Linear
Smartsheet
| Feature | Linear | Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10/mo | Free / from $9/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.8 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | developers, engineering-teams, startups, product-managers | enterprise, project-managers, operations-teams, it-teams |
| Founded | 2019 | 2005 |
| Issues | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cycles | ✓ | ✗ |
| Roadmaps | ✓ | ✗ |
| Projects | ✓ | ✗ |
| Git Integration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sheets | ✗ | ✓ |
| Gantt Charts | ✗ | ✓ |
| Automation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dashboards | ✗ | ✓ |
| Forms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Resource Management | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Linear Pros
- Blazing fast
- Beautiful UI
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Git integration
✗ Linear Cons
- Dev-focused only
- Limited customization
- No docs feature
✓ Smartsheet Pros
- Familiar spreadsheet interface
- Powerful automation
- Enterprise-grade
- Good dashboards
✗ Smartsheet Cons
- Can be confusing
- Expensive for small teams
- Learning curve
The Verdict
Linear is built for developers and engineering teams, with a focus on issues and cycles. Smartsheet targets enterprise and project managers and leads with sheets and gantt-charts.
Pricing is close: Smartsheet starts at $9/mo versus $10/mo for Linear — not a deciding factor on its own.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Linear edges out on user ratings (4.8 vs 4.3). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Bottom line: Linear has a slight overall edge — but if familiar spreadsheet interface matters most to you, Smartsheet may still be the right call.
