Linear vs Todoist — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Linear starts at $12/mo. Todoist starts at $7/mo. Todoist is $5/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Linear.
Engineering-first issue tracker positioned as the modern alternative to Jira for small-to-mid engineering teams. Distinctive for its opinionated speed (keyboard-first, obsessively fast) and clean design that engineers actually like. Popular with venture-backed startups and design-conscious engineering orgs. Priced $8-$16/user/mo. Series B in 2024. Not a direct Jira replacement at enterprise scale (weaker admin controls) but eating Jira's mid-market share aggressively.
Task manager positioned as the alternative to Apple Reminders and Google Tasks for individuals who need cross-platform task tracking with natural-language parsing ("buy milk tomorrow at 3pm" auto-parses). Distinctive as the veteran of the category (founded 2007) and its ecosystem of integrations. Priced free-$8/user/mo. Owned by Doist (fully-remote, bootstrapped Portuguese company). Popular with individuals; weaker for team collaboration than Asana/Linear.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Linear monthly | Linear annual | Todoist monthly | Todoist annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Basic / Pro | $12 | $10 | $7 | $5 |
| Teams | Business | $20 | $16 | $10 | $8 |
| Enterprise | Enterprise / — | Custom | Custom | — | — |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Linear is worth it if… engineering teams (5-100 developers) that want fast, opinionated issue tracking + sprint planning — the anti-Jira for teams that value speed and design polish over configurability. Free covers small teams; Basic adds more features; Business adds advanced permissions and admin.
Todoist is worth it if… solo knowledge workers and small teams (1-20 people) who want cross-platform task management with quick capture and natural-language parsing — particularly if you value simplicity over feature depth. Free covers personal use; Pro adds reminders and filters; Business adds team projects and admin.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Linear over Todoist if…
Choose Linear if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $12/mo).
- You match the profile Linear is built for: engineering teams (5-100 developers) that want fast, opinionated issue tracking + sprint planning — the anti-Jira for teams that value speed and design polish over configurability.
- You need a general-purpose project management option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Todoist if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $7/mo).
- You match the profile Todoist is built for: solo knowledge workers and small teams (1-20 people) who want cross-platform task management with quick capture and natural-language parsing — particularly if you value simplicity over feature depth.
- You need a general-purpose project management option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Linear | Todoist | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $12/mo | $7/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Seat | Per Seat |
| Last verified | September 14, 2026 | September 11, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 14, 2026. Tracked daily.