Ever since Linear launched in 2019, it has slowly won over the hearts of software development teams, becoming their go-to tool for tracking issues, crafting product roadmaps, and overseeing sprints.
Linear takes simplicity to heart—it’s won applause for its user-friendliness, nifty dark mode feature, snappy keyboard shortcuts, and seamless integration with developer favorites like GitHub and GitLab. Yet, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. 🌈
If you want to customize Linear to fit your team’s specific needs, its lack of customization options may feel like a letdown. Need deeper insights into your team’s progress and performance?
Linear’s basic reporting and analytics may not cut it. And if you want to manage your projects on the go, Linear has no mobile app for Android and iOS devices. 👀
Given these considerations, it’s natural to explore the best alternatives to Linear that address these limitations or, better yet, combine the best of both worlds. And that’s where this article comes in.
We’ll explore the 10 best Linear competitors available today, so you can find your perfect project management match.
Summarize this article for me pleaseLinear Overview
Linear is a project management software designed for software development teams who are looking for simplicity and speed. However, it’s no basic issue tracking tool. This brilliant piece of software provides an intuitive and user-friendly interface that makes planning, prioritizing, and tracking issues a breeze.
Despite its simplicity, Linear offers useful features like keyboard shortcuts for speedy navigation, a dark mode to reduce eye strain, and seamless integrations with development tools like GitHub and GitLab.
While these features make it a go-to tool for many teams, some do feel let down by its limitations. These limitations include:
- Lack of Customization: While Linear’s simplicity is admirable, it falls short in customization. Teams looking for a way to tailor the tool to their specific needs might find themselves at a loss.
- Basic Reporting & Analytics: Understanding a team’s progress and performance requires in-depth insights, which Linear’s basic reporting and analytics may fail to deliver.
- No Mobile App: Linear lacks a mobile app for Android and iOS platforms, making it less conducive for teams who want to manage their projects on the move.
- Limited Compatibility: While it works seamlessly with GitHub and GitLab, this tool might not integrate as smoothly with other software your team use Everyday.
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look for in Linear Alternatives?
If you’re considering a switch from Linear, you might already have an idea of the areas to look out for in other alternatives. And if you have no idea, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. Here’s a simple checklist to keep in mind as you look for the best tool to replace Linear:
- A balance of simplicity and flexibility: Look for a tool that is easy to set up and navigate, while giving you everything you need to customize it to fit your team’s workflow. After all, your tool should bend to your needs, not the other way around
- Advanced reporting and analytics: Data is the new gold, but only if you have the right tools to mine and refine it. So, choose a tool that gives in-depth project and team insights to make informed, data-driven decisions
- Mobile accessibility: Just as your life isn’t confined to an office desk, your new tool should be accessible wherever you go. That way, you can manage your tasks even while enjoying a latte at your favorite coffee shop ☕️
- Integration capability: Check if the tool has integrations with the software you use in your business. Like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, if a tool can’t fit into your tech stack, then it’s most likely not the best fit for you
With this checklist in hand, you’re set to evaluate the following Linear alternatives, so you can pick the best one for your needs.
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best Linear Alternatives & Competitors in 2024
We’ve sifted through numerous project management tools and zeroed in on the 10 best Linear alternatives that give Linear a run for its money. Keep reading to find which one of these could be your perfect match.
1. ClickUp
Claiming the top spot among the Linear alternatives is none other than ClickUp. And it’s not just us singing its praises. The flood of stellar customer reviews says it all—catapulting ClickUp to the #1 spot on G2’s best project management software list for 2023.
Similar to Linear, ClickUp has an intuitive user interface, a dark mode, and handy keyboard shortcuts (alongside slash commands) to boost productivity and enhance the user experience. It also has 80+ native integrations, including GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, making it super easy to integrate into your current tech stack. 🛠️
But here’s where ClickUp truly shines—its exceptional flexibility. Unlike Linear, ClickUp allows for complete customization with the following features:
- Custom fields: These allow you to capture extra details (e.g., due date, assignee, priority, labels, files, progress, rating, etc.) for each task in your project
- Multiple views: Plan and visualize project progress with the List, Kanban board, Calendar, Gantt, Timeline views, and more
- ClickApps: Unlock extra functionality for your workspace, like time tracking, work-in-progress limits, automated sprints, and sprint points
- Dashboards: Build these using customizable widgets to get a bird’s eye view of your project progress and performance 📈
- Team reports: Gain in-depth insights into project and team performance so you can identify bottlenecks, optimize workflows, and enhance collaborative work management
That’s not all. ClickUp offers powerful collaboration tools like comments, chat, email, and whiteboards. You can also create and collaborate on company wikis and knowledge bases inside ClickUp Docs, and make them accessible to everyone on your team.
The best part is that you can use ClickUp anywhere—on the web, on your Android or iOS device, and even on desktop apps for Windows, Mac, or Linux.
ClickUp best features
- Add unlimited users and tasks on the generous free plan
- Assign tasks to multiple team members across departments like marketing and software development
- Eliminate tedious and repetitive tasks with ClickUp automations to speed up the project management phase
- Use ClickUp Forms to gather client inquiries and customer feedback—ideal for software development teams looking for bug tracking
- Stay on top of important updates with granular notification settings
- Gather feedback from your team with the proofing feature for screenshots, videos, and PDFs
- Use ClickUp AI in task descriptions, comments, and Docs to quickly generate written content
- Mention tasks and team members, record audio and screen clips, and assign comments to a team member with the powerful comments feature
- Get your project up and running with a project management template, one of the 1,000+ ClickUp templates available
ClickUp limitations
- It might feel a bit overwhelming for new users
- Some users have said it’s a little slow at times (but not with ClickUp 3.0)
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (8,200+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (3,700+ reviews)
2. Aha!
Aha! is like a Swiss army knife for managing complex product development projects. It’s made up of a suite of tools: Roadmaps for strategy and planning, Ideas for gathering customer feedback, Notebooks for team collaboration, and Develop for sprints or agile project management.
In comparison to Linear, Aha! provides a much broader feature set that goes beyond a project management tool with issue and bug tracking, backlogs, and workflow management. And as a result, it comes with a heftier price tag.
It’s like choosing between a simple toolbox and a full-blown workshop—both are useful, but one offers a lot more at a higher cost. 💸
Aha! best features
- Helpful and responsive customer support
- Create roadmap presentations with live product details
- Collaborate with your team on notes and whiteboards
- Set business goals and KPIs, and track your progress with dashboards and reports
- Gather ideas from customers, and automatically keep them informed with updates
- 30+ integrations with popular tools like Azure DevOps, Salesforce, and Zendesk
Aha! limitations
- No free plan
- Expensive plans for startups and small businesses
- Complicated setup and steep learning curve for new users
Aha! pricing
- Aha Roadmaps (includes Ideas Essentials & Notebooks Essentials): Starts at $59/month per user
- Aha Ideas: Starts at $39/month per user
- Aha Notebooks: Starts at $9/month per user
- Aha Develop: Starts at $9/month per user
Aha ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (230+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (500+ reviews)
Learn about the best developer tools for Mac users!
3. Hive
Hive is an agile project management tool for small teams who want a perfect mix of user-friendliness and a rich feature set. Its features include multiple project views, workflow automations, communication tools, and file sharing.
Additionally, Hive integrates with 1,000+ external apps, ensuring that it can seamlessly fit into your company’s tech stack for truly agile software teams. While Linear is focused on the software development process, Hive’s features offer greater flexibility in managing a diverse range of workflows and business processes.
Hive best features
- Use Focus mode to mute all notifications
- Native time tracking and timesheet reporting features
- Has Kanban, Gantt, Table, Calendar, and Portfolio views for project planning and tracking
- Use Hivemind (Hive’s AI tool) to brainstorm ideas, generate, edit, and translate content
- Collaborate with your team via individual and group chats, video chats, and Hive notes
Hive limitations
- Basic mobile app functionality
- It can be slow and glitchy at times
Hive pricing
- Free plan
- Teams: $18/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
Hive ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (440+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (180+ reviews)
4. ProofHub
Similar to Hive, ProofHub is another “all-in-one” Linear alternative for teams of any size across various departments. It has four main project views—Board, Table, Gantt, and Calendar—to help you visualize projects based on your needs and preferences. It’s very easy to use (even for non-tech-savvy users) and has key project management functionality to cover most of your needs.
Consider using ProofHub if Linear’s development-centered and agile project management design isn’t a priority and you don’t rely heavily on developer tools like GitHub and GitLab.
ProofHub best features
- Use timesheets to track time spent on project tasks
- Good bug-tracking software to ensure issues aren’t missed
- Use the announcements feature to schedule and share major updates with your team
- Flat-rate pricing can be cost-effective for teams with more than 10 members
- Manage access and control within your workspace with custom roles and permissions
- Supports 11 languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, and Italian
ProofHub limitations
- No free plan
- The mobile app can be slow and laggy compared to other project management software
- No granular control over your notifications to efficiently manage projects
- There are currently only eight integrations—Slack, Box, Dropbox, Google Calendar (and iCal), Google Drive, OneDrive, FreshBooks, and QuickBooks
ProofHub pricing
- Essential: $50/month
- Ultimate control: $99/month
ProofHub ratings and reviews:
- G2: 4.5/5 (80+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (80+ reviews)
5. Todoist
Todoist is a popular productivity tool designed for individuals and small teams looking to manage simple projects and stay on top of deadlines. While Linear’s features are team-focused, Todoist is centered around personal productivity.
Todoist’s strength lies in its simplicity and ease of use. You can quickly create projects, assign tasks, set priorities and deadlines, schedule reminders, and label tasks for better organization.
However, it falls short for cross-functional teams in need of robust project and task management features.
Todoist best features
- Web-based collaboration tool works well on all devices
- Convert Gmail and Outlook emails into tasks
- Set recurring due dates with natural language (e.g., every Monday @ 10 a.m.)
- 80+ integrations with tools like Google Calendar, Microsoft Teams, and Slack
- You can invite up to 25 collaborators on the Pro plan (and up to 50 on Business) for free
Todoist limitations
- Limited project views for cross-functional agile teams
- Reminder feature is unavailable on the free plan
- The largest file size you can upload is 100MB
Todoist pricing
- Free plan
- Pro: $5/month (for single users)
- Business: $8/month per user (for teams)
Todoist ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (750+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (2,200+ reviews)
6. Asana
Asana is a versatile project management system that helps teams plan and organize their work, big or small. It has plenty of features to make task management easier.
You can assign tasks, set due dates, and track project timelines. You can also view projects with its list, board, timeline, and calendar views.
Unlike Linear, it isn’t just for tech teams—it’s flexible enough to be used by any team, in any industry.
Asana best features
- Very easy to setup and navigate
- Accessible on desktop and mobile apps
- Use rules feature to automate repetitive tasks
- Has a portfolio view to visualize all projects at a glance
- Create custom templates to quickly get started on new projects
- 200+ integrations with tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Zoom
Asana limitations
- Max file upload size is 100MB
- Can’t assign tasks to multiple people
- May slow down with larger projects
Asana pricing
- Free plan
- Premium: $10.99/month per user
- Business: $24.99/month per user
Asana ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (9,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (10,000+ reviews)
Bonus: Want to see the full breakdown? Check out our comparison of Linear vs Asana.
7. ProductPlan
ProductPlan is a roadmapping tool designed specifically for product managers. It allows you to plan and visualize product roadmaps with its timeline and list (aka Kanban) views. ProductPlan’s standout feature is its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, which makes organizing and adjusting roadmap items effortless.
ProductPlan best features
- Add unlimited viewers for free across all plans
- Store product ideas in the parked section for future implementation
- Use the built-in scoring model to prioritize features to implement
- Share roadmaps with stakeholders via secure private links or export via images, spreadsheets, or PDF
ProductPlan limitations
- No free plan (14-day trial available)
- Only 10 integrations—Zapier, Vimeo, MS Teams, Confluence, GitHub, Trello, Azure DevOps, PivotalTracker, Slack, and Jira
ProductPlan pricing
- Basic: $39/month per editor
- Professional: $69/month per editor
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
ProductPlan ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (149 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (54 reviews)
8. Jira
Jira, developed by Atlassian, started as an issue-tracking solution for software teams in 2002. Today, it’s widely used across tech and non-tech departments to plan and track various agile projects.
While Linear focuses on simplicity and speed with its limited feature set, Jira stands out by offering extensive customization and features that can adapt to different workflow complexities.
Jira best features
- Purposely built to meet the needs of agile teams
- Extensive, customizable, and scalable feature set
- Developer-friendly reports for tracking sprints and issues in real time
- Free plan allows for unlimited project boards with up to 2GB of storage
- Easily integrates with other Atlassian products like BitBucket and Confluence
Jira limitations
- Complex setup and interface can overwhelm new users
- It can get slow and laggy at times
- Limited collaboration features
Jira pricing
- Free plan
- Standard: $7.75/month per user
- Premium: $15.25/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
Jira ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (5,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (13,000+ reviews)
9. Sunsama
Sunsama is a simple daily planner designed for busy individuals looking to stay organized and maximize their productivity. It helps you plan your day effectively and focus on the tasks that matter. Plus, it syncs with popular apps like Google Calendar, Slack, Todoist, ClickUp, and Trello, allowing you to pull in tasks and schedule your work from various sources.
Sunsama best features
- Aesthetic and user-friendly interface
- Set daily and weekly goals, which you can link to your to-do list
- Turn emails (from Gmail and Outlook) and Slack messages into tasks
- Use focus mode to work on one task at a time and track the time you spend on it
Sunsama limitations
- Limited integrations
- No free plan (but 14-day trial available)
- Price point is high for a daily planner
Sunsama pricing
- Monthly Subscription: $20/month
- Yearly Subscription: $16/month
Sunsama ratings and reviews
- G2: No reviews
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (20 reviews)
10. Trello
Trello provides an easy way for teams to manage projects using Kanban and Scrum boards. If you prefer traditional project management techniques like kanban, Trello is great because you can quickly see the status of tasks and how the project is progressing. Plus, it’s quick to set up for your whole team.
However, it might not be the best for project development or more complicated projects.
Trello best features
- Free plan allows for 10 boards, unlimited cards, and storage
- Extensive integrations with apps like Slack, Miro, and Dropbox
- Handy keyboard shortcuts to quickly move around your workspace
- Use the voting feature to gather feedback and approvals from your team
Trello limitations
- Limited project views
- Can’t handle complex projects
- File upload size limited to 10MB on the free plan
Trello pricing
- Free plan
- Standard: $5/month per user
- Premium: $10/month per user
- Enterprise: $17.50/month per user
Trello ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (13,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (22,000+ reviews)
Summarize this article for me pleasePick Your Winning Linear Alternative to Streamline Your Workflow
If Linear’s features leave you wanting more, it’s worth considering these 10 Linear alternatives to see which of them best fits your needs.
Still unsure which of the tools to go with? Give ClickUp a try. It’s packed with advanced features in a modern and intuitive interface for seamless project execution—and you can get access to all of these on ClickUp’s free plan! 🤯
So, why wait? Sign up for ClickUp’s free forever plan today.
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
