- GitLab covers issue boards, sprint milestones, and native commit-to-issue automation for teams already hosting code on GitLab, at no added seat cost.
- OpenProject adds Gantt charts, time tracking, and full Scrum sprints for teams that need structured project management alongside issues, self-hosted under GPL-3.0.
- Taiga matches Linear's sprint-cycle workflow most closely with burndown charts, velocity tracking, and Kanban swimlanes, free to self-host under AGPL-3.0.
L
Open-source alternatives guide
Best Alternatives to Linear
A modern issue tracker and project planner for software teams with a fast UI, sprint cycles, and tight git integration.
TL;DR
Pain points
Why people leave Linear
The practical reasons teams compare Linear with open-source alternatives before they migrate.
Linear charges $8 per user per month on the Standard plan and $14 per user per month on Plus. A 20-person engineering team pays between $1,920 and $3,360 per year for issue tracking alone. When Linear removed its legacy free tier and tightened plan limits, teams on grandfathered plans faced abrupt cost increases with no migration path within the tool itself. Adding non-engineering collaborators (designers, PMs, QA engineers who need occasional access) requires full paid seats, since lower plans offer no read-only tier.
Linear has no self-hosted option and no enterprise self-hosted tier, even for large customers. All workspace data resides on Linear's US-based servers. Teams in the EU working under GDPR, or in healthcare and fintech under data residency requirements, cannot accommodate a cloud-only issue tracker with no documented path to custom data processing agreements or on-premises deployment.
Linear's data export is functional but incomplete. Issues, statuses, assignees, and labels export as CSV. Cycle membership, sprint carry-over history, and velocity trends do not export cleanly. The CSV shows which sprint an issue was assigned to but not the chronological sprint sequence, carry-over events, or velocity metrics. Teams that built their planning cadence inside Linear's cycle system find that exporting means losing the planning structure, not just the raw data.
When Linear experiences downtime, teams find their sprint process stops entirely. Issue tracking embedded in daily standups and on-call workflows creates a single operational dependency on a cloud service that has no offline mode and no self-hosted fallback.
At a glance
Quick comparison
A fast scan of the curated recommendations before the deeper editorial sections.
| Name | License | Self-Hosted | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitLab | NOASSERTION | See notes | Teams on GitLab for code hosting |
| OpenProject | GPL-3.0 | See notes | Teams needing Scrum boards, Gantt charts, and time tracking |
| Taiga | AGPL-3.0 | See notes | Agile teams wanting Scrum sprints without enterprise overhead |
| Gitea | MIT | See notes | Small teams wanting lightweight git hosting and issue tracking |
| Focalboard | NOASSERTION | See notes | Teams using Mattermost wanting board-centric visual project tracking |
| Leantime | AGPL-3.0 | See notes | Teams with neurodiverse members needing goal-first issue tracking |
| WeKan | MIT | See notes | Teams needing a simple self-hosted Kanban board |
Pricing
$8/user/month (Standard) to $14/user/month (Plus); no free tier
All 7 alternatives are free to self-host; infrastructure runs $10-40/month regardless of team size
Self-hosting
Not available; all data on Linear's US-based servers
All 7 alternatives support Docker-based self-hosting; most have documented Docker Compose installs
Sprint and cycle management
Full native cycle model with carry-over tracking and velocity metrics
Taiga and OpenProject have the most complete sprint implementations; GitLab and Gitea use milestones as sprint equivalents
Git integration
GitHub and GitLab sync via Linear's integration layer
GitLab and Gitea have native git integration; OpenProject, Taiga, and Focalboard connect via webhooks
License
Proprietary; no source access
MIT (GitLab CE, Gitea, WeKan), GPL-3.0 (OpenProject), AGPL-3.0 (Taiga, Leantime), open core (Focalboard)
Data portability
CSV export for issues; cycle history and sprint structure not portable
Self-hosted alternatives give full database access; sprint history is never lost on migrations within the same tool
Editorial ranking
Top open-source alternatives to Linear
Curated recommendations stay in editorial order, so the top pick reflects use-case fit rather than raw popularity alone.
Rank 1
GitLab
Teams on GitLab for code hosting
24.3K stars5.8K forksRubyNOASSERTION
GitLab bundles issue tracking, project boards, milestones, and workflow automation into the same instance as your git repositories. Issues close from commit messages using standard Closes #123 syntax, and merge request reviewers share user accounts with issue assignees, removing the identity-mapping problem common in migrations from standalone trackers.
Key Features
- Issue boards with configurable workflow states matching Linear's status model
- Milestones as sprint equivalents with due dates and progress tracking
- Labels, weight (story points), due dates, and assignees on every issue
- GitLab CI/CD ties deployments directly to issue lifecycle events
- REST and GraphQL API for workflow automation
Pros
- No added cost for teams already using GitLab for code hosting
- Native git integration: commits close issues with zero sync lag
- Mature access controls at project and group level
Cons
- Dense interface; Linear's keyboard-centric UI is faster for issue-only workflows
- Sprint velocity reports require the Premium tier, not available in Community Edition
- Self-hosted instances need at least 4GB RAM for small teams
License & Hosting
MIT license (Community Edition). Self-hosted via Docker, Kubernetes, or official install scripts. GitLab also offers a managed SaaS tier.
Pricing
Free to self-host with Community Edition. Hosting cost (VPS or bare metal) replaces per-seat cost entirely.
Best For
Engineering teams already using GitLab for code hosting who want issue tracking with native git integration and no additional per-seat licensing cost.
Rank 2
OpenProject
Teams needing Scrum boards, Gantt charts, and time tracking
15.1K stars3.2K forksRubyGPL-3.0
OpenProject is the most fully-featured project management tool in this list. It covers Scrum and Kanban boards, Gantt charts with dependency tracking, time tracking, work package hierarchies, and meeting notes in a single self-hosted instance running on Docker Compose with PostgreSQL.
Key Features
- Scrum and Kanban boards with sprint planning and backlog management
- Gantt charts with predecessor and successor task relationships
- Time tracking with budget and cost reporting per project
- Sub-issues (child work packages) with progress rollup to parent
- CSV and Jira import support for migrations
Pros
- Most complete feature set for project management at team scale
- Work package hierarchy supports nested epics, features, and tasks
- Active development with a strong European user base; EU-hosted SaaS option available
- GPL-3.0 permits unrestricted internal commercial use
Cons
- More complex UI than Linear; new users need onboarding time
- Full installation requires at least 8GB RAM and 20GB disk
- Advanced reporting features require the BIM or Professional subscription
License & Hosting
GPL-3.0 (Community Edition). Docker Compose install with PostgreSQL backend. An EU-hosted SaaS option is also available.
Pricing
Free to self-host on Community Edition. No per-seat cost. Enterprise editions (BIM, Professional) add paid features on top.
Best For
Teams that need Gantt charts, time tracking, and enterprise project management alongside Scrum issue tracking, particularly in regulated industries requiring EU data residency.
Rank 3
Taiga
Agile teams wanting Scrum sprints without enterprise overhead
371 stars203 forksCoffeeScriptAGPL-3.0
Taiga is built specifically for agile software teams. Its sprint board, backlog, Kanban board, and issue tracker share a consistent data model with a clean interface. Taiga includes velocity tracking and burndown charts that match Linear's cycle model more closely than any other tool in this list.
Key Features
- Scrum sprints with backlog prioritization, velocity tracking, and burndown charts
- Kanban swimlanes with configurable WIP limits
- User stories, tasks, and issues as distinct object types with separate workflows
- Project wikis for documentation alongside sprint planning
- Docker Compose install with PostgreSQL and Redis
Pros
- Closest workflow match to Linear's opinionated sprint model
- Cleaner interface than OpenProject for teams focused on issue tracking
- AGPL-3.0 with no seat limits on self-hosted instances
- Kanban swimlanes with WIP limits cover a workflow Linear does not natively support
Cons
- No built-in git integration; requires webhooks to connect with GitHub or GitLab
- Fewer third-party integrations than Linear
- No native Linear CSV importer; manual column mapping required
License & Hosting
AGPL-3.0. Docker Compose install with PostgreSQL and Redis. Taiga also offers a hosted SaaS tier.
Pricing
Free to self-host with no per-seat cost. Taiga Cloud plans start at $5/user/month for teams that prefer managed hosting.
Best For
Agile teams that want a clean Scrum or Kanban workflow without enterprise overhead, particularly teams migrating off Linear for sprint-cycle parity.
Rank 4
Gitea
Small teams wanting lightweight git hosting and issue tracking
55.6K stars6.7K forksGoMIT
Gitea is a self-hosted GitHub replacement: repositories, pull requests, code review, and issue tracking in a Go binary that runs on a $5 VPS with 512MB RAM. The issue tracker supports labels, milestones, assignees, and project boards with a GitHub-familiar interface that requires no retraining.
Key Features
- Project boards in Kanban style, per repository and cross-repository
- Issue templates matching GitHub's format for consistent reporting
- Milestones as sprint equivalents with due dates and completion tracking
- Gitea Actions: GitHub Actions-compatible CI/CD built in
- Single binary install; SQLite by default, PostgreSQL recommended for teams
Pros
- Fastest self-host setup in this list: one binary, running in under 10 minutes
- MIT licensed with no restrictions on commercial use or modification
- Very low resource requirements: a 50-user instance runs on 1GB RAM
- Codeberg provides a public Gitea-based hosted option if self-hosting is not desired
Cons
- No built-in sprint cycle management beyond milestones; not a close Linear workflow match
- No built-in Gantt or roadmap view
- Less mature project board compared to Linear's full cycle model
License & Hosting
MIT license. Single binary on any Linux host; Docker image also available. SQLite by default, PostgreSQL for production teams.
Pricing
Free, including for commercial self-hosted use. Infrastructure cost only (typically $5-10/month for a small team VPS).
Best For
Small engineering teams that want git hosting and issue tracking in a single lightweight binary with no per-seat cost and minimal server requirements.
Rank 5
Focalboard
Teams using Mattermost wanting board-centric visual project tracking
26.2K stars2.5K forksTypeScriptNOASSERTION
Focalboard is an open source project board tool from the Mattermost team, built for visual project management. It supports Kanban, table, gallery, and calendar views on a shared board with custom properties per card, making it closer to a Notion-style database than a Linear-style sprint tool.
Key Features
- Multiple view types: Kanban, table, gallery, and calendar on the same dataset
- Custom properties with select, text, date, person, and checkbox field types
- Group-by any property for dynamic board reorganization
- Real-time collaboration across team members
- Deployable as a Mattermost plugin or standalone Docker image
Pros
- Flexible data model: any property can become the board grouping axis
- Mattermost integration routes notifications into team chat without a separate bridge
- CSV import for migrating card data from other tools
Cons
- Open core license (Mattermost model); verify terms before commercial redistribution
- Standalone mode has fewer integrations than the Mattermost-embedded version
- No native git issue integration; requires API automation or webhooks
License & Hosting
Open core license (Mattermost). Check the current license file before commercial deployment. Runs as a Mattermost plugin or standalone Docker container.
Pricing
Free to self-host in standalone mode. Mattermost Enterprise adds team features at negotiated pricing.
Best For
Teams using Mattermost for communication who want board-centric visual project tracking with custom properties and flexible view types alongside their chat tool.
Rank 6
Leantime
Teams with neurodiverse members needing goal-first issue tracking
9.8K stars956 forksPHPAGPL-3.0
Leantime takes a different approach than the other tools in this list. It is built around goal-linked task management with intentional UI simplification to reduce cognitive overhead. Project goals appear prominently and every task connects to a goal, rather than existing as an independent backlog item.
Key Features
- Goal-linked tasks: every task connects to a project goal for context
- Timeboxing: schedule time blocks for tasks to reduce open-ended scope
- Kanban and list views per project with configurable workflows
- Time tracking with team capacity reporting
- Docker Compose install with PHP and MySQL or MariaDB
Pros
- Unique positioning for teams that find Linear's dense sprint interface overwhelming
- AGPL-3.0 with no per-seat cost at any team size, including hosted plans
- Goal context on every task reduces the random-backlog-item problem in large projects
- Accessibility-first design for neurodiverse teams
Cons
- Smaller community and fewer third-party integrations than other tools in this list
- PHP and MySQL stack adds different maintenance overhead than Go or TypeScript backends
- Not a close Linear workflow match: no sprint cycle model, no native git integration
License & Hosting
AGPL-3.0. Docker Compose install with PHP and MySQL or MariaDB. A managed hosted option is available.
Pricing
Free to self-host with AGPL-3.0. No per-seat cost at any scale, including on the hosted version.
Best For
Teams with neurodivergent members or ADHD-heavy culture who need goal-first, reduced-noise issue tracking without Linear's sprint-centric cognitive density.
Rank 7
WeKan
Teams needing a simple self-hosted Kanban board
20.9K stars3K forksJavaScriptMIT
WeKan is a self-hosted Kanban board tool with a clean drag-and-drop interface. It runs as a web application built on Meteor and MongoDB and covers the core Kanban workflow: cards, lists, labels, assignees, due dates, and custom fields, without the project management overhead of larger tools.
Key Features
- Kanban boards with cards, lists, and swimlane support
- Custom fields on cards: text, dates, dropdowns, and checkboxes
- Card templates for repeatable task structures
- Activity log tracking all card and board changes
- Docker Compose install with MongoDB
Pros
- MIT licensed with no restrictions on commercial use or modification
- Simple interface suitable for non-technical team members
- Low resource requirements for self-hosting
- Active community with regular releases on GitHub
Cons
- No sprint or cycle management; Kanban-only workflow
- No built-in git integration
- Meteor and MongoDB stack adds specific maintenance knowledge compared to Go or TypeScript backends
- No native time tracking or roadmap view
License & Hosting
MIT license. Docker Compose install with MongoDB. No proprietary licensing tiers or seat restrictions.
Pricing
Free, including commercial self-hosted use. Infrastructure cost only.
Best For
Teams that need a simple self-hosted Kanban board for task visualization without sprint management, particularly where non-engineering collaborators find Linear's cycle model unnecessary overhead.
Decision framework
How to choose
Use this section to narrow the Linear replacement by team size, hosting model, license, and migration difficulty.
The right Linear replacement depends on what your team misses most and what workflow overhead you can absorb.
If your team already uses GitLab for code hosting, GitLab Issues covers 80% of what Linear does without a separate tool or added cost. Milestones serve as sprint equivalents, and issues close from commit messages natively. There is no identity-mapping gap because the issue tracker and git repo share the same user directory.
If sprint boards and velocity tracking are non-negotiable, choose Taiga for teams under 50 people or OpenProject for teams that also need Gantt charts and time tracking. Both have full Scrum implementations with carry-over, burndown, and backlog management built in.
If your primary concern is data residency or compliance, any self-hosted option resolves the hard constraint. OpenProject has the most mature EU-focused deployment story, with a German company behind it and an EU-hosted SaaS option if self-hosting is not feasible.
If setup simplicity matters, Gitea's single binary with SQLite is the fastest path to production. A Gitea instance serving a 50-person team can run on a $10 VPS and be live in under 10 minutes. The trade-off is no sprint cycle model beyond milestones.
If git integration is a hard requirement, choose GitLab or Gitea. The native integration in both tools means commit messages close issues instantly without a webhook configuration step.
If budget is the only driver, every tool in this list runs free at any team size on self-hosted infrastructure. The variable cost is a $10 to $40 monthly VPS, not per-seat licensing.
Teams that value a clean, low-noise interface for non-engineering collaborators should consider WeKan or Focalboard for boards-only use, or Leantime if the team includes members who find sprint-dense tools overwhelming.
Complete directory list
All alternatives to Linear
Every linked alternative stays available in the scan-friendly card grid, sorted by GitHub stars by default.
No alternatives are linked to this product yet.
Migration
Migration notes for leaving Linear
Practical switching context, including exports, import paths, and places where a staged rollout is safer.
Go to Settings at the workspace level and select Export. Linear exports issues, comments, and project metadata as CSV. The export includes issue title, description, status, assignee, priority, labels, created date, and updated date. Cycle membership and custom workflow automation rules are not included.
Issue titles, descriptions, statuses, assignees, priorities, and labels export reliably. Comments export as a separate CSV with issue IDs as foreign keys, which most importers can reassemble. Sub-issues export with a parent issue ID column, allowing parent-child reconstruction in tools that support work package hierarchies.
Linear cycles have no clean export path. The CSV shows which sprint an issue was assigned to but does not capture carry-over history, sprint velocity, or the chronological sprint sequence. Teams migrating sprint history to OpenProject or Taiga need to reconstruct sprint structure manually from memory or external records. Attachments are not included in the CSV and require manual downloading per issue before migration.
Import paths by tool:
- GitLab: Project > Issues > Import CSV. Map Linear's status column to GitLab labels or to GitLab's open/closed state.
- OpenProject: Work Packages > Import from CSV. Supports parent-child relationships via a parent ID column.
- Taiga: Admin > Import/Export > CSV import maps user stories and issues from CSV columns.
- Gitea: No bulk CSV importer; use the Gitea API at
POST /repos/{owner}/{repo}/issuesfor programmatic migration. Community-maintained migration scripts are available on GitHub. - Focalboard: Accepts CSV import for board cards with column headers mapping to card properties.
A Linear workspace with 200 to 500 issues and no deep sub-issue hierarchies typically migrates in one working day including cleanup. Teams with complex sprint histories or sub-issue trees three or more levels deep should plan a two-to-three day migration window to reconstruct sprint structure the CSV export does not capture.
Before starting, export sprint-by-sprint velocity reports from Linear and archive them. This data does not exist in any importable format and will not be recoverable in the destination tool after migration.
FAQ
Linear alternatives FAQ
Visible answers match the FAQPage structured data emitted by this page.
Is there a free self-hosted alternative to Linear?
Yes. GitLab Community Edition, OpenProject, Taiga, Gitea, and Leantime are all free to self-host with no per-seat costs. Hosting a 20-person engineering team on a $20 VPS is a common setup. The variable cost is infrastructure ($10 to $40 per month for a VPS and storage) rather than per-user licensing.
Can I self-host these Linear alternatives?
All seven tools in this guide support self-hosting. GitLab, OpenProject, and Taiga have Docker Compose deployment guides. Gitea ships as a single binary and is the easiest self-host in this list. Focalboard runs as a standalone Docker container or Mattermost plugin. Leantime uses Docker Compose with PHP and MySQL. None of these require Kubernetes for small-team deployments.
Which open source Linear alternative has the best sprint and cycle support?
Taiga and OpenProject have the most complete sprint implementations. Taiga's Scrum board includes sprint planning, backlog prioritization, burndown charts, and velocity tracking. OpenProject adds Gantt charts and dependency tracking on top of the Scrum model. GitLab milestones work as sprint equivalents but do not include velocity tracking in the Community Edition.
Do these alternatives integrate with GitHub or GitLab?
GitLab Issues has native git integration because the issue tracker and code hosting are the same system. Gitea has the same native integration. OpenProject, Taiga, and Focalboard connect to GitHub and GitLab via webhooks: configure a webhook on the git side to close issues when a pull request merges. The integration is functional but requires initial setup.
How do I import data from Linear?
Export issues from Linear at Settings > Export > Download all issues. You receive a CSV file with issues, statuses, assignees, and labels. The most direct import paths are GitLab via its Issues CSV importer, OpenProject via Work Package CSV import, and Taiga via Admin > Import. No tool has a native Linear-specific importer, so expect two to four hours of column mapping and cleanup for a workspace with several hundred issues.
Which Linear alternative is best for small teams under 10 people?
Gitea is the easiest starting point: one binary, minimal resource requirements, and a GitHub-familiar interface. GitLab Community Edition covers the same ground with more features but requires more server resources. For teams that want sprint management without git hosting, Taiga is the strongest small-team option.
Are these tools actually open source?
GitLab CE, Taiga, OpenProject CE, Gitea, Leantime, and WeKan use OSI-approved licenses (MIT, GPL-3.0, AGPL-3.0). Focalboard uses a Mattermost open core license that allows self-hosting but restricts commercial redistribution; check the current license file for your use case. All seven tools allow internal team use without restriction under their respective licenses.
What is the biggest risk when migrating from Linear?
Losing sprint history is the most common issue. Linear's cycle data captures velocity trends that no import target can reconstruct from a CSV export. Teams that use velocity data for capacity planning should export sprint-by-sprint reports from Linear before migrating and archive them in a shared document, because this data will not be recoverable in the destination tool after migration.