Zero-knowledge
We do not hold the client keys needed to decrypt readable workspace content
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Quick verdict.
Choose SealTask when readable task content must stay unavailable to the service provider and your team needs a focused board rather than a configurable issue-tracking platform. Before any PHI use, SealTask must expressly agree in writing. Where HIPAA applies, SealTask and the customer must execute a HIPAA-compliant BAA before use. Choose Jira when advanced workflows, reporting, dependency planning, automation, marketplace apps, and Atlassian ecosystem integration matter more than zero-knowledge content encryption.
Feature comparison.
| Feature | SealTask | Jira |
|---|---|---|
| End-to-End Encryption | ||
| Zero-Knowledge Architecture | ||
| Self-Hosted Deployment Option | Existing Data Center customers only. New-customer sales ended March 30, 2026; Jira Software Data Center reaches end of life March 28, 2029. | |
| Provider Can Access Workspace Content | ||
| AI Features Can Process Workspace Content | ||
| Free Tier | ||
| GDPR Support | ||
| SOC 2 Certified | ||
| Open Source Crypto | ||
| Data Export | ||
| Team Collaboration | ||
| Kanban Boards | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Automation | ||
| Timeline / Gantt Views | ||
| Dashboards | ||
| Starting price | €0; Personal €5.90/mo; Team €4.90/seat/mo | Free up to 10 users; Standard monthly pricing varies progressively by user count and tier group |
AI processing means workspace content may be processed when AI features are enabled or used; it does not mean customer data is used for model training.
Want the private option?
Try SealTask in the hosted cloud, or talk to us about the licensed self-hosted Docker image for your own hardware.
Who should choose which?
Choose SealTask if...
- You handle sensitive client or internal project data
- You need strong encryption for regulated workflows
- You do not want server-side AI processing workspace content
- You prefer focused task management over a broad work OS
- You want the provider unable to read encrypted content
- You want a licensed self-hosted Docker option on your own hardware
Choose Jira if...
- You need configurable issue types, workflows, and permissions
- Backlogs, dependency planning, reports, and dashboards are essential
- Your team relies on Atlassian Marketplace apps and integrations
- Enterprise identity and governance controls outweigh zero-knowledge encryption
- You need a mature platform for software delivery or service workflows
Security architecture.
SealTask: zero-knowledge.
SealTask encrypts readable workspace content on your device with ChaCha20-Poly1305 before sync. The client unlocks keys with an OPAQUE export key plus HKDF, and optional one-time backup keys stay user-held. The service does not hold the keys needed to decrypt that content; account and operational metadata remain server-visible.
Result: A database breach or legal demand can expose ciphertext and server-visible account, billing, security, audit, service, and workspace metadata. SealTask cannot decrypt readable workspace content without the client-held keys.
Jira Cloud: enterprise controls without zero-knowledge encryption.
Atlassian documents TLS in transit, AES-256 full-disk encryption at rest, configurable permissions, and additional identity and network controls on qualifying Jira Cloud plans. These are conventional cloud controls: Atlassian still operates the service and can process workspace content for search, automation, AI, support, and administration.
Result: Jira also has a distinct self-managed history. The linked incident record covers selected exploited vulnerabilities in customer-operated Jira and Confluence Server and Data Center products; Atlassian Cloud is outside most of those advisories. Compare the deployment you actually plan to use.
Frequently asked questions.
Is Jira end-to-end encrypted?
No. Jira publishes encryption at rest and in transit, but not SealTask-style client-side end-to-end encryption. That means the service can process workspace content in plaintext for product features and authorized support workflows.
Can Jira employees see my data?
Jira publishes access controls and policies limiting employee access, but its architecture still permits authorized server-side access to workspace content. With SealTask's zero-knowledge architecture, even our engineers cannot access encrypted workspace content because we do not have the keys.
Does Jira use my data for AI training?
Atlassian says third-party-hosted LLM providers do not retain Jira/Rovo inputs and outputs or use them to train or improve their services. That is not a blanket no-training claim: Atlassian says it may fine-tune Atlassian-hosted open-source models with contributed metadata when data-contribution settings permit it, after de-identifying and aggregating that metadata. Rovo can also process permitted Jira content to answer a user’s request, including organizational data the user can access. HIPAA scope is feature-specific: eligible core Rovo experiences require qualifying provisioning and configuration, while Atlassian says Rovo MCP and the Browser Extension are not automatically covered by its BAA and Rovo Service is not HIPAA compliant. Review the AI settings, contribution controls, BAA scope, and the exact content in scope before enabling these features.
Can I use Jira or SealTask for HIPAA-regulated PHI?
Do not treat either product as HIPAA-ready by default. SealTask's zero-knowledge design may help with technical safeguards. Before any PHI use, SealTask must expressly agree in writing. Where HIPAA applies, SealTask and the customer must execute a HIPAA-compliant BAA before use. Atlassian says it can sign BAAs for Jira on Standard, Premium, and Enterprise plans, but not Free or trial plans. Customers using Jira for PHI must sign a BAA, tag the app, and follow Atlassian’s HIPAA Implementation Guide; Atlassian says those steps do not by themselves guarantee HIPAA compliance. Core Rovo Search, Chat, Agents, and in-app AI experiences require eligible provisioning and configuration. Rovo MCP, the Browser Extension, trials, and early-access features are not automatically covered by the BAA, and Atlassian separately says Rovo Service is not HIPAA compliant.
When should I choose Jira instead of SealTask?
Choose Jira for configurable issue tracking, advanced planning, reports, automation, and Atlassian ecosystem integration. Choose SealTask for a smaller task-management surface when keeping readable workspace content unavailable to the provider is the primary requirement.
Explore private Jira alternatives
Researching Jira's security history?
We maintain a dated, source-linked record of publicly documented Jira security incidents — what happened, who was affected, and how the vendor responded.
Read the Jira incident recordComparing for a specific kind of private work?
The guide library adds audience-specific workflows, metadata caveats, and system-of-record decisions for legal, people, executive, startup, consulting, and private-practice work.
Browse audience guidesReferences.
- 01 Jira pricing - Official Jira Cloud plans, prices, limits, and feature comparison
- 02 Atlassian Cloud licensing - Official progressive per-user pricing and user-tier group billing rules for monthly Cloud subscriptions
- 03 Jira security - Official encryption, identity, permission, and cloud security documentation
- 04 Atlassian HIPAA compliance for Jira - Official eligible plans, BAA, app-tagging, configuration, and shared-responsibility requirements
- 05 Atlassian HIPAA Implementation Guide - Official BAA scope: eligible core Rovo experiences require qualifying plans and configuration; Rovo MCP, Browser Extension, trials, and early-access features are not automatically covered
- 06 Rovo Service execution modes - Official warning that Rovo Service is not HIPAA compliant and should not be used for projects that handle PHI
- 07 Atlassian AI Trust - Official Rovo processing, third-party retention and training terms, and contributed-metadata policy
- 08 Atlassian Data Center end of life - Official new-customer sales cutoff, existing-customer transition, and Jira Data Center end-of-life dates
- 09 Atlassian Trust & Security - Official security documentation
- 10 SealTask security architecture - Zero-knowledge encryption details
- 11 RFC 8439: ChaCha20-Poly1305 - Encryption standard used by SealTask
Need private tasks before workflow depth?
Start on the Free tier, or ask about the licensed self-hosted Docker distribution for your own hardware.
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