Trello and Jira, ready to switch on
A card in the Trello list you nominate becomes a Jira issue of the type you choose, a transition in Jira moves the card to the matching list, and comments travel both ways with their author. You paste two keys in your account and it runs, in about ten minutes.
No setup fee, cancel any month, and a person on live chat if a key doesn't work.
More with these apps: all Trello integrations · all Jira integrations
Trello already has a Jira Power-Up.
It does. Atlassian's Jira + Trello Power-Up shows Jira work items on a board and offers a two-way sync, and Trello's help describes several ways to add Jira items to boards. If that covers you, use it. This pair is for the rules it leaves to you: a card becomes an issue only when it reaches one list, labels set priorities, and the mapping between lists and transitions is written once by a person and then watched. Nothing is installed on the board.
What moves, and when
The details you would normally get after a sales call. Here they are up front.
| What | Direction | When | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card becomes an issue | Trello to Jira | When it enters the list you name | In the project and issue type you choose, with the description and due date, and the card link on the issue |
| Transitions move the card | Jira to Trello | Within seconds | In progress, In review and Done each map to a Trello list you pick, in your own words |
| Comments both ways | Both ways | Within seconds | With the author's name; Jira internal comments can stay internal if you say so |
| Labels set priority | Trello to Jira | With the card | A Trello label you nominate sets the Jira priority, so Urgent means something to engineering |
| Loop guard | Both ways | Every change | Our own writes are never sent back, so the board and the project never argue |
How to set up Trello and Jira
Ten minutes of your time, then it's ours.
- Choose Trello and JiraPress Connect. This pair is already selected on the checkout page at $39 a month, and there's nothing else to pick.
- Pay and open your accountCard or invoice, about two minutes. The account opens with this integration waiting for its two keys.
- Paste the Trello API key and token and the Jira Cloud API token
- Trello API key and token: open trello.com/power-ups/admin and press New. Give the Power-Up a name, pick your workspace and create it. Full Trello guide
- Jira Cloud API token: open id.atlassian.com/manage-profile/security/api-tokens and press Create API token. Full Jira guide
Each screen carries the full guide with the exact menu names, about seven minutes for both. - We check both keysEach key is checked against Trello's and Jira's own API the moment you paste it. If one doesn't pass, the screen says what to fix, and a person joins the chat if that isn't enough.
- Create one test card, then it's RunningA minute or two. Create a card in Trello, watch its twin appear in Jira, then close one and watch the other close.
When Trello or Jira changes its API, we fix it within a working day. You don't get a ticket to solve.
- Everything in the table above, with monitoring on.
- Fixes when either app changes its API.
- A person on live chat, replies within a working hour.
- Custom logic beyond the table is priced separately.
No setup fee, cancel any month
Ways to connect Trello and Jira
Three ways people connect these two, and what each one asks of you. The built-in app is described above.
Before you decide
Which one is the source of truth?
Neither, and that is why the loop guard matters. Each team works where it prefers, and the twin follows. If you would rather one side be read-only, say so and we set it that way.
Do subtasks and checklists come across?
The top level does, with title, dates and assignee. Subtasks and checklists differ so much between these two that we treat them as a custom job rather than pretending they map cleanly.
Does every card become an issue?
No. Only cards that enter the list you nominate, usually Ready for dev. Ideas and drafts stay on the board and never reach Jira.
What happens to a card that leaves the list?
Nothing in Jira. The issue keeps its own life and the card keeps its link, and moving the card back into the list later doesn't open a second issue.
Does Jira include Trello?
No. They're separate Atlassian products with separate accounts and APIs, which is why this pair needs two keys: a Trello key and token from a Power-Up you create, and a Jira Cloud API token from id.atlassian.com. Atlassian's own Jira + Trello Power-Up is the built-in bridge (see above); this pair is the rule-based one, with nothing installed on the board.
Why use Trello instead of Jira?
Often you don't have to choose. Teams that plan in Trello and build in Jira keep both, and that's who this pair is for: a card that reaches the list you nominate becomes a Jira issue, a Jira transition moves the card to the matching list, and comments travel both ways with their author. Everything else on the board stays on the board.
Anything to know about Trello?
The token belongs to the member who created it, so cards appear as created by that person, and the connection stops if they leave the workspace.
Anything to know about Jira?
This is for Jira Cloud. Server and Data Center use a different API and aren't covered here.
What if mine is a bit different?
Tell us what should go where in plain words. Small changes to the rules above are usually free; bigger ones we price the same day and build into the same account.
