4 Best Plane Alternatives in 2025
Last updated: February 2026 • 14 min read
Plane is a popular tool for teams wanting open-source jira alternative. While it offers a free tier (Free (self-hosted)), its paid plans start at $4/user/mo. Whether you're looking for a cheaper option, better features, or an open-source solution, we've compiled the 4 best Plane alternatives to help you find the right fit.
📋 Quick Summary
- Total alternatives: 4
- Free alternatives: 4 (Jira, Linear, Taiga)
- Open-source options: Taiga, OpenProject
- Best overall: Jira
- Best free: Jira
Why Look for Plane Alternatives?
People commonly look for Plane alternatives for several reasons:
- Cost: While Plane has a free tier, its paid plans starting at $4/user/mo can add up quickly for growing teams.
- Feature gaps: Young product and fewer integrations are common complaints.
- Simplicity: Some users find Plane overly complex for their needs and prefer simpler solutions.
- Better fit: Different tools excel at different use cases — you may find a tool that's specifically built for your workflow.
📊 Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Tier | Starting Price | Rating | Open Source | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plane | ✓ Free (self-hosted) | $4/user/mo | ⭐ 4.2 | ✓ Yes | Teams wanting open-source Jira alternative |
| Jira | ✓ Up to 10 users | $8.15/user/mo | ⭐ 4 | No | Large software development teams |
| Linear | ✓ Up to 250 issues | $8/user/mo | ⭐ 4.6 | No | Software development teams |
| Taiga | ✓ Free (self-hosted) | Free cloud | ⭐ 4 | ✓ Yes | Agile teams wanting a free, open-source solution |
| OpenProject | ✓ Community edition (self-hosted) | €5.95/user/mo | ⭐ 3.9 | ✓ Yes | Organizations needing open-source PM with strong privacy |
Detailed Reviews of Each Alternative
Jira
Industry-standard issue and project tracking for software teams.
Jira by Atlassian is the most widely used project tracking tool for software development. With powerful features for agile development including Scrum and Kanban boards, sprint planning, and advanced reporting, Jira is the default choice for many engineering teams. While powerful, its complexity is often cited as a drawback.
Pros
- ✓ Industry standard
- ✓ Powerful for dev teams
- ✓ Deep customization
- ✓ Extensive marketplace
Cons
- ✗ Complex and overwhelming
- ✗ Slow performance
- ✗ Expensive at scale
- ✗ Steep learning curve
Linear
Streamlined issue tracking built for modern software teams.
Linear has quickly become the favorite project management tool for software development teams. Built with a focus on speed and developer experience, Linear offers keyboard-first navigation, a clean UI, and integrations with GitHub, GitLab, and other developer tools. It's designed to make issue tracking feel fast and enjoyable.
Pros
- ✓ Blazingly fast
- ✓ Beautiful design
- ✓ Developer-focused
- ✓ Great keyboard shortcuts
Cons
- ✗ Limited non-dev features
- ✗ Smaller ecosystem
- ✗ No free plan for teams
- ✗ Limited reporting
Taiga
Free open-source project management for agile teams.
Taiga is a free, open-source project management platform for agile developers and designers. It supports Scrum and Kanban methodologies and offers a clean, intuitive interface that makes agile project management accessible.
Pros
- ✓ Completely free
- ✓ Open source
- ✓ Good agile support
- ✓ Self-hostable
Cons
- ✗ Limited integrations
- ✗ Smaller community
- ✗ Basic reporting
- ✗ Less polished UI
OpenProject
Open-source project management software for classic and agile methodologies.
OpenProject is an open-source project management software supporting classic project management with Gantt charts, as well as agile and hybrid methodologies. It's particularly popular in European organizations and government institutions due to its strong data privacy features.
Pros
- ✓ Open source
- ✓ Strong privacy
- ✓ Gantt charts included
- ✓ Self-hostable
Cons
- ✗ Dated interface
- ✗ Complex setup
- ✗ Slower development
- ✗ Limited modern integrations
🏆 Our Recommendations
❓ FAQ
What is the best free alternative to Plane?
The best free alternative to Plane is Jira, which offers Up to 10 users.
Is there an open-source alternative to Plane?
Yes! Taiga, OpenProject are open-source alternatives to Plane that you can self-host for free.
What is the cheapest alternative to Plane?
The cheapest alternatives are the free options: Jira, Linear, Taiga. For paid alternatives, prices start from as low as $5.95/mo.
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