To-do lists. Time tracking. Automation. Scripting. Making your cup of coffee in the morning. These are just a few of the hundreds of add-ons available for teams using Jira on the Atlassian marketplace

(Okay, maybe not the coffee one yet. Get on it, AI).

Jira is used by several different types of teams, so to narrow it down, we’ll be focusing on plugins for software development teams. With such a vast array of tools at their disposal, development teams can customize their Jira experience to fit their unique needs. No matter your team size or scope, we’re compiling some of the most helpful extensions for dev teams in 2024, ensuring your projects run smoother and faster.

What is Jira?

At its core, Jira is a project management tool designed to facilitate task tracking, issue tracking, and project management. Its versatility makes it suitable for various methodologies, but it shines brightest in agile environments. Whether you’re sprinting in Scrum or flowing with Kanban, Jira molds itself to your team’s workflow, providing a solid foundation for your development projects.

How do software development teams use Jira? For agile development teams, Jira offers a suite of agile tools that support the Scrum framework’s four pillars: sprint planning, stand-ups, sprints, and retrospectives. With Jira, managing agile projects becomes a breeze, allowing teams to focus on delivering value first and foremost.

What can Jira plugins do?

Also known as “add-ons,” Jira plugins extend Jira’s core functionality, introducing new features and capabilities that cater to specific needs. From enhancing time tracking to automating workflows and integrating with other tools, these plugins can significantly boost your team’s efficiency and productivity.

Best Jira Add-ons for Software Teams

1. Git Integration for Jira

• How it works: This plugin helps connect your Jira tasks and Git commits, enhancing visibility into the entire development process. Developers can link their code changes directly to tasks, providing clear evidence of progress and facilitating easier code reviews. This tool is particularly useful for teams looking to improve collaboration between developers and project managers, ensuring that every code commit is accounted for and traceable back to a specific task in Jira.
• Price: Free
• Try free

2. Team Insights for Jira

• How it works: Delivers in-depth analytics on team performance, shedding light on areas like task completion rates and time allocation per project. By offering a clear view of how resources are distributed and utilized, this plugin helps teams be more efficient. It’s an excellent choice for managers looking to gain a deeper understanding of team dynamics and to make informed decisions that promote a more balanced workload.
• Price: Free
• Try free

3. Aha! Roadmaps for Jira

• How it works: Creates detailed, visual roadmaps that integrate with Jira tasks, helping teams to align their day-to-day activities with broader product goals. This tool aids in maintaining focus on long-term objectives while managing the minutiae of daily tasks, ensuring that all team efforts contribute towards strategic milestones.
• Price: $59 per user/month
• Try it out

4. Better Excel Exporter for Jira

• How it works: Allows for enhanced data exports from Jira to Excel, enabling users to perform advanced data analysis and create detailed reports. This plugin is essential for teams that need to present project data in a structured and comprehensive manner, facilitating informed decision-making based on solid data insights.
• Price: Free trial, detailed pricing plans available
• Try free

5. ScriptRunner for Jira

• How it works: Offers extensive scripting capabilities within Jira, allowing for custom modifications to workflows and automation of routine tasks. This flexibility is crucial for adapting Jira to fit specific project, making it a powerful tool for Jira administrators and advanced users.
• Price: Free trial, detailed pricing plans available
• Try free

6. Timesheets by Tempo – Jira Time Tracking

• How it works: Enhances Jira with time tracking features, providing insights into how time is spent across various projects and tasks. This plugin is vital for accurate project budgeting, understanding team capacity, and improving estimates for project timelines.
• Price: Free trial, detailed pricing plans available
• Try free

7. Issue Checklist for Jira. Pro

• How it works: Introduces detailed checklists within Jira issues, ensuring thorough task completion. Especially useful for complex tasks requiring multiple steps, this feature improves task clarity and completion rates by providing a clear list of sub-tasks and requirements.
• Price: Free trial, detailed pricing plans available
• Try free

8. CI/CD for Jira

• How it works: Connects continuous integration and continuous delivery pipelines with Jira, offering updates on build and deployment status within Jira projects. This integration is key for teams that practice CI/CD methodologies, keeping everyone informed of the latest developments and ensuring smooth transitions between different stages of the development lifecycle.
• Price: Free
• Try free

Discover More on the Atlassian Marketplace

The plugins highlighted here are just the beginning of what’s available to transform your team’s Jira environment to be more powerful and customizable. The Atlassian Marketplace is brimming with extensions designed to meet the diverse needs of software development teams. Check it to see all the plugins that cater to your specific requirements, helping you to refine your workflow, enhance collaboration, and achieve your project milestones with greater ease.