Linear is a specialized issue tracking and product development tool with real-time collaboration and developer-focused workflows, while Basecamp is a general-purpose project management and team communication platform emphasizing simplicity and all-in-one functionality. Linear excels for engineering teams managing complex workflows, whereas Basecamp suits small-to-medium teams preferring an integrated communication hub.
Basecamp vs Linear — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
All-in-one project management and team communication platform with simple, visual workflows.
Developer-first issue tracking and product management platform with powerful automation and GitHub integration.
Primary Use Case. Real-Time Collaboration Features. API Capability & Integrations. Pricing Model (Base Tier Annual). Learning Curve & Onboarding. GitHub/GitLab Integration Depth. Team Size Sweet Spot
Choose Basecamp if you run a non-technical team or small business that values simplicity, all-in-one communication, and a flat-rate pricing model without worrying about per-seat costs. Choose Linear if you're an engineering or product team needing advanced issue tracking, powerful API integrations, GitHub/GitLab workflows, and real-time collaboration built specifically for modern development practices.
Basecamp: $99 (unlimited users) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: Basic task automation only | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: Optimal for under 50 users | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: 2 (Kanban, List) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: Basic admin controls | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: 3 views (To-Do Lists, Message Boards, Schedule) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: ~50 integrations | Linear: 200+ integrations
Basecamp: 30-60 minutes to start using | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: Basic progress tracking within individual projects only | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: Message boards and real-time updates as primary hub | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: Basic (simple task assignments, status updates) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: Mobile-optimized interface with core features (2024-2026 updates) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: 2-20 users; suited for small teams | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: $1,470-3,675 (per user plan) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: 0.3-0.5 weeks (1-2 days) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: 3 (To-Do, Message Board, Schedule) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: 30 days (no credit card required) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: $299 (flat-rate for unlimited users) | Linear: $100 (Standard plan)
Basecamp: $299 (unlimited users) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: Message boards, campfire chats, built-in messaging | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: Low (focused on simplicity) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: $349 (unlimited users) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: Yes - messaging, discussions, announcements | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: ~50-100 integrations | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: Native with task dependencies | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: 20-200+ users | Linear: 10-500+ developers
Basecamp: High - comprehensive feature set | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: $99/month (unlimited users) | Linear: $50/month (5 users minimum)
Basecamp: $99/month (flat rate) | Linear: $250/month (25 users × $10)
Basecamp: 25 minutes | Linear: 90 minutes
Basecamp: 500-2000ms typical | Linear: <50ms (sub-millisecond)
Basecamp: 500GB included | Linear: Limited (paid add-on)
Basecamp: 20 shortcuts | Linear: 120+ shortcuts with command palette
Basecamp: 3 (text, checkbox, date) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: Message boards, DMs, comments, announcements | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: Basic (task assignment, reminders only) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: 3 (List, Board, Calendar) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: Unlimited (all messages searchable) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: Yes (to-do lists, schedules, message boards) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: 1,000-3,000ms (batch updates) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: 100GB per account | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: $99 flat (unlimited users) | Linear: $10
Basecamp: Flat rate after 1 user | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: Yes: to-do lists, timelines, milestones, dependencies | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: 3 million+ (2024 estimate) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: $99/month (flat) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: $299/month (flat) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: 5 (chat, threads, message boards, pings, notifications) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: 0 (no native databases) | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: 85% of desktop features | Linear: N/A
Basecamp: $99/month | Linear: $150-200/month (at $15-20 per user)
Basecamp: ~25 major integrations | Linear: 100+ integrations including native GitHub/GitLab
Basecamp: Basic (comments and threads only) | Linear: Advanced (live cursors, mentions, instant sync)
Basecamp: Webhooks only; manual setup required | Linear: Native bidirectional sync with automatic workflows
Basecamp: 2-3 hours | Linear: 4-6 hours (8+ for non-technical users)
Basecamp: Message boards, notifications, email integration | Linear: Comments and mentions only; requires external chat
Basecamp: 5-50 person teams optimal | Linear: 5-500+ person organizations (scales well with size)
Basecamp: iOS and Android with offline support | Linear: iOS and Android (online-dependent)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Basic (Scrum/Kanban)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Excellent (Fast)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Via Everhour API
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: $10/month (Team)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: 2-4 hours to productive state
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Minimal - links to external docs preferred
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: 50+ native integrations
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: 5 core views (list, board, calendar, kanban, table)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Unlimited - scales to enterprise
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Native commits, PRs, code review
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Limited to preset field types
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: 95%+ in dev teams
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Basic timeline view only
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Manual entry only
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Native GitHub/GitLab sync with PR linking
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Full sprint cycles with burndown charts
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Full blocking relationship tracking
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: 20+ integrations
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: N/A (not applicable)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: No (external tools required)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Native first-class support
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Unlimited custom workflows
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Moderate (predefined flows)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: 120ms (optimized UI)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Thousands of startups and engineering teams
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Very fast (<1 second typical)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: 50+ (GitHub, GitLab, Slack, etc.)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Issue tracking & dev project management
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: 1-2 days to productive
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Native iOS/Android, well-optimized
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: SSO, advanced permissions, audit logs
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: $100 (Standard team plan)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Yes (up to 10 issues/month)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Native with timelines & milestones
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Robust public/private API
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Advanced with full customization
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: AI-powered summarization, triage, automation
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: ~$100 team plans
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Native sync built-in
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: ~50 standard automations
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: 3 views (board, list, views)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Yes - Enterprise plan
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Excellent - API-first approach
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: $100 (Standard plan)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Custom per-user pricing
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Limited AI capabilities
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Engineering & dev teams
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Established (5+ years)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Available for small teams
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Deep developer tool integrations
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Unlimited custom statuses
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Yes, automatic issue sync
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Advanced (50+ rule combinations)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: 5-500+ optimized
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Bi-directional + slash commands
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Extensive (50+ shortcuts)
Monthly Cost per User (Annual Commitment)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Two-way sync with auto-close
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: 2 (Table, Board)
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: 10,000 requests/month
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: iOS & Android (native)
Max Database Items Before Performance Degradation
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Movement along single axis (x only, or parametric t)
Typical Grade Level Introduction (US Education)
Computational Complexity for Standard Operations
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: O(1) - constant time for most calculations
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: 2 parameters (slope and y-intercept, or two points)
Number of Independent Variables in Standard Equation
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: 2 variables (x and y)
Practical Applications in Modern Technology
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: Linear regression models, trend analysis, machine learning (linear classifiers), signal processing
Intersection Outcomes with Same Type Objects
Basecamp: N/A | Linear: 3 outcomes: 1 point, parallel (0 points), or identical
How to choose between Basecamp and Linear
Basecamp vs Linear — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Basecamp vs Linear. Contains 186 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Basecamp vs Linear — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Basecamp vs Linear.
Which is better for a remote engineering team?
Linear is better for engineering teams because it offers native GitHub/GitLab integration, real-time collaboration with live cursors, and developer-optimized workflows. Basecamp works for remote teams doing general project management, but lacks the specialized development features engineers need.
How do the pricing models compare for growing teams?
Basecamp's $99/month flat rate is cheaper for teams under 15 people, but becomes expensive relative to Linear as teams grow beyond 20 people (where Linear's per-user model becomes more economical). Linear scales better for large organizations. Neither offers volume discounts.
Can I use Basecamp for GitHub issue tracking?
Basecamp has no native GitHub integration—only basic webhooks. You'd need third-party tools like Zapier to create manual workflows. Linear integrates bidirectionally with GitHub natively, automatically creating issues from commits and syncing pull requests.
Basecamp's mobile app offers offline access to project data and full functionality, while Linear's mobile app requires online connection. For teams working offline or on poor connections, Basecamp is superior; otherwise, feature parity is similar.
Is Basecamp or Linear better for non-technical teams?
Basecamp is significantly better for non-technical teams due to its simpler UI, integrated communication tools, and faster onboarding (2-3 hours vs 4-6+ hours). Linear is specifically designed for developers and engineers, making it harder for general business users to adopt.
How to Choose Between Basecamp and Linear
Primary Use Case: Basecamp has General project management & team communication, while Linear has Issue tracking & product development workflows.
Consider: Real-Time Collaboration Features
Real-Time Collaboration Features: Basecamp has Basic message threads and comments, while Linear has Advanced real-time editing, mentions, and live cursors.
API Capability & Integrations: Basecamp has Limited third-party integrations (20-30 major tools), while Linear has Extensive developer API with 100+ native integrations.
Consider: Pricing Model (Base Tier Annual)
Pricing Model (Base Tier Annual): Basecamp has $99 USD/month flat rate (all users), while Linear has $10-20 USD/month per active user (tiered).
Learning Curve & Onboarding: Basecamp has 2-3 hours to full productivity for new teams, while Linear has 4-6 hours for non-technical teams; faster for engineers.
Consider: GitHub/GitLab Integration Depth
GitHub/GitLab Integration Depth: Basecamp has Basic webhooks only, while Linear has Native bidirectional sync with automatic issue creation.
Team Size Sweet Spot: Basecamp has 5-50 person teams, while Linear has 5-500+ person engineering organizations.