Issue Tracking & DeliveryVS Comparison
Linear vs GitHub Issues: Dedicated Tracker vs Built-in Solution
Compare Linear and GitHub Issues for development workflows. See when a dedicated tool beats an integrated one.
Quick Verdict
Linear is the better issue tracker with richer project management features. GitHub Issues is sufficient for small teams that want zero context-switching from their code.
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Linear: Use Linear when you need cycles, projects, roadmaps, and a polished PM layer on top of your development workflow.
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GitHub Issues: Use GitHub Issues when your team is small, developer-heavy, and wants everything in one place alongside their code.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Linear | GitHub Issues |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Issue Tracking & Delivery | Issue Tracking & Delivery |
| Pricing | Free (250 issues), $8/user/mo | Free with GitHub |
| Best For | Modern dev teams that value speed | Developer-first teams already on GitHub |
| Segment | Mid-Market | Starter |
| Team Size | 1–5 to 50–200 people | 1–5 to 21–50 people |
| Top Strengths | Blazing fast UI, Keyboard-first design, Cycles & projects | Zero context switching for devs, Free with GitHub, Project boards |
| Best Roles | IC PMs, Senior PMs, Group PMs | IC PMs, Senior PMs |
| Best Needs | Delivery | Delivery |
Linear
- Category
- Issue Tracking & Delivery
- Pricing
- Free (250 issues), $8/user/mo
- Best For
- Modern dev teams that value speed
- Segment
- Mid-Market
- Team Size
- 1–5 to 50–200 people
- Top Strengths
- Blazing fast UI, Keyboard-first design, Cycles & projects
- Best Roles
- IC PMs, Senior PMs, Group PMs
- Best Needs
- Delivery
GitHub Issues
- Category
- Issue Tracking & Delivery
- Pricing
- Free with GitHub
- Best For
- Developer-first teams already on GitHub
- Segment
- Starter
- Team Size
- 1–5 to 21–50 people
- Top Strengths
- Zero context switching for devs, Free with GitHub, Project boards
- Best Roles
- IC PMs, Senior PMs
- Best Needs
- Delivery
Scoring Breakdown
Role Fit (avg)
Linear
6.0
GitHub Issues
4.3
Need Fit (avg)
Linear
3.3
GitHub Issues
2.4
Team Size (avg)
Linear
7.6
GitHub Issues
6.6
Budget Fit (avg)
Linear
8.0
GitHub Issues
7.2
Maturity (avg)
Linear
7.5
GitHub Issues
5.5
Integration (avg)
Linear
2.7
GitHub Issues
1.8
Linear
Mid-MarketFast, streamlined issue tracking built for modern software teams.
Blazing fast UIKeyboard-first designCycles & projectsClean, opinionated workflow
GitHub Issues
StarterNative issue tracking within GitHub with projects, labels, and milestones.
Zero context switching for devsFree with GitHubProject boardsDeep code integration
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