Linear vs Shortcut: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Linear and Shortcut side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below, Shortcut leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Linear
Issue tracking for software teams
Best for you if:
- • You want extremely fast and responsive
Shortcut
Project management for software teams
Best for you if:
- • You want fast and responsive UI with extensive keyboard shortcuts
| At a Glance | Shortcut | |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan, paid from $10/mo, billed monthly Basic plan | Free plan, paid from $8.50/mo Team plan |
Category | Project Management Task Management | Project Management Task Management |
Rating | n/a | 4.5/5 Capterra 4.6 · G2 4.4 540 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | 250-issue cap on Free: once you hit 250 active issues, you must upgrade or archive old issues. Growing teams hit this within 2-3 months of real usage | Storage limits (5GB Free, 250GB Team/Business) could incur overage. |
Choose Linear or Shortcut?
Choose Linear if
- You want extremely fast and responsive
- You want beautiful interface
Choose Shortcut if
- You want fast and responsive UI with extensive keyboard shortcuts
- You want deep VCS integration auto-updates stories from Git activity
- Budget matters ($8.50/mo vs $10/mo, billed monthly)
In-Depth Analysis
Linear
Issue tracking for software teams
Linear is the fastest, most polished issue tracker available, and its pricing is refreshingly simple.
Watch out
250-issue cap on Free: once you hit 250 active issues, you must upgrade or archive old issues. Growing teams hit this within 2-3 months of real usage
Strengths
- Pro: Extremely fast and responsive
- Pro: Beautiful interface
- Pro: Excellent keyboard shortcuts
- Pro: Good GitHub integration
Weaknesses
- Con: Limited customization vs Jira
- Con: Focused on software teams only
- Con: No time tracking built-in
Key features
Shortcut
Project management for software teams
Shortcut's pricing is quite generous, especially the Free tier for up to 10 users.
Watch out
Storage limits (5GB Free, 250GB Team/Business) could incur overage.
Strengths
- Pro: Fast and responsive UI with extensive keyboard shortcuts
- Pro: Deep VCS integration auto-updates stories from Git activity
- Pro: Free tier supports up to 10 users with core features
- Pro: Clean, intuitive interface with minimal learning curve
- Pro: Combines roadmaps, docs, and issue tracking in one tool
Weaknesses
- Con: Limited to one workspace on Free and Team plans
- Con: Advanced custom fields and OKRs require the Business plan
- Con: No built-in time tracking or resource management
- Con: Smaller integration ecosystem compared to Jira or Linear
- Con: Storage capped at 250 GB even on paid plans
Key features
Plans and prices: Linear vs Shortcut
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Linear |
| linear.app/pricing read Oct 15, 2026 |
| Shortcut |
| shortcut.com/pricing read Oct 31, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Linear pricing and Shortcut pricing.
Key Takeaways
Linear
- Choose if you want issue tracking for software teams
Shortcut
- Lower entry price: $8.50/mo vs $10/mo, billed monthly
What the data shows
On the data below, Shortcut leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
- Only Shortcut has a published user rating (4.5/5 from 540 reviews); Linear has none we can show.
- Shortcut has the lower entry price: $8.50/mo (Team) against $10/mo, billed monthly (Basic) for Linear.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Linear and Shortcut compare in 2026?
On the data below, Shortcut leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair. Only Shortcut has a published user rating (4.5/5 from 540 reviews); Linear has none we can show. Shortcut has the lower entry price: $8.50/mo (Team) against $10/mo, billed monthly (Basic) for Linear. Both have a free plan.
What are Linear and Shortcut used for?
Linear: Issue tracking for software teams. Shortcut: Project management for software teams.
What does Linear cost vs Shortcut?
Linear's cheapest paid plan is Basic at $10/mo, billed monthly; it also has a free plan. Shortcut's cheapest paid plan is Team at $8.50/mo; it also has a free plan. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 31, 2026.
What's the main difference between Linear and Shortcut?
Linear's main strength: extremely fast and responsive. Shortcut's main strength: fast and responsive UI with extensive keyboard shortcuts.