Asana is a comprehensive work management platform excelling in large team collaboration with extensive customization, while Linear is a streamlined issue tracking tool purpose-built for software development teams prioritizing speed and simplicity. Linear's database-first architecture delivers 3-5x faster performance for developers, whereas Asana's flexibility supports diverse workflows across departments.
Asana vs Linear — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Intuitive project management platform for teams across all departments
Modern, lightweight project management tool designed for software development teams emphasizing speed and simplicity.
Primary Use Case. Performance (Page Load Time). Team Size Sweet Spot. Custom Fields Available. Learning Curve (hours to proficiency). Base Price Per User/Month. API Rate Limits (requests/minute)
Choose Asana if you need to manage complex workflows across multiple departments, require deep customization, or work with non-technical teams—its flexibility and robust reporting justify the learning curve and higher cost. Choose Linear if your team is engineering-focused, values developer experience and speed as critical factors, or needs intuitive issue tracking with minimal onboarding time and lower total cost of ownership.
Starting Monthly Cost (per user, annual)
Asana: Native with timeline view, dependencies, and milestones | Linear: N/A
Asana: AI Teammates, AI Studio | Linear: N/A
Asana: Yes, basic timeline | Linear: N/A
Base Monthly Price (Individual/Starter Plan)
Asana: Included (no add-on) | Linear: N/A
Asana: 4 stars (AI Studio, smart projects, rules, summaries) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Zapier integrations (third-party dependent) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Gentle (intuitive, optimized for ease) | Linear: N/A
Asana: No (requires separate tool or integration) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Yes (enhanced Jan 2026 update) | Linear: N/A
Annual Cost for Full Stack (Single User with AI)
Asana: $131.88 (base only, AI included) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Dedicated Project Management | Linear: N/A
Asana: Basic task tracking | Linear: N/A
Asana: Limited native integrations | Linear: N/A
Asana: $24.99/user/month (Advanced) | Linear: N/A
Asana: $14,994 (Advanced plan) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Yes, native Goals feature | Linear: N/A
Asana: Standard views (limited color coding) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Project management platform | Linear: N/A
Asana: Limited, requires integration | Linear: N/A
Asana: AI Teammates, AI Studio, native automation (2026) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Optimal for 50+ users | Linear: N/A
Asana: 4+ (List, Board, Timeline, Calendar, Kanban) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Via Everhour (#3 marketplace app) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Advanced role-based controls (2026 upgrade) | Linear: N/A
Asana: $10.99 (Teams plan minimum) | Linear: $10/month (Team)
Asana: Advanced (blocks, predecessors, critical path) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Limited (basic notes, no wiki) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Yes (automatic scheduling, drag-and-drop) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Moderate (template-based, limited customization) | Linear: N/A
Asana: 15 (free tier limit) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Built-in (shows team utilization and resource allocation) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Basic URL linking | Linear: Native commits, PRs, code review
Asana: 2.5-3.5 seconds | Linear: 0.5-1.0 seconds
Asana: Unlimited custom fields and automations | Linear: Limited to preset field types
Asana: 40+ multi-functional team | Linear: 5-50
Asana: 70-75% in tech teams | Linear: 95%+ in dev teams
Asana: $10.99 (annual billing) | Linear: N/A
Asana: 100 requests/second (enterprise) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Free plan; Paid from $10.99 | Linear: N/A
Asana: Unlimited for up to 15 team members | Linear: N/A
Asana: Full native support with dependencies | Linear: N/A
Asana: Limited custom field options | Linear: N/A
Asana: 100 requests per minute | Linear: N/A
Asana: Native rules engine with 50+ trigger/action combinations | Linear: N/A
Asana: 200+ official templates | Linear: N/A
Asana: Dedicated portfolio module with budget tracking | Linear: N/A
Starting Monthly Price (Per User/Workspace)
Asana: Business+ plan ($24.99/user/month) | Linear: N/A
Asana: 200+ | Linear: 100+ integrations including native GitHub/GitLab
iOS & Android App Quality Rating (App Store/Google Play)
Asana: Yes, with dependencies | Linear: N/A
Asana: Yes, with custom reports | Linear: N/A
Asana: Yes, dedicated workload view | Linear: N/A
Asana: Add-on cost: $10+/user/month | Linear: N/A
Asana: $13.49 (Asana Essentials, annual) | Linear: N/A
Asana: $36.49 (Asana Premium, annual) | Linear: N/A
Asana: 70+ advanced automation rules | Linear: N/A
Asana: 8 hours for core features | Linear: N/A
Asana: Advanced Gantt with dependencies, critical path, resource leveling | Linear: N/A
Asana: Predefined field types; limited relational database functionality | Linear: N/A
Asana: 1,000+ total, 100+ native (Slack, Teams, GitHub, Jira) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Unlimited for tasks; attachment limits per file type | Linear: N/A
Base Monthly Cost Per User (Annual Billing)
Asana: Built-in workload view shows team capacity and allocations | Linear: N/A
Asana: Not available - limited to predefined structures | Linear: N/A
Asana: Advanced rules: auto-assignments, status changes, notifications | Linear: N/A
Asana: 100+ integrations | Linear: 50+ native integrations
Asana: Unlimited custom fields | Linear: 20 predefined fields
Asana: 1,500 req/min | Linear: 5,000 req/min
Asana: 8 main shortcuts | Linear: 50+ shortcuts
Asana: 5-500+ employees | Linear: 3-150 developers
Time to First Productivity (Learning Curve)
Asana: $10.99 (Starter Plan) | Linear: N/A
Asana: 95% - Native, dependency mapping, milestones | Linear: N/A
Asana: 30% - Basic custom fields, limited relations | Linear: N/A
Asana: 3-5 days for core features | Linear: N/A
Asana: 5 views (List, Board, Timeline, Calendar, Dashboard) | Linear: N/A
Asana: 4.7 stars (87,000+ reviews) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Up to 15 team members, limited views | Linear: N/A
Asana: Native automation + 500+ integrations | Linear: N/A
Asana: 5 views (List, Board, Timeline, Calendar, Table) | Linear: N/A
Asana: iOS, Android (limited features) | Linear: N/A
Asana: Custom dashboards, workload analytics, portfolio-level reporting | Linear: N/A
Asana: Yes (Advanced Timeline view) | Linear: Basic timeline view only
Asana: N/A | Linear: 5-150 (engineering-focused)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Basic (Scrum/Kanban)
Asana: N/A | Linear: 2-4 hours to productive state
Asana: N/A | Linear: Minimal - links to external docs preferred
Asana: N/A | Linear: 50+ native integrations
Asana: N/A | Linear: 5 core views (list, board, calendar, kanban, table)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Unlimited - scales to enterprise
Asana: N/A | Linear: Native GitHub/GitLab sync with PR linking
Asana: N/A | Linear: Full sprint cycles with burndown charts
Asana: N/A | Linear: Full blocking relationship tracking
Asana: N/A | Linear: N/A (not applicable)
Asana: N/A | Linear: No (external tools required)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Native first-class support
Asana: N/A | Linear: Unlimited custom workflows
Asana: N/A | Linear: Moderate (predefined flows)
Asana: N/A | Linear: 120ms (optimized UI)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Thousands of startups and engineering teams
Asana: N/A | Linear: Very fast (<1 second typical)
Asana: N/A | Linear: 50+ (GitHub, GitLab, Slack, etc.)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Issue tracking & dev project management
Asana: N/A | Linear: 1-2 days to productive
Asana: N/A | Linear: Native iOS/Android, well-optimized
Asana: N/A | Linear: SSO, advanced permissions, audit logs
Asana: N/A | Linear: $100 (Standard team plan)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Yes (up to 10 issues/month)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Native with timelines & milestones
Asana: N/A | Linear: Robust public/private API
Asana: N/A | Linear: Advanced with full customization
Asana: N/A | Linear: AI-powered summarization, triage, automation
Asana: N/A | Linear: $100 (Standard plan)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Native sync built-in
Asana: N/A | Linear: ~50 standard automations
Asana: N/A | Linear: 3 views (board, list, views)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Yes - Enterprise plan
Asana: N/A | Linear: Excellent - API-first approach
Asana: N/A | Linear: Custom per-user pricing
Asana: N/A | Linear: Limited AI capabilities
Asana: N/A | Linear: Engineering & dev teams
Asana: N/A | Linear: Established (5+ years)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Available for small teams
Asana: N/A | Linear: Deep developer tool integrations
Asana: N/A | Linear: $50/month (5 users minimum)
Asana: N/A | Linear: $250/month (25 users × $10)
Asana: N/A | Linear: <50ms (sub-millisecond)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Comments and mentions only; requires external chat
Asana: N/A | Linear: Limited (paid add-on)
Asana: N/A | Linear: 120+ shortcuts with command palette
Asana: N/A | Linear: $150-200/month (at $15-20 per user)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Unlimited custom statuses
Asana: N/A | Linear: Yes, automatic issue sync
Asana: N/A | Linear: Advanced (50+ rule combinations)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Bi-directional + slash commands
Asana: N/A | Linear: Extensive (50+ shortcuts)
Monthly Cost per User (Annual Commitment)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Two-way sync with auto-close
Asana: N/A | Linear: 10,000 requests/month
Asana: N/A | Linear: iOS & Android with full features
Max Database Items Before Performance Degradation
Asana: N/A | Linear: Movement along single axis (x only, or parametric t)
Typical Grade Level Introduction (US Education)
Computational Complexity for Standard Operations
Asana: N/A | Linear: O(1) - constant time for most calculations
Asana: N/A | Linear: 2 parameters (slope and y-intercept, or two points)
Number of Independent Variables in Standard Equation
Asana: N/A | Linear: 2 variables (x and y)
Practical Applications in Modern Technology
Asana: N/A | Linear: Linear regression models, trend analysis, machine learning (linear classifiers), signal processing
Intersection Outcomes with Same Type Objects
Asana: N/A | Linear: 3 outcomes: 1 point, parallel (0 points), or identical
Asana: N/A | Linear: Advanced (live cursors, mentions, instant sync)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Native bidirectional sync with automatic workflows
Asana: N/A | Linear: 4-6 hours (8+ for non-technical users)
Asana: N/A | Linear: 5-500+ person organizations (scales well with size)
Asana: N/A | Linear: iOS and Android (online-dependent)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Unlimited custom fields
Asana: N/A | Linear: Webhook-based, requires setup
Asana: N/A | Linear: Yes (native cycles)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Advanced (triage, auto-assign, status triggers)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Limited (no free tier)
Asana: N/A | Linear: 4 (cycles, epics, issues, sub-issues)
Asana: N/A | Linear: GraphQL (modern, flexible)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Saved views, complex filters, custom queries
Asana: N/A | Linear: 100+ shortcuts available
Asana: N/A | Linear: Limited offline support
Asana: N/A | Linear: $8/user/month (Pro plan)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Core issue tracking, unlimited issues, read-only cycles
Asana: N/A | Linear: Basic (limited field types, simple automation)
Asana: N/A | Linear: Native (first-class GitHub citizen, PR linking)
Asana vs Linear — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Asana vs Linear. Contains 290 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Asana vs Linear — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Asana vs Linear.
Which tool is better for engineering teams?
Linear is purpose-built for engineering with 0.4-second page loads, GitHub/GitLab integration, keyboard shortcuts, and cycle management. Asana serves engineering but requires more setup. 87% of developer-focused teams prefer Linear for its speed and minimal friction (2024 G2 reviews).
Can I use Asana for software development tracking?
Yes, Asana can track development work with custom fields and automation. However, it lacks native GitHub sync and keyboard-centric UX. Teams typically use Linear for development and Asana for broader project/product management across non-technical departments.
Linear costs $7/user/month (Team plan) vs Asana's $13.49/user/month—a 48% savings. For a 20-person team, that's $1,699/year difference. Linear's unlimited projects at all tiers add to the cost advantage for growing teams.
Asana offers native iOS/Android apps with offline support. Linear has a responsive web app but no dedicated mobile apps. For teams needing extensive mobile work, Asana is superior; for desk-based development, Linear's web experience is sufficient.
Yes, but migration requires mapping Asana projects to Linear issues since they have different data models. Asana has portfolio-level views Linear lacks. Most migration tools exist (Zapier, custom scripts), though Linear's simpler structure means some Asana customization will be lost. Plan 1-2 weeks for a 500+ issue migration.
Primary Use Case: Asana has General work management (all departments), while Linear has Software development issue tracking.
Performance (Page Load Time): Asana has 2.1 seconds average, while Linear has 0.4 seconds average.
Team Size Sweet Spot: Asana has 5-500+ employees, while Linear has 3-150 developers.
Custom Fields Available: Asana has Unlimited, while Linear has 20 built-in fields.
Consider: Learning Curve (hours to proficiency)
Learning Curve (hours to proficiency): Asana has 12-20 hours, while Linear has 2-4 hours.
Base Price Per User/Month: Asana has $13.49, while Linear has $7.00.
Consider: API Rate Limits (requests/minute)
API Rate Limits (requests/minute): Asana has 1,500, while Linear has 5,000.