How Much Can You Save Switching from Jira to Plane?
·OSSAlt Team
jiraplanepricingcost-analysisproject-management2026
How Much Can You Save Switching from Jira to Plane?
Jira Standard is $8.15/user/month. But with add-ons, admin costs, and the Atlassian tax — you're paying a lot more than that.
Jira's Real Pricing (2026)
| Plan | Per-User/Month | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 10 users, 2 GB storage |
| Standard | $8.15 | 35,000 users, 250 GB, audit logs |
| Premium | $16 | Advanced roadmaps, sandbox, analytics |
| Enterprise | Custom ($25+) | Unlimited sites, Atlassian Intelligence |
The True Cost of Jira
Base License Cost
| Team Size | Standard/Year | Premium/Year | Enterprise/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $978 | $1,920 | $3,000+ |
| 25 | $2,445 | $4,800 | $7,500+ |
| 50 | $4,890 | $9,600 | $15,000+ |
| 100 | $9,780 | $19,200 | $30,000+ |
| 250 | $24,450 | $48,000 | $75,000+ |
Hidden Costs
1. Marketplace Add-Ons
Most teams need add-ons that Jira doesn't include:
| Add-On | Monthly Cost | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Tempo Timesheets | $10/user | Time tracking |
| BigPicture | $5/user | Portfolio management |
| ScriptRunner | $3/user | Automation |
| Zephyr | $4/user | Test management |
| Structure | $5/user | Hierarchy views |
A typical team uses 3-5 add-ons: +$10-25/user/month.
2. Admin Overhead
- Jira requires dedicated administration
- Complex permission schemes, workflows, screens
- Many companies hire a Jira admin: $60-100K/year
- Or consultants: $150-300/hour
3. Atlassian Intelligence (AI)
- Extra cost on top of Premium/Enterprise
- Not included in base pricing
4. Storage
- Standard: 250 GB
- Attachments add up quickly
- Additional storage: paid
Plane Self-Hosted: The Real Cost
| Component | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| VPS (2 GB RAM, Hetzner) | $4.50 |
| Domain | ~$1 |
| Backups | $1 |
| Total | $6.50/month ($78/year) |
What You Get
- Unlimited users
- Issues, cycles, modules
- Custom properties
- Kanban and spreadsheet views
- Pages (built-in docs)
- Roadmaps
- Time tracking
- GitHub/GitLab integration
- No per-seat pricing
Side-by-Side Cost Comparison
Base Cost Only
| Team Size | Jira Standard/Year | Plane Self-Hosted/Year | Annual Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $978 | $78 | $900 (92% less) |
| 25 | $2,445 | $78 | $2,367 (97% less) |
| 50 | $4,890 | $108 | $4,782 (98% less) |
| 100 | $9,780 | $156 | $9,624 (98% less) |
With Typical Add-Ons ($15/user)
| Team Size | Jira + Add-Ons/Year | Plane Self-Hosted/Year | Annual Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $2,778 | $78 | $2,700 (97% less) |
| 25 | $6,945 | $78 | $6,867 (99% less) |
| 50 | $13,890 | $108 | $13,782 (99% less) |
| 100 | $27,780 | $156 | $27,624 (99% less) |
What You Give Up
| Factor | Jira | Plane |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace ecosystem | 3,000+ apps | Built-in features |
| Automation rules | JQL + automation | Basic automation |
| Advanced roadmaps | Premium feature | Built-in |
| Agile boards | Mature, customizable | Clean, growing |
| Reporting | Extensive + add-ons | Basic built-in |
| Learning curve | Steep | Gentle |
| Setup time | Instant (cloud) | 1-2 hours |
When Jira Makes Sense
- Need specific Marketplace add-ons
- Deeply integrated with Confluence/Bitbucket
- Enterprise compliance requirements
- Complex multi-project portfolio management
- Team > 500 with existing Jira workflows
When Plane Wins
- Teams 5-200 (sweet spot for savings)
- Want a modern, clean UI (vs Jira's complexity)
- Don't need Jira Marketplace add-ons
- Data sovereignty requirements
- Budget-conscious engineering teams
- Starting fresh (no Jira migration debt)
The Bottom Line
A 50-person engineering team on Jira Standard with typical add-ons pays $13,890/year. Plane self-hosted costs $108/year — a 99% reduction.
Even without add-ons, Jira Standard costs 45x more than self-hosted Plane at 50 users.
See the full Jira vs Plane comparison on OSSAlt — features, workflows, and deployment options side by side.