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9.0

SpotScore

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Backlog - Project Management Software

Backlog Review: Is It The Right Project Management Software For Your Team?

Best for SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Free Trial & Free Plan Available

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Starts from $29.16 / Month when Billed Yearly, also offers free forever plan

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Spotsaas Analysis for Backlog

Backlog is a project management tool favored by product managers and software developers in small to medium businesses, particularly those with 50-500 employees. A 4.3/5 rating from 164 reviews indicates it is broadly validated, with users appreciating its effectiveness and ease of use.

Backlog's user-friendly interface allows teams to adopt it quickly with minimal training, making it ideal for martech teams and SaaS product development. Its efficient task management capabilities enhance workflow and productivity by allowing easy assignment, tracking, and prioritization of tasks. However, a limitation is its basic reports and analytics, which lack the extensive customization found in some other tools.

Quick facts about Backlog

Rating4.3/5 (164 reviews) | SpotScore: 9/10Best forSmall to medium businessesPricingFree trial, quote-based post-trialDeploymentBrowser Based, Mobile, InstalledTop strengthUser-friendly interface and simplicityWatch-outBasic reports and analytics limitations

What is Backlog?

Backlog is a project management software that helps teams work better together. By combining the power and simplicity of Scrum, Backlog lets you focus on what's important - your work, not your processes. All while leveraging existing business tools used everyday, like Bitbucket Server, Google Hangouts and Slack.

Pricing

  • Starts from $29.16 / Month when Billed Yearly

  • Free Trial available

Best For

Suited for solo users, small teams, SMBs, and enterprise

Security & Compliance

GDPR
  • SSO & MFA supported

  • Data residency:🇺🇸

Platform

  • Web + mobile app (iOS & Android)

  • Installed - Windows

  • Installed - Mac

Backlog Software Demo

Backlog was reviewed internally using user feedback, in-house testing, and market research to assess its performance, reliability, and user experience. Learn how we review products and our evaluation process.

Who should consider Backlog

Use cases
Martech teams, SaaS product development, Consulting firms
Team types
Product Managers, Project Managers
Company size
50-500 employees, Small to medium businesses
Workflow style
Simple and streamlined
Setup complexity
Medium

Why teams choose Backlog

  • User-friendly interface with minimal training required

  • Efficient task management including assignment and prioritization

  • Flexible customization with custom fields, templates, and API integrations

Is Backlog right for you?

Best for small to mid-sized teams needing simple, Scrum-based project management.

Choose Backlog if

  • You want an intuitive interface requiring minimal training for quick team adoption.
  • Your team values integration with tools like Bitbucket Server, Slack, and Google Hangouts.
  • You need efficient task assignment, prioritization, and flexible customization options.

Consider alternatives if

  • Your projects require advanced multi-level task dependencies and complex workflows.
  • You need detailed, customizable reporting and extensive time tracking capabilities.

What buyers should know before shortlisting Backlog

Backlog is an intuitive project management tool designed for small to mid-sized teams. Key strengths include straightforward navigation, a clean interface, and core features for task management, bug tracking, and team collaboration.

Gantt charts and Kanban boards support project organization, while API integration enables workflow automation. The notification system delivers real-time updates, and customizable project templates reduce setup time.

Before shortlisting, verify three specific limitations in a demo. First, task hierarchy (parent/child relationships) and task dependencies are basic compared to enterprise tools—confirm these meet your workflow needs.

Second, reporting capabilities are limited; if you need custom dashboards or advanced analytics, test the reporting thoroughly. Third, file size restrictions may constrain teams storing large attachments; check the actual limits against your typical file volumes.

Backlog's pricing is competitive for small teams, but clarify whether your planned user count and storage needs fall within the standard tier or require upgrades. The tool prioritizes ease of use over feature depth, making it a strong fit for teams that value simplicity and quick adoption over extensive customization.

If your team requires advanced task dependencies, complex reporting, or high-volume file storage, evaluate whether those gaps are acceptable trade-offs for the simpler interface.

Pros and cons

Backlog pros and cons

  • Backlog pros
  • User-friendly interface with minimal training required

  • Efficient task management including assignment and prioritization

  • Flexible customization with custom fields, templates, and API integrations

  • Backlog cons
  • Limited advanced features like multi-level parent-child task relationships

  • Basic reporting and analytics lacking deep customization

4.3/5 rating
256 verified reviews
Free trial available

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Backlog reviews and ratings

Buyer sentiment

Overall positive sentiment highlights ease of use and effective task management, tempered by concerns over limited advanced features and reporting capabilities.

What buyers like

  • Ease of use
  • Task management efficiency
  • Customization options

Common complaints

  • Limited advanced functionality
  • Basic reporting features

4.3

Very Good

Based on 164 ratings & 256 reviews

Are you using Backlog?

Rating Distribution

Excellent

(168)

Very Good

(82)

Good

(6)

Poor

(0)

Terrible

(0)

What users are saying

YS

Yash S

01/01/24

4.5 out of 5

"ME and my team are having a wonderful experience on Backlog"

What do you like best about Backlog? User friendly, Cx support and customisable features. What do you dislike about Backlog? If theres could be a plan ...

Read more

TN

Trung N

12/21/23

5 out of 5

"I have 2 experience for manage task on backlog."

What do you like best about Backlog? - It's help me become easier to manage and assign task for member. - It's help me can provide information and ...

Read more

AU

Anonymous User

12/19/23

3.5 out of 5

"Easy to use."

What do you like best about Backlog? Gant chart, filtering by category, milestone, status, assignee. Sorting according to updated date. What do you ...

Read more

AM

Ashraf M

12/17/23

3.5 out of 5

"Would like you guys to add more features to the system. Seems like the product is stuck in the past."

What do you like best about Backlog? Simplicity of the software and use cases. What do you dislike about Backlog? Lack of features. Add more detais ...

Read more

AR

Adithya R

12/14/23

5 out of 5

"It's fast, helps connect, collaborate, plan, track and release. We love it!"

What do you like best about Backlog? Speed and accessibility, notifications and interoperability What do you dislike about Backlog? There is actually ...

Read more

AU

Anonymous User

12/14/23

4 out of 5

"One of the best Scrum tool"

What do you like best about Backlog? Simple and easy tool for managing tickets What do you dislike about Backlog? Reports generation is not as ...

Read more

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What are the features of Backlog?

63%

Feature coverage

34 of 54 tracked features

An app or software sends out alerts, which are actionable and content-rich push notifications. These alerts can be for various reasons, incl…

A backlog is an accumulation of tasks that must be done. In accounting and finance, the phrase "backlog" has a variety of meanings. It could…

The bug-assignment problem is commonly stated as a method of evaluating developers according to their ability to fix a specific bug. Previou…

People can collaborate more easily with the help of collaboration tools. The goal of a collaboration tool is to help a group of two or more…

During software testing, bug tracking is the process of logging and monitoring defects or errors. It's also known as issue tracking or defec…

Before being presented to a human user, an information filtering system removes redundant or undesired information from an data stream using…

A Gantt chart is a method used to show how tasks move over time. A Gantt chart is a helpful tool for indicating what work is scheduled to be…

IT project management is the process of planning, scheduling, executing, tracking, and reporting on IT projects (ITPM). Despite the fact tha…

The Idea Management feature allows teams to capture, organize, and prioritize ideas from various stakeholders. It solves the challenge of un…

Issue Management allows teams to identify, document, and resolve issues as they arise during project execution. This feature addresses the c…

It's a way of keeping track of open issues that, depending on their nature, must be resolved within the next task, before the next milestone…

The Kanban Board feature visualizes workflow through a board that displays tasks in different stages of completion. This addresses the issue…

Milestone Tracking allows teams to set important checkpoints throughout a project's lifecycle. This feature addresses the challenge of monit…

Percent-Complete Tracking lets users assess how much of a task or project has been completed at any given time. This feature addresses the n…

The technique of determining how much progress has been achieved toward the conclusion of an ongoing project is known as progress tracking.…

Project Planning provides tools for outlining project objectives, deliverables, timelines, and resources needed for successful execution. Th…

Project Templates speed up the project initiation process by offering pre-defined structures you can customize for your needs. This feature…

Recurring task management entails ensuring that the project manager correctly manages recurring tasks (those that occur on a regular basis)…

The management, planning, scheduling, and control of a full software build through every stage and environment involved, including testing a…

Reporting is the process of organizing data into informational summaries in order to track how various components of a business are performi…

A report is a type of writing that is organized around identifying and examining issues, events, or results that have occurred in the physic…

A requirement is a need or expectation from a stakeholder that a product, service, or solution must satisfy to be useful. Requirements are o…

Resource Management assists in allocating team members and materials efficiently across various projects. This feature solves the problem of…

Role Management is a key feature that allows users to control and manage individual roles and their permissions within a software or applica…

Status Tracking provides real-time updates on individual task progress and overall project health. This feature closes communication gaps by…

The systematic process of gathering and classifying data so that it can be located and shown on demand is known as information storage and r…

When you send someone a task request in an email message, you assign them tasks. You hand it on to one of your team members (unless the assi…

Task Management provides complete tools for creating, assigning, and tracking tasks within projects. This feature helps overcome challenges…

Task Scheduling is a software feature that allows users to organize and manage various tasks in an efficient and structured manner. It is an…

The method involves identifying, monitoring, and progressing the work that has to be done during the day is known as task tracking or task m…

Ticket management is a means of dealing with issues and requests. Tickets are simple data entities used to track everything that needs to be…

The time tracking feature is primarily used by businesses that bill customers based on the time it takes to resolve a problem. Staff can qui…

The Timeline View feature provides a visual representation of project milestones and deadlines, letting teams see the chronological order of…

Workflow is a collection of tasks that work together to process a batch of data. A workflow encompasses everything from creating assets to i…

Security & Compliance

Backlog security and data handling

Key compliance certifications and security features for IT and security teams evaluating Backlog.

Certifications

GDPR✓ Certified
HIPAA✗ Not certified

Security features

Single Sign-On (SSO)✓ Yes
Multi-Factor Authentication✓ Yes
Data Encryption✓ Yes
Audit Logs✓ Yes

Developer & data

Data residency
🇺🇸

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Why buyers keep looking beyond Backlog

  • Users may seek alternatives to Backlog if they require more advanced project management features, such as resource allocation or budgeting tools, which may not be adequately supported in Backlog's current offerings.

  • Teams working in industries with specific compliance or regulatory needs might look for solutions that provide tailored features or integrations that align better with their unique workflows and requirements.

  • Companies that prioritize integration with other software applications may consider alternatives if Backlog's compatibility with essential tools and platforms is limited, hindering their overall productivity.

  • Organizations with larger teams or complex project structures might find that Backlog's user interface or functionality does not scale effectively, prompting them to explore more robust options that can accommodate their growth.

Backlog Customers

Adobe-logo

Adobe

Omron-logo

Omron

Softbank robotics-logo

Softbank robotics

TransferWise-logo

TransferWise

Vanilla air-logo

Vanilla air

Reesink-logo

Reesink

Choice Business Connections-logo

Choice Business Connections

Droisys-logo

Droisys

3d Estate-logo

3d Estate

SmartCoach-logo

SmartCoach

Help & Contact

Backlog Support Options

Customer Service24/7 (Live rep)Online
LocationFukuoka, Japan

Connect with Backlog

Frequently Asked Questions About Backlog

Common questions buyers ask before choosing Backlog.

Backlog is a Project Management Software. Backlog offers Timeline View, Project Templates, Idea Management, Kanban Board, Recurring Task Management and many more functionalities.

Backlog is a strong fit if: You want an intuitive interface requiring minimal training for quick team adoption.; Your team values integration with tools like Bitbucket Server, Slack, and Google Hangouts.. Consider alternatives if: Your projects require advanced multi-level task dependencies and complex workflows.; You need detailed, customizable reporting and extensive time tracking capabilities..

Buyers commonly note the following limitations of Backlog: Limited advanced features like multi-level parent-child task relationships; Basic reporting and analytics lacking deep customization; File attachment size limits and cumbersome file management.

Some top alternatives to Backlog includes Quickbase , Smartsheet, ClickUp, Jira and Project Insight.

Backlog offers Free Trial, Freemium, Subscription, Quotation Based pricing models

We don't have information regarding integrations of the Backlog as of now.

The starting price of Backlog is $29.16/Month when Billed Yearly

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About the reviewer

Rajat Gupta is the founder of Spotsaas. Over the past two years, he has reviewed 2,000+ tools across CRM, HR, AI, and finance — applying hands-on product research and a background in commerce and the CFA program to evaluate software through a business and ROI lens. His goal: help teams make software decisions they won't regret.

Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].