Plan and build products
Linear is a modern issue tracker for dev teams. Trustpilot: 4.2/5 from 6 reviews (limited sample). Praised as 'gold standard UX', <50ms speed. Founded 2019 by ex-Airbnb/Coinbase engineers. Jira alternative.
Patterns extracted from real user feedback — not raw reviews.
There's no native way to log hours, track estimates versus actuals, or generate time-based reports. For agencies billing clients or teams needing detailed productivity metrics, this is described as a 'deal-breaker requiring third-party integrations' like Toggl, Clockify, or Harvest.
Linear deliberately limits customization: 'You can't modify workflows, create custom fields extensively, or adjust the interface layout.' It only offers predefined fields rather than allowing teams to customize workflows themselves. Teams with compliance requirements or specific approval processes find this particularly limiting.
Linear was designed primarily for engineering teams, creating challenges for broader organizational use. Marketing, sales, and other departments find the interface less intuitive. Customer support workflows aren't as well-supported as development workflows. Non-technical teams often struggle.
Linear is ideal for teams under 100 people where communication is direct and processes are lightweight. Larger organizations typically need the customization and reporting that Linear deliberately omits. Growing teams may outgrow Linear.
While Linear provides basic velocity charts and cycle analytics, complex reporting requires exporting data elsewhere. Teams needing detailed stakeholder reports or cross-project analytics will be frustrated. Custom reports are not available without external tools.
Users report 'lack of sharing capabilities externally is quite a problem.' One user noted they 'did a document on the platform and was unable to share it externally.' For teams collaborating with external stakeholders or clients, this limits Linear's usefulness.
Linear lacks project Gantt charts for timeline visualization. It also doesn't allow setting cycles at the project level. Teams needing granular control over timelines and workflows for specific clients or projects find Linear's current setup insufficient.
Nesting and multi-homing issues functionality is limited. Linear isn't a first-choice tool for big-picture projects that need complex hierarchies. Teams managing large, interconnected projects may find the structure too flat.
Most enterprise tools integrate with Jira more likely than Linear. The integration ecosystem, while growing, is smaller than established competitors. Depending on your company's tech stack, this can be a significant limitation for larger organizations.
Unlimited free users (with limited history)
Unlike Jira's hard 10-user cap, Linear's free tier allows unlimited users but limits file history. For bootstrapped startups, this allows scaling to 20-30 people without sudden billing spikes that Jira forces.
Exceptionally fast - <50ms interactions
Linear is built with modern frontend architecture that creates near-instant interactions. Switching between boards or opening a ticket feels immediate. This speed advantage over Jira (which has multi-second loads) is Linear's biggest differentiator and reduces daily friction.
Intuitive, minimalist interface
The clean design and extensive keyboard shortcuts reduce friction, allowing users to stay in flow. New users can start creating and managing tasks almost immediately. Teams that use Linear 'greatly enjoy it and advocate for it' - unlike Jira's 'it's fine, I guess' sentiment.
Excellent Git and developer tool integrations
Seamless connections with GitHub, GitLab, Slack, Figma, Sentry, and more create a unified workflow. Tasks get updated automatically when you open PRs, assign reviewers, and merge. Linear intelligently suggests assignees based on code ownership.
Quick onboarding with minimal setup
Unlike Jira which requires extensive configuration, Linear works out of the box. New users can be productive almost immediately. The opinionated approach means less time configuring and more time working.
Users: Unlimited members
Storage: 10MB per file
Limitations: 250 active issue cap, limited file upload size, no audit logs, no advanced integrations
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Unlimited
Limitations: No SAML SSO, no audit logs, limited admin controls
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Unlimited
Limitations: Limited compared to enterprise alternatives in terms of workflow customization
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Unlimited
Limitations: Annual commitment required
Small to medium software teams (5-50 developers)
Linear's speed, clean interface, and Git integrations shine for focused development teams. The opinionated workflow reduces decision fatigue. Teams moving fast with simple processes love Linear's approach.
Startups prioritizing velocity over process
Linear's <50ms interactions, unlimited free users, and quick onboarding make it perfect for fast-moving startups. No time wasted on configuration. Teams trust developers to do work without heavy policing.
Teams frustrated with Jira's slowness
If Jira's multi-second page loads are killing productivity, Linear's instant interactions are transformative. The friction reduction adds up to significant time savings over weeks of use.
Engineering teams
Built by engineers for engineers. Keyboard-first navigation, Git integration, fast performance. Modern dev teams love Linear's speed and design.
Product managers
Clean roadmap views, cycle planning, and project tracking. PMs working closely with engineering teams appreciate Linear's focus and speed.
Non-technical teams (marketing, sales, HR)
Linear was designed primarily for engineering teams. Marketing, sales, and other departments find the interface less intuitive. Customer support and non-development workflows aren't well-supported. Consider Asana, Monday.com, or ClickUp instead.
Teams requiring time tracking and billing
No native time tracking means you'll need third-party integrations like Toggl or Harvest. For agencies billing clients or teams needing productivity metrics, this adds complexity and cost. Consider tools with built-in time tracking.
Large enterprises (100+ developers)
Larger organizations typically need the customization, complex reporting, and enterprise integrations that Linear deliberately omits. Jira, despite its slowness, may be necessary for compliance and audit requirements.
Teams with complex approval workflows
You can't modify workflows or create custom approval processes. Linear's opinionated approach means you work Linear's way, not your way. Teams with compliance requirements will find this limiting.
Marketing teams
Too developer-focused for marketing workflows. No content calendars, campaign views, or marketing-specific features. Use Asana or Monday instead.
Common buyer's remorse scenarios reported by users.
Teams chose Linear for its speed then discovered they need time tracking for client billing or productivity metrics. Adding Toggl, Harvest, or similar tools increases complexity and cost beyond what they expected.
Startups that loved Linear's simplicity at 10-20 people find it constraining at 50+. The need for custom workflows, complex reporting, and enterprise features forces painful migration to Jira or alternatives.
Engineering chose Linear then tried to bring marketing, design, or operations onto it. Non-technical teams found it confusing and dev-focused, forcing organizations to maintain multiple tools.
Teams discovered Linear's basic analytics weren't enough for stakeholder reports. Exporting data to build custom reports became a regular task. Organizations needing detailed metrics regretted the limited reporting.
Scenarios where this product tends to fail users.
Agencies discover there's no native time tracking when they need to invoice. Third-party integration adds cost and complexity. Teams wish they'd chosen a tool with built-in time tracking from the start.
What worked for 30 developers becomes limiting at 100+. The lack of complex workflows, advanced permissions, and enterprise reporting forces migration to Jira or similar tools despite the speed tradeoff.
Organizations in regulated industries discover Linear can't enforce required approval processes. The inability to customize workflows to meet compliance requirements forces tool changes or workarounds.
Product teams want to share roadmaps or project updates with clients or partners. Linear's lack of external sharing capabilities means creating separate documents or presentations, duplicating work.
GitHub Issues
Small teams switch to reduce tools. Gain: everything in GitHub, free. Trade-off: basic features, no roadmaps or cycles.
Jira
Enterprise teams switch for compliance and integrations. Gain: mature ecosystem, enterprise features, Confluence integration. Trade-off: much slower, complex UI.
Asana
Teams wanting to include non-technical members switch to Asana for its broader use-case support. Marketing and cross-functional teams find Asana more approachable than Linear's dev-focused design.
ClickUp
Teams needing built-in time tracking, more customization, and features Linear lacks consider ClickUp. While more complex and buggy, ClickUp offers breadth Linear deliberately avoids.
Height
Teams wanting Linear's speed but more customization consider Height. It offers a similar modern approach but with more flexibility for teams that find Linear too restrictive.
Shortcut
Teams wanting more flexibility switch to Shortcut. Gain: more customization, iterations. Trade-off: less polished UI, slower.
