DeskTime vs Jira Comparison
Compare DeskTime vs Jira features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
DeskTime
6.8/10
DeskTime is an automatic time tracking and productivity monitoring tool for office, remote and hybrid teams, with project time costing and shift scheduling.
Jira
7.3/10
Atlassian's work and issue-tracking platform for planning, tracking, and shipping projects, with scrum and kanban boards built mainly for software and technical teams.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.8/10 | 7.3/10 |
| Analytics | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Customization | 5/10 | 9/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 4/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 9/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 9/10 |
| Security | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | $7/user/mo Pro | $8/user/mo Standard |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | $70/mo Pro | Free Free |
| Features | ||
| App integrations | ||
| Dashboards | ||
| Reporting | ||
| Time tracking | ||
| Collaboration tools | Not listed | |
| Kanban boards | Not listed | |
| Scheduling | Not listed | |
| Task lists | Not listed | |
| Task management | Not listed | |
| Timeline view | Not listed | |
| Workflow automation | Not listed | |
DeskTime vs Jira cost by team size
Jira costs less up to 10 users; DeskTime costs less from 25 users.
| Team size | DeskTime | Jira |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | $7/moPro | FreeFree |
| 5 users | $35/moPro | FreeFree |
| 10 users | $70/moPro | FreeFree |
| 25 users | $175/moPro | $212/moStandard |
| 50 users | $350/moPro | $424/moStandard |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose DeskTime
- Higher Ease of Use score (8/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Cost score (8/10 vs 7/10)
- Better fit for small business (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for remote teams (8/10 vs 6/10)
Why choose Jira
- Has a free plan (DeskTime does not)
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: Free vs $70/mo
- Higher Customization score (9/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Integration score (9/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for developers (10/10 vs 4/10)
Pros & Cons
DeskTime
Pros
- Tracking runs automatically in the background, so staff do not have to start or stop timers, which reviewers on G2 cite most often.
- ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 certification, plus EU-based operation, helps buyers who must comply with GDPR.
- Project time tracking calculates costs from hourly rates, which helps agencies bill clients.
- Premium combines shift scheduling and an absence calendar with time tracking, so these do not need a separate tool.
- Per-user pricing starts at about 6.42 USD a month on annual billing, which is low for this category.
Cons
- Reviewers describe the URL tracking and screenshots as intrusive, and these features may need a legal basis in some jurisdictions.
- Capterra and G2 users report instability, such as tracking stopping or activity being marked as neutral.
- It has no Kanban boards, Gantt charts or task management of its own, so it depends on tools like Jira, Asana or Trello.
- Reviewers say time spent in meetings and offline work are tracked poorly.
- Screenshots and the API are only on Premium.
Jira
Pros
- The free plan supports up to 10 users and includes scrum and kanban boards.
- Reviewers highlight deep customization of workflows, boards, and fields.
- Sprint and agile management are strong, and Jira integrates with GitHub and Git tools.
- It links closely with Confluence and other Atlassian products, so tickets can be referenced across those apps.
- Time tracking is built into every plan, including Free.
Cons
- Reviewers report a steep learning curve and an interface that overwhelms non-technical users.
- Users report slow issue loading and laggy boards in large deployments.
- Paid Marketplace apps can add hidden costs for reporting, CRM, and helpdesk needs.
- The free plan is limited to 100 emails per day and community support only.
- Troubleshooting failed automation rules can be frustrating.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Jira scores higher on our Project Management criteria: 7.3/10 against 6.8/10 for DeskTime. The largest gap is in Customization: 5/10 for DeskTime and 9/10 for Jira.
Jira costs less for 10 users: free on its Free plan, against about $70/mo on its Pro plan for DeskTime, billed monthly.
Jira has a free plan; DeskTime does not list one.
Jira is the better fit for developers: we rate it 10/10 for them, against 4/10 for DeskTime.
