Correct, there is no connection between Copado Essentials and Copado CI/CD. Essentials is a web-based application designed to simplify Salesforce metadata deployment. Copado CI/CD is a complete DevOps solution built on the Salesforce platform.
As your DevOps process evolves and your team grows, you may want to consider upgrading from Essentials to Copado CI/CD. You can compare which option is best for your organization by reading our whitepaper. If you do decide to transition from Essentials to Copado CI/CD you can continue to use your Git repository and planning tools like Jira.
Help documentation for Copado Essentials is located here.