Jira is a comprehensive, enterprise-grade project management tool with extensive customization and integration capabilities, while Linear is a modern, lightweight alternative designed for speed and simplicity with a focus on software development teams. Jira dominates in large organizations needing complex workflows, while Linear excels for lean teams prioritizing efficiency.
Jira vs Linear — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Purpose-built issue tracking and project management platform for software development teams
Modern, lightweight project management tool designed for software development teams emphasizing speed and simplicity.
Learning Curve. Starting Price. Customization Options. Integration Ecosystem. Target User Base. UI/UX Performance. Workflow Automation
Choose Jira if you need enterprise-scale complexity, work in regulated industries, require deep customization, or manage multiple departments with disparate workflows. Choose Linear if you're a lean software development team that values speed, simplicity, and a modern user experience, or if you want faster onboarding and lower total cost of ownership for small-to-medium teams.
Jira: Full Scrum with sprints, backlogs, velocity tracking | Linear: N/A
Jira: 50+ developers (enterprise scale) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Highly customizable workflows and fields | Linear: N/A
Jira: Advanced dashboards, burndowns, velocity charts | Linear: N/A
Jira: 50-1,000+ | Linear: 5-150 (engineering-focused)
Jira: 9/10 | Linear: Basic (Scrum/Kanban)
Jira: Plugin-based | Linear: Native first-class support
Jira: Advanced (SOC 2, HIPAA) | Linear: Basic
Jira: Good (Moderate) | Linear: Excellent (Fast)
Jira: Via Everhour API | Linear: Via Everhour API
Jira: Enterprise-grade bug tracking | Linear: N/A
Jira: Deep CI/CD & DevOps integration | Linear: N/A
Jira: $14.54/month (Premium) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Full agile reporting suite included | Linear: N/A
Jira: Built-in cycle time metrics | Linear: N/A
Jira: Full cross-project and portfolio reporting | Linear: N/A
Jira: External integration via webhooks and apps | Linear: N/A
Jira: Available at Premium ($14.54/user/month) | Linear: N/A
Jira: 15-500+ with complex workflows | Linear: 5-500+ person organizations (scales well with size)
Jira: Steeper learning curve, more heavyweight | Linear: N/A
Jira: 1000+ apps in Marketplace | Linear: N/A
Jira: Steep (Advanced features require training) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Via marketplace add-ons | Linear: N/A
Jira: Native with Confluence, Bitbucket, and 400+ apps | Linear: N/A
Jira: Small (1-10) to Enterprise (1000+) | Linear: N/A
Jira: 60-80% of teams require professional services | Linear: N/A
Jira: Project Management & Issue Tracking | Linear: N/A
Jira: Full sprint planning with burndown charts and velocity tracking | Linear: N/A
Jira: Limited to issue descriptions and project documentation | Linear: N/A
Jira: Issue and project-level search capabilities | Linear: N/A
Jira: Standard mobile interface for viewing and managing issues | Linear: N/A
Jira: 10+ users for optimal use | Linear: N/A
Jira: Seamless integration with Confluence for context and documentation | Linear: N/A
Jira: iOS, Android, native apps | Linear: N/A
Jira: Yes, limited | Linear: Yes (up to 10 issues/month)
Jira: Native GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket support | Linear: N/A
Jira: Pages (limited collaboration) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Advanced with burndown charts | Linear: N/A
Jira: Code-based scripting and automation | Linear: N/A
Jira: Issue tracking, sprint planning, agile boards | Linear: N/A
Jira: Requires third-party tools (Jenkins, GitHub Actions) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Data Center available (enterprise) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Full support (Scrum, Kanban, custom) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Deep two-way integration | Linear: N/A
Jira: No (requires Bamboo/Jenkins) | Linear: No (external tools required)
Jira: No (Bitbucket integration required) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Advanced (unlimited custom fields, swim lanes, automation) | Linear: N/A
Advanced Agile Features (Sprint Velocity Tracking)
Jira: Advanced with historical trending | Linear: N/A
Jira: Limited offline access | Linear: N/A
Jira: Native deep integration (GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins, etc.) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Limited automation rules, requires plugin marketplace | Linear: N/A
Jira: Yes - up to 10 users | Linear: N/A
Jira: Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, Scrumban | Linear: N/A
Jira: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps | Linear: N/A
Jira: 30+ (burndown, velocity, CFD, etc.) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Native sprint planning, capacity planning, scope management | Linear: N/A
Jira: Free tier for up to 10 users | Linear: N/A
Jira: Unlimited | Linear: 8 custom fields
Jira: ~3000 integrations | Linear: 100+ integrations including native GitHub/GitLab
Jira: Varies by plan | Linear: 10,000 requests/month
Jira: Web app + Jira Mobile (limited) | Linear: iOS & Android with full features
Jira: 1,000+ people | Linear: 100-500 people
Jira: $7.16 (Standard) - $29 (Enterprise) | Linear: N/A
Jira: 20-40 hours | Linear: 5-10 minutes
Jira: 40+ (burndown, velocity, CFD, sprint) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Unlimited with Jira Automation + Scripts | Linear: N/A
Jira: 1000+ (higher tiers unlimited) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Unlimited in free tier | Linear: N/A
Jira: $775 (Standard tier at $7.75/user) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Requires external Git hosting integration | Linear: N/A
Jira: 100+ custom field types with plugins | Linear: N/A
Jira: 180+ million monthly active users | Linear: N/A
Jira: Security scanning via Atlassian plugins ($8-15/month extra) | Linear: N/A
Jira: 8-16 hours to configure workflow rules and custom fields for development team | Linear: N/A
Jira: 5,000+ users per instance; proven at 50,000+ enterprise deployments | Linear: N/A
Jira: Yes (burndown, velocity, retrospectives) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Native (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure Repos) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Board, list, timeline, calendar, dashboard (5 types) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Advanced sprints, velocity, burndown, capacity planning | Linear: N/A
Jira: Native bidirectional sync, commit linking | Linear: Native (first-class GitHub citizen, PR linking)
Jira: Bitbucket only (requires separate setup) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Yes (Jira Data Center, $20k+/year) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Unlimited custom fields, workflows, automation | Linear: N/A
Jira: $7.16 (Cloud) / $1,600/year (Server, 10 users) | Linear: N/A
Jira: 6-12 hours for workflow configuration | Linear: N/A
Jira: Unlimited issue capacity + 1 project file storage | Linear: N/A
Jira: 600 requests/minute for authenticated users | Linear: N/A
Jira: Unlimited custom automation rules | Linear: N/A
Jira: 72% adoption rate (dev teams), 45% (non-technical teams) | Linear: N/A
Jira: 4.4/5 stars (Google Play, 125K+ reviews) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Unlimited (20+ standard) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Burndown, velocity, sprint reports, JQL dashboards, cycle time | Linear: N/A
Jira: Yes (iOS/Android, full-featured) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Requires plugins (Bitbucket native, GitHub requires setup) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Unlimited (conditional logic, webhooks) | Linear: N/A
Jira: 6 (Confluence, Bitbucket, Bamboo, GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Limited (50 per project) | Linear: N/A
Jira: Unlimited on paid plans | Linear: N/A
Jira: N/A | Linear: 2-4 hours to productive state
Jira: N/A | Linear: Minimal - links to external docs preferred
Jira: N/A | Linear: 50+ native integrations
Jira: N/A | Linear: 5 core views (list, board, calendar, kanban, table)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Unlimited - scales to enterprise
Jira: N/A | Linear: Native commits, PRs, code review
Jira: N/A | Linear: Limited to preset field types
Jira: N/A | Linear: Basic timeline view only
Jira: N/A | Linear: Native GitHub/GitLab sync with PR linking
Jira: N/A | Linear: Full sprint cycles with burndown charts
Jira: N/A | Linear: Full blocking relationship tracking
Jira: N/A | Linear: N/A (not applicable)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Unlimited custom workflows
Jira: N/A | Linear: Moderate (predefined flows)
Jira: N/A | Linear: 120ms (optimized UI)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Thousands of startups and engineering teams
Jira: N/A | Linear: Very fast (<1 second typical)
Jira: N/A | Linear: 50+ (GitHub, GitLab, Slack, etc.)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Issue tracking & dev project management
Jira: N/A | Linear: 1-2 days to productive
Jira: N/A | Linear: Native iOS/Android, well-optimized
Jira: N/A | Linear: SSO, advanced permissions, audit logs
Jira: N/A | Linear: $100 (Standard team plan)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Native with timelines & milestones
Jira: N/A | Linear: Robust public/private API
Jira: N/A | Linear: Advanced with full customization
Jira: N/A | Linear: AI-powered summarization, triage, automation
Jira: N/A | Linear: $100 (Standard plan)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Native sync built-in
Jira: N/A | Linear: ~50 standard automations
Jira: N/A | Linear: 3 views (board, list, views)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Yes - Enterprise plan
Jira: N/A | Linear: Excellent - API-first approach
Jira: N/A | Linear: Custom per-user pricing
Jira: N/A | Linear: Limited AI capabilities
Jira: N/A | Linear: Engineering & dev teams
Jira: N/A | Linear: Established (5+ years)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Available for small teams
Jira: N/A | Linear: Deep developer tool integrations
Jira: N/A | Linear: $50/month (5 users minimum)
Jira: N/A | Linear: $250/month (25 users × $10)
Jira: N/A | Linear: <50ms (sub-millisecond)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Comments and mentions only; requires external chat
Jira: N/A | Linear: Limited (paid add-on)
Jira: N/A | Linear: 120+ shortcuts with command palette
Jira: N/A | Linear: $150-200/month (at $15-20 per user)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Unlimited custom statuses
Jira: N/A | Linear: Yes, automatic issue sync
Jira: N/A | Linear: Advanced (50+ rule combinations)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Bi-directional + slash commands
Jira: N/A | Linear: Extensive (50+ shortcuts)
Monthly Cost per User (Annual Commitment)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Two-way sync with auto-close
Max Database Items Before Performance Degradation
Jira: N/A | Linear: Movement along single axis (x only, or parametric t)
Typical Grade Level Introduction (US Education)
Computational Complexity for Standard Operations
Jira: N/A | Linear: O(1) - constant time for most calculations
Jira: N/A | Linear: 2 parameters (slope and y-intercept, or two points)
Number of Independent Variables in Standard Equation
Jira: N/A | Linear: 2 variables (x and y)
Practical Applications in Modern Technology
Jira: N/A | Linear: Linear regression models, trend analysis, machine learning (linear classifiers), signal processing
Intersection Outcomes with Same Type Objects
Jira: N/A | Linear: 3 outcomes: 1 point, parallel (0 points), or identical
Jira: N/A | Linear: Advanced (live cursors, mentions, instant sync)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Native bidirectional sync with automatic workflows
Jira: N/A | Linear: 4-6 hours (8+ for non-technical users)
Jira: N/A | Linear: iOS and Android (online-dependent)
Jira: N/A | Linear: 20 predefined fields
Time to First Productivity (Learning Curve)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Unlimited custom fields
Jira: N/A | Linear: Webhook-based, requires setup
Jira: N/A | Linear: Advanced (triage, auto-assign, status triggers)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Limited (no free tier)
Jira: N/A | Linear: 4 (cycles, epics, issues, sub-issues)
Jira: N/A | Linear: GraphQL (modern, flexible)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Saved views, complex filters, custom queries
Jira: N/A | Linear: 100+ shortcuts available
Jira: N/A | Linear: Limited offline support
Jira: N/A | Linear: $8/user/month (Pro plan)
Jira: N/A | Linear: Core issue tracking, unlimited issues, read-only cycles
Jira: N/A | Linear: Basic (limited field types, simple automation)
Jira vs Linear — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Jira vs Linear. Contains 297 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Jira vs Linear — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Jira vs Linear.
Which tool is better for a startup with 15 developers?
Linear is the clear winner for startups. Its generous free tier supports up to 10 team members, 2-4 hour onboarding saves weeks of productivity, and native GitHub/Slack integration streamlines developer workflows. Jira would be overkill and cost $700-1,050/month for 15 seats versus Linear's free-to-$150/month pricing.
Can I use Jira for simple project management outside software development?
Yes, Jira supports marketing, HR, and operations teams, but it's overengineered for simple workflows. You'll spend 30-40 hours configuring custom fields and workflows that Linear's out-of-the-box setup handles in 2 hours. Non-technical teams typically struggle with Jira's complexity.
What are the main reasons enterprises choose Jira over Linear?
Enterprises choose Jira for: (1) compliance/audit requirements via on-premise Server/Data Center editions, (2) 1000+ integrations with legacy systems like SAP and Oracle, (3) advanced workflow automation for multi-stage approval processes, and (4) deep customization for diverse department needs. Linear cannot handle these enterprise requirements.
How do the total costs compare for a 50-person team?
For 50 paid users: Jira costs $350-700/month ($7-14/user) plus $200-500/month for add-ons = $550-1,200/month. Linear costs $500/month (fixed $10/user) with no mandatory add-ons. Over 12 months, Linear saves $600-8,400. However, Jira's cost includes vastly more customization and integrations.
Linear has a cleaner, faster mobile experience with native apps for iOS/Android optimized for quick issue updates. Jira's mobile app is feature-complete but slower and more cluttered. For teams working frequently on mobile, Linear is notably superior; for occasional mobile use, both are adequate.
Learning Curve: Jira has Steep - 40+ hours typical onboarding, while Linear has Gentle - 2-4 hours typical onboarding.
Starting Price: Jira has $7/user/month (Free tier limited), while Linear has $10/user/month (Generous free tier).
Customization Options: Jira has Extensive - 100+ field types, custom workflows, while Linear has Limited - 15-20 standard field types.
Integration Ecosystem: Jira has 1000+ native integrations via Marketplace, while Linear has 200+ integrations, strong API.
Target User Base: Jira has Enterprise (1000+ employee organizations), while Linear has Small-to-mid teams (5-150 people).
UI/UX Performance: Jira has Can be sluggish with 1000+ issues, while Linear has Consistently fast <1s load times.
Workflow Automation: Jira has Advanced - Automation for Cloud, Server editions, while Linear has Basic - Limited automation rules.