Quick answer: The strongest Linear alternatives are Jira, Height and Shortcut. Jira is the closest match for most users; the others trade off on price, features or focus. All 3 are compared below on pricing, strengths and best use case.
Linear is a solid software development pm tool — Fast, keyboard-driven issue tracker and project planner built for modern software teams, with sleek UX, cycles, roadmaps and strong Git integrations. But perhaps you've hit a limit, or simply want to compare before committing. Here are the strongest alternatives worth a look, with what sets each apart.
Each option below works in the same broad space as Linear; the right swap depends on which trade-off matters most to you.
Jira software development PM
Industry-standard issue and sprint tracker for software teams, with Scrum/Kanban boards, backlogs, roadmaps and deep Atlassian Marketplace integrations. Consider it if software development teams is your priority.
The default issue and sprint tracker for software teams, backed by a 10,000+ app marketplace.
Stands out for:
- Scrum and Kanban boards with backlogs and sprints
- Issue tracking with custom workflows and fields
- Roadmaps (timeline) and Advanced Roadmaps for cross-project planning (Premium)
Pricing: Free up to 10 users; Standard from ~$7.53/user/mo; Premium ~$13.53/user/mo; Enterprise custom (billed annually; scales down at higher seat counts). · Best for: Software development teams, Agile/Scrum at scale, Atlassian ecosystem users
Full Jira overview
More on Jira →
Height software development PM
AI-native project management tool that automates triage, backlog grooming and updates, positioning itself as an autonomous project manager for product teams. A good swap when you care most about product and engineering teams.
An early autonomous-AI project manager for product teams, now shut down (service ended Sept 2025).
Stands out for:
- AI-native project management with autonomous bug triage
- Automated backlog grooming and spec/doc updates
- Teams spaces and integrated Documents
Pricing: Free tier; paid Team plans for Height 2.0 with AI features (per-user pricing, verify current rate on signup). · Best for: Product and engineering teams, Teams wanting AI automation, Lean startups
Full Height overview
More on Height →
Shortcut software development PM
Project management for software teams balancing simplicity and power, with stories, epics, iterations, roadmaps and built-in docs (formerly Clubhouse). Worth a look for software development teams.
A 'Jira-lite' for software teams: stories, epics and iterations with a faster, cleaner experience.
Stands out for:
- Stories, Epics and Objectives for goal-based planning
- Iterations (sprints) for agile workflows
- Roadmaps and Kanban boards
Pricing: Free up to 10 users; Team from ~$8.50/user/mo; Business ~$12/user/mo; Enterprise custom (billed annually; verify current tiers). · Best for: Software development teams, Story/epic-based planning, Teams wanting Jira-lite
Full Shortcut overview
More on Shortcut →