GitHub Projects vs Linear

GitHub Projects suits development teams that want flexible planning views directly over repository issues and pull requests. Linear suits focused product-development teams that value fast interaction and a cohesive model for issues, projects, initiatives, and cycles.

Compare features See the tradeoffs

GitHub Projects

Best for development teams planning around GitHub issues and pull requests

Advantage: Can plan directly with native GitHub issues and pull requests, including linked pull-request state and reviewers.
Advantage: Can combine work from several repositories in one organisation project.
Advantage: Can add text, number, date, choice, and iteration fields, and share task fields across projects and repositories.
Limitation: Can control repository access and automate events, but these controls do not set rules for project status changes.
Limitation: Can track repeating work periods and charts, but lacks a dedicated sprint backlog and full sprint reports.

Linear

Best for focused product-development teams that value speed and a consistent work model

Advantage: Keyboard shortcuts and the command menu support navigation, selection, and common issue actions.
Advantage: Most issue views can switch between board and list layouts while keeping the same work in view.
Advantage: Native GitHub and GitLab connections link product work with branches, commits, pull requests, reviews, and releases.
Limitation: Linear uses a defined issue property model plus labels and label groups rather than arbitrary organisation-defined issue fields.
Limitation: Teams configure workflow statuses and their order within Linear's standard status categories.

Feature comparison

✓ Supported · — Partially supported · × Not available.

Feature	GitHub Projects	Linear
Pricing
Starting paid price Compare the entry paid plan, billing unit, and payment commitment.	Projects is included in Free. GitHub Team starts at $4/user/month; introductory pricing terms apply.	Linear Basic starts at $10 per user/month billed yearly. Monthly pricing and applicable taxes may differ.
Free plan Compare what teams can use before moving to a paid plan.	GitHub Free includes Projects and unlimited collaborators on public and private repositories.	The Free plan includes unlimited members, two teams, and up to 250 issues. File uploads are limited to 10 MB and several administration and reporting features require paid plans.
Work structure and knowledge
Projects, tasks, and subtasks Organise work from individual tasks through projects and larger initiatives.	Supported	Supported
Custom fields Track information that is specific to the team’s work.	Supported	Limited Linear uses a defined issue property model plus labels and label groups rather than arbitrary organisation-defined issue fields. This keeps the model consistent but limits bespoke data structures.
Custom work types Model different kinds of work with their own structure and fields.	Supported	Limited Can classify issues with labels, label groups, and templates; these use Linear’s defined issue model rather than arbitrary work-type schemes.
Documents and knowledge Keep project documentation and long-form knowledge connected to tasks.	Limited Can keep Markdown documentation in repositories and issue descriptions; Projects itself is a planning layer rather than a document workspace.	Supported
Whiteboards Connect visual brainstorming to project work.	Not available	Limited Can import, create, and edit issues through Miro boards; requires the connected Miro Business or Enterprise product.
Views and everyday work
Board and list layouts Switch between a board and a list of the same work.	Supported	Supported
Grouping by field Organise views by status, owner, or another work-item field.	Supported	Supported
Cross-project views View work from several projects or teams together.	Supported	Supported
Advanced filters Build precise views from several conditions.	Supported	Supported
Saved and shared views Save board or list settings and share them with other people.	Supported	Supported
Keyboard navigation and commands Navigate and act without reaching for the mouse.	Supported	Supported
Bulk editing Update several selected work items together.	Supported	Supported
Planning and reporting
Planning across teams Connect current delivery work with broader projects, initiatives, and plans.	Supported	Supported
Progress reporting Understand delivery progress and performance through reports.	Supported	Limited Project and initiative updates provide progress context, while Linear Insights adds filtered reporting on Business and Enterprise. Insights is not included on Free or Basic.
Task dependencies Track blocking relationships between tasks and projects.	Supported	Supported
Workload and capacity Compare assigned work with team availability and capacity.	Limited Can use assignees, estimates, iterations, and grouped views to inspect allocation; capacity planning needs custom fields and reporting.	Limited Can inspect assigned work through cycles, estimates, and views; availability-aware resource planning needs additional reporting or integrations.
Goals and objectives Connect tasks and project progress to organisational goals.	Limited Can model outcomes through issues, milestones, and project fields; objective tracking is configured around repository and project data.	Limited Can connect projects to larger outcomes through initiatives; the model is organised around product initiatives rather than a separate objective framework.
Time tracking Record time spent on work and review it in reports.	Limited Can store numeric time values in custom fields; a live timer and timesheets need an integration or custom implementation.	Limited Can connect issue work to third-party time tracking such as Timely; the timer is supplied by the connected service.
Sprint planning Plan repeating delivery periods with a backlog and sprint scope.	Supported	Supported
Sprint reporting Review burndown, velocity, and delivery trends with dedicated reports.	Limited Can track repeating work periods and charts, but lacks a dedicated sprint backlog and full sprint reports. Inherited from jira-vs-github-projects, Automatic actions and progress reports: Sprint progress reports. Sources were attributed at page level in the original comparison; claim-specific attribution needs review.	Limited Can track cycle scope and completion and use Insights for analysis; reporting follows Linear cycles rather than a full Scrum report suite.
Timeline and Gantt views Plan work against dates and see schedules and dependencies in a timeline or Gantt view.	Limited Can show dates and iterations on a project roadmap; this is a roadmap view rather than a full dependency-aware Gantt scheduler.	Supported
Backlog management Maintain an ordered backlog and select work for upcoming delivery periods.	Limited Can order project items and assign iterations; there is no separate dedicated sprint-backlog surface.	Supported
Workflow and intake
Automatic actions React to changes and automate multi-step processes.	Limited Can build custom automation with GitHub Actions and APIs, but specialised behaviour usually needs code. Inherited from jira-vs-github-projects, Automatic actions and progress reports: Custom automation. Sources were attributed at page level in the original comparison; claim-specific attribution needs review.	Limited Built-in rules automate common cycle, status, triage, and integration updates. The product offers fewer arbitrary multi-step workflow rules than Jira.
Rules for changing status Enforce allowed status transitions and require information before work can move to another stage.	Limited Can control repository access and automate events, but these controls do not set rules for project status changes. Inherited from jira-vs-github-projects, Process rules and access: Rules for changing status. Sources were attributed at page level in the original comparison; claim-specific attribution needs review.	Limited Teams configure workflow statuses and their order within Linear's standard status categories. Linear does not document Jira-style transition validators, conditions, and post-functions.
Request forms Collect structured requests that create work items.	Limited Can collect structured repository issues through YAML issue forms; requesters need GitHub access and project routing needs configuration.	Supported
Custom statuses Define the stages that match each team’s process.	Limited Can set statuses and automate updates, but cannot define which status moves are allowed. Inherited from jira-vs-github-projects, Process rules and access: Steps from start to finish. Sources were attributed at page level in the original comparison; claim-specific attribution needs review.	Supported
Approval steps Require approval from designated people before work can proceed.	Limited Can require pull-request reviews for code changes; this does not create enforced approval steps for arbitrary project tasks.	Limited Can follow required GitHub or GitLab reviews and checks before a pull request is ready to merge; this does not establish approval gates for arbitrary issue stages.
Access and administration
Project roles and permissions Control who can view, edit, and administer project work.	Supported	Limited Workspace roles, team ownership, private teams, guests, and Enterprise controls govern access. Private teams and guests start on Business; SAML, SCIM, and granular controls are Enterprise.
Individual work-item access Restrict an individual work item within an otherwise shared project.	Limited Can show tasks only to people who can access their underlying repository or item. Inherited from jira-vs-github-projects, Process rules and access: Private tasks in shared projects. Sources were attributed at page level in the original comparison; claim-specific attribution needs review.	Supported
Shared configuration Reuse managed fields and process settings across teams.	Limited Can share organisation issue types and reuse repository templates; project fields and view setup still require project-level management.	Limited Can reuse workspace and team issue templates; workflow statuses and team-specific setup are still managed in their owning teams.
Integrations
Development integrations Connect planning with branches, pull requests, builds, and deployments.	Supported	Supported
Jira integration Connect work and updates with Jira projects.	Limited Can connect GitHub development activity to Jira through GitHub for Atlassian; this does not provide full synchronisation of GitHub Projects planning data.	Supported
API and webhooks Read and update work programmatically and receive events when it changes.	Supported	Supported

GitHub Projects

Best for development teams planning around GitHub issues and pull requests

Native issues and pull requests

Can combine GitHub tasks, code reviews, and draft tasks from one or several code repositories.

Multi-repository planning

Can combine work from several repositories in one organisation project.

Project views and custom fields

Can add text, number, date, choice, and iteration fields, and share task fields across projects and repositories.

Nested sub-issues and blockers

Can break tasks into nested subtasks, show parent progress, and mark blocking tasks.

Linear

Best for focused product-development teams that value speed and a consistent work model

Keyboard-driven execution

Keyboard shortcuts and the command menu support navigation, selection, and common issue actions.

Unified board and list views

Most issue views can switch between board and list layouts while keeping the same work in view.

Projects, initiatives, and cycles

Projects, initiatives, cycles, roadmaps, and timelines connect near-term execution with broader product plans.

Native code integrations

Native GitHub and GitLab connections link product work with branches, commits, pull requests, reviews, and releases.

Key differences

GitHub Projects

Linear

Work structure and customisation

Compare how each product models projects, tasks, work types, and team-specific information.

Can save table, board, and roadmap views with filters, sorting, and grouping.

Boards can group and sub-group by status, project, priority, cycle, label, team, assignee, and other supported properties. Nested filters combine issue properties with and/or logic, and filtered views can be saved and shared.

Workflow configuration

Consider whether the team needs a consistent status model or rules that govern how work moves between stages.

Can control repository access and automate events, but these controls do not set rules for project status changes. Can require pull-request reviews for code changes; this does not create enforced approval steps for arbitrary project tasks.

Teams configure workflow statuses and their order within Linear’s standard status categories. Linear does not document Jira-style transition validators, conditions, and post-functions.

Can follow required GitHub or GitLab reviews and checks before a pull request is ready to merge; this does not establish approval gates for arbitrary issue stages. Built-in rules automate common cycle, status, triage, and integration updates.

Access and extensibility

Review the permission model and the options for connecting or extending each product programmatically.

Can show tasks only to people who can access their underlying repository or item. Can give people, teams, and outside collaborators different levels of project access.

Issues follow the access of their owning team, including private-team boundaries. Cross-team projects can expose project context while preserving private issue access. Workspace roles, team ownership, private teams, guests, and Enterprise controls govern access.

Planning and portfolio scope

Consider how near-term execution connects to timelines, initiatives, dependencies, and broader organisational plans.

Can use assignees, estimates, iterations, and grouped views to inspect allocation; capacity planning needs custom fields and reporting. Can show work on a roadmap using dates and iterations, with grouping and milestones.

Can inspect assigned work through cycles, estimates, and views; availability-aware resource planning needs additional reporting or integrations. Projects, initiatives, cycles, roadmaps, and timelines connect near-term execution with broader product plans.

Sources and verification

Documentation reviewed 2026-09-11 / 2026-09-16 / 2026-09-17. Based on product documentation and pricing sources.