To give everyone in Jira more levels than epic, story and subtask, use Jira’s own Plans on Premium or Enterprise, or a Marketplace app such as Structure or Hierarchy for Jira. A site admin usually installs those. To see your own work as a tree without asking anyone, a browser extension such as Cascade shows the levels your Jira already has.
What Jira already does
Every Jira Cloud site has three levels: epics, standard work items such as stories and tasks, and subtasks. On Premium and Enterprise, a Jira administrator can add levels above epic, such as Initiative, and Plans shows them. Free and Standard sites keep the three defaults. See Atlassian’s work types and custom hierarchy levels, and the Jira hierarchy guide for how the levels fit together.
Jira hierarchy apps side by side
Each row comes from the app’s own Marketplace listing or Atlassian’s documentation. Prices change and depend on your user count, so check the listing for current pricing.
| App | How you get it | What it adds | Runs on | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jira Plans | How you get it: Included in Jira Premium and Enterprise | Adds: Adds levels above epic, set up by a Jira admin | Runs on: Jira Cloud | Cost: Part of the Jira plan |
| Structure (Tempo) | How you get it: Marketplace app | Adds: Hierarchy views, including custom hierarchies built from linked work items | Runs on: Cloud and Data Center | Cost: Paid, with a free trial |
| Hierarchy for Jira (Adaptavist) | How you get it: Marketplace app | Adds: Custom levels above and below epics, and trees across spaces | Runs on: Cloud | Cost: Paid, with a free trial |
| BigPicture (Appfire) | How you get it: Marketplace app | Adds: Portfolio and project management with a multi-level work breakdown | Runs on: Cloud and Data Center | Cost: Paid, with a free trial |
| Smart Issue Hierarchy (TitanApps) | How you get it: Marketplace app | Adds: A tree from initiatives down to subtasks, with roll-ups | Runs on: Cloud and Data Center | Cost: Free |
| Cascade | How you get it: Chrome extension each person installs | Adds: A tree of the levels your Jira already has, with details beside it | Runs on: Jira Cloud, in Chrome | Cost: Free during early access |
Listings checked October 13, 2026: Structure, Hierarchy for Jira, BigPicture, Smart Issue Hierarchy.
When a Marketplace app is worth it
Atlassian says most Marketplace apps can only be installed by site or organization admins, and other users can request an app from its listing. See managing Marketplace apps. That step is worth taking when:
- You need new levels. Custom levels above or below epics, or trees built from linked work items, need Plans or an app such as Structure or Hierarchy for Jira.
- The whole team should see the same structure. An app set up once on the site gives everyone the same views.
- You plan with it. BigPicture and Structure’s Advanced edition add portfolio planning and Gantt charts.
- You run Data Center. Structure, BigPicture and Smart Issue Hierarchy have Data Center versions.
When a browser extension is enough
If you only need to see the hierarchy Jira already has, epics down to subtasks, you may not need an app on the site at all. Cascade is a Chrome extension that opens inside your Jira Cloud tab. Choose a set of epics, or your assigned work, and the tree expands each epic to its stories, tasks and bugs and their subtasks, with any work item’s details beside it. It uses your own Jira session and permissions.
Its limits are the flip side: it works in Chrome on Jira Cloud only, each person installs it, and it shows the levels your site has rather than adding new ones. Your employer’s browser policies may also restrict extensions.
No admin install, no new levels to set up: open your Jira Cloud tab and see the whole tree. Cascade is free during early access.
Jira hierarchy plugins FAQ
What is the best hierarchy plugin for Jira?
It depends on what you need. To add levels above epic for everyone, Jira’s own Plans (Premium and Enterprise) or a Marketplace app such as Structure or Hierarchy for Jira fits. To see your own epics, stories and subtasks as a tree without an admin install, a browser extension such as Cascade is enough.
Can Jira show more than three hierarchy levels without a plugin?
Yes, on Premium and Enterprise. A Jira administrator can add levels above epic, such as Initiative. Free and Standard sites keep the three default levels: epic, standard work items and subtasks.
Do I need a Jira admin to install a hierarchy plugin?
For Marketplace apps, usually yes. Atlassian says most Marketplace apps can only be installed by site or organization admins; other users can request an app from its listing. Cascade is a Chrome extension, so you install it in your own browser.
Is there a free Jira hierarchy plugin?
Smart Issue Hierarchy is listed as a free app on the Atlassian Marketplace, and Cascade is free during early access. Structure, Hierarchy for Jira and BigPicture are paid apps with free trials.
I’m Ahmad Fiaz Jan, and I build Cascade for Jira on my own. I write these guides from Atlassian’s own documentation and link every source. More about me at ahmadfiaz.me and on LinkedIn.