The Shortcut alternative with Jira-grade governance, JQL and 2D dashboards
Shortcut's agility, plus transition rules, cascading fields and flow analytics for when the team grows.
Executive summary
TL;DRp95 speed
< 50 ms
vs Shortcut: Agile, software-focused
Yearly cost · 100 users
$16,800
vs Shortcut: Per-seat price on their pricing page
Migration time
15 min
From Shortcut: assisted migration (Enterprise)
MCP tools
78 native
vs Shortcut: Official MCP
< 50 msIn-depth comparison
Ciclal next to Shortcut, category by category
| Category | Ciclal | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Speed and UX | CiclalUnder 50 ms per interaction, ⌘K for everything, 2,000 cards per column without lag | ShortcutIncludedAgile and software-focused |
| Governance and workflows | Ciclal4-level hierarchy, transition rules with a modal screen and cascading fields | ShortcutPartialCustom workflows: up to 5 on Team, unlimited on Business |
| JQL / KQL queries | CiclalNative KQL and JQL-compatible: saved filters import as they are | ShortcutPartialSearch with operators, not JQL |
| Analytics and time reports | CiclalCycle time, lead time p50/p85, CFD, Gantt and worklogs included | ShortcutPartialReports on paid plans; advanced reports on Business |
| AI agents / MCP | CiclalMCP server with 78 tools, OAuth 2.1 and no per-token fee | ShortcutPartialOfficial MCP |
| Total cost without a marketplace | Ciclal$14/user/mo on Business, with guests, time tracking and MCP included | ShortcutPartialPer-seat price on their pricing page |
1-Click migration
From Shortcut to Ciclal in 15 minutes, with a dry run before any write
The preflight reads your instance and shows the full diff. You import only when it reports zero differences.
- 1ConnectJira or Linear token, read-only
- 2Dry runPreflight diff, nothing written
- 3ImportIdempotent: safe to resume
- 4CutoverZero-gap cutover with key redirects
Frequently asked questions
Through the Enterprise assisted migration: stories, epics, iterations and comments, with a dry run first.
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