Atlassian Tools
Issue Templates Pro vs. Jira default issue templates: A full head-to-head comparison
Oct 8, 2025
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min read
The main difference between Jira’s default issue templates and Narva’s Jira issue template app is that Jira only offers basic workarounds like cloning and automation rules, while Issue Templates Pro provides reusable, cross-project templates with dynamic fields, automation support, and centralized governance.
Why compare defaults vs. Jira Issue Templates Pro at all? (Because chaos turns sprints into marathons)
We love Jira, no question about it.
But when it comes to their Jira’s default issue templates, its native tools feel like duct tape solutions. You can clone issues, prefill a field or two, or piece together automation. But the minute you scale beyond the basics, chaos sneaks in: issues with missing fields, stories formatted like ransom notes, and dashboards that give you anxiety.
And this is the main reason why Narva Software built Issue Templates Pro for Jira.
As an Atlassian Gold Marketplace Partner, SOC 2-certified, and GDPR-compliant company, we’ve spent years turning Jira headaches into reliable workflows. With about 3,000 installs and an overall rating of 3.3/4, the app has learned the trust of Harvard University, Deloitte, Paramount, Lucid, Rakuten Viber, and many more.
And our users don’t hold back:
“We love this app because of its ease of use… project admins can create their own templates, and Jira amins are not expected to do this for project teams.” — Sam Nadarajan
“My project admins were actually able to configure their own templates which means one less thing they’ll be submitting a support ticket for.” — Kelly Nezwek
So, how do Jira’s default issue templates compare to Narva’s Issue Templates Pro?
Templates are Jira’s secret weapon, if done right
Three things keep coming up when we ask users about their Jira needs: consistency, accuracy, and speed. Templates mean every issue has the same structure, every story has the same building blocks, and every dashboard pulls data that actually reflects reality.
Without templates, you’re rolling the dice on quality every time a member of your team hits “Create”.
What Jira default issue templates can do, and where they can cause problems
Out of the box, Jira doesn’t include reusable issue templates. What teams usually rely on are makeshift fixes like cloning, field defaults, or automation.
Cloning issues: quick, but easy to miss details
Field defaults/contexts: useful for descriptions, but won’t carry you through more complex workflows
Jira Automation: lets you auto-populate fields, but requires careful rule design and still leans on model issues that drift over time
These methods are fine for a single project or a few projects. But as soon as multiple teams are involved, you end up with ten different “standards”, which is to say, none at all.
Why Issue Templates Pro makes Jira finally feel complete
Jira Issue Templates Pro gives Jira the template feature most teams assume should be native.
You can create multiple templates per issue type, add dynamic placeholders, and make them selectable directly on the create screen. Updates happen once, everywhere — instead of chasing down which project admin has the “latest” version.
The best part is that project admins can configure their own templates. Jira admins stop drowning in requests, and teams stop wasting hours trying to reinvent the same issue description in slightly different words.
For organizations juggling multiple projects, or anyone whose reports need to survive a review without excuses, this isn’t a nice-to-have.
Jira’s default issue templates compared to Jira Issue Templates Pro
Category | “Default” Jira options | Issue Templates Pro |
Ease of setup | Available immediately — just clone issues or add field defaults. Simple, but each project usually sets things up differently. | Install once and create templates through an intuitive UI. Templates appear right on the “Create issue” screen. |
Customization | Limited to description defaults or automation text. Anything more advanced requires multiple rules and manual upkeep. | Flexible templates with placeholders, variables, and multiple versions per issue type to match different workflows. |
Reusability | Works only within the project where you built it. Reusing across projects means copying and maintaining duplicates. | Centralized library of templates that can be applied across all projects, updated once and synced everywhere. |
Automation fit | Can be linked to automation, but often requires complex “smart value” rules and careful maintenance. | Built to integrate smoothly with automation, with dynamic fields like project name or current date applied automatically. |
Consistency and governance | Every project admin maintains their own “model issues” or rules, which easily drift over time. | One shared source of truth for templates. Global standards are easy to enforce and keep aligned. |
Cost | Included in Jira at no extra cost (automation limits may depend on your plan). | Paid Marketplace app with a free trial to test before committing. |
Best fit | Small teams with straightforward workflows who can live with a bit of inconsistency. | Larger or multi-team organizations, or any group that needs reliable, standardized issue creation at scale. |
Start Creating Issues the Right Way
Get centralized, dynamic templates that update once and work everywhere.
Real-life Jira workflows: Defaults vs. Issue Templates Pro in the trenches
Bug triage in a product organization
With Jira’s default issue templates, teams clone a model bug and hope nothing gets overlooked. With Issue Templates Pro, selecting “Bug → Payments” applies a ready-made structure with steps, expected/actual results, and a timeline variable.
Cross-platform user stories
With defaults, teams maintain three separate model stories for Web, iOS, and Android. By sprint three, they’ve already drifted apart. With Issue Templates Pro, three templates live under “Story”, updated once and used everywhere.
Enterprise governance
With Jira’s default issue templates, PMOs audit every project only to discover ten flavors of “standard”. With Narva’s tool, one template library keeps everyone aligned and on track.
How to decide: Jira default issue templates or Issue Templates Pro?
Here’s some quick advice:
One small team, simple workflow → start with Jira defaults and build from there
Multiple teams, enterprise reporting and compliance → Issue Templates Pro is a safer bet
If the budget’s ultra-tight → start with defaults, but be ready to switch once the hidden costs of inconsistency appear
Jira templates: Fix the mess now or keep paying for it every sprint
Jira’s native workarounds might get you through the early days. But as soon as multiple teams and projects collide, the inconsistencies multiply and projects start stalling.
Jira Issue Templates Pro is made to stop that spiral.
It gives Jira the reusable templates Atlassian never built — cross-project, dynamic, and admin-friendly. It’s why enterprise teams trust it to enforce standards, and why smaller teams rely on it to finally kill the “just clone the issue” workaround.
Teams can continue patching Jira with clones or rules, or fix the root cause with templates built to scale — freeing their teams to focus on delivery by installing the Jira issue template plugin teams actually stick with.
Start your free trial of Issue Templates Pro today. Set up a template in minutes, and by tomorrow’s stand-up, you’ll already see the difference.
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.
