GitLab vs Jira

An iterative approach to planning and guiding the project processes is known as Agile Project Management(APM). It breaks processes into smaller cycles called sprints or iterations. The main reason to use product management tools like Gitlab and Jira is that sometimes teams struggle to function well as they are not optimized to be efficient. So, they need tools to make the right choice. The only question that arises is how to choose which tool- Gitlab or Jira. As they are built differently, their functions are also different from each other. So, let’s see in what aspects they differ.

What is GitLab?

Gitlab is an open-source CI/CD tool. It supports a complete DevOps platform, providing end-to-end DevOps capabilities, and enables firms to collaborate with members across teams working on all project-related tasks such as project planning, code repository management, monitoring, and security. Basically, it is a DevOps software package that can develop, secure and operate the software launched in 2014. It is written in Ruby, Go, Vue.js, and JavaScript.

Key Features

• It has an in-built registry that is deployed without the need for configuration.
• Infrastructure Management- Kubernetes is organized properly.
• Its project management feature provides extensive adaptability to all the workflow using GitLab boards.
• Support for integrated monitoring.

Advantages

• It is free and easy to manage. Also, It allows parallel job execution.
• It supports a directed acyclic graph.
• Creating new jobs and handling conflicts is easy.
• Excellent security and privacy policies such as granular restrictions and permissions.

Disadvantages

• Artifacts need to be uploaded manually.
• Artifacts need to be downloaded for each job.
• It does not support the phases. Also, it has many bugs in its software which makes it a little sloppy.

What is Jira?

Jira is a platform that was developed in 2002 by an Australian company, Atlassian. Basically, it is a cloud and subscription-based bug tracking tool written in Java programming language which helps teams to plan, assign, track, report, and manage work. It started its services of project management in 2012. This platform is mainly used by Agile developers. 

Key Features

• It keeps teams and organizations in sync with the feature of roadmaps.
• Customizable workflows.
• It is compatible with Android and iOS devices.
• Great Product Integrations with Salesforce Sales Cloud, Service Des, Balsamiq, Zendesk, etc.

Advantages

• It supports the roadmap requirement.
• Integration is available. Also, it enables users to create any kind of issue.
• Scheduling and time management.
• Large organizations use this platform because of its advanced features.
• It provides suitability for different types of users like developers, project managers, engineers, non-technical professionals, and many more.

Disadvantages

• Reports are not reusable.
• Complex User-Interface. It is hard to understand especially for beginners.
• It is quite expensive to use.
• It has no collaborative feature to communicate with the team.

Difference between Gitlab and Jira

	Gitlab	Jira
Ease-of-use	It is easy to use.	It is complex to understand.
Used For	The tool is used for software development.	The tool is used for project management purposes.
License	It gets the license from GitHub.	It has a propriety license.
Integration	This platform integrates with a version control system.	It supports plugins that help to integrate with third-party applications.
Customization	There is no customization feature in Gitlab.	Features can be customized in Jira.
Language Used	Ruby, Go, Vue.js, and JavaScript is the languages used.	JAVA is the programming language that is used in Jira.
General	GUI and CLI are used by the user to access the features of this platform.	Numerous types of dashboards such as Scrum and Kanban are used.
Pricing	It is an open-source tool and hence free of cost to use.	It is an expensive tool to use.
Flexibility	It is quite flexible to integrate the built-in server.	Flexible to migrate the project from one platform to another.
Portfolio Management	Work can be properly planned and tracked at the portfolio level.	There is no such feature where work can be properly planned and tracked at the portfolio level.
Group Issue Board	The issues can be seen at the group level.	There is no such functionality as a group issue board.
Customer Support	Customer support is not proper for the GitLab platform.	It provides complete customer support.
Reliability	Reliability is not good as the Jira platform.	It is a reliable platform.

Conclusion

Both, Gitlab and Jira have their own pros and cons. The Jira platform is an issue tracker tool and is used by the Agile team whereas the Gitlab platform is an open-source tool that is used by the software management developers to manage the versions of software. It is up to the user’s choice which platform to choose keeping in mind their needs.