What is Azure Boards?
Azure Boards is a cloud-based project management tool from Microsoft Azure that supports agile development methodologies like Scrum, Kanban, and hybrid workflows. The service enables teams to organize work in work items, maintain backlogs, and plan sprints. Azure Boards is part of Azure DevOps and integrates seamlessly with Azure Repos, Pipelines, and Test Plans.
Core Features
- Kanban boards with customizable columns and swimlanes
- Sprint planning with velocity tracking and burndown charts
- Hierarchical work items: Epics, Features, User Stories, Tasks
- Queries and dashboards for reporting and transparency
- Integration with GitHub, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and IDE plugins
Typical Use Cases
Software development teams use Azure Boards for sprint planning and backlog prioritization. Project managers create roadmaps with Epics and Features. DevOps teams link work items to pull requests and deployments for end-to-end traceability.
Benefits
- Free usage for small teams up to 5 people
- Native integration into the Azure DevOps ecosystem
- Customizable processes and fields for individual workflows
- Scalable from single projects to enterprise portfolios
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Azure Boards and Jira?
Azure Boards is natively integrated into Azure DevOps with seamless linking to Repos, Pipelines, and Test Plans. Jira is a standalone tool with a broader plugin ecosystem. For pure Azure environments, Boards is often the simpler choice.
Can I use Azure Boards with GitHub?
Yes, Azure Boards supports native GitHub integration. Work items can be linked to GitHub Issues, commits, and pull requests to establish traceability between planning and code.
How much does Azure Boards cost?
Up to 5 users can use Azure Boards for free. Beyond that, the Azure DevOps Basic pricing model applies at approximately 6 USD per user per month. Stakeholders have free read access.
Which agile methodologies does Azure Boards support?
Azure Boards supports Scrum, Kanban, and hybrid workflows. There are predefined process templates (Basic, Agile, Scrum, CMMI) that can be customized or extended.
Integration with innFactory
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, innFactory supports you with Azure Boards: process design, team onboarding, DevOps integration, and best practices for agile development.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Azure Boards and Jira?
Azure Boards is natively integrated into Azure DevOps with seamless linking to Repos, Pipelines, and Test Plans. Jira is a standalone tool with a broader plugin ecosystem. For pure Azure environments, Boards is often the simpler choice.
Can I use Azure Boards with GitHub?
Yes, Azure Boards supports native GitHub integration. Work items can be linked to GitHub Issues, commits, and pull requests to establish traceability between planning and code.
How much does Azure Boards cost?
Up to 5 users can use Azure Boards for free. Beyond that, the Azure DevOps Basic pricing model applies at approximately 6 USD per user per month. Stakeholders have free read access.
Which agile methodologies does Azure Boards support?
Azure Boards supports Scrum, Kanban, and hybrid workflows. There are predefined process templates (Basic, Agile, Scrum, CMMI) that can be customized or extended.
