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JIRA, the issue tracking tool created by Atlassian, is a popular product to use in software development. Fun Fact: The name "JIRA" is commonly thought to be an acronym, but it's actually a shortened version of the word "Gojira," which means Godzilla in Japanese.

JIRA is so popular because it's extremely useful to manage all of the moving parts in a software development project. It can be used to keep track of bugs, requested improvements, and to perform overall project management. But, in order to maximize the usefulness and efficiency of JIRA, it's a good idea to customize the product using Add-Ons.

Add-Ons are basically additional pieces of code that can be installed on top of the JIRA application to enhance the range of capabilities. These can be remotely contained web applications, plug-ins for JIRA itself, or installed onto third-party applications that then integrate with JIRA. Add-Ons can be created by Atlassian, or by external developers, and are then housed in Atlassian Marketplace for download. There are more than 1,500 Add-Ons, both paid and free, currently in the Marketplace. With so many options, there's bound to be an Add-On which will meet whatever need you have from JIRA. Below, I've listed 5 of the top Add-Ons to give you a sense of what is currently popular in the Marketplace:

1. JIRA Agile
Cost: Paid with Atlassian
Summary:  This Add-On brings the management of an Agile software development process into JIRA. Issues can be managed at a high level as Epics, and down to a more granular level as User Stories, or even bugs. Issues can then be separated into different sprints to easily manage ongoing efforts. And, there are robust reporting capabilities to keep track of resources, hours, etc.

2. Atlassian Universal Plugin Manager
Cost: Free
Summary: The UPM is an interface which helps manage  all of your Add-Ons. You can use  it to browse the Marketplace and find additional Add-Ons that may be useful, to update your existing Add-Ons, to configure Add-On options, and more.

3. Team Calendars JIRA Integration
Cost: Free
Summary: When used in conjunction with Atlassian Confluence, it allows for team calendars to be integrated into JIRA.

4. Tempo Timesheets for JIRA
Cost: Paid
Summary: This Add-On integrates time tracking into JIRA. It allows for easy resource planning, and provides a variety of reports to monitor resource usage and work load. And, it also integrates with JIRA Agile.

5. JIRA Charting Plugin
Cost: Free
Summary:  This provides additional charts for JIRA, to bring a visual component to the existing reporting capabilities.

As I said before, there are over 1,500 Add-Ons in the Marketplace, and the list above just represents a few of the popular ones. Explore the Marketplace and find the best Add-Ons to meet your needs!