How is confluence different from Jira?

These are 2 very different applications. Jira is used for project and issue tracking. You can build roadmaps and evaluate work load. Confluence is for documentation, knowledge management, team workspace, and project collaboration. You can integrate Jira into Confluence to populate wiki pages/spaces with project or issue updates, allowing you to document once and publish in both places. They work well together and each have their own purposes.

Additionally, Confluence can be used to store public facing information, such as customer help guides, whereas Jira is for internal use only. My company finds that having our internal and external knowledge base in one location standardizes the message and reduces duplication of work, saving our employees and customers from the frustration of sorting through outdated information.