Shortcut
ZenHub
| Feature | Shortcut | ZenHub |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $8.5/mo | From $8.33/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | software-teams, startups, engineering-managers, product-teams | development-teams, github-users, agile-teams, open-source-projects |
| Founded | 2016 | 2014 |
| Stories | ✓ | ✗ |
| Epics | ✓ | ✓ |
| Iterations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Milestones | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Integrations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Kanban Boards | ✗ | ✓ |
| Roadmaps | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sprint Planning | ✗ | ✓ |
| Burndown Charts | ✗ | ✓ |
| Github Integration | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Shortcut Pros
- Intuitive UI for engineering teams
- Great API and integrations
- Flexible iteration planning
- Excellent GitHub integration
✗ Shortcut Cons
- Limited reporting on free plan
- No time tracking built-in
- Smaller ecosystem than Jira
✓ ZenHub Pros
- Lives inside GitHub
- No context switching
- Good sprint planning
- Roadmap feature
✗ ZenHub Cons
- GitHub only
- Limited outside development
- Expensive for large teams
The Verdict
Shortcut is built for software teams and startups, with a focus on stories and epics. ZenHub targets development teams and github users and leads with kanban-boards and epics.
Both tools come in at similar price points ($8.5/mo for Shortcut, $8.33/mo for ZenHub), so pricing won't make the decision for you.
Shortcut has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. ZenHub requires a paid subscription from day one.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.