Jira Alternative
for Agencies
Agency Owners, Developers, Managers, Clients. No context switching. No scattered tasks. No mystery hours. Just work, visible.
The honest take
no marketing fluff
If you're a Fortune 500 engineering team with complex workflows and dedicated Jira admins, stick with Jira. If you're an agency billing clients and managing multiple projects simultaneously, GitScrum is your tool.
Choose GitScrum if you
- Bill clients for project work
- Need client portals for transparency
- Want setup in minutes, not days
- Hate context-switching between tools
Choose Jira if you
- Need 50+ custom fields per issue
- Have dedicated Jira administrators
- Are embedded in Atlassian ecosystem
- Require SOC 2 Type II + HIPAA compliance
"After 20+ years managing agency projects—first as a developer, then CTO—I watched teams drown in Jira tickets. The tool built for enterprise engineering teams was being forced onto agencies billing clients. We needed sprint planning that tracked hours, not just story points. Client portals, not 'viewer' accounts. Invoicing from logged time, not spreadsheet exports. So I built it."
Renato Marinho
Founder, GitScrum
Side by side the facts
No marketing fluff. Just facts.
| Feature | GitScrum | Jira |
|---|---|---|
| Kanban Boards | Native | Native |
| Sprint Planning | Native | Native |
| Time Tracking | Native | Tempo plugin ($) |
| Invoicing | Native | Not available |
| Proposals | Native | Not available |
| Change Requests | Native workflow | Custom config |
| Client Portal | Native | Not available |
| User Stories & Epics | Native | Native |
| Wiki | Per project | Confluence ($) |
| Discussions | Slack-style native | Comments only |
| Burndown Charts | Native | Native |
| Custom Fields | Limited | Extensive |
| Setup Time | < 10 minutes | 2-3 hours |
| Admin Required | No | Usually yes |
Setup in minutes
not days
Jira requires 2-3 hours of configuration. GitScrum ships with sensible defaults. Most teams run their first sprint within 10 minutes.
Real cost comparison
for a team of 10
What you actually pay for a team of 10
10 × $8.90
Base + add-ons
- Jira base: ~$77/mo
- Tempo (time): +$40/mo
- Confluence: +$55/mo
Client Portal
built-in
Jira has no native client portal. GitScrum lets clients see progress in plain language. No more 'Can I get a status update?' emails.
The real story behind the tools
Built for Different Teams
Jira was designed for software engineers at large companies. GitScrum was built for agencies and consultancies managing multiple client projects. This shows up everywhere: Jira has 'issues' and 'epics.' GitScrum has 'tasks' and 'client projects.'
Invoicing & Time Tracking
Jira requires third-party plugins like Tempo or Everhour for time tracking and invoicing. These cost $5-15 per user monthly. GitScrum includes both natively—you track time on tasks, then generate invoices directly from logged hours.
Client Visibility
Jira has no native client portal. You can share filtered views, but clients see the full Jira interface (confusing). GitScrum's client portal shows project progress in plain language. Clients see what's done, what's next, and can approve changes.
Setup Complexity
Jira's flexibility = complexity. Most teams need a Jira admin and 2-3 hours to configure workflows, permissions, and boards. GitScrum ships with sensible defaults. Most teams run their first sprint within 10 minutes.
Built for teams that ship and bill
Agencies billing clients
Track time, generate invoices, get client approval—all in one tool. Change Request workflows prevent scope creep disputes.
Teams needing client transparency
Client portals let stakeholders see progress without interrupting your team. No more 'Can I get a status update?' emails.
Teams tired of tool sprawl
Sprint planning + time tracking + invoicing + client visibility = one tool, one price. No integrations to maintain.
Developers who value simplicity
Set up your first sprint in under 10 minutes. Sensible defaults. Interface your terminal would approve.
Where Jira wins (honestly)
Enterprise software teams
If you need 50+ custom fields, intricate permission structures, and multi-level hierarchies, Jira's customization is unmatched.
Atlassian ecosystem users
If you already use Confluence, Bitbucket, and Opsgenie, Jira integrates seamlessly. Switching cost is real.
Heavy compliance requirements
SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, FedRAMP—Jira's enterprise security features exceed what most teams need.
Massive scale operations
Managing 500+ projects simultaneously with thousands of users? Jira's scale is industry-leading.
Migration is simpler than you think
Most teams are productive in GitScrum within hours
Export your data
Export projects and issues from Jira as CSV
Import to GitScrum
CSV import maps fields automatically
Invite your team
Familiar concepts, cleaner interface
Start your first sprint
No training needed. Ship immediately
Common questions
Is GitScrum really better than Jira for agencies?
For agencies billing clients, yes. Jira lacks native invoicing, client portals, and time-to-invoice workflows. According to our customer research, agencies using Jira typically need 3-4 additional tools (Tempo, Harvest, client reporting) that GitScrum includes natively. But if you're an enterprise engineering team with complex workflows, Jira's customization is unmatched.
How do agencies use GitScrum for client billing?
Track time directly on tasks → generate invoices from logged hours → send to client portal for approval → mark as paid. The entire workflow lives in one tool. No CSV exports to accounting software. No manual hour reconciliation.
Can GitScrum handle complex workflows like Jira?
GitScrum supports Kanban and Scrum with customizable columns and WIP limits. For 80% of teams, this covers their needs. If you require 15 approval stages, 50+ custom fields, or enterprise-grade automation rules, Jira is more capable. We optimize for simplicity over infinite customization.
What about Jira integrations we rely on?
GitScrum integrates with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Slack, Discord, and 50+ tools via Zapier. The key difference: features like time tracking and invoicing are built-in, so you need fewer integrations. Most agencies reduce their tool stack from 5-6 apps to 2-3.
How long does it take to migrate from Jira?
Most teams are productive within 2-4 hours. Export Jira issues as CSV, import into GitScrum (fields map automatically), invite your team. No training required—if you've used any project management tool, GitScrum's interface is instantly familiar.
Is GitScrum cheaper than Jira?
For comparable functionality, yes. GitScrum is $8.90/user/month with everything included. Jira is $7.75/user/month base, but agencies typically add Tempo ($10/user) and Confluence ($5.75/user). That's $23.50/user vs $8.90/user. For a 10-person team: $235/month vs $89/month.
Ready to simplify? Start now
Join teams that chose clarity over complexity.
Free tier available · No credit card required