ClickUp suits mixed teams who want tasks, docs, chat and time tracking in one place, with a Free Forever plan for unlimited members but only 60 MB of storage. Jira suits software and product teams who plan in sprints and backlogs, with a free plan for up to 10 users and 2 GB of storage. Your team size and your file habits decide it.
Both tools track work from idea to done, and both have generous free plans. They're built around different kinds of teams, though, and the free plan limits push in different directions. I read ClickUp's plans page and Atlassian's Jira plans page, and the facts below are from those pages.
ClickUp and Jira free plans compared
| ClickUp | Jira | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, Free Forever | Yes, Free (free forever for 10 users) |
| Users on free | Unlimited free members | Up to 10 users |
| Storage on free | 60 MB | 2 GB |
| Projects and tasks | Unlimited tasks and subtasks | Unlimited goals, projects, tasks and forms |
| Views | Kanban, calendar, sprints | Backlog, list, board, timeline, calendar, summary |
| Automation on free | Not stated in the free plan summary | 150 automation steps a month |
| Docs and chat | Collaborative Docs, SyncUps video calls | Not part of the free plan summary |
| Support on free | 24/7 support | Atlassian Community |
ClickUp: everything in one workspace
ClickUp's Free Forever plan covers unlimited tasks and subtasks and unlimited free members, with collaborative Docs, Kanban boards, a calendar view, sprint management, time tracking, SyncUps video calls, two-factor authentication, one form and 24/7 support. Storage is capped at 60 MB.
The Unlimited plan removes most caps: unlimited spaces, folders, forms, Gantt charts, integrations, storage and custom fields, plus goals, portfolios, guest permissions, resource management and ClickUp Chat. One thing to know: upgrading in ClickUp upgrades the whole Workspace, so every member moves up together.
Jira: built for planned, tracked work
Jira's Free plan is free forever for up to 10 users. It includes unlimited goals, projects, tasks and forms, backlog, list, board, timeline, calendar and summary views, AI-driven reports and dashboards with Rovo, 150 automation steps a month and 2 GB of storage, with help from the Atlassian Community.
Standard adds Rovo Search, Chat and Agents and raises the user limit far beyond 10, with Premium and Enterprise above it. Jira's templates now cover marketing, design, HR, legal and operations as well as software development.
Sixty megabytes or ten seats
Here's the trade-off people miss. ClickUp's free plan lets your whole team in, whatever its size, but gives you 60 MB of storage, which a few image-heavy tasks or attached PDFs can fill fast. Jira's free plan gives you 2 GB of storage but stops at 10 users. So a big team that shares few files fits ClickUp Free, while a small team that attaches lots of files fits Jira Free.
Automation is the other line to watch. Jira states 150 automation steps a month on free, which covers simple rules but not a busy workflow.
Which team each tool suits
ClickUp suits agencies, marketing teams and small businesses running client work, with docs and time tracking alongside tasks. Jira suits software, product and IT teams that plan sprints and need backlogs and timelines, and it now stretches to other departments too. If coding skills worry you, here's whether project management needs coding skills, and this look at ClickUp's marketing strategy shows how ClickUp positions itself.
My advice before you move your team
Count two things: the people who'll log in and the files you attach in a normal month. More than 10 people with light files points to ClickUp's free plan. Ten or fewer people working in sprints, with lots of attachments, points to Jira's free plan. Move one live project across first and run it for a fortnight before you bring everything over.
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Frequently asked questions
Is ClickUp free?
Yes. ClickUp's Free Forever plan includes unlimited tasks and unlimited free members, with 60 MB of storage.
Is Jira free?
Yes. Jira's Free plan is free forever for up to 10 users, with 2 GB of storage and 150 automation steps a month.
Which has more storage on the free plan?
Jira's free plan includes 2 GB of storage. ClickUp's Free Forever plan includes 60 MB.
Can non-software teams use Jira?
Yes. Jira lists templates for marketing, design, HR, legal and operations as well as software development.
Does Jira's free plan include AI?
Jira's Free plan lists AI-driven reports and dashboards with Rovo. Rovo Search, Chat and Agents start on Standard.
Which tool includes docs and video calls?
ClickUp's Free Forever plan includes collaborative Docs and SyncUps video calls alongside tasks.
Does a ClickUp upgrade cover everyone?
Yes. ClickUp's plans page says upgrading means upgrading your entire Workspace, which covers all members.
