Backlogs, sprints and issue tracking for engineering. 5 tools in this list, 5 with a free plan.
How this list is ranked. Tools are ordered by how strongly they are built for this job (as tagged in VERILO’s catalogue), then by editorial score and editor rating. Affiliate relationships and featured status are never inputs.
For software teams that plan work in cycles and want the board, the backlog and the release to stay in step. Teams that plan by project rather than by sprint will get more from general project planning tools.
How to choose
Start with how close the tool sits to the code. Linear and GitHub move issues as pull requests progress, which keeps a board honest without anyone updating it by hand. ClickUp, Asana and Trello can all run a sprint, but the link to the repository is an integration rather than the point of the product.
Then weigh opinionated against configurable. Linear deliberately offers no arbitrary custom fields and keeps one model of teams, cycles and projects: fast for engineers, restrictive for everyone else. ClickUp is the opposite, with more views and customisation than anything else here and a steeper learning curve to match.
Finally, count who else will live in the workspace. If marketing, operations or client services share it, a sprint-only tracker becomes a second system — Asana and ClickUp carry cross-functional work more comfortably, and Trello stays the easiest of the five to learn.
What to compare
Git integration
The cheapest status update is the one nobody types. Check that branches and pull requests move issues automatically, and that the mapping matches the workflow you already use.
Backlog and triage
A sprint is planned out of a backlog. Look at how quickly incoming work can be triaged, ordered and carried into the next cycle when it does not get finished.
Cycles or continuous boards
Some tools are built around fixed cycles, others around a rolling board. Pick the one that matches how the team already works instead of adopting a process to suit the tool.
The reports you will open
Velocity, burndown and cycle-time reporting sit at different tiers across this list, and on one tool the analytics are a higher-plan feature. Decide which chart you will actually look at each sprint.
Non-engineering teams
If the same workspace has to hold campaigns or client work, test that first: an engineering-first tracker feels forced for it, and people quietly move back to spreadsheets.
Common questions
Which sprint planning tools have a free plan?
Linear, ClickUp, Asana and Trello have a free plan, with limits on usage, users or features.
How much does sprint planning software cost?
The entry paid plans as each vendor lists them, checked against its pricing page: Trello Standard at $6 per user a month, ClickUp Unlimited at $10 per user a month, Linear Basic at $10 per user a month and Asana Starter at $13.49 per user a month. Some vendors quote the annual-billing rate, and seat minimums, higher tiers and add-ons all change the real cost, so price the plan you actually need.
Do we need a dedicated sprint tool if we already use GitHub?
GitHub covers issues, boards and automation next to the code, and for a small team that can be enough. Dedicated trackers add cycle planning, triage queues and reporting; the trade is another system to keep in sync with the repository.
Can one workspace serve engineering and the rest of the company?
It can, if the tool is configurable enough to hold both without forcing engineers through fields they do not need. ClickUp and Asana are built for that; Linear deliberately is not, which is exactly why engineering teams like it.