☁️ The Future Is Cloud: Why We Build Apps on Forge and Earn "Runs on Atlassian" Badge

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When choosing or building Jira Cloud apps, the technical foundation matters. As vendors in the Atlassian Marketplace, we know that how an app is built affects not only performance and user experience, but also security, privacy, and long-term maintainability.

That’s why many developers are moving toward Forge UI - Atlassian’s official cloud development platform and aiming to earn the "Runs on Atlassian" badge.

What is Forge UI?

Forge is Atlassian’s official cloud development platform. Unlike traditional apps that require their own infrastructure, Forge apps run entirely on Atlassian infrastructure. This includes both the backend functions and the user interface.

Benefits for developers:

• Faster time to market with a managed environment

• Fewer infrastructure responsibilities

• Built-in user auth and permission model

• Automatic scaling and uptime handled by Atlassian

• Streamlined security review process

Benefits for customers:

• No external data transfers

• Improved data privacy and regulatory compliance

• Faster performance within Jira Cloud

• Reduced security risks and easier procurement

What is the "Runs on Atlassian" badge?

The "Runs on Atlassian" badge signals that an app is not just compatible with Jira Cloud it physically operates within Atlassian’s infrastructure. This is a mark of trust, security, and transparency.

To earn the badge, an app must:

• Be built using Forge (no external backend)

• Store and process data only within Atlassian systems

• Follow strict security, reliability, and architectural guidelines from Atlassian

That’s exactly why we at TypeSwitch choose to develop all our apps using Forge UI from day one to fully align with Atlassian’s security and architectural.
 

What you get as a customer using "Runs on Atlassian" apps

✅ Data residency by default – No third-party servers involved. Your data stays within Atlassian-managed infrastructure.

✅ Stronger compliance – Easier vendor approvals, especially for security-conscious industries like finance, healthcare, and government.

✅ Minimal setup friction – Forge apps are often lightweight, fast to install, and follow Atlassian’s design patterns.

✅ Improved reliability – Apps scale with your Jira instance, supported by Atlassian’s uptime guarantees.

✅ Better integration – Native UI components and APIs result in smoother, more intuitive user experiences.

✅ No risky scopes or permissions – Forge apps operate within tightly scoped access levels, minimizing potential vulnerabilities.

✅ Confidence and transparency – The badge gives your teams (and your InfoSec team) a quick, visual signal of compliance.

TL;DR

Whether you're building apps or selecting them for your organization, Forge UI and the "Runs on Atlassian" badge bring real advantages:

•  Native Jira experience — Atlassian UI, seamless design, fast rendering

• Zero infrastructure burden — no hosting, SSL, scaling, or uptime worries

• Stronger compliance — no external servers, easier ISO/SOC2/GDPR alignment

• Faster performance — apps run close to Jira core

• Lower risk — strict scoping, sandboxed logic, Atlassian-managed security

If you see the "Runs on Atlassian" badge that’s your green light for trust, security, and long-term support.

What about Data Center (DC) apps and Atlassian’s strategic direction?

• Support for Server products, including apps, officially ended on February 15, 2024, and App sales for Server licenses were discontinued earlier. 
  
  

• Atlassian continues to support Data Center, but recent pricing updates in February 2025 and limitations on multi-year renewals signal a strong shift toward cloud-first strategy. 
  
  

• According to industry sources, Atlassian is increasingly steering organizations toward Cloud development, focusing innovation, integrations, security, and scalability on Forge-based apps. 

Key points for developers and vendors:

• If you're building or maintaining Server/DC apps, be aware that feature parity and investment resources are diverging toward Cloud.
  
  

• Forge apps with a “Runs on Atlassian” badge are aligned with Atlassian’s roadmap and will be better supported, trusted, and more reliable for future users.
  
  

• Migrating to Forge and Cloud isn't just optional it’s becoming the industry-standard path forward.