Kevin JohnsonAtlassian Corporation is an Australian software company based in Sydney. Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar founded the company in 2002 to sell their flagship product, Jira. This project and issue tracker helps simplify project management.
In 2004, Atlassian released its team collaboration platform Confluence. Confluence users can collaborate on projects and co-create and share content, documents, and other media assets. In Dec 2015, Atlassian went public via IPO on NASDAQ with a $4.37 billion market capitalization. Its founders became Australia’s first tech startup billionaires after the IPO. In Q4 2022, Atlassian had 8,813 employees, but the company laid off 500 workers in Mar 2023. [1]
Atlassian expanded its portfolio through strategic acquisitions, including Cenqua, Bitbucket, HipChat, Hall, Blue Jimp, OpsGenie, Agilecraft, Code Barrel, Mindville, and Chartio. The company purchased Trello for $425 million in 2017 and launched Stride to compete against Slack. However, Atlassian exited the chat business less than a year later and sold HipChat and Stride to Slack.
In Apr 2023, the company introduced Atlassian Intelligence, built on its machine learning models and OpenAI technology. Atlassian is ranked 7th on Fortune’s list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. It serves 259,775 customers in over 190 countries. But the company faces stiff competition from Microsoft, GitLab, IBM, ServiceNow, GitHub, Asana, Blueprint, and Broadcom. [2]
Here is an in-depth analysis of Atlassian’s top 20 competitors and alternatives:
1. Microsoft
Year founded: 1975
Headquarter: Redmond, Washington
Microsoft is a multinational tech corporation that offers collaboration and productivity tools. Companies can use Dynamics 365, Microsoft Project, or Microsoft Planner to simplify and streamline business processes and operations. In 2022, Microsoft employed over 221,000 people globally.
Microsoft Planner and Microsoft Project for the Web compete against Atlassian’s Jira and Trello, and Dynamics 365 offers a combined suite of productivity tools. Teams can collaborate in real-time via Microsoft Teams and create, edit, and share documents using SharePoint Online.
In Aug 2023, the company enhanced Dynamics 365 Sales, Customer Service, Business Central, and Marketing with new features. Sellers can now access AI-generated summaries and proposals to simplify their sales processes. Microsoft is the top Atlassian competitor and alternative. [3]
2. GitLab
Year founded: 2014
Headquarter: San Francisco, California
GitLab is a DevSecOps platform operated by GitLab Inc., an open-core company. Users can develop, secure, and manage software solutions. In Q4 FY 2023, GitLab had 7,002 customers with over $5,000 ARR, 697 clients with more than $100,000 ARR, and 63 clients with over $1 million ARR. [4]
GitLab helps organizations maximize the return on software development by delivering apps faster and more efficiently. It strengthens security and compliance and improves visibility across the entire DevSecOps lifecycle. In Jun 2023, the company added a ModelOps feature to its DevSecOps platform. This AI-powered product offers new capabilities, such as code-writing suggestions. GitLab is one of the best alternatives to Atlassian for software developers. [5]
3. IBM
Year founded: 1911
Headquarter: Armonk, New York
IBM is a computer and technology company. It offers several software products which compete against Atlassian’s solutions. In 2022, IBM had around 345,000 employees.
IBM and Atlassian offer IT service management platforms, app development management, and enterprise agile planning tools. Companies can use IBM ELM or Atlassian’s Jira to manage projects. According to Gartner, IBM has a 4.2-star rating out of 5 versus 4.4 stars for Atlassian. IBM is a formidable competitor for Atlassian. [6]
4. ServiceNow
Year founded: 2004
Headquarter: Santa Clara, California
ServiceNow is a digital workflow company. Its cloud-based platform and solutions help organizations digitize and unify enterprise operations and connect employees and customers. In 2023, ServiceNow had around 20,400 employees.
ServiceNow helps companies enhance innovation, agility, and efficiency to boost revenue growth. In May 2023, ServiceNow expanded the capabilities of its Now Platform with new features. Organizations can leverage ServiceNow Cloud Observability solutions to manage complex cloud infrastructure. ServiceNow is a worthy alternative to Atlassian. [7]
5. GitHub
Year founded: 2008
Headquarter: San Francisco, California
GitHub is a platform and cloud-based software development service owned by Microsoft. Software developers can use GitHub to store and manage their code. In 2022, GitHub had about 3,000 employees, but the company laid off 10% of its staff in 2023. [8]
GitHub ERP helps organizations execute projects and achieve business objectives and goals efficiently and cost-effectively. GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke wants to make the company a developer-first engineering system for the future with a focus on AI. As a subsidiary of Microsoft, GitHub has enough resources to compete against Atlassian.
6. Asana
Year founded: 2008
Headquarter: San Francisco, California
Asana is a mobile and web work management platform. It helps teams orchestrate their work, from small projects to large-scale initiatives. As of Mar 2023, Asana served over 135,000 paying clients and millions of free businesses in over 200 countries. [9]
Asana and Atlassian help companies streamline business operations, but Asana specializes in work orchestration. In Q4 2022, the company was named a Leader in the Forrester Wave: Collaborative Work Management Tools report. Asana is one of the top competitors for Atlassian. [10]
7. Google Workspace
Year founded: 2006
Headquarter: Mountain View, California
Google Workspace is an integrated platform that combines collaboration, communication, and productivity tools. It offers Google Meet, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, Keep, and Calendar. In Mar 2023, Google had 178,000 employees.
The main selling point of Google Workspace is its seamless integration of Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. It caters to professionals and beginners across all sectors. Lecturers and students can Google Classroom to collaborate in real-time.
In Aug 2023, the company released new features and improvements for Google Workspace. Users can now leverage a toggle in the Admin console to control access to Google Forms. Google is an innovative Atlassian competitor. [11]
8. Blueprint
Year founded: 2004
Headquarter: Toronto, Canada
Blueprint is a global software company that helps enterprise organizations to improve their business operations. Its platform consolidates and visualizes all processes within the user’s company. In 2022, Blueprint was named a Market Leader in the BPM Software Customer Success Report by FeaturedCustomers.
Blueprint’s cloud-based software solutions offer critical insights to help companies identify and execute improvement opportunities. In Mar 2022, Blueprint launched its new Business Transformation Platform. The platform includes Process Hub, data ingest, task capture, modeling and simulation, automation export, workflow accelerators, and integrations. Blueprint is a worthy alternative to Atlassian. [12]
9. Broadcom
Year founded: 1961
Headquarter: San Jose, California
Broadcom is a global tech company that offers semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions. The company recently acquired VMware for $61 billion. In Aug 2023, Broadcom announced plans to cut VMware’s workforce and align its cloud strategy. [13]
Broadcom serves critical markets, including data centers, networking, enterprise software, broadband, storage, and industrial. Organizations can use Broadcom Clarity or CA Agile Central to track user stories and team activities, streamline workflows, improve operational efficiency, and enhance decision-making. According to Gartner, Broadcom has a 4.3-star rating out of 5 from 18 customer reviews. Broadcom is one of the top Atlassian competitors.
10. Slack
Year founded: 2009
Headquarter: San Francisco, California
Slack is an instant workplace messaging program acquired by Salesforce for $27.7 billion in 2021. The platform has over 2,500 apps and a centralized collaboration hub that connects employees across departments. In Sep 2022, Salesforce introduced Salesforce Canvas to integrate all Slack apps. [14]
Slack competes against Atlassian Confluence as both help users engage with like-minded professionals. India is the third-largest free user base for Slack. It serves innovative firms in India, including Zomato, Freecharge, Razorpay, Meesho, and Haptik. As a subsidiary of Salesforce, Slack has enough resources to compete and poach some customers from Atlassian. [15]
11. Digital.ai
Year founded: 2020
Headquarter: Boston, Massachusetts
Digital.ai is a technology company that offers an AI-powered DevOps platform. The firm helps Global 5000 enterprises achieve digital transformation goals. In Oct 2022, Digital.ai unveiled the Banff release of its AI-Powered DevOps Platform. [16]
The main competitive advantage of Digital.ai is its AI-powered DevOps platform which unifies, secures, and generates predictive insights across the software lifecycle. Companies can use the latest version to access expanded intelligence, automation, and collaboration to accelerate digital transformation and maximize value from software investments. Digital.ai is one of the best alternatives to Atlassian for Global 5000 enterprises.
12. Kanbanize
Year founded: 2008
Headquarter: Sofia, Bulgaria
Kanbanize is a software company that offers an enterprise-ready Kanban solution. It provides visibility across all stakeholders, connects strategy with execution, and helps teams deliver projects faster. According to GetApp, Kanbanize has a 4.8-star rating out of 5. [17]
Kanbanize is the go-to platform for Agile project, product, and portfolio management. It serves organizations of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 100 enterprises. In Jan 2023, the company released Kanbanize Version 9.6 with new features. Kanbanize is one of the best alternatives to Atlassian for Agile teams. [18]
13. Planview
Year founded: 1989
Headquarter: Austin, Texas
Planview is a global enterprise software company. It offers an enterprise work management platform that competes against Atlassian’s Jira and Trello. In 2023, Planview served over 4,500 customers, including 59 Fortune 100 companies.
Planview streamlines the entire project lifecycle, from portfolio planning to securing files, managing resources, and delivery. In Apr 2023, the company was named a Leader in Strategic Portfolio Management. Plainview is one of the best alternatives to Atlassian. [19]
14. Siemens
Year founded: 1847
Headquarter: Munich, Germany
Siemens is a German multinational tech conglomerate. It offers automation and digitalization solutions for the process and manufacturing industries. In 2022, Siemens had around 311,000 employees.
Siemens offers Polarion, a unified application for product lifecycle management. It is an end-to-end enterprise-grade app development on a modular, browser-based software environment. In Aug 2023, semiconductor supplier SK Hynix achieved the first ASPICE certification in Korea after adopting Siemens’ Polarion ALM solution. Siemens is one of the top Atlassian competitors in the application lifecycle management sector. [20]
15. Zoho
Year founded: 1996
Headquarter: Chennai, India
Zoho is a tech company that offers computer software and web-based business tools. Zoho Connect and Zoho Projects compete against Atlassian’s collaboration and work management solutions. According to Gartner, Zoho has a 4.4-star rating from 125 customer reviews.
Zoho Connect is a collaboration app that streamlines team communication and business processes. SMBs can use Zoho Projects to manage projects and teams. In 2022, Zoho Connect was named a leader by G2 Crowd Awards in the Employee Intranet category. Zoho is one of the top competitors for Atlassian. [21]
16. Planisware
Year founded: 1996
Headquarter: Chatillon, France
Planisware is a software firm that offers project portfolio management apps. Companies can use Planisware Enterprise or Planisware Orchestra through Planisware’s Business Innovation Cloud. In 2022, the company had around 600 employees.
Planisware competes against Jira and Trello in the project management market. Global giants, like Pfizer and Societe Generale, use Planisware’s cloud-based solutions. In May 2023, the company partnered with BNP Paribas and Citigroup to arrange an initial public offering (IPO). Planisware is one of the fastest-growing Atlassian competitors. [22]
17. Viva Engage
Year founded: 2008
Headquarter: San Francisco, California
Viva Engage is an enterprise social networking service offered by Microsoft. Microsoft launched the platform Yammer and rebranded its Yammer Communities app to Viva Engage in July 2022.
Viva Engage is a workplace-focused social network. In 2022, Microsoft unveiled several new features to align Yammer Communities with other Viva employee experience apps. Users can use videos and images in their “Stories” posts within a “Storylines” view. Viva Engage is a fast-evolving alternative to Atlassian’s Confluence. [23]
18. Adobe
Year founded: 1982
Headquarter: San Jose, California
Adobe is a multinational computer software company. The firm offers a suite of application software and web services, including Acrobat Reader, Acrobat, and Acrobat.com. In 2022, Adobe had around 29,000 employees.
Adobe Document Cloud simplifies content creation and management. Businesses can use Adobe Acrobat to create, view, manipulate, print, and manage files. In Sep 2022, Adobe introduced new features for Acrobat Pro. Users can now leverage a payment reader to check PDF documents for payment options. Adobe is one of the best alternatives to Atlassian for creative professionals. [24]
19. Jive Software
Year founded: 2001
Headquarter: Palo Alto, California
Jive is one of the leading companies in the employee experience platform (EEP) space. It helps organizations connect, communicate, and collaborate with stakeholders. According to Gartner, Jive has a 4.0-star rating from 101 customer reviews.
Jive provides communication and collaboration software for businesses. Its product portfolio includes a Cloud version, a GovCloud version for governmental entities, and hosted and on-premise environments. In May 2023, IgniteTech added Jive to its enterprise software solutions. This development increases Jive’s competitive advantage over Atlassian. [25]
20. Chatter
Year founded: 2010
Headquarter: San Francisco, California
Chatter is a business social network offered by Salesforce. Users can create groups, follow other users, exchange information using status updates, and collaborate with team members. In 2022, Chatter’s parent company Salesforce had around 80,000 employees.
Chatter competes against Atlassian’s Confluence in the business social network market. Both streamline team communication and internal interaction. In Jul 2022, Salesforce migrated its employees from Chatter to Slack. This move can undermine customers’ confidence in the app and undercut its competitive advantage over Confluence. [26]
References & more information
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- Atlassian Corporation (2023, May 4). Atlassian Announces Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2023 Results. Business Wire
- Strategy365 Staff (2023, Aug 2). Dynamics 365 & Power Platform 2023 Release Wave 2 Overview. Strategy365.co.uk
- GitLab Inc. (2023, Mar 13). GitLab Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results. GitLab.com
- Oguh, C. (2023, Jun 6). GitLab soars on the plan for new AI-powered product Reuters
- Gartner (2023, Aug 2). Atlassian vs. IBM. Gartner.com
- ServiceNow (2023, May 16). ServiceNow unveils transformative innovations at Knowledge 2023. Business Wire
- Lardinois, F. (2023, Feb 9). GitHub lays off 10% and goes fully remote. TechCrunch
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- Newman, D. (2022, Sep 26). Salesforce delivers CRM and Slack updates at Dreamforce 2022. Forbes
- Majumdar, R. (2023, Aug 3). India’s go-to-market product hub: Slack CEO Lidiane Jones. Economic Times India
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- GetApp (2023, Jul 20). Kanbanize Pricing, Features, Reviews, and Alternatives. GetApp.com
- Kanbanize Staff (2023, Jan 10). Version 9.6: What’s New This Month? Kanbanize.com
- Planview (2023, Apr 28). Planview Named a Leader in the April 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Strategic Portfolio Management for Second Consecutive Year. Business Wire
- Siemens Staff (2023, Aug 2). SK hynix adopts Siemens’ Polarion to help gain Korea’s first ASPICE certification. Siemens.com
- Diviya, Z. (2022, Dec 22). Recap of 2022 with Zoho Connect. Zoho.com
- Cerqueiro, P. M. (2023, May 18). French software firm Planisware explores options, including IPO. Reuters
- Finnegan, M. (2022, Jul 19). Microsoft brings social network-style ‘stories’ to work. Computerworld
- FH Editor (2022, Sep 2). Adobe Acrobat Pro announces new features. File Hippo
- Ignite Enterprise Software Solutions, Inc. (2023, May 3). IgniteTech Announces Addition of Jive Software to Company’s Leading Solutions. PRNewswire
- Smith, R. (2022, Jul 13). Salesforce Ditches Internal Chat App In Favour Of Slack. UC Today
- Featured Image by Louise Viallesoubranne
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Ava Abbott
The founded date is wrong. 🙁 It’s not 2022, it’s 2002.
Thanks Joe, for bringing it up to our attention, we have fixed the typo.