Linear is a purpose-built issue tracking platform with superior UX and speed, while GitHub Issues is free and deeply integrated with code repositories. Linear costs $10/user/month but offers 3-5x faster performance and better project management features, whereas GitHub Issues is bundled with GitHub at no extra cost but has slower performance and simpler workflow capabilities.
Linear vs GitHub Issues — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Purpose-built issue tracking and project management platform for engineering teams
Built-in issue tracking system integrated directly within GitHub repositories
Pricing Model. Page Load Speed. Workflow Automation. Code Repository Integration. Team Collaboration Features. Learning Curve. Mobile App Quality
Choose Linear if your team prioritizes speed, sophisticated project management, and is willing to pay for a specialized tool—ideal for fast-moving product and engineering teams. Choose GitHub Issues if you want zero additional cost, tight code-to-issue integration, and prefer simplicity over advanced workflows—best for open-source projects and small teams already in GitHub's ecosystem.
Linear: Basic (Scrum/Kanban) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 200+ integrations | GitHub Issues: 500+ integrations (via GitHub Actions)
Linear: Excellent (Fast) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Via Everhour API | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: $10/month (Team) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 2-4 hours to productive state | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Minimal - links to external docs preferred | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 50+ native integrations | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 5 core views (list, board, calendar, kanban, table) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Unlimited - scales to enterprise | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Native commits, PRs, code review | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 0.5-1.0 seconds | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Limited to preset field types | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 95%+ in dev teams | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Basic timeline view only | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: $8/user/month | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Manual entry only | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Native GitHub/GitLab sync with PR linking | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Full sprint cycles with burndown charts | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Full blocking relationship tracking | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 20+ integrations | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: N/A (not applicable) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: No (external tools required) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Native first-class support | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Unlimited custom workflows | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Moderate (predefined flows) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Web-based only | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 120ms (optimized UI) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Thousands of startups and engineering teams | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Very fast (<1 second typical) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 50+ (GitHub, GitLab, Slack, etc.) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Issue tracking & dev project management | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 1-2 days to productive | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Native iOS/Android, well-optimized | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: SSO, advanced permissions, audit logs | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: $100 (Standard team plan) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Yes (up to 10 issues/month) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Native with timelines & milestones | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Robust public/private API | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 10-500+ developers | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Advanced with full customization | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: AI-powered summarization, triage, automation | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: $100 (Standard plan) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: ~$100 team plans | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Native sync built-in | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: ~50 standard automations | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 3 views (board, list, views) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Yes - Enterprise plan | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Excellent - API-first approach | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Custom per-user pricing | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Limited AI capabilities | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Engineering & dev teams | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Established (5+ years) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Available for small teams | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Deep developer tool integrations | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: $50/month (5 users minimum) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: $250/month (25 users × $10) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 200+ integrations | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: <50ms (sub-millisecond) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Comments and mentions only; requires external chat | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Limited (paid add-on) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 120+ shortcuts with command palette | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: $150-200/month (at $15-20 per user) | GitHub Issues: $0
Linear: Unlimited custom statuses | GitHub Issues: 3 (Open, In Progress, Done)
Linear: Yes, automatic issue sync | GitHub Issues: 100% native
Linear: Advanced (50+ rule combinations) | GitHub Issues: Basic (limited actions)
Linear: 5-500+ optimized | GitHub Issues: Up to 50 (performance degrades beyond)
Linear: Bi-directional + slash commands | GitHub Issues: Notifications only
Linear: Extensive (50+ shortcuts) | GitHub Issues: Minimal
Monthly Cost per User (Annual Commitment)
Linear: Two-way sync with auto-close | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 2 (Table, Board) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 8 custom fields | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 100+ integrations including native GitHub/GitLab | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 10,000 requests/month | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: iOS & Android with full features | GitHub Issues: Web-responsive only
Linear: 4.7/5 stars | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 100-500 people | GitHub Issues: N/A
Max Database Items Before Performance Degradation
Linear: 1 dimension | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Movement along single axis (x only, or parametric t) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Typical Grade Level Introduction (US Education)
Computational Complexity for Standard Operations
Linear: O(1) - constant time for most calculations | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 2 parameters (slope and y-intercept, or two points) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Number of Independent Variables in Standard Equation
Linear: 2 variables (x and y) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Practical Applications in Modern Technology
Linear: Linear regression models, trend analysis, machine learning (linear classifiers), signal processing | GitHub Issues: N/A
Intersection Outcomes with Same Type Objects
Linear: 3 outcomes: 1 point, parallel (0 points), or identical | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Advanced (live cursors, mentions, instant sync) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: Native bidirectional sync with automatic workflows | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 4-6 hours (8+ for non-technical users) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: 5-500+ person organizations (scales well with size) | GitHub Issues: Up to 10 for lightweight tracking
Linear: iOS and Android (online-dependent) | GitHub Issues: N/A
Linear: $10 | GitHub Issues: $0 (included)
Linear: Unlimited custom fields | GitHub Issues: Labels only (limited structure)
Linear: Webhook-based, requires setup | GitHub Issues: Native (same platform)
Linear: Yes (native cycles) | GitHub Issues: No (via project boards only)
Linear: Advanced (triage, auto-assign, status triggers) | GitHub Issues: Basic (labels, assignment)
Linear: N/A | GitHub Issues: $4-21/month (depends on team size)
Linear: N/A | GitHub Issues: Not available natively
Linear: N/A | GitHub Issues: Limited to single repository
Linear: N/A | GitHub Issues: Native GitHub Actions and seamless linking
Linear: N/A | GitHub Issues: Enterprise plan only (custom pricing)
Linear: N/A | GitHub Issues: Lightweight, integrated within GitHub
Linear: N/A | GitHub Issues: 4 types (labels, milestones, assignees, projects)
Linear: N/A | GitHub Issues: GitHub Actions + manual triggers
Linear: N/A | GitHub Issues: 1 (GitHub only)
How to choose between Linear and GitHub Issues
Linear vs GitHub Issues — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Linear vs GitHub Issues. Contains 141 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Linear vs GitHub Issues — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Linear vs GitHub Issues.
Which is faster: Linear or GitHub Issues?
Linear is significantly faster. User testing and performance benchmarks show Linear loads pages in ~400-600ms while GitHub Issues averages 1200-1800ms—roughly 2-3x slower. Linear's speed is one of its primary design advantages; the interface was built from scratch to prioritize responsiveness, whereas GitHub Issues is a feature added to the broader GitHub platform.
Can Linear sync with GitHub repositories?
Yes, Linear integrates with GitHub through webhooks and the Linear GitHub app. You can link Linear issues to GitHub pull requests and commits, but it requires manual setup. This is a two-way sync, not native embedding like GitHub Issues provides. Linear's GitHub integration lets you reference PRs and automatically close issues when PRs merge.
Is GitHub Issues free while Linear always costs money?
GitHub Issues is completely free as part of any GitHub account. Linear's free tier was discontinued; current pricing starts at $10/user/month for the Pro plan. However, Linear occasionally offers free tiers for open-source projects and nonprofits. For small teams and open-source, GitHub Issues remains the zero-cost option.
Yes, many teams run both in parallel. They install the Linear GitHub app to sync issues and link PRs to Linear issues. Some teams use GitHub Issues for public open-source contributions and Linear for internal product development. This hybrid approach requires discipline to avoid duplicate work and information silos.
Yes, Linear has native iOS and Android apps with full feature access—you can create issues, update status, add comments, and manage cycles from mobile. GitHub Issues has no dedicated mobile app; mobile users rely on the responsive web interface, which lacks many features. For teams that work across devices, Linear's mobile apps are a major advantage.
How to Choose Between Linear and GitHub Issues
Pricing Model: Linear has $10/user/month (Pro) or $100/month (Team), while GitHub Issues has Free (included with GitHub).
Page Load Speed: Linear has ~400-600ms average, while GitHub Issues has ~1200-1800ms average.
Workflow Automation: Linear has Native statuses, custom fields, automations, triage workflows, while GitHub Issues has Basic labels, assignees, milestones, limited automation.
Code Repository Integration: Linear has Git integration, webhook-based, external linking, while GitHub Issues has Native integration within same platform.
Team Collaboration Features: Linear has Cycles, team views, custom workflows, priorities, estimates, while GitHub Issues has Basic project boards, limited team organization.
Learning Curve: Linear has Moderate - purpose-built design requires onboarding, while GitHub Issues has Minimal - familiar GitHub interface.
Mobile App Quality: Linear has Dedicated native iOS/Android apps with full functionality, while GitHub Issues has Web-responsive only, limited mobile experience.