Linear

Keyboard-first issue tracker and project planner for product teams

KINDA · partial replacement
price $10/mo per seatsubscription / year $120estimated build time weekendreplaced by 0 people

The object model is small: issues, states, labels, cycles, projects. A keyboard-first single-player tracker with a board, cycles, and one-way GitHub sync is a weekend build. What does not survive the copy is the sync engine, real-time multiplayer, and the integration surface (GitHub two-way, Slack, Figma, Sentry) that make Linear the place a team actually agrees on what is being built.

Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability

What you give up

  • real-time multiplayer and the sub-100ms sync engine
  • native mobile and desktop apps
  • two-way integrations with GitHub, Slack, Figma, and Sentry
  • Triage, Insights, and Linear Asks
  • the interaction polish that makes people actually file the issue

Why people still pay

An issue tracker is only worth anything when everyone uses it, and people only use one that never makes them wait. Linear sells speed and shared context, not features: the whole team sees the same board update instantly, GitHub PRs close issues on merge, and the roadmap stays honest because filing is faster than complaining. A solo copy tracks your own work fine and settles no arguments.

Your build guide

The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.

Before you start

  • Runtime and tools: TypeScript, React and a Node server with SQLite for a single small workspace.
  • Before starting: A local Node runtime, writable data directory, sample records and a documented backup/restore path.
01
TypeScript, React and a Node server with SQLite for a single small workspace
02
Data design: Store ProjectPrefix, IssueNumber, Issue, Cycle and ExternalIssueLink; issue IDs never change when moved, and archived cycles preserve their scope snapshot.
03
Setup: A local Node runtime, writable data directory, sample records and a documented backup/restore path
engineering roadmap

Implementation plan

1

Phase 1

Pin the working slice and create its example input: Track issues with prefixed IDs, status/priority, a keyboard command menu and two-week cycles, then import one repository's issues read-only. Confirm setup: A local Node runtime, writable data directory, sample records and a documented backup/restore path.

2

Phase 2

Implement persistence and write-time invariants before decorating the UI: Store ProjectPrefix, IssueNumber, Issue, Cycle and ExternalIssueLink; issue IDs never change when moved, and archived cycles preserve their scope snapshot.

3

Phase 3

Connect the working view to real saved state. Use migrations and server-side validation; expose saved, pending and failed states. Keep each write atomic and reject stale edits using a revision number.

4

Phase 4

Expose the app-specific limits and recovery path in context: Start with one workspace and a small status model. Provider issues and local issues need an explicit ownership policy; do not silently push local status changes upstream.

5

Phase 5

Walk through this concrete acceptance case and preserve its exported evidence: Import the same GitHub issue twice, move it to another project and close a cycle; retain one linked issue, a stable ID and historical cycle membership. Finish the README and backup/restore instructions; report unfinished capabilities explicitly.

the pro prompt
download AGENTS.md
Build the following focused alternative to Linear. This is a deliberately limited personal or small-team substitute, not parity with the paid service.

WORKING SLICE
Track issues with prefixed IDs, status/priority, a keyboard command menu and two-week cycles, then import one repository's issues read-only.

SETUP AND ARCHITECTURE
Use TypeScript, React and a Node server with SQLite for a single small workspace. Prerequisites: A local Node runtime, writable data directory, sample records and a documented backup/restore path. Before integrating anything, record actual versions and permissions, plus model files or provider limits only where used, in the README; make unavailable dependencies visible rather than simulating success.

DOMAIN MODEL AND INVARIANTS
Store ProjectPrefix, IssueNumber, Issue, Cycle and ExternalIssueLink; issue IDs never change when moved, and archived cycles preserve their scope snapshot.

IMPLEMENTATION CONTRACT
Use migrations and server-side validation; expose saved, pending and failed states. Keep each write atomic and reject stale edits using a revision number. Provide an input/setup view, the main work view, and a review/export view appropriate to this workflow. Preserve the last saved state if a job or save fails. Include empty, loading, permission-denied, partial and retryable-error states. Log identifiers and error categories without secret values or unnecessary private content.

APP-SPECIFIC BOUNDARY AND RECOVERY
Start with one workspace and a small status model. Provider issues and local issues need an explicit ownership policy; do not silently push local status changes upstream.

ACCEPTANCE SCENARIO
Import the same GitHub issue twice, move it to another project and close a cycle; retain one linked issue, a stable ID and historical cycle membership. Also reopen the app after an interrupted operation, confirm the saved record/export remains inspectable, and document the recovery action. These are implementation acceptance requirements, not a claim that this guide has been tested.

DELIVERY
Deliver a runnable repository with migrations or project-format versioning, a non-sensitive example, environment/permission setup, the exact manual acceptance steps, and a backup/export-and-restore walkthrough. Implement the working slice before optional integrations; list any deferred paid-product capabilities honestly. Do not add capabilities outside the working slice just to resemble the original product.

PROJECT RULES FOR AGENTS.md
Keep the domain invariants above executable at the write boundary. Propose scope changes before adding providers or permissions. Never fabricate source evidence, publish results, identity matches or successful delivery. Preserve user originals and require an explicit confirmation for destructive changes or external publication.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md

share on X ↗

Alternatives to building your own

PlaneLinear with more knobs and a server you now own.56kaug 2026open source↗HulyIssues, docs and chat in one stack; the hosted service is closing, so this means self-hosting.27kaug 2026open source↗OpenProjectLinear's sober older cousin, complete with Gantt charts.16kaug 2026open source↗

all 4 free alternatives to Linear →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real

Linear pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
free$0/workspace$0/workspaceUnlimited members; 2 teams; 250 issues total; 10 MB file uploads; 15 release pipelines.
basic—$10/userUp to 5 teams; unlimited issues and file uploads.A monthly option exists, but its exact current sticker price was not exposed in the official public HTML; $10 is the annual monthly-equivalent.
business—$16/userUnlimited teams and issues; advanced controls and analytics.A monthly option exists, but its exact current sticker price was not exposed in the official public HTML; $16 is the annual monthly-equivalent.
enterprise——Custom limits, controls, support and contract terms.Annual contract; contact sales.

free tierunlimited members, 2 teams, 250 issues total, 10 MB uploads, and 15 release pipelines

billingmonthly and annual for self-serve paid plans; Enterprise is annual/custom

hidden costsEvery unsuspended workspace member is billable; annual plans receive monthly seat true-ups and removals create invoice credits rather than cash refunds. Linear's AI agents use separately prepaid credits: ad-hoc purchases start at $10 and auto-reload starts at $50.

pricing sources checked 2026-08-14 · pricing source ↗

Questions about Linear

Can you build your own Linear with AI?

Partly. The object model is small: issues, states, labels, cycles, projects. A keyboard-first single-player tracker with a board, cycles, and one-way GitHub sync is a weekend build. What does not survive the copy is the sync engine, real-time multiplayer, and the integration surface (GitHub two-way, Slack, Figma, Sentry) that make Linear the place a team actually agrees on what is being built.

What does the Linear build prompt cover?

The prompt starts with this scope: Track issues with prefixed IDs, status/priority, a keyboard command menu and two-week cycles, then import one repository's issues read-only. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: real-time multiplayer and the sub-100ms sync engine; native mobile and desktop apps; two-way integrations with GitHub, Slack, Figma, and Sentry. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.

How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?

Start with the Linear prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.

How long will this Linear project take?

The catalogue estimate is weekend for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.

What would I give up by replacing Linear?

real-time multiplayer and the sub-100ms sync engine; native mobile and desktop apps; two-way integrations with GitHub, Slack, Figma, and Sentry; Triage, Insights, and Linear Asks; the interaction polish that makes people actually file the issue. An issue tracker is only worth anything when everyone uses it, and people only use one that never makes them wait. Linear sells speed and shared context, not features: the whole team sees the same board update instantly, GitHub PRs close issues on merge, and the roadmap stays honest because filing is faster than complaining. A solo copy tracks your own work fine and settles no arguments.

What price is this guide comparing against?

The recorded Basic plan is $10/mo per seat (monthly per user, billed yearly), checked 2026-07-30. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.

What can I use instead of building Linear?

Plane: Linear with more knobs and a server you now own. Huly: Issues, docs and chat in one stack; the hosted service is closing, so this means self-hosting. OpenProject: Linear's sober older cousin, complete with Gantt charts. Compare all listed options at https://howtovibecodeit.dev/linear/alternatives. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.

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