Linear vs Jira: Which Agile Tool Fits Your Team in 2025?

You’re about to launch a new product, and your team debates whether to use Linear vs Jira. Half swear by Jira’s robust customization; the other half raves about Linear’s sleek simplicity. Meanwhile, your CEO just wants work delivered on time and under budget. How do you choose? In this crash course, we’ll compare Linear and Jira, walk you through setup, highlight best practices, and show how integrating a time tracking tool like Everhour can keep projects on track.

What Is Linear vs Jira?

Both Linear and Jira help teams manage projects, but they serve different audiences and philosophies.

• 🔵 Jira is Atlassian’s flagship project management platform. Initially created for software development teams practicing agile methods, it offers extensive customization, workflows, and integrations. Jira can adapt to complex, regulated environments and large enterprises with multiple teams and projects.

• 🟣 Linear is a newer player focused on speed and simplicity. Designed for modern software teams, it emphasizes a clean interface, minimal configuration, and fast performance. Linear’s opinionated workflow guides teams to follow best practices without overwhelming configuration.

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Why the Comparison Matters

Choosing between Linear and Jira impacts how your team collaborates, plans, and delivers work. Here’s why people compare them:

• 🌱 Team culture: Some teams prefer minimal overhead and a light interface (Linear). Others need deeply customizable workflows and metrics (Jira).
• 🧩 Project complexity: Enterprises with compliance requirements may lean toward Jira’s extensive features. Startups value Linear’s fast learning curve.
• 🔗 Integration ecosystem: Jira integrates with hundreds of apps. Linear integrates with fewer but focuses on developer tools like GitHub and Slack.
• ⏱️ Time tracking: Both tools connect with solutions like Everhour, ensuring accurate project budgeting and billing.

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Getting Started with Linear

1. Create an account.
   • Go to linear.app and sign up with Google or email.
   • Choose your workspace name (e.g., Acme Corp).
2. Set up your first team.
   • Teams are where you group related projects. For example, Engineering, Design, or Marketing.
   • Assign members and select a default project type (e.g., Engineering tasks).
3. Explore the interface.
   • Sidebar: Lists teams and projects.
   • Cycle view: Linear’s equivalent of sprints, showing tasks assigned to the current cycle.
   • Issues: Create tasks with titles, descriptions, and status.
   • Roadmap: Plan larger projects with target dates.
   • Keyboard shortcuts: Linear’s power lies in shortcuts (press ? to see them).
4. Create your first cycle.
   • Click “Start Cycle” in your team view.
   • Set a start and end date (e.g., two weeks).
   • Drag tasks into the cycle from the backlog.

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Getting Started with Jira

1. Create a Jira account.
   • Visit Atlassian.com and sign up for a free Jira Software Cloud instance.
   • Choose a site name (yourcompany.atlassian.net).
2. Create a project.
   • Click “Create project.” Choose a template: Scrum, Kanban, or Bug tracking.
   • Name your project and choose a project key.
3. Navigate the interface.
   • Sidebar: Access Backlog, Board, Reports, and Project Settings.
   • Backlog: Plan work and create issues.
   • Board: Visualize progress across columns.
   • Issues: Assign tasks, set priorities, track status.
4. Launch your first sprint or Kanban board.
   • For Scrum: Create a sprint in the backlog, drag tasks into it, and start the sprint.
   • For Kanban: Use the default board and drag tasks between columns.

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Step-By-Step Instructions: Using and Comparing Features

Issue creation

• Linear: Press “C” to quickly create an issue. Fill in title, description, set a priority (urgent, high, normal, low). Add labels or assign to a teammate.

• Jira: Click “Create” or press “C” (if shortcuts enabled). Choose issue type (Story, Bug, Task), fill in fields like Summary, Description, Assign, Priority, and Label.

Workflow customization

• Linear: Uses a standardized workflow: To Do, In Progress, Done. You can rename or add statuses, but options are limited to maintain simplicity.

• Jira: Allows you to create custom workflows with multiple statuses and transitions. Use this for complex processes requiring approval steps or compliance checks.

Sprints and cycles

• Linear: Cycles are short, iterative periods (default two weeks). Tasks assigned to a cycle roll over if incomplete. Everything is structured around cycles by default.

• Jira: Jira sprints are optional in Scrum projects. Kanban projects do not have sprints. You can start, pause, and complete sprints; incomplete tasks move automatically to the next sprint.

Integrations

• Linear: Offers integrations with GitHub, GitLab, Slack, Everhour (check out its Linear time tracking integration), and Zapier. Teams connecting code and issues will appreciate automatic pull request linking.
• Jira: Integrates with hundreds of apps in Atlassian Marketplace (including Everhour’s Jira time tracking integration). Developers link code via Bitbucket or GitHub; service teams use Jira Service Management; general teams use Slack, Teams, and more.

Time tracking with Everhour

• Linear and Everhour: Currently, Linear does not natively support time tracking. However, you can use Everhour’s time tracker to track time on Linear tasks. Start timers or log manual entries; reports show time spent per task, cycle, or project.

• Jira and Everhour: Everhour integrates directly. Add the Everhour app from Atlassian Marketplace, then start timers within issues. Track time for sprints, generate reports for retrospectives, and sync with payroll.

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Tips & Best Practices

• 👥 Choose based on team size and complexity — Lean startups may favor Linear’s speed and simplicity, while larger organizations require Jira’s customization and reporting.
• 🧭 Keep workflows lean — Whether using Jira or Linear, avoid overcomplicating statuses. Simple columns prevent confusion.
• ⌨️ Use keyboard shortcuts — Both tools have hotkeys that drastically speed up navigation. Press “?” to view shortcuts.
• 🔍 Prioritize transparency — Assign tasks clearly, update statuses promptly, and comment on issues to keep everyone aligned.
• ⏱️ Track time for accuracy — Even non-billable tasks benefit from time tracking. Integrate Everhour to understand how long tasks actually take and adjust planning accordingly.
• 📋 Regularly review backlogs — Maintain backlog hygiene by archiving outdated tasks and reorganizing priorities.

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How Linear vs Jira Fit into Team Workflows

👩‍💻 Software teams
Both tools support agile methodologies. Linear’s opinionated approach streamlines workflows for startups and product teams. Jira’s flexibility suits enterprises, regulated industries, and cross-functional teams.

🎨 Designers
Linear’s clean UI appeals to designers who want to avoid clutter. Jira may feel heavy but offers design integrations via plugins.

📊 Product managers
Jira’s reporting options (burndown charts, velocity charts) provide deeper insights into team performance. Linear offers simpler velocity graphs and progress indicators.

🌍 Remote teams
Both tools support asynchronous work. Integrating Everhour ensures remote workers log time accurately, helping managers understand workload without micromanaging.

👥 Multiple teams
Jira allows creating multiple projects and customizing workflows per team. Linear organizes work into teams but keeps one unified approach.

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FAQs

Which is easier to learn?

Linear’s interface is simpler and uses fewer menus. Jira has more features and thus a steeper learning curve.

Can I switch from Linear to Jira or vice versa?

Yes, both tools offer data export/import options. Consider starting with a pilot project to test fit.

Do both tools support mobile apps?

Yes. Jira and Linear offer iOS and Android apps to manage tasks on the go.

Are there costs associated?

Linear offers a free plan for small teams, with paid tiers adding more features. Jira Cloud also has a free plan with paid tiers for additional users and advanced functionality.

Is time tracking built in?

Jira has basic time tracking. Linear does not, but Everhour or other extensions fill the gap.

What if my team spans multiple time zones?

Both platforms work well for distributed teams. Use Everhour to log hours accurately across time zones.

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Final Thoughts: Linear vs Jira

Linear and Jira each offer strengths. Linear is like a sports car—sleek, fast, minimal—while Jira is a Swiss Army knife—versatile and robust. Your choice depends on team size, process complexity, and integration needs. For organizations needing deep customization, detailed reporting, and a wide ecosystem of add-ons, Jira is the clear winner. For startups and product-driven teams wanting an elegant interface and fewer distractions, Linear shines.

Whichever tool you choose, accurate time tracking makes the difference between projects that run smoothly and those that derail. By integrating Everhour into your workflow, you gain insight into how long tasks actually take, prevent scope creep, and ensure fair workloads. Ready to explore how time tracking enhances your project tool? Try Everhour and bring clarity to your work.

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Besides Linear vs Jira, we also made comparisons of Linear vs Notion, Notion vs Jira, Jira vs Monday, Jira vs Basecamp, Jira vs GitHub, and Linear vs Asana to see which of these PM tools is better suited for your specific needs! Be sure to check them out!