jira_clone vs react-admin
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A simplified Jira-style issue tracker built with React and Node, meant as a code example.
Open source · MIT
A TypeScript/React framework for building admin dashboards on top of REST or GraphQL APIs.
The short answer
Choose jira_clone if you need…
- React developers who want to study a real-world, non-trivial codebase
- Developers learning how a React client pairs with a TypeORM and PostgreSQL API
- Developers who want a starting point to fork and extend a Jira-like app
- Students looking at project structure, custom UI components, and end-to-end testing with Cypress
Choose react-admin if you need…
- Developers building internal admin panels or back-office tools on top of an existing API
- Teams already using React who want standard CRUD screens without writing everything from scratch
- Projects that want TypeScript support but can also be written in plain JavaScript
- Developers who want to plug in a data provider for a specific backend
Side-by-side
| jira_clone | react-admin | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | Framework |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 11.1k | 27k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Clone and build from source | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 2 years ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
jira_clone
This is a simplified clone of Jira, the project and issue tracking tool, built with a React front end and a Node/TypeScript API backed by PostgreSQL. The author describes it as a showcase project rather than a product, intended to show how a modern React codebase can be organized. It includes a live demo and uses Cypress for end-to-end tests.
react-admin
React-admin is a frontend framework for building single-page admin applications that run in the browser. It connects to existing REST or GraphQL APIs and provides ready-made components for lists, edit forms, authentication, and similar pieces. It uses Material Design by default, and its components can be replaced when you need something different.
Best for
jira_clone
- React developers who want to study a real-world, non-trivial codebase
- Developers learning how a React client pairs with a TypeORM and PostgreSQL API
- Developers who want a starting point to fork and extend a Jira-like app
- Students looking at project structure, custom UI components, and end-to-end testing with Cypress
react-admin
- Developers building internal admin panels or back-office tools on top of an existing API
- Teams already using React who want standard CRUD screens without writing everything from scratch
- Projects that want TypeScript support but can also be written in plain JavaScript
- Developers who want to plug in a data provider for a specific backend
Strengths
jira_clone
- The README describes a clear, relatively small structure intended for learning
- Uses modern React with functional components and hooks and a custom webpack setup
- Released under the MIT license, so forking and reuse are permitted
react-admin
- Backend agnostic: the README lists more than 45 data provider adapters for REST and GraphQL
- Built from loosely coupled components and hooks, so parts can be replaced individually
- Comes with official examples, documentation, a tutorial, and an active community on Discord and StackOverflow
Not ideal for
jira_clone
- People who need a production-ready Jira replacement, since the README lists missing migrations, proper authentication, accessibility, and unit tests
- Anyone who wants to submit changes upstream, since the author states they will not accept pull requests
- Beginners with no Node, PostgreSQL, or React experience, since setup involves a database and environment file configuration
react-admin
- Non-developers looking for a finished admin tool they can use without coding, since it is a framework that must be built into an app
- Projects that do not use React, because the framework is built on React
- Public-facing consumer websites, since it is designed for admin-style interfaces
Trade-offs
jira_clone
- The README states it lacks migrations, real authentication, full accessibility support, and unit or integration tests
- The author says they will not accept pull requests, so improvements stay in forks
- Auth is effectively automatic for any visitor to the API, which the README itself flags as a placeholder
react-admin
- Requires working knowledge of React and a build setup; not suited to people who only want a configuration-based tool
- Default look is Material Design, so a different visual style takes extra customization work, as the README notes
Getting started
jira_clone
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/oldboyxx/jira_clone.gitInstall dependencies
npm run install-dependenciesreact-admin
Install react-admin from npm
npm install react-adminFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between jira_clone and react-admin?
jira_clone: A simplified Jira-style issue tracker built with React and Node, meant as a code example. react-admin: A TypeScript/React framework for building admin dashboards on top of REST or GraphQL APIs. jira_clone suits react developers who want to study a real-world, non-trivial codebase, while react-admin suits developers building internal admin panels or back-office tools on top of an existing api.
Are jira_clone and react-admin free?
jira_clone: Free and open source. react-admin: Free and open source.
Is jira_clone or react-admin more popular?
react-admin has more GitHub stars (27k) than jira_clone (11.1k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to jira_clone and react-admin?
Other options people compare them with include WeKan, refine, ngx-admin, Ant Design Pro, Gatsby.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.