Starting price$6/user/moAzure DevOps Basic; first 5 users free
Free trial / planFree plan (first 5 users)
Vettlo score83/100
G2 user rating4.4/5140 reviews
Azure Boards Review (2026): Pricing, Pros and Cons
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Short answer
Azure Boards ranks #5 of 7 in our issue tracking tools ranking (83/100). Best for Microsoft and Azure DevOps shops. Paid plans start at $6/user/mo (Azure DevOps Basic; first 5 users free).
What is Azure Boards?
Azure Boards is the work-tracking part of Azure DevOps Services, with backlogs, sprint planning, Kanban and scrum boards, and dashboards. The Basic plan is $6 per user a month with the first 5 users free, and it includes Azure Pipelines (1,800 free minutes a month on one Microsoft-hosted job) and Repos.
Who it's best for
Teams building on Microsoft's stack, or companies that want boards, repos and pipelines from one vendor.
Why we rank it
It combines backlogs, sprints and dashboards with repos and pipelines for $6 a user, and the first 5 users are free.
Pros and cons
Strengths
- First 5 users free
- Backlogs, sprints and dashboards included
- Links GitHub commits and pull requests to work items
Watch-outs
- Interface is heavier than Linear or GitHub
- Basic + Test Plans is $52 per user a month
Skip it if: You don't use Microsoft tools and want a tracker that stands on its own.
Azure Boards pricing
Paid plans start at $6/user/mo (Azure DevOps Basic; first 5 users free). Free plan or trial: Free plan (first 5 users).
From Azure Boards's pricing page, checked on the date at the top of this review. See how it compares on price in our issue tracking tools pricing overview.
How we scored Azure Boards
Issue tracking score: 83/100
Issue tracking & workflows (25%)4.5/5
Agile planning (20%)4/5
Dev integrations & automation (15%)4.5/5
Reporting (10%)4/5
Ease of use (15%)3/5
Price & value (15%)4.5/5
Each criterion is rated 0 to 5 and weighted for the category. See our methodology.
How Azure Boards compares
| # | Tool | Best for | Starting price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jira | Best overall for scaling engineering teams | $9.70/user/mo | 87/100 |
| 2 | Linear | Fast-moving product teams | $10/user/mo | 86/100 |
| 3 | YouTrack | Best value, with every feature on every plan | $4.50/user/mo | 85/100 |
| 4 | GitHub Issues | Teams whose code is already on GitHub | $4/user/mo | 84/100 |
| 5 | Azure Boards | Microsoft and Azure DevOps shops | $6/user/mo | 83/100 |
| 6 | Shortcut | Small teams moving off a free plan | $8.50/user/mo | 81/100 |
Alternatives and comparisons
Azure Boards FAQ
How much does Azure Boards cost?
Paid plans start at $6/user/mo (Azure DevOps Basic; first 5 users free). Free plan or trial: Free plan (first 5 users).
Is Azure Boards worth it?
Azure Boards scores 83/100 in our issue tracking tools ranking, where it is best for Microsoft and Azure DevOps shops. It's a weaker fit if: you don't use Microsoft tools and want a tracker that stands on its own.
Does Azure Boards have a free plan or trial?
Free plan (first 5 users).
What are the best Azure Boards alternatives?
In our issue tracking tools ranking, the closest alternatives are Jira, Linear and YouTrack.