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Linear vs Asana

This comparison usually comes up when engineering wants one tool and the rest of the company uses another. Linear is opinionated issue tracking built for software teams, with cycles, projects and deep GitHub and GitLab integration. Asana is general work management that marketing, operations and cross-functional teams adopt easily.

Which should you choose?

Choose Linear if

  • Startup and scale-up engineering teams
  • Product teams that want a faster, simpler alternative to Jira
  • Teams that run cycles or sprints tightly coupled to GitHub or GitLab

Choose Asana if

  • Marketing, operations and cross-functional teams at mid-sized companies
  • Leaders who need portfolio-level visibility across many projects
  • Organizations that prioritize ease of adoption over deep customization

Cheapest to start

Not confirmed

Free plan

Linear, Asana

Highest editor rating

Linear · 4.5

Comparison of Linear and Asana
CompareLinear
Free planYes
Free trialNo
Starting priceFrom $10/mo
Editor rating4.5
Ease of useEasy (4/5)
CategoryProject Management
Pricing modelFree plan with unlimited members but an issue cap; Basic approximately $10 and Business approximately $16 per user per month billed monthly (about $8 and $14 annually), with Enterprise on custom pricing.
Plans
  • Free Free
  • Basic $10/user/mo
  • Business $16/user/mo
  • Enterprise Custom
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, API
IntegrationsDiscord, Figma, GitHub, GitLab, Intercom, Slack, Zapier, Zendesk
Best for
  • Startup and scale-up engineering teams
  • Product teams that want a faster, simpler alternative to Jira
  • Teams that run cycles or sprints tightly coupled to GitHub or GitLab
Pros
  • Fast, keyboard-driven interface with very little friction
  • Deep GitHub and GitLab integration updates issue status from pull requests
  • Opinionated model of teams, cycles and projects keeps workflows consistent
  • Free plan allows unlimited members
Cons
  • Limited customization: no arbitrary custom fields or bespoke workflows
  • Free plan caps the workspace at roughly 250 issues
  • Reporting is basic; Insights requires the Business plan
  • Built for software teams, so non-engineering use cases feel forced
AI assistantNo
API accessYes
Calendar viewNo
Custom fieldsNo
Desktop appYes
Forms & surveysNo
Gantt & timelineYes
Git integrationYes
Goals & OKRsNo
Guest & client accessYes
Kanban boardsYes
Mobile appYes
Reporting & dashboardsYes
SSO / SAMLYes
Time trackingNo
Unlimited users on free planYes
WebhooksYes
Workflow automationYes

Common questions

Does Linear or Asana have a free plan?
Both do. Linear and Asana each offer a free tier, so you can try either without paying.
How long is the Linear and Asana free trial?
Asana offers a 30-day free trial. Linear does not offer one.

Our verdict

They are not really competing for the same team, and the honest answer is usually to match the tool to the work. Linear is faster and leaner, but the two publish on different billing bases — Linear quotes $10 per user per month billed yearly, Asana $13.49 billed monthly — so a direct price gap is not available.49, and rated 4.5 by VERILO editors — but it deliberately refuses custom fields and bespoke workflows, and its free plan caps the workspace at roughly 250 issues. Asana handles portfolios, goals and intake forms that Linear does not attempt, at a higher per-seat price with seats sold in bundles. Choose Linear for an engineering-led company. Choose Asana when non-technical teams outnumber engineers. Running both is a legitimate outcome, not a failure to decide.

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