Complete guide [September 24]

Finding the best agile project management tool can be tricky, especially when navigating the multitude of tools on the market. Popular solutions like Jira often dominate the search results, but there are alternatives that may be better suited, such as Kantree. This article dives into a detailed comparison of these two project management tools to help you choose the one that best fits your team’s needs.

To go straight to your point, click on the below categories analyzed that corresponds to the basics of project management tool for agile team :

1. Overview of Kantree
2. Overview of Jira
3. Cards and fields management
4. Reports and dashboards
5. Views and filters
6. Mywork space
7. Forms
8. Finally, which tool should I choose ?

Kantree: The flexible alternative for all types of projects

Its History

Kantree is a project management software that allows easy collaboration on tasks and improves team productivity and project visibility. It offers the ability to share tasks, manage project progress in real time, and execute customized processes. Kantree was created in 2016 in response to the complexity and diversity of the collaborative platform market. Kantree is a product managed by Digicoop, a French employee cooperative.

Advantages of Kantree:

• Fully customizable card structure
• Unlimited customizable fields
• Highly configurable views and reports

Jira: The established choice for development teams

Its History

JIRA was created in 2002 by Australian giant Atlassian, which is listed on the stock exchange. It was developed as an internal bug-tracking tool for Atlassian’s developers. Over time, JIRA naturally expanded into the developer community, especially in ticket management.

Advantages of Jira:

• Familiar interface for developers
• Integration with other Atlassian tools
• Preconfigured reports tailored for software development

Functional comparison: Jira vs. Kantree

Card and field management

Jira offers a predefined structure, while Kantree allows total customization of cards and fields.

Jira cards

All cards are organized in the same way, with predefined fields. Users must stick to this structure, even if it doesn’t meet their needs.

Kantree cards

In each card, users can freely customize fields in both form and content. Fields are more flexible (this will be compared in the next point), and they can be easily rearranged using drag-and-drop anywhere on the card.

Jira fields Not all fields are available to users—only 10 out of 34, which is 30% of the total. When adding a field, it is automatically placed in a predetermined location.

Kantree fields

All application fields are available without restrictions. They can be added unlimitedly to cards and rearranged with stylistic elements (title, separator, space).

Reports and dashboards

Jira is strong with its preconfigured reports for development, while Kantree allows advanced report customization via its KQL language.

Jira dashboards

To create a report, you must choose from predefined templates. These charts are naturally focused on ticketing due to its origins in development (resolution time, ticket statistics, etc.). Additionally, you’ll need to set an update interval since it’s not done in real-time.

Kantree dashboard configuration

Kantree already offers some templates, such as workload and card progression. However, the noteworthy feature is the ability to use KQL to create custom reports, which are then updated in real-time.

Views and filters

Jira offers standard views, while Kantree allows unlimited custom views with advanced filters.

Jira views

Views are displayed in a banner at the top of the screen. There’s no option to add, delete, or duplicate them within the same project. Also, in the “form” view, forms can only be shared via a link.

Kantree views

Users can add views as needed. For example, if three timeline views are required, users can create them with different filters each time. All views are available without limitation. In comparison, forms can be embedded into a website or shared via QR Code.

Workflow centralization

Kantree provides a more complete and customizable view of workflow than Jira.

Centralization in Jira

Jira offers a project-focused view, with the only variable being the number of open tickets and a link to the detailed board.

Centralization in Kantree

Kantree aggregates different data hierarchies in the “my work” space, including cards assigned to the user, details of actions taken on each card, assignments and mentions, a calendar view, and the ability to create multi-workspace dashboards.

Forms

Both tools offer form functionalities, but Kantree provides more sharing options, including website embedding.

Form sharing in Jira

Jira offers integration with Slack and the ability to share forms via a simple link.

Form sharing in Kantree

Kantree allows users to generate a QR Code and an <iframe> code in addition to sharing a public link.

Finally, which tool should you choose for your agile team?

The choice between Jira and Kantree largely depends on your specific needs:

• Kantree is better suited for multidisciplinary teams that require a flexible and adaptable project management solution across different types of projects, used by several teams across multiple departments.

• Jira is ideal for development teams looking for a proven tool for bug tracking and agile sprint management. For agile teams seeking to optimize their software development process, Jira remains a reliable choice. However, for organizations looking for a versatile agile platform capable of handling various project types, Kantree represents an attractive and flexible alternative.

Ultimately, the best agile project management software will be the one that best fits your existing workflows while offering the flexibility needed to grow with your team.