project management tool · head to head
Linear vs Notion
Comparison Summary
Notion scored 6.9 and Linear scored 6.5 on our project management tool test script.
Linear and Notion were the two fastest apps in our project-management test, both usable about 5 seconds after launch, and both start free without a trial. Beyond that they differ. Notion gives you building blocks: a database with free custom properties, table, board, calendar and timeline views, and a CSV import that recognised every column in 10 seconds. Linear gives you a finished issue tracker with keyboard shortcuts for everything, but only list and board views and no plain CSV import.
Linear's AI did better: it created five proper sub-issues where Notion's made five untitled pages, and Linear Agent is fully included on the free plan. Linear is also lighter, at about 0.55 GB of memory against 0.9 to 1.4 GB, and its full export arrived by email in under a minute, while Notion's workspace export had not finished after 25 minutes.
Neither has free custom automations. Choose Notion if you want calendars, timelines and easy imports next to your docs; choose Linear for fast, keyboard-driven issue tracking in a software team.
Key differences
Linear
Notion - Our 8 scripted tasks
- Linear:3 passed, 4 partial, 1 failed
- Notion:5 passed, 3 partial
- Views on the free plan
- Linear:List and board
- Notion:Table, board, calendar and timeline
- CSV import
- Linear:Plain CSV not accepted; Jira format required
- Notion:7 of 7 columns recognised; about 10 s
- AI subtasks
- Linear:Five real sub-issues, without asking
- Notion:Five untitled pages, without asking
- Memory
- Linear:About 0.55 GB
- Notion:0.9–1.4 GB
- Full export
- Linear:By email in under a minute, complete
- Notion:Workspace export unfinished after 25 minutes
- Free plan
- Linear:Unlimited members, 250 issues listed
- Notion:Unlimited for one person; limited blocks for teams
Editor's Verdict
Choose Notion if…
Best for: Individuals and small teams who want tasks living next to their docs and wiki, and who are happy to build their own setup.
- All four views free, including a timeline; eleven view types in all
- The CSV import recognised all seven columns and imported 200 rows in about 10 seconds
- Priorities, dependencies and other custom properties are free
Choose Linear if…
Best for: Software and product teams who live on the keyboard and want a fast issue tracker with a capable free AI agent.
- Very fast: usable about 5 seconds after launch with roughly 0.55 GB of memory, the lightest app in the category
- Linear Agent is included on the free plan; its summary and overdue answer were accurate and it made real sub-issues
- Keyboard shortcuts for every field, natural-language due dates
Head to Head
Task by task
The same prompts, pasted word for word into each app on a clean Windows 11 PC. On the 8 tasks both apps were graded on, Linear completed 3 and Notion completed 5.
| Task | Linear | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| P1 · Build a project | Pass≈ 18 min | Pass≈ 16 min |
| P2 · Views | Partial≈ 3 min | Pass≈ 4 min |
| P3 · Rules | Partial≈ 5 min | Partial≈ 5 min |
| P4 · 200-row import | Fail≈ 10 min | Pass≈ 3 min |
| P5 · Scale | Pass≈ 45 s import | Pass≈ 10 s import |
| P6 · Permissions | Partial≈ 3 min | Pass≈ 10 min |
| P7 · AI | Pass≈ 20–55 s each | Partial≈ 20–40 s each |
| P8 · Leave | Partial≈ 5 min | Partial≈ 30 min |
Both apps ran on their free plans. Linear only accepted our CSV after we rewrote it in Jira's format, and its second-user check was not completed in this run.
Measured on the same PC
| Measurement | Linear | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| Installer size | 234 MB | 3.8 MB |
| Install time | ≈ 15 s | ≈ 25 s |
| On disk | 369 MB | 400 MB |
| Admin rights | Not needed | Not needed |
| Starts with Windows | No | No |
| 40-task project | ≈ 18 min | ≈ 16 min |
| Views on the free plan | 2 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| 200-row CSV import | ≈ 20 s | ≈ 10 s |
| 500-row CSV import | ≈ 45 s | ≈ 10 s |
| Cold start | ≈ 5 s | ≈ 5 s |
| Memory | 0.55 GB | 0.9 – 1.4 GB |
| Left after uninstall | ≈ 280 MB | ≈ 540 MB |
Pros and cons
Linear
+ What works
- Very fast: usable about 5 seconds after launch with roughly 0.55 GB of memory, the lightest app in the category
- Linear Agent is included on the free plan; its summary and overdue answer were accurate and it made real sub-issues
- Keyboard shortcuts for every field, natural-language due dates
- Dependencies and weekly recurring issues work on the free plan
- The full CSV export arrived by email in under a minute, with dependencies, milestones and sub-issues
- No marketing emails by default, a choice of EU or US data region, no startup entry
− What falls short
- No plain CSV import: our file was rejected until we rewrote it in Jira's export format, and priorities and due dates were then lost
- Only list and board views for issues; no calendar, and the timeline covers projects rather than issues
- No custom automation rules, only presets such as auto-close; stale issues are auto-cancelled after six months by default
- No bulk paste: each of our 40 issues was entered one by one
- Invites have no role choice, and every member on the free plan is an admin
- The free plan lists a 250-issue limit (it did not stop our imports on day one)
- The AI created sub-issues without asking first
- The uninstall leaves about 280 MB and a linear:// link handler
Notion
+ What works
- All four views free, including a timeline; eleven view types in all
- The CSV import recognised all seven columns and imported 200 rows in about 10 seconds
- Priorities, dependencies and other custom properties are free
- Notion AI summarised our project and answered “what is overdue?” correctly
- Removing a member or cutting them to view-only took effect on their next page load
- No admin rights, no startup entry and no services
− What falls short
- No automations on the free plan
- Recurring tasks are templates that create a new page on a schedule, not tasks that repeat when completed
- Asked for subtasks, the AI created five untitled pages without asking first
- Free plan is for one person: with more members you get a limited number of blocks, and Member and Can edit roles need Plus
- Risky defaults: invites default to Workspace owner, shared pages to Full access, and anyone with your domain can join
- Pasting a list filled names and dates but left the select columns empty
- The workspace export leaves out private pages unless you switch them on
Privacy and security
What we saw on our own test PC. Each review also lists what the vendor states about data handling, training and certifications.
Linear
Quiet defaults
Marketing and onboarding emails are off by default, and you choose an EU or US data region when you create a workspace.
Everyone is an admin on Free
Invites have no role choice, and the invited user was listed as an admin.
Stale issues auto-close
Issues not updated for six months are cancelled automatically unless you switch this off.
Left after uninstalling
A 223 MB updater cache, a 58 MB profile and the linear:// link handler.
Notion
Installs without a click
The web installer installed and opened Notion before we pressed Install, and sent a small event log with an anonymous device ID before we signed in. It adds no startup entry or services.
Permissive defaults
Invites default to Workspace owner, page sharing to Full access, joining by link is on, and setup pre-ticks joining for anyone with your email domain.
Marketing emails
You have to tick a box at sign-up to refuse marketing emails. Sharing workspace data to improve the AI was off by default.
Left after uninstalling
A 477 MB profile folder with the local database and logs, plus a 64 MB browser profile from the installer.
Features & Pricing
| Linear | Notion | |
|---|---|---|
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| macOS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Linux | — | — |
| iOS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Paid from | $10/mo | $10/mo |
Linear plans
- Free$0
- Basic$10/user/mo
- Business$16/user/mo
- EnterpriseCustom
From Linear's pricing page, checked Oct 30, 2026.
Notion plans
- Free$0
- Plus$10/seat/mo
- Business$20/seat/mo
- EnterpriseCustom
From Notion's pricing page, checked Oct 30, 2026.
Who makes them
- Company
- Linear:Linear Orbit, Inc.
- Notion:Notion Labs, Inc.
- Headquarters
- Linear:San Francisco, California, USA
- Notion:San Francisco, California, USA
- Founded
- Linear:2019
- Notion:2013
- Funding
- Linear:Series C of $82 million in 2025 at a reported $1.25 billion valuation.
- Notion:About $343 million raised in total, including a $275 million round in October 2021 at a reported $10 billion valuation.
Timelines, official links and sources are in each review: Linear · Notion.
FAQ
Which is better, Linear or Notion?
Notion scored higher in our tests (6.9 against 6.5). It is the better general project tool thanks to its free calendar and timeline views and its import; Linear is the better issue tracker, lighter, and has the more reliable AI.
Which is faster?
Both started in about 5 seconds; Linear used less memory.
Which is easier to leave?
Linear: its full CSV export arrived in under a minute. Notion's database exports are quick, but its workspace export did not finish in our test.
Read the full reviews
This page compares the two side by side. Each full review has the complete test log, every screenshot, the scoring notes, pricing, security and company details.
Linear reviewSituational 6.5 Linear is the fastest and lightest app we have tested in this category, and its AI agent is free and got everything right. But it is a tool for software teams, and it shows: there is no calendar view or task-level timeline, no rule builder, no plain CSV import, and the free plan makes every invited person an admin. Read the full review → Notion reviewSituational 6.9 Notion was the fastest app in our project-management test: it started in about 5 seconds, imported 200 rows in 10 and drew a 500-task board instantly, and all four views, including a timeline, are free. But it is a database tool more than a task manager: there are no automations on the free plan, recurring tasks are scheduled templates, its AI turned our subtasks into untitled pages, and the free plan is built for one person. Read the full review → Project Management Alternatives
ClickUp Recommended Small teams that want lists, boards, Gantt charts, automations and AI in one free workspace and do not mind a busy, heavy app 7.4 Read reviewReview 
Airtable Situational Teams who want a flexible database behind their projects, with automations and reliable CSV in and out 6.8 Read reviewReview 
Asana Situational Teams ready to pay for Starter or Advanced who want a polished, fast-to-learn project tool with strong import and export 6.7 Read reviewReview 
