There’s no shortage of rituals in software teams. Sprint planning, standups, retros, strategy docs. But even with all of that, most teams still struggle with the same thing: too much work, not enough people, and no clear way to fix it.
Some people are drowning in tickets while others are barely assigned anything. Burnout creeps in, priorities get muddled, and nobody’s sure if the plan is realistic.
That’s where capacity planning is supposed to help. But it’s easier said than done, especially for cross-functional or distributed teams who manage their tasks with Jira. Between estimating, tracking availability, and managing priorities, it’s hard to get a clear picture of what your team can actually take on.
In this post, we’re digging into the best tools for the job, from simple visual planners to Jira plugins so you can find the one that helps your team plan smarter, balance workloads, and deliver without burning out.
What Is Capacity Planning (And Why It’s So Hard to Get Right)?
At its core, capacity planning is about matching the work you want to do with the people you actually have to do it. It sounds simple, but in practice, it’s one of the hardest things for product and engineering teams to do.
Here’s why:
- Most planning happens at the project or epic level, while execution happens at the task and individual level.
- People aren’t interchangeable — they have different skills, context, and availability.
- Priorities shift fast, and estimates are often rough at best.
- Time gets eaten up by meetings, context switching, and unplanned work.
The result? Teams overcommit. Sprints start with good intentions but end with rollover work. And even if you hit your velocity, someone on the team is still pulling late nights while others are idle.
Good capacity planning helps you avoid that. It gives you a clear view of what each person or team can realistically handle, helps you make better tradeoffs, and gives you confidence in your plans whether you’re shipping in two-week sprints or mapping out a quarterly roadmap.
What to Look For in a Capacity Planning Tool
Not every team needs the same tools, but after digging through community forums, user reviews, and firsthand feedback from PMs and engineering leads, some patterns stand out.
Here’s what teams actually care about when they’re choosing a capacity planning tool:
- Clear visibility into who’s doing what: You need to see how work is spread across the team not just at a high level, but down to the individual. Tools that give you a visual workload view (like hours, story points, or task count) help you avoid overloading your top performers while others are underutilized.
- Real-time data, not static plans: Things change fast. The best tools sync with your source of truth (like Jira) so you’re planning based on what’s actually happening not last week’s version of the sprint.
- Forecasting that helps you make tradeoffs: Can we take on this project next month? What happens if we lose a developer halfway through the quarter? Good tools help you model different scenarios so you can plan with confidence.
- Support for how your team works: Whether you use story points, hours, or t-shirt sizing, your capacity tool should speak your team's language. Bonus points if it supports Agile planning rituals like sprint allocation, backlog refinement, and estimation.
- Low-friction setup: If it takes a full-time admin to maintain the plan, it won’t stick. The best tools are easy to roll out, intuitive to use, and don’t require a 50-slide onboarding deck.
- Plays nice with the rest of your stack: Your planning tool should integrate with whatever your team already uses especially Jira, Confluence, or time-tracking tools. The fewer tabs you need to keep open, the better.
In short: the right tool should make planning feel less like a guessing game and more like a conversation grounded in data.
Top Standalone Capacity Planning Tools
These tools don’t require Jira or any specific project management stack. They’re used by agencies, product teams, consultancies, and operations teams alike. Their biggest advantage? Flexibility and visual planning.
1. Float
What it is: A sleek, drag-and-drop resource scheduling tool used by teams like BuzzFeed and MetaLab.
Why teams like it:
- Visual scheduling that’s intuitive and collaborative.
- Integration with tools like Slack, Google Calendar, and Asana.
- Useful reports on team utilization and capacity.
Best for: Design or product teams managing multiple concurrent projects with shifting timelines.
2. Resource Guru
What it is: A simple but powerful capacity planner focused on individual availability.
Why teams like it:
- Quick learning curve with minimal setup.
- Tracks availability by person and role.
- Includes leave management and booking.
Best for: Smaller teams or consultancies that need visibility into who’s doing what without getting bogged down in project complexity.
3. Runn
What it is: A forecasting tool that connects capacity planning to revenue projections and project delivery timelines.
Why teams like it:
- Real-time planning across multiple projects and teams.
- Integrates time tracking and actuals with forecasts.
- Great for “what-if” scenario planning.
Best for: Teams juggling client work or needing to tie capacity to financial outcomes.
4. Kantata (formerly Mavenlink)
What it is: A robust enterprise-grade tool combining resource management with financial planning.
Why teams like it:
- Deep forecasting and project accounting.
- Role-based planning and advanced filters.
- Works well for services teams.
Best for: Mid-to-large teams who care as much about cost and margin as they do about delivery timelines.
5. Smartsheet
What it is: A spreadsheet-meets-dashboard tool that supports Gantt charts, cards, calendars, and more.
Why teams like it:
- Tons of flexibility.
- Built-in templates for capacity planning.
- Familiar Excel-like feel.
Best for: Teams transitioning from manual spreadsheets but not ready to commit to a heavier platform.
Best Jira Plugins for Capacity Planning
1. Rally
For teams who want capacity and workload management baked directly into their Jira workflow.
What it is: A Jira-native plugin that makes it easy to plan sprints, estimate stories, and balance workloads — all in one place. The standout feature is Assign, which helps you distribute Jira issues across the team based on who actually has room to take them on.
Why teams choose it:
- Assigns tasks by capacity in hours or story points
- Visualizes workload across individuals so you can spot bottlenecks
- Uses Fibonacci estimation to align with Agile best practices
- Fully embedded in Jira — no tab-hopping or duplication
Best for:
- Engineering managers planning weekly or bi-weekly sprints
- Product owners who want to turn estimation sessions into actual plans
- Teams practicing Scrum or Kanban inside Jira
Limitations:
- Focused on short- to mid-term planning; not ideal for long-range portfolio forecasting
Pricing: Mid-market SaaS pricing; based on active users
2. TeamBoard TimePlanner
For Jira users who want a simple way to visualize timelines and team capacity.
What it is: A drag-and-drop scheduler inside Jira that shows what each person is working on and when. You can assign issues, track capacity, and adjust plans across sprints.
Why teams choose it:
- Easy to set up and learn
- View by day, week, or month
- Syncs with Jira issues and custom fields
Best for:
- Scrum teams looking for a lightweight capacity layer
- Project managers who want to avoid spreadsheets
Limitations:
- Lacks forecasting or scenario planning features
- No built-in support for estimation methods like story points
Pricing: Affordable for small teams
3. ActivityTimeline
For teams managing multiple roles, skills, or cross-functional squads in Jira.
What it is: A resource and capacity management plugin that helps you see availability, assign work, and track effort across people and teams.
Why teams choose it:
- Visual resource calendars by person, team, or skillset
- Tracks vacations, time off, and planned workload
- Integrates with Tempo Timesheets and other Jira add-ons
Best for:
- Team leads managing multiple squads or shared resources
- Organizations with specialized roles or matrix reporting
Limitations:
- UI can feel complex at first
- Not ideal for teams who just want simple sprint views
Pricing: Mid-market; scales with user count
4. Planner by Tempo
For teams already using the Tempo suite and looking to connect planning with actuals.
What it is: A scheduling tool inside Jira that works with Tempo Timesheets and Budgets to give you a full view of team capacity and planned work.
Why teams choose it:
- Centralizes planning across multiple projects
- Real-time view of resource availability
- Works seamlessly with Tempo Timesheets (actuals) and Budgets
Best for:
- Finance-conscious teams who want to track planned vs. actual effort
- Teams doing detailed time tracking alongside planning
Limitations:
- Works best with other Tempo tools; may not justify on its own
- UI can feel dated compared to modern tools
Pricing: Moderate; bundling with other Tempo products adds value
5. BigPicture
For orgs doing long-range, multi-team planning inside Jira.
What it is: A robust portfolio planning plugin with Gantt charts, program boards, risk management, and capacity tracking across teams.
Why teams choose it:
- Built-in support for SAFe, LeSS, and other scaling frameworks
- Supports dependencies, milestones, and risk assessments
- Lets you plan across quarters and teams
Best for:
- Program managers or PMOs running multiple concurrent initiatives
- Teams doing quarterly planning or release coordination
Limitations:
- Steeper learning curve
- Overkill for smaller teams or single-team planning
Pricing: Enterprise tier; priced per user
6. Structure by Tempo
For teams that need custom hierarchies, roll-ups, and a structured view of complex Jira work.
What it is: A highly customizable plugin that lets you build layered views (initiative → epic → story) and track capacity across all levels.
Why teams choose it:
- Custom issue hierarchies and roll-ups
- Aggregates capacity, estimation, and progress metrics
- Integrates with Portfolio for Jira, Tempo, and others
Best for:
- Engineering orgs with layered initiatives and shared teams
- Ops teams managing strategic programs inside Jira
Limitations:
- Not designed for rapid sprint planning
- More about visibility than task-level planning
Pricing: Enterprise; scales with complexity
Conclusion
Capacity planning isn’t just about seeing who has time. It’s about protecting your team’s focus, making better tradeoffs, and delivering on what you commit to.
The right tool helps you do that. It gives you a clear picture of what’s possible, helps you plan work that fits your team’s actual capacity, and removes the guesswork that often creeps into sprint planning.
There are plenty of tools that do parts of this well. Any one of them could be a good fit.
But if your team already runs Agile sprints inside Jira, and you’re looking for a way to connect estimation, planning, and task assigning in one place, then consider Rally. It’s designed to work the you already work: collaboratively, visually, and with context.
If that sounds like the kind of planning your team needs, give Rally a try. It might just be the thing that makes your next sprint a little easier to plan and a lot smoother to run.