Linear
Issue tracking and product planning for software teams
Linear review
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 8, 2026
Best for software teams tracking issues
If you build software, Linear is probably the issue tracker your team will actually enjoy opening. It's quick, it's tidy, and the free plan lets your whole team in. But it's made for software teams and not much else, and the free plan runs out at 250 issues.
Who Linear is for
- Great if your team ships software and lives in issues, sprints and roadmaps
- Handy when you want everyone in for free, since there's no member limit
- Good for teams handing work to coding agents like Cursor or Copilot
- A treat if you want a tracker that's built for speed
Who Linear is not for
- Skip it if your team isn't building software, since it's all issues and cycles
- Tight if you'll pass 250 issues, which a busy team gets through fast
- Pricey if you need private teams or guests, which start on Business at $16
- Not for you if you want to do real work from your phone, as the app is thinner
- Not for you if you're on Linux and want a desktop app
Why Linear gets a 3.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for money$10 a person a month on yearly billing is about what you'd expect. Fair, not cheap, and the handy admin stuff is on the $16 plan.
- BFree plan and trialUnlimited members for free is rare. But 250 issues goes quickly, so think of it as a long trial.
- AFeaturesIssues, cycles, projects, initiatives, triage, and an AI agent on every plan. For a software team, it's all there.
- AEase of useReviewers call it fast and clean. It's built around how engineering teams already work, so there's not much to learn.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, and it hooks into GitHub, GitLab, Slack, Figma and more. No Linux app, and the phone app is thinner.
The good
So who's Linear for? Software teams. That's who it was built for, and it shows.
Everything is an issue. Issues go into cycles, which is their word for sprints. Bigger pieces of work become projects, and projects roll up into initiatives, like "launch the mobile app".
It sounds like a lot, but it's the shape most engineering teams already work in. You're not bending a general project tool to fit.
New requests land in triage first, so someone looks at them before they hit the team's list. And nearly every view flips between a list and a board.
The AI side is included, not sold as an extra. Linear Agent is on every plan, even free, and you can hand issues to coding agents like Codex, Cursor or GitHub Copilot.
The stuff that'll bug you
It's for software teams and not really anyone else. If you're running marketing campaigns or client work, the whole issues-and-cycles setup will feel like wearing someone else's shoes.
The phone app is the weak spot. Going through the App Store reviews, even people who love Linear say the app is thinner than the desktop version. One reviewer lost edits on a patchy connection, because changes weren't saved until they'd uploaded.
So treat the phone app as a way to keep up with notifications, not to do real work.
A few useful things are held back for Business, too. Private teams, guests, the analytics (Insights) and turning requests from the rest of the company into issues (Asks) all need the $16 plan.
And there's no Linux app on the download page.
Money
The free plan lets in as many people as you like, which is rare. The limit is 250 issues and 2 teams.
How long does 250 issues last? Not long, for a team that's really using it. Think of free as a proper trial.
Basic is $10 a person a month on yearly billing, with unlimited issues and 5 teams. That's the one most small teams will land on.
Business is $16 and adds private teams, guests, Insights and Asks. Enterprise is where SAML and SCIM live, and it's annual billing only.
There are some big discounts if you qualify. Charities can ask for 75% off Basic and Business. Full-time students get it free for a year. And young startups in one of Linear's partner programs can get up to 6 months of Business free.
What actual users say
Linear's phone app has 4.83 on the App Store from about 2,200 ratings.
The praise is mostly for Linear itself. One reviewer who's been both an engineer and a product manager called it the best issue tracker they've come across.
A fun one: someone runs their household chores in it with their husband. So it can stretch further than software, if you like the way it works.
The complaints are almost all about the phone app. Fewer features than on desktop, issue titles cut off at one line, and edits that don't save on a bad connection.
What this review rests on. Based on Linear's home, pricing, features, download and docs pages as of 8 October 2026, its App Store reviews and Hacker News threads about it. Not based on using the product: this is a read of everything that's public, not a test. How we review and grade.
What is Linear?
Linear is an issue tracking and product planning tool built for software teams. Work is organized into issues, time-boxed cycles, projects and higher-level initiatives, and most views can switch between a list and a board. An agent platform and the Linear Agent assistant are included on every plan, including the free one.
Linear has a free plan. Paid plans start at $10 per user / month, billed yearly. See every plan
Good for
- Software teams planning work in issues, cycles and projects
- Small teams: the free plan has no member limit
- Teams that hand issues to coding agents
Worth knowing
- The Free plan stops at 250 issues and 2 teams.
- Private teams, guests, Linear Insights and Linear Asks need the Business plan at $16 per user / month.
- SAML and SCIM are limited to Enterprise, which is billed annually only.
- The download page lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps but no Linux app.
Key features
- Issues and cycles
- Every piece of work is tracked as an issue. Cycles are recurring, fixed-length periods that a team plans a set of issues into.
- Projects and initiatives
- Projects collect the issues behind one deliverable, and initiatives group several projects under a larger company objective.
- List and board layouts
- Nearly every issue view can switch between a list and a kanban-style board, with optional swimlanes for an extra grouping.
- Triage and Asks
- Triage is a review step for new work before a team takes it on. Linear Asks, on the Business plan, turns workplace requests into issues.
- Insights
- Built-in analytics for whichever set of work a team wants to examine. Linear Insights is part of the Business plan.
- Linear Agent and coding agents
- Linear Agent is included on every plan, and the integration directory lists coding agents such as Codex, Cursor and GitHub Copilot.
Linear pricing
- Starts at
- $10 per user / month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Unlimited members, 2 teams and 250 issues, with the agent platform and Linear Agent included.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited members, 2 teams and 250 issues, with the agent platform and Linear Agent. |
| Basic | $10per user / month, billed yearly | 5 teams, unlimited issues, unlimited file uploads and admin roles. |
| Business | $16per user / month, billed yearly | Unlimited teams, private teams and guests, Linear Insights, Linear Asks, Triage Intelligence, and Zendesk and Intercom integrations. |
| Enterprise | Custom | SAML and SCIM, granular admin controls, invoice or PO billing, and migration and onboarding support. Annual billing only. |
Read from linear.app on Oct 4, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Linear before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Nonprofit75% off for eligible charities
Linear's billing docs offer eligible charities 75% off the Basic and Business plans on request by email. Enterprise is excluded.
Stated on linear.app - EducationFree year for students, 75% off for staff
The Education Program gives full-time students free access for one year and university staff a 75% discount, requested from a .edu address.
Stated on linear.app - StartupsUp to 6 months of Business free for startups
Startups with fewer than 50 employees that are not yet paying and belong to a Linear partner program can get up to 6 months of the Business plan free.
Stated on linear.app
How people rate the Linear app
4.8
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars92%
- 4 stars3%
- 3 stars1%
- 2 stars<1%
- 1 star2%
2,179 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 5, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Works with
Linear alternatives
- Linear vs Jira
Free plan · from $9.05/mo
- Linear vs ClickUp
Free plan · from $7/mo
- Linear vs Asana
Free plan · from $10.99/mo
- Linear vs Trello
Free plan · from $5/mo
- Linear vs monday.com
Free plan · from $9/mo
Featured in
Common questions
Is Linear free?
Linear has a free plan. Unlimited members, 2 teams and 250 issues, with the agent platform and Linear Agent included. Paid plans start at $10 per user / month, billed yearly.
How much does Linear cost?
Linear lists 4 plans. Free: $0. Basic: $10 per user / month, billed yearly. Business: $16 per user / month, billed yearly. Enterprise: custom pricing. Prices were read from linear.app on Oct 4, 2026.
What platforms does Linear work on?
Linear is available on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Does Linear offer any discounts?
Linear publicly lists the following: 75% off for eligible charities; Free year for students, 75% off for staff; Up to 6 months of Business free for startups.
How is Linear rated?
Linear's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2,179 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Does Linear have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 4, 2026. Linear is listed for Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Is Linear open source?
Linear is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 4, 2026.
Does Linear have an API?
Yes. Linear offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Linear integrate with?
Linear's listing names GitHub, GitLab, Slack, Figma, Sentry, Zendesk, Intercom and Notion. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Linear have a student discount?
Free year for students, 75% off for staff. The Education Program gives full-time students free access for one year and university staff a 75% discount, requested from a .edu address.
Who makes Linear?
Linear is made by Linear. It dates from 2019.
What are the alternatives to Linear?
The closest alternatives to Linear in our directory are Jira, ClickUp, Asana, Trello and monday.com. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Linear.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 4, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.