Linear is a purpose-built issue tracking platform optimized for engineering teams seeking speed and structure, while Notion is a flexible all-in-one workspace for documentation, wikis, and project management. Linear excels at developer workflows; Notion provides broader organizational flexibility across multiple use cases.
Linear vs Notion — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Developer-first issue tracking and product management platform with powerful automation and GitHub integration.
All-in-one workspace platform combining notes, databases, wikis, and project management
Primary Purpose. Target User Base. Speed & Performance. Learning Curve. Pricing Model. Integration Ecosystem. Documentation & Knowledge Base. Workflow Customization
Linear and Notion serve fundamentally different needs: Linear is the superior choice for engineering teams requiring fast, specialized issue tracking with opinionated workflows, while Notion excels as an all-in-one workspace for cross-functional teams needing flexibility and documentation. The best choice depends on your team's primary use case—choose Linear for engineering velocity, Notion for organizational versatility.
Linear: Basic (Scrum/Kanban) | Notion: N/A
Linear: 2-4 hours to productive state | Notion: N/A
Linear: Minimal - links to external docs preferred | Notion: N/A
Linear: 50+ native integrations | Notion: N/A
Linear: 5 core views (list, board, calendar, kanban, table) | Notion: N/A
Linear: Unlimited - scales to enterprise | Notion: N/A
Linear: Native commits, PRs, code review | Notion: N/A
Linear: Limited to preset field types | Notion: N/A
Linear: Basic timeline view only | Notion: N/A
Linear: Native GitHub/GitLab sync with PR linking | Notion: N/A
Linear: Full sprint cycles with burndown charts | Notion: N/A
Linear: Full blocking relationship tracking | Notion: N/A
Linear: N/A (not applicable) | Notion: N/A
Linear: No (external tools required) | Notion: N/A
Linear: Native first-class support | Notion: N/A
Linear: Unlimited custom workflows | Notion: N/A
Linear: Moderate (predefined flows) | Notion: N/A
Linear: 120ms (optimized UI) | Notion: N/A
Linear: Thousands of startups and engineering teams | Notion: 100+ million across all sectors
Linear: $100 | Notion: Free (Plus $10/user)
Linear: Very fast (<1 second typical) | Notion: Moderate (2-3 seconds with complex databases)
Linear: 50+ (GitHub, GitLab, Slack, etc.) | Notion: 1000+ through Zapier and native
Linear: Issue tracking & dev project management | Notion: All-in-one workspace & documentation
Linear: 1-2 days to productive | Notion: 3-7 days depending on customization
Linear: Native iOS/Android, well-optimized | Notion: Native iOS/Android, good but slower
Linear: SSO, advanced permissions, audit logs | Notion: SSO, AI features, advanced permissions, audit logs
Linear: $100 (Standard team plan) | Notion: N/A
Linear: Yes (up to 10 issues/month) | Notion: N/A
Linear: Native with timelines & milestones | Notion: N/A
Linear: Robust public/private API | Notion: N/A
Linear: 10-500+ developers | Notion: N/A
Linear: Advanced with full customization | Notion: N/A
Linear: AI-powered summarization, triage, automation | Notion: N/A
Linear: $100 (Standard plan) | Notion: N/A
Linear: Native sync built-in | Notion: N/A
Linear: ~50 standard automations | Notion: N/A
Linear: 3 views (board, list, views) | Notion: N/A
Linear: Yes - Enterprise plan | Notion: N/A
Linear: Excellent - API-first approach | Notion: N/A
Linear: Custom per-user pricing | Notion: N/A
Linear: Limited AI capabilities | Notion: N/A
Linear: Engineering & dev teams | Notion: N/A
Linear: Established (5+ years) | Notion: N/A
Linear: Available for small teams | Notion: N/A
Linear: Deep developer tool integrations | Notion: N/A
Linear: $50/month (5 users minimum) | Notion: N/A
Linear: $250/month (25 users × $10) | Notion: N/A
Linear: 200+ integrations | Notion: 100+
Linear: <50ms (sub-millisecond) | Notion: 200-500 ms
Linear: Comments and mentions only; requires external chat | Notion: N/A
Linear: Limited (paid add-on) | Notion: N/A
Linear: 120+ shortcuts with command palette | Notion: N/A
Linear: $150-200/month (at $15-20 per user) | Notion: N/A
Linear: Unlimited custom statuses | Notion: N/A
Linear: Yes, automatic issue sync | Notion: No (Zapier workaround only)
Linear: Advanced (50+ rule combinations) | Notion: N/A
Linear: 5-500+ optimized | Notion: 2-50 users (flexible scale)
Linear: Bi-directional + slash commands | Notion: N/A
Linear: Extensive (50+ shortcuts) | Notion: N/A
Monthly Cost per User (Annual Commitment)
Linear: None | Notion: Yes - unlimited pages and sharing
Linear: Two-way sync with auto-close | Notion: N/A
Linear: 100+ integrations including native GitHub/GitLab | Notion: N/A
Linear: 10,000 requests/month | Notion: N/A
Linear: iOS & Android (native) | Notion: iOS + Android official apps
Max Database Items Before Performance Degradation
Linear: 14 days | Notion: Unlimited free tier available
Linear: Movement along single axis (x only, or parametric t) | Notion: N/A
Typical Grade Level Introduction (US Education)
Computational Complexity for Standard Operations
Linear: O(1) - constant time for most calculations | Notion: N/A
Linear: 2 parameters (slope and y-intercept, or two points) | Notion: N/A
Number of Independent Variables in Standard Equation
Linear: 2 variables (x and y) | Notion: N/A
Practical Applications in Modern Technology
Linear: Linear regression models, trend analysis, machine learning (linear classifiers), signal processing | Notion: N/A
Intersection Outcomes with Same Type Objects
Linear: 3 outcomes: 1 point, parallel (0 points), or identical | Notion: N/A
Linear: Advanced (live cursors, mentions, instant sync) | Notion: N/A
Linear: Native bidirectional sync with automatic workflows | Notion: N/A
Linear: 4-6 hours (8+ for non-technical users) | Notion: N/A
Linear: 5-500+ person organizations (scales well with size) | Notion: N/A
Linear: iOS and Android (online-dependent) | Notion: N/A
Linear: N/A | Notion: Notion's cloud servers
Linear: N/A | Notion: Free / $8-15 per user
Linear: N/A | Notion: Customizable approach
Linear: N/A | Notion: Real-time co-editing, permissions, comments, activity tracking
Linear: N/A | Notion: Full (relational databases, rollups, formulas)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Cloud-hosted (Notion controls servers)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Yes (built-in AI assistant)
Linear: N/A | Notion: High availability (no published SLA)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 9/10 (blocks, databases, relations)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 5/10 (basic automations only)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 7-14 days (custom setup required)
Linear: N/A | Notion: $20 (Business tier)
Linear: N/A | Notion: $24+ (Enterprise, custom)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Limited task/project features
Linear: N/A | Notion: 9/10 - Highly customizable
Linear: N/A | Notion: 8/10 - Steep learning curve
Linear: N/A | Notion: 9/10 - Native docs & databases
Linear: N/A | Notion: Basic (manual linking only)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Comprehensive (wiki, docs, databases, linked records)
Linear: N/A | Notion: No (requires manual setup with databases)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Very High (fully customizable databases and properties)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 10 (free plan with guests)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Not available (must track manually)
Linear: N/A | Notion: $8/month (Team tier)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Excellent for non-technical users - intuitive linked properties
Linear: N/A | Notion: Limited native two-way sync capability
Linear: N/A | Notion: Built-in AI assistant with limited agent connections
Linear: N/A | Notion: Steep learning curve with flexible drag-and-drop
Linear: N/A | Notion: Exceptional - optimized for feature roadmaps and linked data
Linear: N/A | Notion: Basic (via integrations only)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Limited tier system
Linear: N/A | Notion: Full editor (formatting, blocks, collaboration)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 100+ templates and integrations
Linear: N/A | Notion: Unlimited with role-based permissions
Linear: N/A | Notion: Flexible block-based editor with databases
Linear: N/A | Notion: Teams, project managers, content creators
Linear: N/A | Notion: Views API, Markdown support, automatic retries (2026)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Unlimited blocks and pages
Linear: N/A | Notion: Full relational database support
Linear: N/A | Notion: Limited offline capabilities
Linear: N/A | Notion: Table, Board, Timeline, Calendar, Gallery, List
Linear: N/A | Notion: REST API and official SDK
Linear: N/A | Notion: Comments, mentions, real-time editing, threads
Linear: N/A | Notion: Free (or $10/month for AI)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Limited offline; web-first platform
Linear: N/A | Notion: $0 (free tier exists)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Basic linked mentions; manual linking required
Linear: N/A | Notion: 400+ (official integrations)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 30-60 (database learning curve)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 8 (iOS/Android, full sync)
Linear: N/A | Notion: PDF/CSV (some lock-in)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 10+ million active users
Linear: N/A | Notion: Yes, basic timeline view only
Linear: N/A | Notion: 3 requests per second (~180/min)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Limited (manual + integrations)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 50,000+ community templates
Linear: N/A | Notion: Proprietary blocks
Linear: N/A | Notion: CSV / Markdown export
Linear: N/A | Notion: Limited (limited API)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Notion AI (bundled in Business/Enterprise; trial on Free/Plus)
Free Tier Monthly Recording/Creation Limit
Linear: N/A | Notion: AI-powered search, Q&A, writing assistance (add-on)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Centralized knowledge/PM workspace
Linear: N/A | Notion: $100 (10 users @ $10)
Linear: N/A | Notion: $10 (Unlimited plan)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Read-only offline (web); requires app for editing
Linear: N/A | Notion: Full relational databases with 10+ view types
Linear: N/A | Notion: 5-10 hours for proficiency
Linear: N/A | Notion: Public API with Zapier/webhook support
Linear: N/A | Notion: $10/month (Plus) or $20/month (Business)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 3 (full page, bookmark, simple)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Basic (AI blocks limited to Pro/Team plans)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 0 (no native integration)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 500+ via Zapier, native integrations, and API
Linear: N/A | Notion: 1000+ community and official templates
Linear: N/A | Notion: Limited (requires sync after reconnect)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 30 minutes (learning curve for full features)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Unlimited workspace content; 5GB file attachments
Linear: N/A | Notion: Yes - relations, filters, sorts, multiple views
Linear: N/A | Notion: Full offline mode (desktop app)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 60+ (steep learning curve)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Basic (simple triggers and actions)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Yes (native relations, rollups, and rollup filters)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 6 (Table, Calendar, Timeline, Gallery, Board, List)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 10,000 (performance degrades noticeably after 5,000)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 1,500+ (Zapier, Slack, webhooks, and native integrations)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Comments, mentions, reminders only
Linear: N/A | Notion: $120/year (Plus plan)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 6 platforms (Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Advanced relational databases with filtering and sorting
Linear: N/A | Notion: Full real-time collaboration with comments and permissions
Linear: N/A | Notion: Partial offline (web requires internet, mobile has limited offline mode)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Proprietary Notion format (limited standard export)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 30-60 minutes to understand core features
Linear: N/A | Notion: Robust public API with extensive integration ecosystem
Linear: N/A | Notion: Unlimited (Plus plan)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Not FedRAMP authorized
Linear: N/A | Notion: $0 (limited to 1M blocks/month)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Unlimited (team plan dependent)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 1-to-1, Many-to-1, Many-to-Many
Linear: N/A | Notion: 12+ (Table, Board, Calendar, Timeline, Gallery, etc.)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 6+ (complex feature set requires training)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 8+ (PDF, HTML, Markdown, CSV, etc.)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Yes - unlimited blocks and databases
Linear: N/A | Notion: 75+ million registered users (as of 2024)
Linear: N/A | Notion: $120 per year (Plus plan, no AI)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Unlimited in Team plan
Linear: N/A | Notion: Unlimited (per subscription)
Linear: N/A | Notion: No (third-party integrations only)
Linear: N/A | Notion: No (web-based only)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Notion AI included in Pro/Team plans
Linear: N/A | Notion: Linear page-based structure
Linear: N/A | Notion: Unlimited (paid plans)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Full relational databases with filters, sorts, relations
Linear: N/A | Notion: 10000+ community templates
Linear: N/A | Notion: Full offline capability with sync
Linear: N/A | Notion: Unlimited blocks + 10 GB files
Linear: N/A | Notion: $10 (unlimited access)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 50+ integrated features
Linear: N/A | Notion: Limited (requires extension)
Linear: N/A | Notion: $0 (Pro: $120/year)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 20+ workspace templates
Linear: N/A | Notion: Timeline view available; no dependency or critical path analysis
Linear: N/A | Notion: Manual tracking only; no native capacity features
Linear: N/A | Notion: 10,000 rows (performance degrades)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Limited cross-database visibility
Linear: N/A | Notion: 5+ (Table, Gallery, Kanban, Calendar, Timeline)
Linear: N/A | Notion: $12 (Notion Team plan)
Linear: N/A | Notion: $0 (personal), $120/year (Pro single-user)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 5 GB (Notion personal, expandable)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 50+ (SUM, IF, COUNT, ROLLUP, etc.)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 8-15 hours for competent database design
Maximum Database Rows (optimal performance)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 10,000 rows before noticeable slowdown
Real-time Simultaneous Collaborators (unlimited tier)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Limited by workspace plan (typically 10-50 concurrent editors)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Excellent; optimized for mobile-first reading and editing
Native Data Visualization (charts, pivots)
Linear: N/A | Notion: No; requires third-party tools or manual workarounds
Linear: N/A | Notion: Full relational with rollups, formulas, aggregations
Linear: N/A | Notion: Limited (formula-based)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Yes, real-time collaboration
Linear: N/A | Notion: Up to 10 databases/pages
Linear: N/A | Notion: 6 views (table, kanban, calendar, timeline, gallery, list)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Unlimited relations, rollups, formulas, and filters
Linear: N/A | Notion: View-only for complex databases; limited editing
Linear: N/A | Notion: 120-240 minutes (requires template setup)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Yes - rich-text with synced blocks and templates
Linear: N/A | Notion: 1-2 seconds (1000-2000ms)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 10+ (stable with minor lag)
Linear: N/A | Notion: No native email; third-party only
Linear: N/A | Notion: 100+ REST API endpoints
Linear: N/A | Notion: Read-only mode offline
Linear: N/A | Notion: 1000+ community templates + Zapier/Make
Linear: N/A | Notion: 800+ official templates
Linear: N/A | Notion: Notion API + CSV/Markdown exports
Linear: N/A | Notion: $14 (Pro plan, annual)
Linear: N/A | Notion: $32 (Team plan, annual)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 12 basic automation triggers
Linear: N/A | Notion: 30 hours for proficiency
Linear: N/A | Notion: Basic calendar view (limited critical path analysis)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Unlimited custom fields, relations, formulas, rollups, and linked databases
Linear: N/A | Notion: 500+ via Zapier, 50+ native
Linear: N/A | Notion: $10 (billed annually)
Linear: N/A | Notion: ~10,000+ templates
Linear: N/A | Notion: Optimized up to 10,000 items per view
Linear: N/A | Notion: Database automations, API integrations, Zapier/Make support
Linear: N/A | Notion: $120/month (Pro plan, capped usage)
Linear: N/A | Notion: $120/month (unlimited members, Pro)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 0 native (requires third-party integration)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Full rich-text editor with embeds
Linear: N/A | Notion: Advanced, with rollups and filters
Linear: N/A | Notion: Limited offline; requires internet for most features
Linear: N/A | Notion: 10-14 days for average user
Linear: N/A | Notion: Sync requires active internet connection
Starting Price per User/Month (Annual Billing)
Linear: N/A | Notion: $10/user (free tier available)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Unlimited users, unlimited workspaces
Linear: N/A | Notion: Third-party only (Zapier)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Advanced (rollups, lookups, formulas)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 3 requests/second (180/min)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 1.4s (typical page/database view)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 300+ integrations via Zapier/native
Linear: N/A | Notion: $0 (Unlimited free tier)
Linear: N/A | Notion: No (requires integration)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 5 views (Table, Board, Calendar, Timeline, Gallery)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 30+ automation options
Linear: N/A | Notion: 10+ types (includes relations, rollups, formulas, templates)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 2-4 hours to start productive work
Linear: N/A | Notion: Limited (basic role options, no granular permissions)
Linear: N/A | Notion: $150/month (15 members × $10)
Linear: N/A | Notion: $500/month (50 members × $10)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 8 (relational, formulas, rollups, filters, sorts, synced blocks, templates)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 40% of desktop features
Base Monthly Cost Per User (Annual Billing)
Linear: N/A | Notion: $10.00 (Team plan)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Not native - timeline view available via database relations
Linear: N/A | Notion: Manual tracking via database properties
Linear: N/A | Notion: Full support with many-to-many relations and rollups
Linear: N/A | Notion: Basic - templates and button automations, limited conditional logic
Linear: N/A | Notion: 150+ integrations via Zapier, Make, and native connectors
Linear: N/A | Notion: Unlimited pages (feature-limited)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 8 (basic actions only)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Full rich-text editor with synced blocks
Linear: N/A | Notion: Linked databases with basic relations
Linear: N/A | Notion: 3 (Table, Board, Gallery)
Linear: N/A | Notion: $10 (Personal Pro with AI)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 30-60 minutes to configure workspace
Linear: N/A | Notion: Advanced with filtering, sorting, and relations
Linear: N/A | Notion: Unlimited simultaneous editors
Linear: N/A | Notion: $10 (Plus plan, free tier available with limits)
Linear: N/A | Notion: $120/year ($600 over 5 years)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 2000-4000ms (dependent on internet)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Full (one-to-many, many-to-many, rollups, formulas)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 200+ (primarily cosmetic and integration)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Manual creation (no AI)
Linear: N/A | Notion: 20+ interface languages
Linear: N/A | Notion: 0 without AI add-on
Linear: N/A | Notion: 0% (no AI acceleration)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Yes - unlimited notes with basic features
Linear: N/A | Notion: 6 platforms (Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux via web)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Unlimited blocks (tested with 1M+ blocks)
Linear: N/A | Notion: Up to 100+ simultaneous editors per workspace
Linear: N/A | Notion: 80+ native integrations + Zapier support
Linear: N/A | Notion: Markdown support with limited native formatting
Linear: N/A | Notion: 8 view types (table, gallery, kanban, calendar, timeline, list, board, scatter)
Linear vs Notion — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Linear vs Notion. Contains 471 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Linear vs Notion — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Linear vs Notion.
Can I use Linear for project management beyond software development?
Linear is purpose-built for engineering teams and issue tracking. While technically possible, it lacks features for broader project management, documentation, and non-technical workflows. Notion is better suited for cross-functional project management.
Is Notion suitable for software development teams?
Notion can support software teams but lacks engineering-specific features like GitHub integration, commit tracking, and optimized issue workflows. Many dev teams use Notion for documentation alongside Linear for issue tracking.
Which tool is more cost-effective for large teams?
Notion is significantly more cost-effective at scale, with Plus at $10/user/month or Business at $20/user/month. Linear's pricing (starting at $100/month) scales differently and may be more expensive for teams beyond 10-15 users without commitment to engineering-focused workflows.
Can I migrate from Notion to Linear or vice versa?
Both platforms offer data export, but migration is manual and requires restructuring data to fit each tool's paradigm. Linear focuses on issues/tasks; Notion on flexible documents/databases. Plan for 1-2 weeks of migration work for complex setups.
Which tool has better AI capabilities as of 2026?
Notion has integrated AI features in its Business plan ($20/user/month), supporting writing, summarization, and automation. Linear has basic automation but fewer AI-powered features. Notion's broader AI integration across documents and databases is more mature.
Primary Purpose: Linear has Specialized issue tracking & project management for engineering, while Notion has All-in-one workspace (docs, wikis, databases, projects).
Target User Base: Linear has Software development teams and startups, while Notion has Cross-functional teams (100M+ users across all sectors).
Speed & Performance: Linear has Optimized for fast issue tracking and workflow automation, while Notion has Slower load times, especially with large databases.
Learning Curve: Linear has Opinionated workflows, quick to adopt for engineers, while Notion has Steep learning curve, highly customizable.
Pricing Model: Linear has $100/month (Basic), scales per user, simpler tiers, while Notion has $10-20/user/month, more affordable at scale.
Integration Ecosystem: Linear has Deep integrations with GitHub, GitLab, development tools, while Notion has Broad integrations with 1000+ apps and services.
Consider: Documentation & Knowledge Base
Documentation & Knowledge Base: Linear has Minimal; focused on issue tracking, while Notion has Excellent; built for wikis and documentation.
Workflow Customization: Linear has Limited but opinionated; structured workflows, while Notion has Highly customizable; templates and flexibility.