Linear is a speed-focused issue tracker built for software engineering teams with deep GitHub integration, while Asana is a flexible, all-purpose project management platform designed for mixed teams across product, marketing, and operations. Linear wins for technical teams; Asana wins for organizations with non-engineering staff.
Asana vs Linear — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Asana if your team spans product, marketing, design, and operations—its flexibility and structured workflows handle complex multi-functional work. Choose Linear if you're a technical team focused on speed and efficiency with heavy GitHub usage—its streamlined interface and native developer integrations outpace Asana significantly. For hybrid setups (40+ people), use Linear for engineering and Asana for non-technical teams with an aggregation layer.
Enterprise-grade work management platform focused on task hierarchy and timeline planning.
One-dimensional mathematical object or relationship following a straight path
Structured comparison data for Asana vs Linear with 239 attributes.
Starting Monthly Cost (per user, annual)
Base Monthly Price (Individual/Starter Plan)
Annual Cost for Full Stack (Single User with AI)
Starting Monthly Price (Per User/Workspace)
iOS & Android App Quality Rating (App Store/Google Play)
Base Monthly Cost Per User (Annual Billing)
Monthly Cost per User (Annual Commitment)
Typical Grade Level Introduction (US Education)
Computational Complexity for Standard Operations
Number of Independent Variables in Standard Equation
Practical Applications in Modern Technology
Intersection Outcomes with Same Type Objects
Asana vs Linear — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Asana vs Linear.
Which tool should a 30-person startup use?
If the startup is purely technical (engineering-focused), Linear is ideal—teams adopt it at 95%+ rates and the GitHub integration accelerates development. If the startup is mixed (product, design, marketing, engineering), use Linear for the engineering team and Asana for non-technical functions, then aggregate with a tool like Huddle.
Why do teams switch from Asana to Linear?
Technical teams migrate to Linear for superior speed (3x faster UI), deep GitHub integration that eliminates context switching, and lower costs ($7/user vs $10.99). Asana's extensive customization becomes a liability for focused dev teams who need simplicity and velocity.
Is Asana worth paying for when Linear is cheaper?
Yes, if your team is non-technical or mixed. Asana's customization, Gantt charts, and portfolio management support complex cross-functional workflows that Linear deliberately omits. Linear's speed and simplicity are wasted on marketing teams; Asana's flexibility is wasted on pure engineering teams.
Can Linear replace Asana for a 100-person organization?
No. At 100 people with diverse departments, Linear becomes insufficient—it lacks portfolio management, advanced reporting, and cross-functional workflow support. Most 100-person orgs use Asana as the core platform, then supplement with Linear for engineering teams and an aggregation layer (like Huddle) to unify visibility.
What's the key difference in how each tool approaches work tracking?
Linear is speed-first issue tracking for developers—it minimizes features and complexity to maximize daily velocity. Asana is flexibility-first project management—it supports diverse work types (campaigns, initiatives, roadmaps, sprints) across any department, trading some speed for comprehensive functionality.