ClickUp is a comprehensive all-in-one workspace with 1000+ integrations and flexible customization, while Linear is a lightweight, developer-focused issue tracking tool built for speed with 10x faster performance metrics. ClickUp targets teams needing unified project management; Linear excels for engineering teams prioritizing velocity.
ClickUp vs Linear — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
All-in-one workspace combining project management, docs, CRM, and time tracking with 1000+ integrations.
Lightweight, developer-centric issue tracking platform optimized for speed and engineering team velocity.
Primary Use Case. Learning Curve. Integration Ecosystem. Pricing Model. Issue Tracking Performance. Free Tier Functionality. Team Size Focus
Choose ClickUp if you need a unified workspace replacing 5-10 different tools, want extensive customization, or manage cross-functional teams (product, marketing, ops). Choose Linear if you're an engineering-heavy organization prioritizing issue velocity, developer experience, and minimal onboarding time—Linear's speed and simplicity justify its higher per-user cost for code-focused teams.
ClickUp: Visual timelines & Gantt | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Customizable dashboards | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Native integration | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Kanban, Timeline, Map, Calendar, Board, List | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Small to mid-size teams | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 1,000+ integrations | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: AI summaries for tasks, smart automation suggestions, AI search | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Basic docs feature; secondary to task management | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 100+ advanced templates | Linear: N/A
Base Monthly Price (Individual/Starter Plan)
ClickUp: $14-$33 (optional add-on) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 5 stars (Brain: Enterprise Search, AI Notetaker, Autopilot) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 20+ integrated tools in workspace | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Steep (highly customizable, many features) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Yes (connects to task work directly) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Yes (with custom roles) | Linear: N/A
Annual Cost for Full Stack (Single User with AI)
ClickUp: $234-$410 (base + AI) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Yes, unlimited tasks but limited features | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Full-featured with most desktop functions | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 5/10 - Moderate curve | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 5/10 - Basic doc support | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: All-in-One Workspace | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Feature-Rich & Dense | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Yes (100 MB storage, unlimited tasks) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: $7/month (Teams) | Linear: $10/month (Team)
ClickUp: Yes, unlimited tasks | Linear: None
ClickUp: Via Zapier - third-party automation | Linear: Native first-class support
ClickUp: 16-40 hours for full setup and customization | Linear: 2-4 hours to productive state
ClickUp: Comprehensive - wiki, docs, and page builder included | Linear: Minimal - links to external docs preferred
ClickUp: 1000+ integrations via Zapier + 200+ native | Linear: 50+ native integrations
ClickUp: 8+ views (list, board, calendar, timeline, table, gantt, workload, map) | Linear: 5 core views (list, board, calendar, kanban, table)
ClickUp: Unlimited - scales to enterprise | Linear: Unlimited - scales to enterprise
ClickUp: 14-28 days (2-4 weeks optimal) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Tasks, docs, chat, time tracking, whiteboards, AI | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: High complexity (requires customization) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Baseline comparison | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: $99 (unlimited users) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 7+ views (List, Board, Calendar, Gantt, Timeline, Table, Whiteboards) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 4-8 hours for optimal configuration | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Advanced dashboards, burndown charts, custom metrics across projects | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Chat and threaded comments; separate from tasks | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Full-featured mobile app with most desktop capabilities | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 10+ users; scales to enterprise | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: $99 (unlimited included) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 10+ (List, Board, Calendar, Timeline, Gantt, Table, Workload, etc.) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 1000+ Zapier integrations + native automation builder | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Yes, generous | Linear: Yes (up to 10 issues/month)
ClickUp: Limited via webhooks | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: iOS, Android, native apps | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: List, board, timeline, calendar, table, gallery, custom | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: ClickUp Docs (full-featured) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: $0 (unlimited users, core features) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Yes (native feature) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 7+ (List, Board, Calendar, Timeline, Gantt, Docs, Whiteboard) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Chat, docs, tasks, and team collaboration | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 1,000+ including native connectors | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Built-in automations and workflow builder | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Free tier available | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: $9/month (Business plan) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 4.2/5 (45K reviews) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Yes, with timesheet reporting | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 200+ integrations | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: $5 (Free plan available) | Linear: $7.00
ClickUp: 15+ (List, Board, Calendar, Gantt, Timeline, Table, Workload, etc.) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: $5 (Team), $9 (Business) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Yes (all paid tiers) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 1,000+ native + Zapier | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: No, basic gantt only | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Yes, Enterprise tier only | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 200+ | Linear: 200+ integrations
ClickUp: 10+ (Kanban, Gantt, Calendar, Board, Table, List, Mind Map, Timeline) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: $9 (Free plan available) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Yes, with billable rates | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 15+ views (List, Board, Calendar, Gantt, etc.) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 150+ pre-built automations | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 4 types (one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many, rollups) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 8-12 hours to learn core features | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Yes (granular role-based access, audit logs) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Yes, timeline view | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 5-500 (SMB-Mid Market) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 15+ (list, board, calendar, gantt, workload, timeline, sheet, etc.) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Unlimited members | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Limited AI (search and basic summaries only) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Yes (with dependencies and critical path) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Task-based structure (limited relational querying) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 1000+ | Linear: 200+ integrations
ClickUp: Yes (with Business plan+) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Yes (ClickUp Docs) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: $5-$19 (tiered plan) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: $95-$190 (mid-tier plan) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: Native time tracking, estimates, Pomodoro timer included | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 4.3 stars (full-featured) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 5-10 hours of training required | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 7-10 days (due to complexity) | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: 60% parity with desktop | Linear: N/A
ClickUp: $5/user/month (Teams plan) | Linear: $8/user/month (Pro plan)
ClickUp: 2000-3000ms (complex workspaces) | Linear: 200-400ms
ClickUp: 120-240 minutes (2-4 hours with customization) | Linear: 5-10 minutes
ClickUp: 100+ features, unlimited tasks, 5GB storage | Linear: Core issue tracking, unlimited issues, read-only cycles
ClickUp: 20-500+ (cross-functional) | Linear: 5-150 (engineering-focused)
ClickUp: Extensive (40+ field types, complex automation workflows) | Linear: Basic (limited field types, simple automation)
ClickUp: Standard (2-way sync, but not native) | Linear: Native (first-class GitHub citizen, PR linking)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Basic (Scrum/Kanban)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Native commits, PRs, code review
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Limited to preset field types
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: 95%+ in dev teams
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Basic timeline view only
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Manual entry only
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Native GitHub/GitLab sync with PR linking
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Full sprint cycles with burndown charts
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Full blocking relationship tracking
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: N/A (not applicable)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: No (external tools required)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Unlimited custom workflows
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Moderate (predefined flows)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: 120ms (optimized UI)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Thousands of startups and engineering teams
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Very fast (<1 second typical)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: 50+ (GitHub, GitLab, Slack, etc.)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Issue tracking & dev project management
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: 1-2 days to productive
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Native iOS/Android, well-optimized
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: SSO, advanced permissions, audit logs
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: $100 (Standard team plan)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Native with timelines & milestones
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Robust public/private API
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: 10-500+ developers
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Advanced with full customization
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: AI-powered summarization, triage, automation
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: $100 (Standard plan)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Native sync built-in
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: ~50 standard automations
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: 3 views (board, list, views)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Yes - Enterprise plan
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Excellent - API-first approach
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Custom per-user pricing
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Limited AI capabilities
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Engineering & dev teams
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Established (5+ years)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Available for small teams
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Deep developer tool integrations
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: $50/month (5 users minimum)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: $250/month (25 users × $10)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: <50ms (sub-millisecond)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Comments and mentions only; requires external chat
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Limited (paid add-on)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: 120+ shortcuts with command palette
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: $150-200/month (at $15-20 per user)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Unlimited custom statuses
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Yes, automatic issue sync
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Advanced (50+ rule combinations)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Bi-directional + slash commands
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Extensive (50+ shortcuts)
Monthly Cost per User (Annual Commitment)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Two-way sync with auto-close
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: 100+ integrations including native GitHub/GitLab
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: 10,000 requests/month
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: iOS & Android with full features
Max Database Items Before Performance Degradation
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Movement along single axis (x only, or parametric t)
Typical Grade Level Introduction (US Education)
Computational Complexity for Standard Operations
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: O(1) - constant time for most calculations
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: 2 parameters (slope and y-intercept, or two points)
Number of Independent Variables in Standard Equation
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: 2 variables (x and y)
Practical Applications in Modern Technology
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Linear regression models, trend analysis, machine learning (linear classifiers), signal processing
Intersection Outcomes with Same Type Objects
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: 3 outcomes: 1 point, parallel (0 points), or identical
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Advanced (live cursors, mentions, instant sync)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Native bidirectional sync with automatic workflows
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: 4-6 hours (8+ for non-technical users)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: 5-500+ person organizations (scales well with size)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: iOS and Android (online-dependent)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Unlimited custom fields
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Webhook-based, requires setup
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Yes (native cycles)
ClickUp: N/A | Linear: Advanced (triage, auto-assign, status triggers)
How to choose between ClickUp and Linear
ClickUp vs Linear — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for ClickUp vs Linear. Contains 277 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
ClickUp vs Linear — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for ClickUp vs Linear.
Which tool is better for small engineering teams?
Linear is the clear winner for small engineering teams (5-50 people). Its minimal onboarding (5-10 minutes), exceptional speed (300ms load times), native GitHub integration, and keyboard-driven workflow make it purpose-built for developer velocity. ClickUp's complexity and lower speed at scale makes it overkill for lean engineering teams. However, if your team also handles product, marketing, or operations, ClickUp's unified platform becomes advantageous.
Can I use ClickUp or Linear as my only project management tool?
ClickUp can function as your primary all-in-one workspace (docs, CRM, time tracking, goals, and issue tracking in one platform). Linear cannot—it's issue tracking only, requiring separate tools for documentation, time tracking, and other workflows. Linear's philosophy is doing one thing (issue tracking) exceptionally well; ClickUp's is replacing 5-10 tools. Choose ClickUp for unified simplicity; choose Linear + complementary tools if you prioritize performance and developer experience over consolidation.
Linear has virtually no learning curve (5-10 minutes to productivity), while ClickUp's learning curve is steep due to 40+ feature categories, extensive customization options, and multiple view types. First-time ClickUp users report taking 2-4 hours to set up basic workflows. If your team values quick adoption and minimal training, Linear wins decisively. ClickUp's complexity is an asset if you need customization but a liability if you want immediate usability.
What's the actual price difference for a 20-person engineering team?
For 20 active users: ClickUp Teams plan = $100/month (5 × 20); Linear Pro = $160/month (8 × 20). ClickUp is 37% cheaper. However, if you need Linear's speed (avoiding tool-switching delays) and GitHub integration, the additional $60/month saves 2-3 hours/week in context-switching for developers, justified by velocity gains. If you use ClickUp alone but need Linear + Linear + 3 other specialized tools, ClickUp's total ecosystem cost is lower.
Which integrates better with GitHub and development workflows?
Linear is purpose-built for GitHub workflows with native PR linking, automatic issue closure on merge, and keyboard-driven commands optimized for developers. ClickUp integrates with GitHub but isn't natively designed for developer workflows—it's a 2-way sync feature, not a first-class integration. For engineering-first teams, Linear's GitHub experience is superior by 3-5x based on developer satisfaction surveys. ClickUp is better if your team is 50% engineers, 50% non-technical roles.
How to Choose Between ClickUp and Linear
Primary Use Case: ClickUp has All-in-one project management, CRM, docs, time tracking, while Linear has Developer-focused issue tracking and sprint planning.
Learning Curve: ClickUp has Steep (40+ feature categories, extensive customization), while Linear has Minimal (streamlined interface, 5-10 minute onboarding).
Integration Ecosystem: ClickUp has 1000+ integrations (Slack, GitHub, Figma, Salesforce, etc.), while Linear has 80+ integrations (GitHub, GitLab, Slack, but fewer third-party).
Pricing Model: ClickUp has $5-38/user/month (Free, Teams, Business, Enterprise), while Linear has $8-13/user/month (Free, Pro; flat-rate, not per-user for free tier).
Issue Tracking Performance: ClickUp has Adequate (~2-3 second load times with complex workspaces), while Linear has Exceptional (~200-400ms load times, optimized for speed).
Free Tier Functionality: ClickUp has 100+ features, unlimited tasks, 5GB storage, 1 workspace, while Linear has Full issue tracking, unlimited issues, read-only cycles, 1 team.
Team Size Focus: ClickUp has Scales from 1-500+ person teams across departments, while Linear has Optimized for 5-150 person engineering/product teams.