The verdict
For a small team that builds software and wants to start shipping, I'd pick Linear. The model is a head start, and the interface stays clean as work piles up. If you have releases, dependencies, several stakeholders, or non-software teams that need the same tool, pick Jira, and start with the free plan and only the workflow you actually use. Jira gets messy when nobody owns the configuration. Linear gets awkward when your process is unusual. If you want one tool for tasks and docs, look at Notion or ClickUp before either.
Side by side
| 9 points compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $7.91/mo | $10/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Yes | Yes |
| Capacity planning | Yes | Yes |
| Dependency tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Goal and OKR tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Initiative hierarchy | Yes | Yes |
| Release and version tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Links |
Plans and pricing
Jira
- FreeFree
- Standard$7.91/mo/seat
- Premium$14.54/mo/seat
Linear
- FreeFree
- Basic$120/yr/seat
- Business$192/yr/seat
Who each is for
Choose Jira if…
Pick Jira if you need structure and reporting across a mixed group. Configurable workflows, custom fields, Scrum and Kanban boards, automation rules and audit trails suit a larger organisation or a team with a formal release process. It also sits comfortably beside Confluence for docs. The cost is that someone has to design and maintain it. Terms such as epics and issue types also take a short onboarding for marketing or operations teams. Without a clear owner, a Jira project turns into statuses nobody trusts.
Choose Linear if…
Pick Linear if you are a product or engineering team that ships continuously and wants a tool that stays out of the way. Cycles, projects, a triage inbox and Git automations are ready on day one, so you do not design the process from scratch. Linear Agent can take an assigned issue and open a pull request for review. The trade is narrowness. It is built around the software team, so running a whole company's operations in it fights the grain, and teams with unusual workflows will hit its edges.