Jira vs Linear: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Jira and Linear? Both are popular project management tools. Below we compare them on pricing, free tiers, features, and pros & cons so you can pick the right fit for your stack.
Jira is for: Software and IT teams, often in larger organisations, who want configurable workflows, Scrum and Kanban boards and the Atlassian ecosystem.
Linear is for: Software teams who want a fast, opinionated issue tracker with cycles, triage and Git integration.
Quick verdict
There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Jira if you need configurable workflows, issue types and permissions across many teams. Choose Linear if you run product and engineering work as issues, cycles and projects.
Jira vs Linear — Side by Side
| Jira | Linear | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Project Management | Project Management |
| What it is | Issue and project tracker | Issue tracker for software teams |
| How work is organised | Projects with issues, Scrum and Kanban boards | Issues, cycles and projects per team |
| How you pay | Per user, monthly or annual | Per user, billed yearly on paid plans |
| Free access | Up to 10 users, 2 GB storage | 250 issues, 2 teams, unlimited members |
| SAML SSO | Not confirmed on the vendor page | Enterprise only (Google sign-in on all plans) |
| Pricing | Free · paid from $8.15/user/mo | Free · paid from $10/user/mo |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Free tier | ||
| Best for | Project Management — Scrum and Kanban, enterprise workflows, Atlassian | Project Management — issue tracking, engineering teams, cycles |
Pros & Cons
- Configurable workflows, issue types and permissions
- Scrum and Kanban boards on the free plan
- Fits companies already on Atlassian products
- Free plan stops at 10 users
- More setup and configuration than simpler trackers
- Automation runs are capped per user on paid plans
- Issues, cycles and projects built for software teams
- Unlimited members on the free plan
- Customer requests from Zendesk and Intercom on Business
- Free plan caps you at 250 issues and 2 teams
- SAML SSO only on Enterprise
- Paid plans are billed yearly
Key Features Compared
Jira
- Free: up to 10 users, 2 GB of storage, community support, 150 automation steps a month
- Standard: 400 automation steps per user a month, 250 GB storage, up to 100,000 users per site
- Premium: 750 automation steps per user a month, unlimited storage, 99.9% uptime SLA
- Enterprise: 1,000 automation steps per user a month
- Paid per-user prices were not readable on the vendor page (it renders them client-side)
Linear
- Free: unlimited members, 250 issues, 2 teams, 10 MB file uploads; includes the agent platform, Linear Agent and Loops
- Basic: $10 per user a month billed yearly; unlimited issues, 5 teams, unlimited file uploads, admin roles
- Business: $16 per user a month billed yearly; unlimited teams, private teams and guests, Triage Intelligence, Insights, issue SLAs, Zendesk and Intercom integrations
- Enterprise: custom, annual billing only; SAML and SCIM, audit log, IP restrictions, HIPAA
- Google sign-in on every plan
Choose Jira if…
- Budget is tight — paid plans start lower ($8.15/mo vs $10/mo).
- You need configurable workflows, issue types and permissions across many teams.
- Your company already uses Confluence or other Atlassian products.
- Your team is 10 people or fewer and wants a free plan with Scrum and Kanban boards.
Choose Linear if…
- You run product and engineering work as issues, cycles and projects.
- You want unlimited members on a free plan while the backlog stays under 250 issues.
- You want customer requests from Zendesk or Intercom linked to issues on the Business plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jira better than Linear?⌄
There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Jira if you need configurable workflows, issue types and permissions across many teams. Choose Linear if you run product and engineering work as issues, cycles and projects.
What is the difference between Jira and Linear?⌄
What it is — Jira: Issue and project tracker. Linear: Issue tracker for software teams. How work is organised — Jira: Projects with issues, Scrum and Kanban boards. Linear: Issues, cycles and projects per team. How you pay — Jira: Per user, monthly or annual. Linear: Per user, billed yearly on paid plans. Free access — Jira: Up to 10 users, 2 GB storage. Linear: 250 issues, 2 teams, unlimited members. SAML SSO — Jira: Not confirmed on the vendor page. Linear: Enterprise only (Google sign-in on all plans).
Jira vs Linear: which is cheaper?⌄
Jira pricing: Free · paid from $8.15/user/mo. Linear pricing: Free · paid from $10/user/mo. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
When should I skip both Jira and Linear?⌄
Skip Jira if you want a lighter tracker with less configuration. Linear is opinionated about issues and cycles. Skip Linear if you need SAML SSO without an enterprise contract. Notion includes it on Business at $20 per member.
Sources · tool facts checked November 2026
See more options in our guide to the best project management tools for startups.
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