# Linear Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 Modern issue tracking and project management Category: Productivity · Free · Replaces Jira Premium ($14.54/month) · [Official website](https://linear.app) ## Install with Homebrew `brew install --cask linear` ## Quick take Linear in August 2026 is still the default modern issue tracker for product-engineering teams that value speed: Free for evaluation, Basic at $10, Business at $16, and a serious agent story on top. The Free 250-issue cap and annual paid billing are the main frictions. If you need Jira-level flexibility, look elsewhere. If you want low tracker latency and agents in the loop, Linear remains outstanding. Best for: Startup and scale-up engineering teams, Product teams that want keyboard-fast issue tracking, Orgs adopting agent-assisted triage and coding sessions, Teams migrating off slow Jira workflows ## What is Linear? Linear is a modern issue tracker and product delivery platform for software teams that prefer speed over endless configuration. It syncs data for a local-first feel, leans hard on keyboard workflows, and pairs issues with projects, cycles, initiatives, plus an expanding agent platform. As of August 2026 Linear reports trust from more than **40,000 companies** and keeps pushing AI: Linear Agent, triage intelligence, coding sessions, loops, and MCP access show up across marketing and CEO/COO updates. Some AI features are metered via **AI credits** instead of a flat AI seat tax. Pricing on linear.app/pricing (verified August 2026): - **Free, $0:** unlimited members, **2 teams**, **250 issues**, agent platform / Linear Agent entry points, 10MB file uploads. - **Basic, $10 per user/month** (billed yearly): **5 teams**, unlimited issues, unlimited uploads, admin roles. - **Business, $16 per user/month** (billed yearly): unlimited teams, private teams & guests, Triage Intelligence, Loops, Code Intelligence (beta), Insights, Asks, support integrations (Zendesk/Intercom). - **Enterprise, custom:** SAML/SCIM, advanced security/admin, invoice/PO, priority support, migration help. Older content that still says Standard $10 / Plus $15 is stale. The public ladder is Free / Basic / Business / Enterprise. Paid plans are shown as yearly billing on the marketing page; AI-heavy features may consume AI credits. On Mac, Linear's desktop and web clients feel at home on Apple Silicon. Competitors include **Jira**, **GitHub Issues**, **Height**, **Asana**, **Shortcut**, and newer agent-native trackers. The 2026 community story is less 'pretty Jira' and more 'issue tracker as software factory': agents file issues, triage queues, and open coding sessions from customer conversations. Honest take: if you are a product-engineering team that wants opinionated workflows and will pay $10-$16/user for speed, Linear is still best-in-class. If you need infinite workflow configuration, deep ITSM, or free unlimited issues at scale, Jira or GitHub may fit better. Watch the 250-issue Free cap; active teams hit it quickly. ## Features - **Fast Local-First Issue Tracking.** Linear's hallmark remains snappy navigation, instant search, and keyboard-first issue creation, the reason teams leave slower trackers. - **Projects, Cycles & Initiatives.** Structure work from roadmap initiatives down to cycle-based execution without Jira-level workflow archaeology. - **Agent Platform & Linear Agent.** Available even on Free for entry agent workflows. Business adds deeper intelligence (Triage Intelligence, Loops, coding sessions) with credit-based AI usage for some capabilities. - **GitHub/GitLab Sync & Diffs.** Keep PRs and issues aligned; review diffs and ship with less status theater. - **Triage, SLAs & Asks.** Route inbound work, apply triage rules, and on Business use Asks/intake from Slack/email/web forms for support-style queues. - **Insights and Reporting (Business+).** Linear Insights and dashboards for teams that outgrew spreadsheet status reports, without turning into full BI. - **Admin, SSO & Enterprise controls.** Basic adds admin roles; Enterprise adds SAML/SCIM, IP restrictions, audit logs, and advanced org modeling. - **Native Mac-Friendly Client.** Desktop/web UX tuned for keyboard users on macOS, including Apple Silicon machines common on modern engineering teams. - **Customer Requests & Integrations.** Capture customer requests and integrate chat/support tools so product work stays connected to revenue conversations. ## How to Install Linear Linear runs in the browser and also ships desktop and mobile clients. Pick the surface that matches how you work; most teams start on the web, then add the Mac app for a dedicated window. 1. **Access via Web Browser.** Open linear.app in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari. Linear is cloud-hosted, so web access needs no install and is available as soon as you sign in. 2. **Download Desktop Clients.** Download the native desktop app for macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon) or Windows when you want a dedicated window. Desktop clients often feel snappier and include offline-friendly behavior for short disconnects. 3. **Install Mobile Apps.** Install Linear from the Apple App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android) for triage on the go. Mobile clients cover core task management so you can review or reassign work away from a desk. ## Pros - Snappy local-first UI with very low perceived latency - Developer-first design that matches how engineering teams actually ship - Deep keyboard shortcuts for navigation, create, and updates without the mouse - Automation and agent workflows cut repetitive triage work - Solid integrations with GitHub, Slack, Figma, Sentry, Zendesk, and Intercom - Linear Agent, triage intelligence, loops, and related AI features on paid tiers - Cycles and Projects cover sprint execution without a second tool - Keyboard-first UX that feels native on Mac engineering laptops ## Cons - No built-in time tracking; you need a third-party integration - No native public roadmap; public visibility needs an external tool - Weaker fit for non-software teams than general-purpose PM tools - Less workflow customization than Jira-class systems - Primarily cloud-based; desktop apps help offline, but it is not a full offline-first product - Free plan capped at 250 issues and 2 teams - Paid tiers marketed with yearly billing ## Analysis: Linear's approach to modern software delivery Linear grew by rejecting the heavy issue-tracker template. It ships an opinionated, fast, developer-centered product instead of a configurable portal for every process. This section covers the product philosophy, how the cloud clients stay quick, the integration surface, and where the roadmap is heading in 2026. ## FAQ ### How much does Linear cost in 2026? Free is $0 with 2 teams and 250 issues. Basic is $10/user/month and Business is $16/user/month, both presented as billed yearly on Linear's pricing page. Enterprise is custom. ### What happened to Standard and Business plans? Public pricing now lists Free, Basic, Business, plus Enterprise. Older references to Standard ($10) and Plus ($15) are outdated naming and price points. ### Does Free really limit issues to 250? Yes. Free includes unlimited members but caps issues at 250 and teams at 2. Active startups often hit the issue cap first. ### What AI features does Linear include? Linear markets an agent platform and Linear Agent widely. Business adds Triage Intelligence, Loops, plus Code Intelligence. Some coding and agent automations require AI credits rather than unlimited flat AI. ### Is Linear good for non-engineering teams? It can work for design/product partners, but it is optimized for software delivery. Marketing-led orgs may prefer Asana/Monday-class tools. ### Linear vs Jira? Linear optimizes for speed and opinionated workflows; Jira optimizes for configurability and enterprise process. Teams leaving Jira cite performance and complexity; teams staying cite workflow depth and marketplace apps. ### Does Linear work well on Mac? Yes. Keyboard-first desktop/web clients are popular on Apple Silicon MacBooks used by engineering teams. ### Are paid plans monthly or yearly? The public pricing page emphasizes per-user/month prices billed yearly for Basic and Business. Confirm contract terms in-app before purchasing. ### What is Linear Asks? Business-tier intake tooling for bringing requests from Slack, email, or web forms into Linear with configuration per channel. ### Do AI credits expire? Linear's public messaging has emphasized clear token-based credits without monthly AI seat fees; read the current AI credits docs for expiry/rollover rules before budgeting. ## Sources - [Linear pricing](https://linear.app/pricing) - [Linear pricing overview 2026](https://lifestack.ai/blog/linear-pricing) - [Linear pricing closer look July 2026](https://www.usecarly.com/blog/linear-pricing/) - [Linear alternatives 2026](https://codegen.com/alternatives/linear/) - [Karri Saarinen on Linear agents (X)](https://x.com/karrisaarinen/status/2066811112809525753) - [Linear docs, assigning issues / agents](https://linear.app/docs/assigning-issues) - [Peter Yang on Linear agents](https://x.com/petergyang/status/2029580543248252956) ## Related - [Raycast](https://bundl.run/apps/raycast) - [Notion](https://bundl.run/apps/notion) - [Obsidian](https://bundl.run/apps/obsidian) - [Loom](https://bundl.run/apps/loom) - [Grammarly](https://bundl.run/apps/grammarly-desktop) - [Todoist](https://bundl.run/apps/todoist) - [Linear vs Jira](https://bundl.run/compare/linear-vs-jira) - [Linear vs Height](https://bundl.run/compare/height-vs-linear) - [Free alternative to Jira Premium](https://bundl.run/https:/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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