Linear vs Teamwork
Linear is fast, opinionated project management tool built for software teams, while Teamwork is project management with time tracking, resource management, and client-facing features. Teamwork comes in cheaper, but price alone does not tell the full story. Linear is built for software teams that want speed and keyboard-first workflows, whereas Teamwork targets client-facing teams needing project + time tracking.
At a glance
|
Linear
|
Teamwork
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Software teams that want speed and keyboard-first workflows | Client-facing teams needing project + time tracking |
| Starting price | $8/user/mo | $5.99/user/mo |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Free tier available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Budgets | — | ✓ |
| Client Access | — | ✓ |
| Cycles | ✓ | — |
| Git Integration | ✓ | — |
| Keyboard First | ✓ | — |
| Roadmaps | ✓ | — |
| Templates | — | ✓ |
| Time Tracking | — | ✓ |
| Triage | ✓ | — |
Linear
Strengths
- Blazingly fast — feels instant
- Beautiful, minimal design
- Keyboard shortcuts for everything
- Purpose-built for software teams with Git integration
Weaknesses
- Opinionated workflow — less customizable than Jira
- Not designed for non-software teams
- Limited reporting and analytics
- Smaller integration ecosystem
Teamwork
Strengths
- Native time tracking eliminates the need for a separate time-logging tool
- Includes Budgets as a core feature, purpose-built for project management workflows
- Free for 5 users — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
- Established product with 19+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem
Weaknesses
- Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
- Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
- Migrating existing projects from another tool can be time-consuming
- Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish
The bottom line
Pricing: Both tools offer free tiers, so you can test each before committing. Linear's free plan: Free for small teams up to 250 issues. Teamwork's free plan: Free for 5 users. When you outgrow the free tier, Teamwork is the cheaper option at $5.99/user/mo vs. $8/user/mo for Linear — roughly 33% less.
Feature gaps: Linear offers Cycles, Git Integration and Keyboard First that Teamwork lacks. Teamwork brings Budgets, Client Access and Templates that Linear does not have.
Team fit: Linear is geared toward small teams teams, while Teamwork is aimed at mid-size teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.
Where each tool shines: Linear's biggest strengths are: blazingly fast — feels instant. beautiful, minimal design. Teamwork's biggest strengths are: native time tracking eliminates the need for a separate time-logging tool. includes budgets as a core feature, purpose-built for project management workflows.
Watch out for: With Linear, users commonly note that opinionated workflow — less customizable than jira. With Teamwork, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.
Choose Linear if...
- You need a tool built for software teams that want speed and keyboard-first workflows
- You specifically need Cycles and Git Integration
- You care about beautiful, minimal design
- Your team size fits the small teams profile Linear is designed for
- The free tier works for you: free for small teams up to 250 issues
Choose Teamwork if...
- You need a tool built for client-facing teams needing project + time tracking
- You want to save on per-user costs — Teamwork is $2.01/user/mo cheaper
- You specifically need Budgets and Client Access
- You care about includes budgets as a core feature, purpose-built for project management workflows
- Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Teamwork is designed for
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