Jira vs Linear: Which Should You Choose in 2026?
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Short answer
In our issue tracking ranking, Jira scores 87/100 and Linear scores 86/100. Jira rates higher on workflow depth, agile planning and reporting, and costs less at 10 and 25 users on annual plans; Linear rates higher on ease of use and is one point behind overall.
Pick 
Jira if…
- Several teams need their own workflows, fields and permissions
- You want a free plan for 10 users without an issue limit
- You need cross-team planning, a sandbox or a 99.9% uptime SLA (Premium)
Pick 
Linear if…
- You want a fast tracker that works well with little setup
- Your team plans in 1- to 8-week cycles and wants unfinished work to roll over automatically
- You'd rather not cap the number of members on the free plan
What it costs
Annual cost at 10 and 25 users, from each vendor's list prices. Jira's annual plans are priced by user tier (list prices effective Oct 13, 2026); Linear's prices are per user billed yearly. Taxes and add-ons excluded.
| Need | Jira plan | Jira per year | Linear plan | Linear per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 10 users, basic tracking | Free (10 users, 2 GB) | $0 | Free (2 teams, 250 issues) | $0 |
| 10 users, paid plan | Standard, 10-user tier | $950 | Basic ($10) | $1,200 |
| 25 users, paid plan | Standard, 25-user tier | $2,450 | Basic ($10) | $3,000 |
| 25 users, advanced planning or insights | Premium, 25-user tier | $4,900 | Business ($16) | $4,800 |
| SAML SSO and audit log | Atlassian Guard (included on Enterprise) | Quote | Enterprise | Quote |
Jira's monthly list prices for 1 to 100 users are $9.70 (Standard) and $19.60 (Premium) per user. Linear's pricing page lists yearly prices only. Prices from Jira and Linear pricing pages, checked Nov 2, 2026. Vendors change plans often; confirm before you buy.
Plans and features side by side
| Feature | Jira | Linear |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 10 users, 2 GB storage | Unlimited members, 2 teams, 250 issues |
| Entry paid plan | Standard, $9.70/user/mo monthly; $950/yr for 10 users | Basic, $10/user/mo billed yearly |
| Higher plan | Premium, $19.60/user/mo monthly | Business, $16/user/mo billed yearly |
| Sprints | Basic planning on Standard; advanced planning on Premium | Cycles of 1 to 8 weeks with automatic rollover, on every plan |
| Reporting | Admin insights listed from Premium | Insights from Business; dashboards on Enterprise |
| Automation | 1,700 rule runs/mo on Standard; 1,000 per paid user/mo on Premium | Triage rules from Business |
| Storage | 250 GB on Standard; unlimited on Premium | Unlimited file uploads from Basic (10 MB on Free) |
| Uptime SLA and support | 99.9% SLA and 24/7 support on Premium | Not listed below Enterprise |
| SAML SSO | Atlassian Guard, included on Enterprise | Enterprise (Google SSO on other plans) |
| G2 user rating | 4.3/5 (8,044 reviews) | 4.6/5 (125 reviews) |
| Vettlo score | 87/100 | 86/100 |
"Listed from" means the feature first appears on that plan on the vendor's public pricing page.
Where Jira is stronger
- Lower cost on annual plans. Standard is $950 a year for 10 users and $2,450 for 25, against $1,200 and $3,000 on Linear Basic.
- Depth for many teams. Advanced planning, a sandbox, a 99.9% uptime SLA and 24/7 support come with Premium.
- A free plan without an issue cap. Jira Free covers 10 users with 2 GB of storage; Linear Free stops at 250 issues.
Where Linear is stronger
- Easier to adopt. Cycles, triage and projects work with sensible defaults, so teams spend less time configuring.
- Automatic sprint rollover. Unfinished issues move to the next cycle on their own, on every plan.
- No member cap on any plan. Every plan, including Free, allows unlimited members; the free limit is 2 teams and 250 issues.
- Higher G2 rating. 4.6/5 against 4.3/5 for Jira, though from far fewer reviews.
How to decide
- Count the teams and users who will file issues in year one, including non-engineers.
- Price Jira on its annual user tier and Linear at $10 or $16 per user billed yearly.
- Decide whether you need Jira Premium's advanced planning and SLA, or Linear Business's Insights and Asks.
- Run one real sprint in both free plans and see which your engineers keep using.
Jira vs Linear FAQ
Is Jira or Linear cheaper?
On annual plans Jira is cheaper at these sizes: $950 a year for 10 users on Standard against $1,200 on Linear Basic, and $2,450 against $3,000 at 25 users. At the higher tier for 25 users, Jira Premium is $4,900 and Linear Business $4,800.
Which has the better free plan?
Jira Free covers 10 users and 2 GB of storage with no issue limit. Linear Free has unlimited members but allows 2 teams and 250 issues.
Did Jira raise its prices?
Yes. From Oct 13, 2026, Jira Standard's monthly list price for 1 to 100 users went from $9.05 to $9.70 per user, and Premium from $18.30 to $19.60.
Which scores higher in Vettlo's ranking?
Jira, with 87/100 against 86/100 for Linear. Jira rates higher on workflows, agile planning and reporting; Linear rates higher on ease of use and value.
Other options
If neither fits, see our full ranking of 7 issue tracking tools, with who each one is for and what it costs. Or see our guide to the Jira alternatives.