Linear costs $0 on Free, then $10 per user per month for Basic and $16 per user per month for Business when you bill yearly. Enterprise is custom and annual-only. Monthly billing exists at a higher per-seat rate that Linear does not print as a big headline number. You pay for every unsuspended member in the workspace, in any role.
That is the short version from Linear’s pricing page, checked October 14, 2026. The longer version matters because the plan names hide where teams feel the squeeze: the Free issue cap, Business-only intake and Insights, and how annual true-ups work when headcount moves.
I implement work-management tools for product and engineering teams (SSPM is a Smartsheet partner; we also stand up Linear beside GitHub). I read Linear as “what will this cost in month three?” not as a feature brochure.
Linear plans at a glance
| Plan | Price (yearly billing) | Teams | Issues | What usually gates the upgrade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2 | 250 non-archived | Issue ceiling; second/third team |
| Basic | $10 / user / mo | 5 | Unlimited | Admin roles; leaving the Free ceiling |
| Business | $16 / user / mo | Unlimited | Unlimited | Private teams, guests, Insights, Linear Asks, Triage Intelligence |
| Enterprise | Custom (annual only) | Unlimited | Unlimited | SAML/SCIM, audit log, IP restrictions, HIPAA, PO billing |
Sources: linear.app/pricing and Billing and plans. File uploads are 10MB per file on Free and unlimited on paid plans. Core issues, projects, cycles, and initiatives sit on every plan – including Free – so do not buy Business just to “get sprints.” For cycle setup, see our Linear Cycles guide.
What Free teams hit first
It is almost never the member count. Unlimited members means the whole squad can join on day one. The wall is 250 non-archived issues. An active team filing bugs and chores crosses that faster than it expects. Archiving buys time; it does not replace Basic once you are shipping weekly.
The second wall is two teams. Frontend and backend can share one workspace. Add design or mobile as a third team and you are on Basic. If you are comparing free tools before you commit, read our Linear vs GitHub Issues comparison alongside this page.
When Basic is enough
Basic is the right stopping point more often than sales pages admit. If the team runs cycles, tracks issues, and plans with projects, Basic covers it. What Basic does not include: private teams, guest accounts, Insights, Linear Asks, Triage Intelligence, and the deeper agent automation pieces that Linear lists on Business.
Buy Business when an engineering manager needs Insights, you want Slack/email/web intake through Linear Asks, or contractors need guest access without seeing everything. The extra $6 per seat over Basic is real money at 25 people ($150/month yearly billing). If none of those needs exist, stay on Basic.
AI and credits
Linear’s agent platform and Linear Agent appear on Free. Advanced pieces – Triage Intelligence, Code Intelligence, Loops, and related agent automations – are Business features on the pricing grid. Optional AI credits cover some extra AI usage on top of the seat plan (billing docs). If AI triage is the reason you are buying Linear, price credits in the spreadsheet, not just seats.
Billing traps that show up on the invoice
Linear bills unsuspended users in any role. Forgotten seats keep costing money until someone suspends them.
Monthly billing: Adding users mid-month does not charge until the next month. Removing mid-month does not credit the rest of that month.
Yearly billing: Changes are pro-rated. Adds create a true-up for the rest of the subscription year; suspends create credits applied to future invoices – not cash refunds. Invoices are final once issued. Linear does not refund mid-subscription cancellations. If headcount is still moving, start monthly, then switch to yearly when the roster is stable.
Cancel carefully: nothing is deleted, but if you hold more than 250 issues you cannot create new ones on Free, and members become Admins because everyone is an Admin on Free. Full mechanics: Billing and plans.
Education and non-profit programs offer steep discounts on Basic and Business (not Enterprise) – eligibility rules are in the billing docs. Startups in Linear’s partner program can receive limited free Business time; that is separate from list pricing and worth asking about before you sign an annual contract cold.
How to change plan or billing
In Linear: Settings → Administration → Billing (workspace admins). From there you change plan, payment method, billing email, and review invoices. Subscription changes take effect at the end of the current period.
What I actually recommend
| Team shape | Plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 5-12 engineers, one product surface | Free → Basic at ~200 issues | Do not pre-buy Business |
| Multi-team product org needing intake + reporting | Business | Asks + Insights earn the seat |
| Security/compliance-driven enterprise | Enterprise | SAML/SCIM and audit requirements |
For broader tool choice, see best project management software 2026. If you are weighing GitHub Issues instead, the Linear vs GitHub Issues post walks the tradeoffs.
Common questions
How much does Linear cost per user?
On yearly billing: Free is $0, Basic is $10 per user/month, Business is $16 per user/month. Enterprise is custom. Confirm on linear.app/pricing.
Is Linear free forever?
Yes for the Free plan limits (2 teams, 250 issues, 10MB files). Active shipping teams usually outgrow the issue cap and move to Basic.
Does Linear charge for guests?
Guest accounts are a Business feature. Free and Basic do not include guests on the pricing grid.
Can I get a refund if I cancel Linear mid-year?
Linear states it does not provide refunds for mid-subscription cancellations. Annual credits from suspended seats apply to future invoices, not cash.
Prices and billing rules checked against linear.app/pricing and Linear Docs on October 14, 2026. Confirm before you buy – vendors change plans.
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