European alternatives to Jira
Jira is a standard in software project management but sits with a provider outside the EU. European, open-source alternatives offer agile boards with data control.
Why look for an alternative?
Reasons include EU data storage, self-hosting, cost and a wish for a leaner, sovereign solution.
What to look for in an alternative
- EU data residency or self-hosting
- Agile boards, backlog and sprints
- Issues, roles and permissions
- DPA
- Value for money for the team size
The best European alternatives at a glance
Sorted by suitability as a replacement for the tool you searched. The Sovereignty Score independently rates how European and data-sovereign a provider is – so the two values can differ.
German open-source project management for classic, agile and hybrid teams – available as cloud or self-hosted.
Open-source agile project management from Madrid – Scrum and Kanban, self-hostable or as an EU cloud.
German project management and time tracking tool from Hamburg – especially for agencies and service providers, with servers in Germany.
Comparison table
| Providers | Fit | Sovereignty | Headquarters | Open Source | Self-hosting | EU hosting | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenProject | 82 | 86 | Germany | from 0 € / Monat | |||
| Taiga | 80 | 84 | Spain | Open source (AGPLv3, self-hosted, free) / cloud subscription | |||
| awork | 72 | 80 | Germany | from 5 € / Monat · pro Nutzer |
The top providers in detail
OpenProject is a German open-source project management platform covering tasks, roadmaps, agile boards, time tracking and team collaboration. The Community Edition can be self-hosted for free, while Enterprise Cloud and Enterprise On-Premises plans add commercial features and support. For Euro Toolhub, OpenProject is a strong sovereignty candidate because it combines public source code, self-hosting and EU-based cloud hosting, with German hosting available on request according to the provider. It is a credible European alternative to Jira, Asana, Monday.com and Microsoft Project for public-sector, education, research and regulated organizations.
Strengths
- Open source with self-hosting and a free Community Edition
- Broad project management feature set including tasks, Gantt, boards, roadmaps and time tracking
- DPA and public subprocessor list available
- EU cloud hosting; German hosting available on request
Weaknesses
- Default cloud setup uses AWS Ireland rather than a purely European hyperscaler
- Enterprise features and professional support are paid
- Can be more complex than lightweight Kanban tools
Taiga is an open-source agile project management platform by the Spanish company Kaleidos in Madrid. It targets cross-functional teams and supports Scrum and Kanban with backlog, sprints, user stories, boards and a clean, modern interface. Taiga is AGPLv3-licensed and can be self-hosted via Docker for free and without user limits; the hosted cloud runs in Madrid according to the provider, and a data processing agreement is available. This makes Taiga a European open-source alternative to Jira, Trello or Asana – especially for development and product teams with data-control requirements.
Strengths
- Tailored to agile teams (Scrum & Kanban)
- Open source (AGPLv3) and self-hostable without user limits
- Cloud in Madrid according to the provider, DPA available
- Clean, modern interface
Weaknesses
- Focus on agile software teams, less on general PM
- Smaller ecosystem and fewer integrations than Jira
- Self-hosting requires operation and maintenance
awork is a German project management tool from Hamburg that combines tasks, projects and time tracking in one interface and is aimed particularly at agencies, consultancies and service providers. According to the provider, data is processed in German data centers (Frankfurt); awork is ISO/IEC 27001 certified and GDPR-compliant. Billing is per user from €5 per month (annual plan); there is no permanently free plan, but there is a 14-day trial.
Strengths
- Servers in Germany (Frankfurt), ISO 27001, GDPR-compliant
- Tailored to agencies/service providers (PM + time tracking)
- Modern, German-language tool with good support
Weaknesses
- Not open source, no self-hosting
- No permanently free plan
- Per-user billing can become expensive for large teams
Migration effort
| Providers | Migration effort | Fit |
|---|---|---|
| OpenProject | high | 82/100 |
| Taiga | low | 80/100 |
| awork | medium | 72/100 |
When switching pays off
OpenProject is a broad, self-hostable PM platform close to Jira. For purely agile teams, Taiga (Scrum/Kanban) is a lean, open-source choice; awork is the German cloud option.
When to stick with your current tool
If your Jira is deeply woven into the Atlassian ecosystem and many plugins, a switch is a project – prioritise the key workflows.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a self-hostable Jira alternative?
The Sovereignty Score is an editorial orientation aid, not legal advice. How we rate.