Agile software development methods enhance collaboration and improve efficiency. By prioritizing an iterative development process and making space for a continual feedback loop, Agile allows for more user-friendly, functional software developed far more quickly than traditional approaches.
Agile development teams require a comprehensive toolkit if they’re to work together effectively and stay in sync. This is especially true because more and more Agile development teams are becoming fully remote.
This article provides an introductory overview of some of the most important tools worth investing in for your Agile development team. The guide first provides a brief primer on the Agile methodology and what it entails, followed by a list of suggested tools for your development team.
The Agile approach to software development
Agile was established in 2001 as a step-wise means of software delivery. Instead of focusing on a single final product, Agile breaks the process down into an iterative development process. The focus is on delivering value at every stage of development, thereby encouraging teams to maintain momentum while still fostering innovation and creativity.
Agile projects are divided into small bits of user functionality, known as “user stories.” These are then prioritized and delivered in short cycles known as “iterations.” But what is a user story?
Essentially, any type of functionality qualifies. It could refer to a software user’s ability to search for friends, for example, or the software’s capacity to print user activity reports. User stories aren’t set in stone. They may appear in one software version and not a subsequent version. Development teams assess a user story’s utility depending on user response.
This highlights another important aspect of Agile software development—the need for continuous communication. The process is not only iterative but cyclical, encompassing a constant feedback cycle between users and developers.
This is reflected in two of the core tenets of the original Manifesto for Agile Software Development: “customer collaboration over contract negotiation” and “responding to change over following a plan.” The Agile model of software development thus truly meets the definition of the word agile: “having a quick, resourceful, and adaptable character.” Flexibility is key.
When successfully implemented, the Agile development model creates software that is more user-friendly. However, organizing an iterative development model that makes room for constant evolution is no easy feat, especially as development is becoming increasingly iterative.
The Agile umbrella encompasses many different methodologies, and different software teams refer to different methods to get the job done. That said, there are a few far-reaching tools that all Agile development teams will find useful. This guide provides an overview of 10 must-have tools, broken down into five categories:
- Tools for managing your Agile team
- Tools for planning and managing your Agile workflow
- Tools for source control and collaboration
- Tools for finding and fixing bugs
- Tools to continuously update code
You can browse by section or peruse the full guide, depending on your needs.
Tools for managing your Agile team
Software development teams are composed of many people, often distributed across distances and time zones. These tools help ensure that every individual is on the same page and streamline the management of distributed Agile teams.
1. Jira
Jira is an all-rounder that allows for comprehensive Agile management. It features customizable scrum (a “scrum” is a framework for managing team collaboration) boards, letting you visualize all the work being done in a sprint. A sprint is a short, time-limited period during which a scrum team aims to complete a predefined amount of work.
Jira lets you Use flexible Kanban boards to monitor efficiency, encouraging maximum output with minimal effort. It relies on Agile reporting that uses real-time sprint images, covering everything from velocity to burnout points. Jira also offers multiple developer tool integrations and over 1,000 add-ons. Finally, the mobile app ensures teams have access even when they’re on the go. Jira is easy to adapt to your project needs, but it does require a steep learning curve.
Pricing: You can opt for Jira Cloud or self-hosted. There’s a free basic cloud version. The standard cloud version is $10, and the premium cloud version is $14 per month (for teams of up to 10). The self-hosted version requires a one-time payment of $10 for up to 10 users but can be scaled up to 500-plus users (costs vary accordingly).
2. VivifyScrum
This web-based Agile project management tool is another all-in-one solution that allows teams to maintain oversight of many different projects at once. VivifyScrum features customized collaboration boards, a backlog scrum board, and an in-app time tracker that generates work logs for relevant tasks (and can even be used to generate productivity reports or invoices). Details can be added for individual tasks, including assignee, checklist, description, and interactive comment section.
VivifyScrum offers multiple external integrations with tools like GitHub, GitLab, and Slack. Overall, this tool is straightforward to use. It’s great for distributed teams and can be used for both smaller and larger organizations.
Pricing: VivifyScrum offers a basic plan for free. The premium plans start at $10 per month or $96 per year (for teams of up to 10 users).
Tools for planning and managing your Agile workflow
Managing an Agile team alone isn’t enough. You need processes in place to manage what each team member is doing. Again, this becomes even more important when your workforce is predominantly remote. These tools help with planning and managing an Agile workflow, ensuring everybody stays on task and up to speed.
3. Toggl
Toggle simplifies planning through a straightforward timeline. The comprehensive layout gives you a clear overview of a project from end to end. For a more high-level, long-term look, you can create monthly, quarterly, or annual views. You can flag milestones, assign tasks to team members, and create to-do lists. Another major benefit is the read-only timeline view. This keeps everyone in the loop but ensures that only project managers or leaders can modify the timeline.
Google is known for its simple, user-friendly interface. The color-coded project management elements are intuitive and can be broken down to manage backlogs, sprints, and more. Team members can add comments and files, allowing for simplified collaboration, as well.
Pricing: The Toggl basic plan is free for up to five users. If you want to go premium, you can upgrade for a price of $8 per user per month (annual plan) or $9 per user per month (if you pay on a month-by-month basis). There is no cap on how many users you can incorporate.
4. Monday.com
Monday.com is another fantastic option for workflow tracking and management and can be easily adapted to any business size. Select from different methodologies to track projects, such as charts, timelines, or Kanban-style “sticky notes.” It’s a visually driven tool that can allow for effective decision-making thanks to its customizable presentation. You can also track multiple project dashboards. Integrations include Slack, Google Drive, GitHub, Jira, and Trello, among others.
Monday.com also has functionalities for managing distinct user stories and individual sprints, which can be assigned to select team members as needed. Simplified team and project tracking make it easier to identify bottlenecks. Your team can quickly see what’s slowing down development and take action accordingly.
Pricing: The Monday.com basic plan costs $8 per user per month (a minimum of three users is required). A standard plan is $10 per user per month, while a pro plan is $16 per user per month. Enterprise plans are customizable.
Tools for source control and collaboration
Iterative development allows for increased efficiency. However, it can also make for confusion, especially when you have a multi-person software development team at work. These tools ease collaboration by emphasizing source control—the tracking and management of changes made to code. This ensures that developers are working on the most recent version of the code at all times and not repeating tasks or messing up each other’s progress.
5. Git
Git tracks changes in source code through a distributed version control system (DVCS). Instead of a single dominant central repository, it tracks changes in different virtual systems. This minimizes errors and makes it easier for dispersed developers to work on different paths and merge their codes later. It strives for efficiency and data integrity and works well for nonlinear workflows like Agile. It’s also well suited for distributed teams, allowing for simple branching and merging and frictionless context switching.
Git is fast to install and easy to learn. As one of the best-known development tools, it’s used by big-name companies, including Microsoft, Facebook, and Google, to name just a few.
Pricing: Git is an open-source product, so you can use it for free. All you have to do is host it. If you don’t want to host Git, you can use the GitHub service.
6. SVN
Apache Subversion, more commonly referred to as SVN, allows teams to maintain current and historical versions of development projects. It’s a centralized version control system (unlike Git, which is distributed). With centralized version control, the code history is kept on a central server. When a developer wants to make changes, they must pull files from that central server. They then send the changed files back to the central server.
SVN’s merge feature allows for a fast combination of codebases, protecting accuracy. Additionally, the read-only option allows files to be protected against unauthorized changes.
Pricing: Like Git, SVN is an open-source system. You don’t have to pay to use it!
Tools for finding and fixing bugs
Bugs happen. It’s inevitable in software development, even with the best teams in place. Being able to quickly find and track bugs is the key to fixing them fast. Here are two tools that help teams do just that.
7. Backlog
A backlog is a favorite tool for bug tracking. As the name suggests, it’s also perfect for backlog management needs. Its boards ensure visualizing information is a breeze, and it also enhances team collaboration, as this intuitive app easily integrates with communication tools like Slack.
Backlog also crunches numbers, providing burndown and, for standard and premium plans, Gantt reporting. A burndown chart collects project data and allows teams to see how much work is left versus how much time is left to do that work. A Gantt chart is a special type of bar chart that likewise illustrates a project schedule and progress.
Pricing: Backlog offers a free plan that accommodates up to 10 users and one project. Then, there is a starter plan ($35 per month for 30 users and five projects), a standard plan ($100 per month for unlimited users and 100 projects), and a premium plan ($175 per month for unlimited users and projects). Standard and premium plans include Gantt charts.
8. BugDigger
Identifying and fixing bugs is just one part of the job when it comes to improving software over iterations or versions. Comprehensive bug reporting helps to speed bug detection by identifying trends. BugDigger creates consistent reports at the push of a button and can be integrated with varied bug-tracking solutions. This browser add-on accommodates an unlimited number of users. It also comes with a screenshot annotation editor.
Pricing: BugDigger offers a team plan for 10 active users and 10 projects at $19 per month. There is also an agency plan ($49 per month for 25 users and 25 projects), a corporate plan ($99 per month for 100 users and 100 projects), and an infinity plan ($199 per month for 500 users and unlimited projects).
Tools to continuously update code
As mentioned, one of the defining characteristics of Agile software development is the fact that it’s adaptable. Development teams continually update iterations and software versions based on user feedback. Going in and updating code manually constantly is time-consuming. These tools ease the process.
9. Jenkins
Jenkins (previously known as “Hudson”) is a deployment software that allows teams to build, test, and deploy code. It allows teams to easily set up continuous integration (CI) or continuous delivery (CD) environments for a variety of coding languages and source code repositories. It also allows for the automation of routine development tasks.
Jenkins is known for its simplicity and ease of use, thanks to a straightforward web interface. It offers a diverse variety of extensions, many of them available for no added cost. As a self-contained Java-based program, it’s ready to run “out of the box” and works for Windows, Mac, and Unix-style operating systems. It works well for distributed teams using various technologies and allows for deployment across multiple platforms.
Pricing: Jenkins is an open-source tool, meaning you don’t have to pay to use it. There is also no maximum set number of users.
10. Bamboo
Bamboo is another tool used to streamline the so-called CI/CD pipeline by reducing technical complexity and automating deployment. It works by automatically detecting changes in code repositories like Git. With Bamboo, teams can create multi-stage build plans and assign agents to critical builds and deployments.
Bamboo can also be set to run automated tests. This makes it faster and easier to catch and fix bugs. Bamboo can be used on up to 100 remote builds. It makes concurrent testing more efficient, giving software development teams faster and more actionable feedback.
Pricing: Bamboo pricing is based on agents instead of users. Small teams can get a plan for $10 (up to 10 jobs, unlimited local agents, and no remote agents). To accommodate remote agents, opt for a “growing teams” pricing structure. For example, you can get unlimited jobs and unlimited local agents, plus 100 remote agents, for $25,300.
Add independent talent to your Agile team
Agile project management is very popular. Already, 75% of organizations recognize the value of the Agile methodology. You can keep up by hiring quality tech talent through Upwork. Not sure what to look for in remote developers? This guide gets you started. Once you’re ready, use Upwork to start searching through a global pool of independent development talent.
