Forrester Wave report.

So, bottom line — Wrike vs. Jira? The next step is to see for yourself why Wrike is the right choice for you and your team with a free two-week trial.