Linear vs Jira: Which is Better for Your Workflow?
Linear vs Jira is a common comparison for teams seeking the best project management tool. While Linear focuses on simplicity and speed for agile workflows, Jira offers robust customization and scalability for larger teams. This article on Jira vs Linear explores their differences to help you choose the right fit for your needs.
What Is Linear?
Linear is a project management tool designed with software development teams in mind. Known for its minimalistic interface and blazing-fast performance, Linear simplifies workflows, making it easier for teams to focus on what matters most: shipping great products. By offering features tailored for agile development, Linear helps teams manage tasks, track issues, and plan projects efficiently and clearly.
✨ Linear features
Linear’s feature set is tailored to optimize the workflows of software teams:
Triage inbox
Linear’s Triage inbox centralizes new tasks and issues in one place, allowing teams to review, prioritize, and assign them efficiently. This ensures nothing gets overlooked and the team can focus on the most pressing work.
Cycles
Linear reimagines sprints with its “Cycles” feature, which helps teams organize tasks into manageable iterations. Teams can track progress, monitor sprint velocity, and adjust priorities in real time, making it ideal for agile development workflows.
Integrations
Linear connects effortlessly with essential tools like GitHub, Slack, Everhour, Figma, and Notion, ensuring teams can work within their preferred ecosystem. These integrations enhance communication, streamline updates, and maintain a single source of truth for project data.
In case you are managing a team of 5 or more and looking to boost efficiency, Everhour is the perfect time tracker. You can easily estimate task durations, set budgets, and work in Asana, Trello, Jira, or any other tool.
Real-time collaboration
With Linear, teams can collaborate efficiently, ensuring smooth handoffs and better task visibility. Features like real-time updates and activity feeds keep everyone aligned, even in remote or distributed setups.
Performance tracking and analytics
Linear provides tools like progress graphs, velocity charts, and scope tracking to help teams measure performance and improve over time. These insights empower better decision-making and help identify areas for process improvement.
Cross-platform compatibility
Linear is available on macOS, Windows, Android, and as a web app, ensuring all team members can access their work from anywhere. Its native apps are designed for speed and usability, complementing the browser experience seamlessly.
Speed and performance
Linear stands out for its exceptional speed, enabling teams to work without delays or interruptions. Its lightning-fast interface ensures tasks load instantly, and actions like creating, updating, or navigating between issues feel seamless. This emphasis on speed makes Linear ideal for fast-paced development teams aiming to maintain momentum and productivity.
💸 Linear pricing
- Free plan: Includes up to 2 teams and 250 issues.
- Basic: $8 per user per month
- Business: $12 per user per month
- Enterprise: Custom
🗣️ What users say about Linear
“Linear is the app so good it influences life decisions, as I’d never want to work in product w/o it”
The team clearly cares about design and the user experience. Every feature contributes to an intuitive experience, and integrations are seamless. This is probably the most beautiful and well-thought-out app I’ve ever used, and the support team and Slack channel are amazing. I’ve never needed to submit a support ticket, but occasionally send feature requests. However, I’m so happy with Linear out of the box for Product Management, roadmap planning, team collaboration, etc., that I’d be fine without any of my feature requests making it onto their roadmap. This isn’t just about having a useful. From watching YouTube videos and LinkedIn posts, the whole team has so much wisdom to share that’s valuable to anyone working in Saas or products in general.
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What Is Jira?
Jira is a project management tool developed by Atlassian, designed to help teams plan, track, and manage their work effectively. Originally created for software development and issue tracking, it has since evolved to support a variety of use cases, including agile project management, bug tracking, and general task management. Jira caters to teams of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises.
✨ Jira features
Agile project management
Jira is built with agile teams in mind, offering tools like scrum boards, kanban boards, and backlog grooming and management. These features enable teams to plan, track, and execute work efficiently, whether using sprints, continuous workflows, or a hybrid approach.
Custom workflows
Every team operates differently, and Jira supports this by allowing the creation of tailored workflows. Teams can define stages, set triggers, and ensure that tasks move smoothly from one phase to the next while maintaining accountability.
Comprehensive reporting
Jira delivers detailed insights into project performance through burndown charts, velocity reports, and dashboards. These analytics help teams monitor progress, identify bottlenecks, and make data-driven decisions to improve outcomes.
Integration capabilities
There are tons of Jira plugins out there. Jira connects effortlessly with a variety of tools, such as Slack for communication, GitHub for development workflows, and Confluence for documentation, Everhour for Jira time tracking. This interconnectedness ensures teams can maintain a unified workflow without switching between multiple platforms.
Automation
Jira simplifies routine and repetitive tasks with its robust automation engine. Teams can create custom rules to automatically update statuses, send reminders, or assign tasks, freeing up time to focus on higher-value work while reducing the risk of human error. You can also use Jira templates to simplify your work even further.
Scalability
Whether your organization has a small team or a massive workforce, Jira scales to meet your needs. Supporting up to 50,000 users on a single site, it’s a solution that grows alongside your business.
💸 Pricing
- Free: $0, for up to 10 users
- Standard: $7.53 per user per month
- Premium: $13.53 per user per month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing (available with annual billing)
🗣️ What users say about Jira
“Unlimited potential, manageable complexity”
Jira is second to none when it comes to adaptability to a great variety of different workflows and really extensive features of customization. Strong integrations further facilitate collaboration and automation of tasks, while clear visualization with Kanban and Scrum boards brings transparency to decision-making. Besides, Jira has been designed in such a way that it will scale well with the growth of your team.
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Linear vs. Jira Compared
Both Linear and Jira cater to teams needing robust project management, but they emphasize different strengths. Linear focuses on speed, simplicity, and user-friendliness, making it ideal for fast-moving development teams. In contrast, Jira offers extensive customization and scalability, appealing to organizations managing complex projects across various departments.
❓ Why Jira is better
- Customizability: Jira allows teams to create tailored workflows, issue types, and fields, adapting to unique processes.
- Integration with Atlassian tools: Сonnects with Confluence, BitBucket, and other Atlassian products for a unified experience.
- Scalability: Supports large teams and enterprise-level operations, accommodating up to 50,000 users.
- Comprehensive reporting: Offers advanced analytics and reporting tools to track project performance and progress.
- Diverse templates and features: Includes templates for various project types, forms, and company-wide visibility.
- Marketplace for add-ons: Expands functionality with a vast selection of integrations and apps.
❓ Why Linear is better
- Exceptional speed: Linear’s interface is optimized for quick navigation and instant task updates, keeping teams productive.
- Minimalistic design: A clean and distraction-free workspace ensures focus on what matters most.
- Keyboard shortcuts: Boost efficiency with intuitive shortcuts for task creation and navigation.
- Simplified agile workflows: Replaces complex agile terminology with straightforward paradigms that are easier to use.
- Integrated tools: Connects effortlessly with Slack, GitHub, and GitLab and lots of other tools to streamline team collaboration.
- Focus on developers: Designed with development teams in mind, offering a user-friendly experience tailored to their needs.
Ultimately, the choice between Linear and Jira depends on your team’s size, project complexity, and preference for speed versus customizability.
Linear vs Jira: Reddit Take
On Reddit, users have shared diverse perspectives on the Linear vs Jira debate. Here’s a summary of notable opinions:
⚫️ ✅ Linear’s advantages:
- Many find Linear faster and more streamlined, with a cleaner UI.
- It is praised for better design and performance compared to Jira.
- Developers appreciate its focus on simplicity and intuitive third-party integrations.
🔵 ✅ Jira’s benefits:
- Some users argue Jira excels in mature environments, especially when paired with other Atlassian tools like Confluence.
- It offers robust backlog management tools when used with proper hierarchies, labels, and filters.
- Jira is seen as more versatile for complex or large-scale projects.
⚫️ ❌ Critiques of Linear:
- It is perceived as having a minimal feature set, better suited for startups or small teams.
- Concerns were raised about scalability and its appeal potentially diminishing as it matures.
🔵 ❌ Critiques of Jira:
- Jira’s interface can feel overwhelming, especially for non-engineering teams.
- It is often criticized for being slow and cluttered, with a steep learning curve.
Consensus: There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Linear is ideal for smaller, agile teams seeking speed and simplicity, while Jira remains a reliable choice for larger, more established organizations.
Everhour: A Great Alternative to Jira and Linear
For teams looking for an efficient Linear Jira alternative, Everhour is an exceptional alternative to both. By integrating project management, time tracking, and budgeting tools, Everhour addresses the pain points of overly complex or narrowly focused platforms. It’s ideal for teams that value a streamlined workflow without compromising on essential features.
What makes Everhour stand out?
While Jira offers extensive customization and Linear prioritizes speed and simplicity, Everhour strikes a balance between the two, providing a user-friendly interface coupled with robust capabilities. It caters to a variety of team needs, from detailed project oversight to seamless time tracking and budget management. Key features that make Everhour shine:
Project management
Everhour simplifies task and project oversight, ensuring transparency and accountability.
- Create and assign tasks with clear deadlines for team members.
- Monitor task progress in real-time to ensure projects stay on track.
- Maintain centralized communication to prevent misaligned updates and scattered information.
Billing and budgeting
Financial management becomes straightforward with Everhour’s budgeting tools.
- Define budgets for individual projects or recurring tasks.
- Track real-time expenses to prevent overspending.
- Generate professional billing reports to streamline invoicing for clients or stakeholders.
Real-time progress tracking
Keep up with what your team is working on without interrupting their flow.
- Gain instant visibility into task statuses and project developments.
- Reassign resources and adjust priorities on the go to address bottlenecks.
- Ensure your team remains productive and focused on their goals.
Timesheet and time-off management
Everhour supports accurate time tracking and leave management, minimizing administrative hassles.
- Enable teams to log, submit, and track their hours effortlessly.
- Set up automated reminders to avoid missed timesheet submissions.
- Plan and manage team leave with real-time visibility into schedules.
Who should choose Everhour?
Everhour is perfect for teams that want an intuitive, efficient solution without the steep learning curve often associated with platforms like Jira. It is equally suitable for small startups needing a lightweight, fast tool and mature organizations requiring more detailed reporting and tracking capabilities.
Whether you’re handling complex workflows or simple projects, Everhour ensures your team stays aligned, productive, and informed. Its thoughtful features make it an excellent fit for those seeking an all-in-one solution that combines the best aspects of both Jira and Linear.
Linear vs Jira: Which One to Choose
When comparing Linear and Jira, selecting the right tool can greatly affect your team’s productivity, collaboration, and project success. Both platforms offer powerful features, but the right choice depends on how you prioritize workflow management, time tracking, and budget control. A streamlined solution should reduce complexity while boosting efficiency, and that’s where Everhour shines as the ideal alternative to both Linear and Jira.
Everhour stands out as a versatile and efficient alternative, offering the perfect balance of features to meet your team’s needs.
Its intuitive design and comprehensive capabilities make it an excellent choice for those seeking to simplify project management while enhancing productivity.
