Need to decide between Jira Server and Jira Cloud? Let’s look at the differences, pros and cons of these two solutions to make your decision easier.
We often come up with the question of how Jira Cloud is different from Jira Server. What is the best solution for us?
Where is your data?
The main difference between Jira Cloud and Jira Server is where you store your data.
In cloud solutions, it’s generally the case that you store your data on other servers. Your data is transferred to the servers of the operator, they are stored and backed up.
It may happen that your business policy and the sensitive data you are working with exclude this off-site possibility or are legitimately worried about your data. Today, however, these servers are secure enough to prevent your data from escaping and being misused. Atlassian has taken action to meet today’s very much-mentioned and often not previously followed General Data Protection Regulation – GDPR, and so your data is now quite protected.
Jira Server is a self-hosting solution. Your instance is stored on your servers, behind your firewall and security. You do not need to send your data anywhere; you store it on your own storage with your own back up. You should plan on some additional off-site back up storage.
To what extent can we meet your requirements?
You will feel a big difference if you need to adjust JIRA according to specific requirements.
With Jira Cloud, you do not have 100% of all the features you might need:
- if you plan to do complicated integration with other instances, Jira Cloud may not allow you,
- you can run into limitations in administration, where Atlassian developers have left some of the accesses closed, available only for themselves,
- plug-ins may be incompatibility with Jira Cloud, if they were not designed for Jira Cloud; they may not allow you to synchronize your project with another instance
JIRA Server is a more flexible solution if you plan to cover and customize multiple processes according to your expectations:
- you do not like most out-of-box solutions and you have a lot of ideas for changes
- the availability of extensions for the Jira Server version is much larger
- allows you to link to user directories (AD, LDAP) to make it easier to fine-tune permissions and accesses
- simpler integration to connect it with a host of other applications and systems to get more comprehensive solutions
How it will hit your budget?
The solutions are also different at a crucial point – how much, how, and when will you pay for them, whether you pay a permanent license or a continuous payment for using the product.
Jira Cloud is paid monthly. What does this mean? It may happen that a payment will not be paid in time or will not be processed in time for the weekend, or a holiday. And here comes the situation that you will not get your data, and you will not be able to work until they get the payment. If you decide not to continue to use Cloud, you have basically two options. Keep everything as it is without access to the data you have collected for the entire time of use, or migrate your data to the Jira Server solution.
Jira Server is an annual license, which means you pay for the license for a year. Within one year, you have the option of upgrading your own Jira, as long as improvements have been made. And at the end of the licensing year, you decide whether you are interested in the renewal and upgrade support or else to freeze your current Jira instance. You never waste your data with this decision and can continue to use the solution, even if you can no longer go to new versions of the application.
Are you interested in multiple JIRA instances?
Multiple Jira installations means automatic scheduling of selections to Server Solution. This is also true if you have bigger disk space requirements for storing files.
Is there a specific reason why you think about JIRA Cloud?
In spite of these many shortcomings, Cloud-based solutions are still beneficial and suitable for certain groups of clients, especially small businesses.
Jira Cloud’s key benefits are:
- No Infrastructure Requirements – Cloud-based solutions require no capital expenditure. You do not have to deploy virtual machines or servers that you would need to manage.
- Zero costs for maintaining these servers and resolving hardware issues.
- Affordability – Monthly payment will minimize your cash-flow disruption.
- Automatic Software Updates – Regular software and server upgrade, including security updates, included.
The key benefits of Jira Server are:
- Store your data on your own site – this is the biggest advantage to self-hosting on your own server
- Control changes – administer and manage Jira under your specific control
- Modify and combine JIRA and surrounding systems with greater flexibility
- Enhance and enrich the solution with countless plugins
- Connect multiple JIRA instances
- Control permissions and accounts in one place
- Customize your look according to your own ideas and designs
Still not decided? Would you like to consult? Do not hesitate to contact us.
The best solutions are always in looking for the needs of the client and we will be happy to help you.
Peter Borhy
Atlassian konzultant
