Linear Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Linear costs Free to $16 per user/month as of May 2026. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
Yes, Linear offers a forever free plan as of May 2026. The free tier includes 3 features with limits on teams and issues. Paid plans start at $10/user/month (Basic). Pricing verified from 8 sources by CostBench.
Linear's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Unlimited members
- Linear Agent (beta)
- Slack & GitHub access
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- All Free features
- Unlimited issues
- Unlimited file uploads
- Admin roles
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| teams | 2 | Unlimited/Higher |
| issues | 250 | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like All Free features or Unlimited issues
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Linear branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Basic Plan Comparison
| Free $0 | Basic $10/user/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 3 included | 4+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Linear branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Everyone getting started | Growing teams |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Linear free?
Yes, Linear offers a forever free plan with 3 core features included. However, there are limits on teams, issues that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Linear's free plan?
Linear's free plan includes: Unlimited members, Linear Agent (beta), Slack & GitHub access. Key limits include teams: 2, issues: 250.
03 What's NOT included in Linear's free plan?
The free plan excludes: All Free features, Unlimited issues, Unlimited file uploads, Admin roles. You'll also have Linear branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Linear's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like All Free features or Unlimited issues, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $10/user/month.
05 Is Linear's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Linear's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.