Atlassian Tools
Jira apps vs plugins vs. add-ons: The difference explained, without the tech jargon
Nov 10, 2025
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min read
What is the difference between Jira apps vs. plugins? In short, all three terms describe ways to extend Jira’s capabilities. The wording changed as Atlassian moved from server/data center to cloud, and “Jira app” is now the official term used across the Atlassian Marketplace and admin UI. Old plugins ran inside Jira itself, while modern apps for Jira and Confluence connect through frameworks like Connect and Forge.
Plugins, add-ons, apps: How Jira’s evolution became confusing for everyone
Atlassian has evolved its terminology over the years - Jira plugins → Jira add-ons → Jira apps - and those changes still echo through docs, threads, and older admin menus.
It may sound trivial until you try searching for a “Jira plugin” on cloud or follow an old “Jira add-on” tutorial on YouTube that references menus that no longer exist.
Let’s also admit: project management tools can promise time savings and deliver… more tabs to manage. Jira’s power is real, but so is the risk of over-configuring yourself into a maze. Between cloning workarounds, conflicting rules, and duplicate labels, spring planning can feel like becoming your team’s part-time detective.
That’s where tools such as Narva's help agile teams at Harvard University, Deloitte, Paramount, and Lucid be… well, agile.
What each term actually means in Jira
What are Jira plugins? (Legacy naming)
In the early days of Jira, teams extended their instances through plugins, small pieces of code installed directly into Jira’s backend. They ran inside the application’s runtime, which gave developers deep control but came with strings attached:
➔ When Jira updated, plugins had to update too
➔ When one failed, it could crash the whole instance
Plugins were powerful but fragile, which is why Atlassian eventually moved toward safer, modular frameworks.
What are Jira add-ons? (Transitional naming)
As Jira adoption grew and the Atlassian Marketplace launched in 2012, “plugin” felt too technical. Atlassian introduced the softer term “Jira add-on” to describe the same idea: extend Jira with downloadable modules. That’s what Jira add-ons are, explained.
Functionally, these were still plugins under the hood, but the naming shift helped make Jira’s model accessible to non-developers. This was also when Atlassian began enforcing better versioning and compatibility rules for Marketplace vendors, laying the groundwork for the Cloud era that came next.
What are Jira apps? (Modern standard)
In 2017, Atlassian officially rebranded all Marketplace “add-ons” to “apps”, aligning with how users already thought about mobile and SaaS ecosystems. But this also reflected a technical evolution.
With Jira Cloud, apps no longer live inside your Jira instance. Instead, they securely connect through Atlassian’s Connect and Forge frameworks.
What’s the real difference between Jira apps and plugins?
The difference between the Jira app and plugin? Functionally, they all extend Jira. The meaningful distinction is where code lives and how it integrates:
➔ Jira plugins (then): executed inside Jira (server/data center)
➔ Jira apps (now): integrate with APIs/frameworks; Jira cloud apps run outside Jira with Atlassian-managed hosting and isolation
In 2025, 2026, and beyond, call them “apps”. You’ll match Atlassian’s current language and avoid support confusion.
How to find and install Jira apps the smart way
The safest and most efficient way to find Jira apps is through the official Atlassian Marketplace. You can filter apps by categories or focus on the ones with security badges like Cloud Fortified. These badges confirm that an app has passed additional security, reliability, and performance checks by Atlassian. On the Marketplace page, you can also find the best-selling Jira apps (plugins).
When you’ve found a candidate, you can open it directly in your Jira:
Go to Settings → Apps → Find new apps. From there, you can install the app. If you’re testing multiple apps, it’s best practice to install them in a staging instance first. Atlassian recommends piloting new apps before production rollout.
Before you install anything, benchmark what Jira already does natively. Reviewing it helps teams decide when an app truly adds new capability versus simply duplicating what’s already included in their plan.
How to choose Jira apps that actually work for your team
Choose like an experienced admin:
➔ Security and compliance: Prefer Atlassian vendor with Cloud Fortified, SOC 2, GDPR posture, and transparent documentation.
➔ Support and longevity: Use the Jira Marketplace hub to compare reviews or release cadence; it’s the fastest way to separate battle-tested apps from abandonware.
Explore Our Atlassian Apps
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Quick answers to Jira apps vs. plugins questions teams often ask
Is there a real difference between an app, an add-on, and a plugin?
Not in purpose, because they all extend Jira. The terms reflect Atlassian’s language evolution. The current term is “Jira app”.
Are cloud apps weaker than old plugins?
No. With Forge, Atlassian hosts execution with built-in environments, authorization, and isolation — designed to meet enterprise expectations while reducing operational risk.
Where do I find trustworthy Jira apps?
Start at Atlassian Marketplace, filter by your specific needs, then pilot the app before rollout.
Stop managing Jira, start managing work
If your team’s day-to-day feels slower than it should — issues missing fields, labels multiplying unchecked, reports that never quite match reality, or Confluence pages that take more effort to format than to write — it’s probably not the people. It’s the setup.
Narva builds apps that fix the small problems that quietly cost you entire afternoons. Apps that make Jira and Confluence feel easier to use.
Whether it’s structuring issues so nothing slips through, keeping metadata tidy for accurate reporting, or making documentation look the way your team wants — Narva apps exist to give you that missing sense of flow.
So before you spend another sprint cleaning data or rewriting tickets, test what a properly optimized Atlassian workspace feels like.
Nar is the founder of Narva Software and a former software developer with real-world experience using Atlassian tools. After facing the limitations of Jira and Confluence himself, he set out to build simple, effective apps that make teamwork easier. Today, his focus is on creating practical solutions that help teams work faster and smarter — and are trusted by companies around the world.
