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Jira vs Linear
Jira and Linear compared on real per-seat cost, setup time, and fit. Jira for configurable enterprise workflows, Linear for fast-moving engineering teams.
Pricing verified August 2026 · updated for 2026
The verdict
Both are built for software teams, and the split is about process weight. Pick Jira if your delivery needs custom issue types, multi-project schemes and granular permissions, and someone owns the configuration. Pick Linear if you want speed and opinionated defaults and everyone touching it is an engineer. Jira scales into complexity; Linear refuses to.
What each one costs
List prices, pulled from each vendor's own pricing page and re-checked August 2026.
Jira
$7.91/seat/mo on Standard (billed monthly)
Free tier. Up to 10 users, 2 GB storage, unlimited boards and reports.
Watch out. Annual pricing is banded by user count rather than charged per seat, so crossing a band boundary can cost more than the seats you added.
Full Jira pricing breakdown →Linear
$10/seat/mo on Basic (billed annually)
Free tier. Unlimited members, but capped at 250 issues, 2 teams and 10 MB uploads.
Watch out. Month-to-month per-seat rates are not published; the pricing page lists annual only. AI features draw down separately billed credits on top of the seat price.
Full Linear pricing breakdown →Jira vs Linear, side by side
| Jira | Linear | |
|---|---|---|
| Headline price | $7.91/seat/mo on Standard (billed monthly) | $10/seat/mo on Basic (billed annually) |
| Free plan | Up to 10 users, 2 GB storage, unlimited boards and reports. | Unlimited members, but capped at 250 issues, 2 teams and 10 MB uploads. |
| Setup time | Hours to days. A usable instance means deciding on workflows, issue types, screens and permission schemes, or inheriting someone else's and untangling them. | Minutes. Opinionated defaults mean there is little to configure before you start. |
| Learning curve | Steep. Most teams need someone whose job includes administering Jira. | Low for engineers, higher for anyone who does not already think in issues and cycles. |
| Best built for | Large software organisations running formal sprints, structured issue types and release trains. | Software teams that value speed and strong defaults over configurability, where everyone touching the tool is an engineer. |
| Views included | Board, backlog, sprint and timeline, plus JQL-driven custom filters and dashboards. | Issues, cycles, projects and a roadmap. No spreadsheet grid or Gantt-style timeline. |
| The catch | Annual pricing is banded by user count rather than charged per seat, so crossing a band boundary can cost more than the seats you added. | Month-to-month per-seat rates are not published; the pricing page lists annual only. AI features draw down separately billed credits on top of the seat price. |
Which should you pick?
Choose Jira if…
You run formal software delivery — sprints, structured issue types, release trains — and you have someone whose job includes administering Jira. It is a genuinely deep tool and the depth is the point. If nobody owns the configuration, that depth becomes the cost.
Choose Linear if…
You are a software team that values speed and opinionated defaults over configurability, and everyone touching the tool is an engineer. Linear is excellent at what it does. It is a poor fit the moment non-engineers need to live in it.
A third option
If neither quite fits
If the honest answer is that your team is not really doing formal software delivery and needs neither tool's depth, a lighter workspace like Magnifi covers boards, backlogs, sprints and timelines at $3 a seat, free up to 5, with a two-minute setup. It is not an issue tracker for a 200-engineer org. It is the everyday core most small teams actually use.
Free for teams up to 5 · $3/seat/month after
Jira vs Linear: common questions
Is Linear cheaper than Jira?
At list price they are close. Linear Basic is $10 per user per month billed annually; Jira Standard is $7.91 billed monthly. Jira's Free plan covers 10 users; Linear's free tier is capped at 250 issues rather than seats, so which is cheaper depends on whether you are limited by people or by volume of work.
Is Linear better than Jira?
For a pure engineering team that values speed, most people find Linear more pleasant to use day to day. For an organisation that needs configurable workflows across many teams, Jira does things Linear deliberately will not.
Can non-engineers use Jira or Linear?
Neither fits non-engineers well. Jira can be configured for other teams but rarely is; Linear is built around issues and cycles and does not try. If designers, marketers or operations need to live in the tool, look at a general work-management tool instead.
Do Jira and Linear have free plans?
Yes, both. Jira is free up to 10 users. Linear is free with unlimited members but stops at 250 issues total and 2 teams.
Should I switch from Jira to Linear?
Only if your process is simpler than your Jira setup implies. Teams that move and stay happy were usually not using Jira's depth. Teams that rely on schemes, JQL or Marketplace apps tend to regret it.
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