GitHub vs Linear
GitHub and Linear are both developer tools tools aimed at developers and small businesses. GitHub costs less, from $4/mo versus $10/mo for Linear. Both have a free plan.
Code hosting, CI/CD and AI coding platform owned by Microsoft
Issue tracking built for fast software teams
| Pricing | Freemium · $4 | Freemium · $10 |
| Starting price | $4/mo | $10/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 30 days | — |
| Built for | Developers, Small businesses, Enterprise | Developers, Small businesses |
| Platforms | web, macos, windows, ios, android | web, macos, windows, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2008 | US · 2019 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose GitHub if
Software teams of any size that want hosted Git, CI/CD, security scanning and AI coding help in one platform.
- Industry standard with the largest developer community
- Generous free plan including private repos and CI minutes
- Huge marketplace of Actions and integrations
Look elsewhere if: Teams that need deep issue tracking or a single self-managed DevSecOps suite (Jira, GitLab).
Choose Linear if
Product and engineering teams from 3 to a few hundred people who ship continuously and want speed over configurability.
- Fastest issue tracker in day-to-day use; keyboard-first design
- Opinionated structure keeps teams consistent without configuration
- Excellent GitHub, Slack and Sentry integrations
Look elsewhere if: Organizations that need bespoke workflows, custom issue hierarchies, or a single tool for marketing, HR and engineering.
GitHub vs Linear pricing
GitHub
- Free$0Unlimited repos; 2,000 Actions min/mo, 500MB Packages
- Team$4/user/mo3,000 Actions min/mo, 2GB Packages, protected branches
- Enterprise$21/user/moFrom; 50,000 Actions min, SAML SSO, data residency
- Copilot Pro$10/moIndividual AI coding; Pro+ $39, Max $100 per month
Linear
- Free$0Unlimited members, 2 teams, 250 issues
- Basic$10/user/moBilled yearly; 5 teams, unlimited issues and uploads, admin roles
- Business$16/user/moBilled yearly; unlimited teams, private teams, Insights, Asks
- EnterpriseCustomAnnual only; SAML, SCIM, advanced security
GitHub · Key features
- Unlimited public and private Git repositories with pull request reviews
- GitHub Actions CI/CD with hosted Linux, Windows and macOS runners
- Issues, Projects boards and roadmaps for planning work
- Copilot code completion, chat and an autonomous coding agent
- Codespaces cloud development environments billed per hour
- Dependabot, code scanning and secret scanning for supply chain security
Cons
- Actions, Codespaces and Copilot usage can push costs up
- Advanced security features are paid add-ons
- Project planning is lighter than Jira or Linear
Linear · Key features
- Cycles (sprints) with automatic rollover and capacity view
- Projects and initiatives with milestones, updates and roadmap views
- Triage inbox for bugs and requests from Slack, Intercom, Zendesk and Sentry
- GitHub/GitLab automation: branch naming, PR links and auto-close on merge
- Insights dashboards for velocity, scope change and cycle time
- Local-first sync engine; the app works offline and feels instant
Cons
- Limited customization compared with Jira (no custom issue types)
- Reporting is improving but still lighter than enterprise tools
- Not designed for non-engineering departments
GitHub vs Linear: FAQ
Which is cheaper, GitHub or Linear?
GitHub starts at $4/mo and Linear at $10/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do GitHub and Linear have a free plan?
Yes, both GitHub and Linear have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.