Miro vs Jira: Which Tool Is Better for Agile Teams?

Agile methods are enabling today’s fast-moving business world to work more flexibly, productively, and in a customer-centric way. Approaches such as Scrum, Kanban, and sprint management are part of many organizations’ core workflows. At this point, equipping teams with the right tools is critical to success.

So, is Miro or Jira more suitable for Agile teams? Both platforms offer strong features, but their purposes, advantages, and impact on team productivity differ. In this article, we will examine how Miro contributes to Agile teams in collaboration, visualization, and strategic planning, while also highlighting the valuable services Omtera offers as a Miro Solutions Partner.

The Importance of Tool Selection in Agile Processes

Agile teams do more than manage task lists; they generate ideas, continuously improve workflows, focus on user needs, and drive productivity through iterative processes. Therefore, digital tools should provide more comprehensive support than traditional project management solutions.

The 5 key factors in Agile processes are:

1. Collaboration

Agile requires constant communication among team members.

• Jira mainly provides collaboration through task assignment and sprint tracking.
• Miro stands out with real-time collaboration: with sticky notes, mind maps, and a canvas structure, ideas can be collected in a single platform.

Example: In a sprint retrospective meeting, team members can write their feedback anonymously on a Miro board and then prioritize them.

2. Visualization

The success of an Agile process depends on presenting complex information in a simple visual way.

• Jira highlights task lists and charts.
• Miro offers a wide range of visual tools such as user story mapping, Kanban boards, customer journey maps, and diagrams.

Example: A product development team can visualize the customer journey in Miro and directly link it to tasks in Jira to clearly show which user needs are being addressed.

3. Integration

No Agile tool can succeed on its own—it must integrate with other systems.

• Jira is strong within the Atlassian ecosystem (Confluence, Bitbucket).
• Miro connects across ecosystems with Jira, Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, and more.

This allows teams to link Jira backlog tasks directly into Miro boards, combining collaboration and task tracking in a single flow.

4. Flexibility

Agility is built on adapting quickly to change, so tools must also be flexible.

• Jira is very powerful for software development workflows but can seem complex to other departments.
• Miro provides a sector-independent flexible structure, useful not only for software teams but also marketing and operations.

Example: A marketing team can visualize its campaign plan in Miro, then transfer only the execution tasks into Jira.

5. User Experience (UX)

The adoption of Agile tools is closely tied to user experience.

• Jira is easier for technical teams to learn, but may feel complicated for non-technical departments.
• Miro’s drag-and-drop interface makes it simple for everyone.

This makes Miro the preferred choice, especially for hybrid teams (technical + non-technical members).

In short: Jira is strong in task management, but Miro is unmatched in brainstorming, workshop facilitation, strategic mapping, and visualization—the collaborative and creative aspects of Agile.

Miro: A Versatile Collaboration Hub for Agile Teams

Visualized Agile Processes

Miro simplifies Agile practices with its ready-made templates, including:

• Sprint Planning Board
• Retrospective Board
• Kanban Board
• User Story Mapping

Thanks to these templates, teams don’t just track workflows—they visualize and co-manage them collectively.

Miro’s ready-made templates allow teams to quickly run sprint planning, retrospectives, and user story mapping. For more examples, check out this article: Miro Templates for Productivity.

Real-Time Collaboration

Miro allows dozens of people to work on a single board at the same time. With sticky notes, mind maps, and diagramming tools, teams can:

• Generate ideas
• Prioritize tasks
• Map user journeys

Integration Power

Miro integrates seamlessly with Jira. That means while task management continues in Jira, brainstorming and planning happen in Miro. Teams essentially unite “two separate worlds” in a single workflow.

Jira: Strong in Task Management, Limited in Collaboration

Jira is one of the leading tools in ticket-based task management. For software development teams, it offers sprint tracking, backlog management, and burndown charts. However, since Jira’s primary focus is task tracking:

• Brainstorming sessions
• Workshop processes
• Visual planning

are not as flexible as in Miro. On its own, Jira may fall short in the collaborative and creative aspects of Agile.

Miro vs Jira

To fully understand the differences between Miro and Jira, it’s helpful to compare them by criteria:

In terms of main focus, Miro shines in visualization, collaboration, and idea generation, while Jira specializes in task tracking and software development workflows. For Agile applications, Miro supports visual practices like sprint planning, retrospectives, and user story mapping, whereas Jira excels in backlog management and sprint task tracking.

Ease of use is another major difference. Miro’s simple and flexible interface is accessible to users at all levels, while Jira’s technical setup comes with a steep learning curve.

When it comes to collaboration, Miro offers real-time, visual, and creative interaction. Jira, on the other hand, approaches collaboration mainly through task-based communication.

Looking at integrations, Miro connects with Jira, Slack, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Teams, offering a broad ecosystem. Jira is strongest within its Atlassian family (Confluence, Bitbucket, etc.).

Finally, considering the user base, Miro appeals to project managers, marketing teams, and businesses across industries, while Jira is primarily favored by software development and IT teams.

Omtera and Miro: A Strategic Partner for Agile Teams

As a Miro Solutions Partner, Omtera provides not just Miro setup, but also strategic consulting. This makes a critical difference for Agile teams.

Omtera’s Contributions

• In-house training: Learn how to apply Agile methods directly in Miro.
• Custom template development: Tailored boards for your team’s unique needs.
• Strategic integration support: Connect Miro seamlessly with Jira, Slack, or Google Workspace.
• Expert consulting: Beyond technical setup, Omtera supports process management and cultural transformation.

Thanks to Omtera, Miro evolves from being just a tool into a platform that transforms the way your team works.

Suggested Scenarios for Agile Teams

• Project Managers: Visualize roadmaps in Miro and transfer them into Jira.
• Marketing Specialists: Build campaign plans in Miro boards, assign tasks in Jira.
• C-Level Executives: Design company OKRs in Miro, track them in Jira.
• Team Leaders: Make retrospective workshops more interactive with Miro.

These scenarios prove that while Miro and Jira can complement each other, Miro leads in collaboration and creativity-focused processes.

Ready to strengthen your Agile processes and take your teams into the future? Book a Miro consulting session with Omtera today!

FAQs

Which is better, Miro or Jira?
It depends on your need. Jira is stronger for task tracking, while Miro is better for collaboration and visualization.

Does Miro integrate with Jira?
Yes. Tasks in Jira can be linked directly to Miro boards, enabling parallel use.

Why should Agile teams prefer Miro?
Because Miro supports the creative, brainstorming, and collaborative aspects of Agile workflows.