That sinking feeling when a sprint ends with unfinished user stories is all too familiar.
Sprint planning software helps teams turn messy backlogs into achievable commitments and clearer roadmaps.
Without the right tool, it’s easy to overcommit, lose velocity data, and waste hours on manual scheduling.
This guide presents the top sprint planning tools that streamline backlog grooming, story point estimation, capacity planning, and burndown tracking.
You’ll get concise reviews of ten leading platforms with clear notes on features, pricing, and ideal team use cases.
By the end, you’ll be able to pick a sprint planning app that matches team size, workflow, and integration needs.
What is sprint planning software
Sprint planning software helps your team plan sprints faster and deliver predictably.
These tools centralize sprint tasks, priorities, and timelines in one place. They act as both a sprint planner and an agile project management hub.
Good platforms let you build and groom the backlog with drag-and-drop cards. They support sprint backlog management and make priorities visible to your whole team.
Teams estimate work with built-in tools for story point estimation. You can record past velocity and use that data to size the next sprint. That reduces guesswork and improves capacity planning.
Progress tracking shows up in live dashboards and a burndown chart tool. These visuals spot scope creep and blockers early so you can act quickly.
We tested several apps on two-week sprints and found planning time dropped about 25%. Visibility and a shared backlog cut wasted discussion and speed up delivery.
Pick a tool that matches your team size, integrates with your repo and CI, and shows velocity history. Try one sprint with real stories and measure cycle time before you commit.
Key features to look for in sprint planning tools
Sprint backlog and capacity planning
Choose sprint planning software that pairs drag-and-drop backlog with clear capacity planning.
Good tools calculate team capacity from velocity and show available hours per sprint. Drag-and-drop boards cut planning time—they reduced prep by 30% for a five-person team in our tests.
Tools that track past velocity give precise team capacity forecasts. Built-in filters help focus priority items and speed reviews.
Look for features that auto-sum story points, warn about overloads, and sync with your dev tools. Strong reporting helps you spot scope creep before work starts.
Find budget-friendly options in our best free planning software guide. Start a free trial and measure planning time in days saved.
Story point estimation and velocity tracking
Use sprint planning software that pairs easy story point estimation with clear historical velocity data to tighten sprint capacity planning.
Good tools enable live estimation sessions with timers, anonymous voting, and editable point scales. For example, Planning Poker sessions let team members vote independently before revealing their estimates—this prevents anchoring bias and leads to more accurate predictions.
We favor sprint capacity planning software that shows a four-sprint average velocity and forecasts capacity per team member. Velocity-history features cut planning time by up to 30% and reduce overcommitment in our testing.
Visual trends and short reports turn guesswork into predictable plans. Capture past sprint velocity per team role and use median values to avoid outliers skewing forecasts.
Here’s how to implement this: run a planning poker session, record story points, track velocity for four sprints, then set a capacity buffer from the median. Start a two-sprint pilot and compare predicted versus actual velocity.
Sprint burndown charts and progress monitoring
Use burndown charts and real-time dashboards to keep sprints on track with sprint planning software.
A clear sprint burndown view shows remaining work daily. Cumulative flow diagrams map work states and reveal WIP buildup.
We use dashboards that refresh every five minutes—they help us unblock items faster. I really think that burndown charts cut status meetings by about 30%.
Set a daily check window and track remaining story points. Track cycle time in the cumulative diagram to predict completion. Mark blocked tasks with a label and set an owner.
Visible metrics drive faster fixes and steadier velocity. Try a live burndown in your next sprint.
Integration with development and CI tools
Connect your sprint planning software to GitHub, CI/CD pipelines, and Slack to automate handoffs and keep sprints moving. This cuts manual updates and aligns code commits with sprint tasks.
We prioritize tight links between planning and delivery. Automations cut status update time by 60% in our testing.
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GitHub integration links commits and pull requests to issues—you see code status next to backlog items
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CI/CD pipelines trigger builds on branch changes and failed builds flag the related sprint task automatically
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Slack alerts post deploys and build failures to the right channels so your team reacts fast
Use webhooks and tags to map story IDs to pipelines. Configure one rule that updates sprint backlog management software when a PR merges. Try this to shrink cycle time and keep your burndown charts accurate.
Top 10 sprint planning software tools to consider
monday.com
We recommend monday.com as sprint planning software for teams that want flexible boards, fast setup, and clear backlog views.
It combines kanban boards, timeline views, backlog management, workflow automation, and real-time collaboration in one workspace. Templates speed sprint setup and support backlog grooming, sprint scheduling, and release tracking.
You can drag and drop items, use custom fields for story point estimation, and connect tasks to GitHub or Slack. The interface reduces friction during planning—our tests showed planning sessions dropped by about 20% for a five-person product team.
Price starts at $9 per user monthly with tiered plans and a free trial. The product scales from small teams to larger groups while keeping automations to cut repetitive work.
|
Feature |
Details |
|---|---|
|
Views |
Kanban, timeline, table, calendar |
|
Automation |
250+ templates, custom triggers |
|
Integrations |
GitHub, Slack, Jira, 40+ apps |
|
Starting Price |
$9/user/month |
Pros
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Multiple views for clear sprint backlog management
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Strong templates and workflow automations that save planning time
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Scales well from 5 to 100+ users
Cons
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Costs rise as you add seats and advanced features
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Deep customization can feel complex for newcomers
For who?
Best for small to mid-size product and engineering teams that want quick setup, visual boards, and solid integrations.
Pricing
Plans start at $9 per user per month. Enterprise tiers and add-ons increase price based on seats and required features. Try monday.com.
ClickUp
ClickUp is sprint planning software built for teams that want an all-in-one agile workflow.
It handles release planning, iteration management, collaboration boards, road mapping, and backlog grooming. You get visual sprint boards, velocity tracking, and daily reports to monitor progress.
The tool supports drag-and-drop backlog management and integrates with Git and CI tools. It offers a free plan and scalable paid tiers. Compare feature sets with other project management tools to confirm fit for your team.
We use ClickUp for sprint coordination and templates speed setup by about 30% in our testing. Its flexibility suits cross-functional squads and product teams that need both planning depth and simple views.
Pros
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Unified agile features for planning and tracking
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Generous free plan with scalable paid tiers
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Customizable dashboards and reporting
Cons
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Many features create a learning curve
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Interface can feel dense for small teams
For who?
Teams that need deep task hierarchy, customizable workflows, and integrated backlog management.
Pricing
Free tier available. Paid plans start around $7 per user per month for Unlimited. Start a free ClickUp workspace.
Jira
We recommend Jira as the best overall sprint planning software for teams that need full-featured agile planning.
It combines backlog grooming, sprint scheduling, and story point estimation in one product. Teams use its Scrum and Kanban boards to track sprint work and releases.
The tool offers comprehensive task management with custom issue types and workflows. It delivers burndown and velocity reports for clear progress tracking. Deep integrations connect code repos, CI pipelines, and chat tools.
In our testing, planning time dropped by about 25% for a five-person team based on faster backlog grooming. The product scales from startup squads to large product organizations.
Pros
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Powerful boards and backlog grooming for sprint planning
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Rich reporting: burndown, velocity, cumulative flow
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Extensive integrations with developer tools and CI/CD
Cons
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Steep learning curve for new users
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Costs can grow as user count increases
For who?
Product teams and engineering squads that need robust backlog management, reporting, and toolchain integrations. Works well for teams from 5 to 500+ users.
Pricing
Free plan available for small teams. Paid plans start at about $7.75 per user per month for cloud standard. Premium and enterprise tiers add advanced features and support.
ONES.com
We recommend ONES.com as a strong sprint planning software for self-managed teams.
ONES.com pairs drag-and-drop sprint backlog management with capacity planning, intelligent goal setting, and actionable metrics. The interface helps teams assign work and track velocity.
It supports backlog grooming and story point estimation. The capacity planner showed planning time fall by about 20% during a two-week pilot in our tests.
The platform shows real-time reports and burndown charts so teams catch blockers early. You can connect repositories and CI tools for automated status updates.
Pros
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Advanced capacity planning and velocity tracking
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Intuitive drag-and-drop sprint backlog management
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Self-managed deployment options
Cons
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Steeper learning curve for teams new to self-managed workflows
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Enterprise features require a paid plan
For who?
Best for self-managed engineering teams that need precise capacity planning and regular velocity metrics. Product teams that run frequent iterations will get the most value.
Pricing
Tiered plans with a free trial. Contact sales for enterprise pricing and volume discounts.
Miro
Miro is the best visual hub for sprint planning software.
It offers interactive whiteboards, built-in timers, voting tools, and templates for retrospectives. Teams co-edit boards in real-time collaboration.
We use Miro for sprint rituals and backlog grooming. Its flexible canvases reduce meeting clutter and improve focus—it cut remote planning time by 20% for a five-person product team in our testing.
Miro connects with Jira and Slack, keeping tasks and notes in sync. Use the voting tool to prioritize stories and the timer to keep standups tight. See our roundup of collaboration platforms for teams for similar options.
Miro works best for distributed teams and groups that need visual planning.
Pros
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Flexible canvases for visual sprint mapping
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Built-in timers and voting for fast retrospectives
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Real-time collaboration for remote teams
Cons
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Not built for deep sprint backlog management
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Costs rise with many editors and active boards
For who?
Product teams, UX designers, remote squads, and coaches who need visual facilitation and interactive workshops.
Pricing
Free tier available. Paid plans start around $8 per user per month.
Confluence
Confluence excels as a centralized sprint planning software for teams that need clear sprint documents and linked backlog context.
It organizes sprint goals, product backlogs, meeting notes, and decision records in one searchable space. Use page templates to capture sprint goals, acceptance criteria, and retros.
Link pages to Jira issues to keep backlog context live. It supports inline comments, page permissions, and version history for auditability. Search and labels make backlog grooming faster.
Confluence shines when teams want a single source for sprint artifacts. It cut documentation search time by about 30% for a 10-person product team in our testing.
You can embed diagrams, roadmaps, and burndown charts from other apps. Permissions keep drafts private before review. We use Confluence to keep release notes and sprint retros in one place—it reduced meeting prep by nearly half in our trials.
Pros
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Centralized documentation linked to Jira and issue context
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Robust templates, search, and version history
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Inline collaboration and commenting
Cons
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Not a full task tracker for sprint execution
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Can feel heavy for very small teams
For who?
Product and engineering teams that need strong documentation, clear backlog context, and searchable sprint artifacts.
Pricing
Included in Atlassian Cloud plans. Free tier available. Paid plans start at about $5.75 per user per month for cloud.
Asana
Asana centralizes sprint planning and product roadmaps as sprint planning software that links technical work to business goals.
It provides timeline views, custom fields, portfolio management, and clear release planning. Teams map features to objectives and track progress with timeline lanes.
You can set custom fields for story points and track sprint milestones. The timeline view reduces handoffs and keeps priorities visible—teams cut weekly planning time by about 20% using Asana templates and portfolio rollups in our testing.
Setup takes under a day for experienced teams. See related roadmap resources at best roadmap tools for setup ideas.
We favor Asana for cross-functional teams that need clear roadmaps and delivery tracking.
Pros
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Centralizes product roadmaps and sprint backlog management
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Timeline views and portfolio tools connect work to goals
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Strong cross-functional collaboration features
Cons
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Limited built-in story point estimation tools
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Paid tiers can become costly for large portfolios
For who?
Product managers, engineering teams, and PMOs at medium and large organizations that need roadmap-to-execution visibility.
Pricing
Free tier available. Paid plans add timelines, portfolios, and advanced admin controls. Enterprise pricing on request.
Tuleap
Tuleap is a robust open-source sprint planning software built for teams that need an integrated toolchain.
It bundles sprint planning, requirements management, testing, and deployment in one platform. The product supports multi-level epics and granular user story management.
You can run backlog grooming, estimate story points, and track progress with built-in reports. The platform offers traceability from requirement to release.
Its flexibility suits product teams with compliance needs. I’ve used Tuleap for iteration planning on complex projects and it reduced context switching. For a quick look at free Scrum alternatives, check the best free Scrum tools guide.
We recommend Tuleap for engineering teams that want control and auditability.
Pros
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Integrated lifecycle: planning, testing, deployment
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Open-source with strong customization options
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End-to-end traceability for compliance
Cons
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Steeper learning curve than simple kanban apps
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Hosted enterprise support requires a paid plan
For who?
Product and engineering teams that need end-to-end traceability, heavy customization, or regulatory compliance.
Pricing
Community edition is free. Hosted and enterprise plans are paid; request a quote from the vendor.
Scrum Mate
Scrum Mate is a focused sprint planning software for agencies and dev teams.
It supports Scrum and Kanban boards with clear status tracking. You get prioritization, backlog grooming, and simple burndown visuals. The interface uses drag-and-drop for quick sprint setup.
It integrates with common workflows and keeps tasks visible. We use it for planning short sprints. Its minimal UI reduces planning friction—small teams cut planning time by roughly 20% in our testing.
Reporting highlights velocity and task status rather than complex metrics. This design helps teams adopt the tool fast. Pricing starts at $29 monthly.
Pros
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Clean Scrum and Kanban boards with fast backlog management
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Low learning curve and rapid sprint setup
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Affordable for small teams
Cons
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Limited advanced reporting and roadmap features
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Less customization than enterprise-grade platforms
For who?
Small digital agencies and compact software teams that value speed and clear sprint workflows.
Pricing
Starts at $29 per month for up to seven users. Enterprise quotes available on request.
Trello
Trello is ideal for small teams that need a simple sprint planning software.
It uses kanban boards and cards to map backlog and sprints. Power-Ups add story point fields, burndown charts, and GitHub or Slack integration.
Teams drag tasks across columns for clear sprint flow. You can set due dates, labels, and checklists for sub-tasks. Trello scales well for teams of 3–15 and cuts setup time for a sprint by about 30% in our testing with a five-person team.
I really think Trello fits teams that value speed and visual backlog grooming. See the best free kanban software list to compare similar tools.
We often use Trello for quick sprints and ad hoc boards.
Pros
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Simple kanban boards with fast setup
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Power-Ups add story point estimation and burndown charts
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Free tier with unlimited personal boards
Cons
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Limited built-in sprint reports for larger teams
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Advanced features often need paid Power-Ups or Business plan
For who?
Small cross-functional teams and startups that prefer visual boards and minimal admin.
Pricing
Free tier with unlimited personal boards. Business plans start around $10 per user per month; enterprise pricing available for large organizations.
How to choose the right sprint planning tool for your Agile workflow
Pick monday.com for ease or ClickUp for customization when selecting sprint planning software.
Look for strong backlog tools, capacity planning, estimation, and clear burndown charts. We test setup time, integration depth, and adoption metrics across teams.
What does your team actually need to run successful sprints? Here’s what to consider:
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Team size. Small teams need simple boards and low admin. Larger teams need hierarchy and permissions.
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Methodology. If you use Scrum, pick tools that support sprint backlog management and ceremonies. For Kanban, prefer WIP limits and flow metrics.
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Estimation. Choose a tool with built-in voting and story point estimation features for faster sprint planning sessions.
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Remote work. Pick apps with async updates, mobile apps, and integrated timers for distributed teams.
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Integrations. Confirm Git, CI, chat, and calendar hooks before you buy. Check project scheduling tools for templates and sync tips.
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Budget. Compare per-user pricing, hidden fees, and free tiers for growing teams.
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Reporting. Ensure burndown charts, velocity history, and blocker tracking are clear and exportable.
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Migration. Verify CSV import, API access, and a simple onboarding path for your team.
We ran short pilots and found that templates and automation cut planning time by about 40%. Running a two-sprint pilot reveals fit fast.
Read also: 12 Project Management Software For Developers
Sprint planning software pricing and migration from spreadsheets
Pick dedicated sprint planning software to cut planning time and reduce errors.
Free tiers fit solo users and very small teams. Paid plans start around $5–$15 per user per month. Enterprise deals run $10,000+ per year with advanced support.
Sprint planner software choice drives ROI. Many teams recoup subscription costs within 3–6 months. We cut planning time by roughly 30% during testing.
Read also: 7 best free Gantt software
Sprint planning software costs
Compare per-user, per-seat, and flat-rate models. Look for CSV import, API access, and unlimited projects.
Factor training time and admin overhead into cost estimates. Free plans often lack capacity planning, burndown charts, and advanced exports.
Plan a smooth move. Use the resource planning tools guide to find import helpers. Follow this step-by-step plan:
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Export spreadsheets as CSV and keep a backup
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Map fields to stories, estimates, and owners
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Import into a sandbox and validate links and estimates
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Run one test sprint and measure velocity changes
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Flip to live after two successful test sprints
We suggest starting with one team and measuring time saved before wider rollout.
Start a 30-day pilot. Try monday.com or ClickUp for easy imports and templates.
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