Jira Cloud Migration Assistant (JCMA) is Atlassian's native migration tool. Insight Assets Migration Assistant by Twinit is the purpose-built alternative — and the best Jira Assets migration tool — for the Assets layer JCMA doesn't reach. This guide compares both, field type by field type, so you can choose the right approach before migration — not after discovering the gap in production.

For the deeper technical breakdown of every field type and configuration JCMA misses, see our full JSM Assets migration gap analysis. This page focuses on the decision: which tool to use, and why.

The core difference

JCMA migrates core Jira data well but does not migrate Assets schemas, objects, or attributes at all — Assets is entirely outside its scope. Insight Assets Migration Assistant was built specifically to close that gap, migrating Assets schemas, objects, and all field types — Basic, Legacy, and Reference — from Server or Data Center to Cloud.

Atlassian's official workaround is manual CSV export/import, which loses object hierarchy, icons, and relational structure — impractical for enterprise schemas built over years. For organizations evaluating Jira Assets migration tools, this is the baseline every alternative gets measured against.

Feature comparison

Why legacy and reference field types need different fixes

Legacy field types are older Insight-era attributes with no direct Cloud equivalent. JCMA doesn't attempt to map these. Insight Assets Migration Assistant maps Cloud-equivalent types where one exists — for example, "Assets Referenced Objects" and "Asset Object (legacy)" — and flags the rest for manual review instead of dropping them silently.

Reference field types point to other objects in the schema. JCMA doesn't preserve the relationship even with manual recreation. Insight Assets Migration Assistant migrates the underlying object IDs and schema structure first, so relationships have something to reconnect to.

What breaks downstream if Assets doesn't migrate

Filters, request types, and workflow conditions referencing Assets fields all migrate through JCMA as definitions — but the Assets-aware logic inside them has nothing to resolve against, so they fail silently. Migrating the schema correctly first is what prevents this cascade. For the full breakdown of how and why Assets filters specifically break post-migration, see our Assets filter configuration migration guide.

One constraint that applies either way

Cloud Assets limits vary by JSM plan — Free and Standard restrict schema count, object types, and attributes; Premium and Enterprise have higher or no limits. Worth checking against the target plan regardless of which migration tool is used.

The complete picture

Twinit's solution runs as two connected apps. Insight Assets Migration Assistant — listed on Atlassian Marketplace as Insight Assets Cloud Migration Assistant — installs on Server/Data Center for secure Assets access, while Insight Assets Backup & Migration runs on Cloud, handling backup, restore, and migration — encrypted in transit and at rest, EU/US residency or BYOK, with a Backup Vault accessible even if Cloud is down.

This matters most for schemas built over several years, where legacy and reference field types accumulate — exactly where JCMA's gap turns into a project blocker for enterprise Assets migration at scale. Twinit is ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified and an Atlassian Gold Solution Partner.

If you're an Atlassian Solution Partner evaluating migration delivery options for clients, see our partner program.

The takeaway

JCMA handles core Jira migration well, but Assets is outside its scope entirely. As the best JCMA alternative for Assets specifically, Insight Assets Migration Assistant closes that gap with full field type coverage, pre-migration backup, and a path that filters and request types can actually resolve against. For complex, enterprise-scale Assets migrations, that's the difference between a migration plan and a migration surprise.