Asana is a comprehensive work management platform excelling in large team collaboration with extensive customization, while Linear is a streamlined issue tracking tool purpose-built for software development teams prioritizing speed and simplicity. Linear's database-first architecture delivers 3-5x faster performance for developers, whereas Asana's flexibility supports diverse workflows across departments.
Asana vs Linear — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Asana if you need to manage complex workflows across multiple departments, require deep customization, or work with non-technical teams—its flexibility and robust reporting justify the learning curve and higher cost. Choose Linear if your team is engineering-focused, values developer experience and speed as critical factors, or needs intuitive issue tracking with minimal onboarding time and lower total cost of ownership.
Intuitive project management platform for teams across all departments
Modern, lightweight project management tool designed for software development teams emphasizing speed and simplicity.
Structured comparison data for Asana vs Linear with 290 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)
Time to First Productivity (Learning Curve)
Monthly Cost per User (Annual Commitment)
Max Database Items Before Performance Degradation
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 is better for engineering teams?
Linear is purpose-built for engineering with 0.4-second page loads, GitHub/GitLab integration, keyboard shortcuts, and cycle management. Asana serves engineering but requires more setup. 87% of developer-focused teams prefer Linear for its speed and minimal friction (2024 G2 reviews).
Can I use Asana for software development tracking?
Yes, Asana can track development work with custom fields and automation. However, it lacks native GitHub sync and keyboard-centric UX. Teams typically use Linear for development and Asana for broader project/product management across non-technical departments.
Linear costs $7/user/month (Team plan) vs Asana's $13.49/user/month—a 48% savings. For a 20-person team, that's $1,699/year difference. Linear's unlimited projects at all tiers add to the cost advantage for growing teams.
Asana offers native iOS/Android apps with offline support. Linear has a responsive web app but no dedicated mobile apps. For teams needing extensive mobile work, Asana is superior; for desk-based development, Linear's web experience is sufficient.
Yes, but migration requires mapping Asana projects to Linear issues since they have different data models. Asana has portfolio-level views Linear lacks. Most migration tools exist (Zapier, custom scripts), though Linear's simpler structure means some Asana customization will be lost. Plan 1-2 weeks for a 500+ issue migration.