Hive vs Linear
Compare Hive and Linear on features, pricing, and buyer fit using the same researched criteria.
Hive
Work management platform with free plan (≤10 members) and Teams from $12/user/mo annual — strong monday.com peer.
Best for
- • SMB and mid-market teams wanting Work OS depth with a lower paid entry than monday
- • Teams that can start on Free (≤10) before upgrading to Teams
- • Buyers comparing monday.com as a primary Work OS peer
Starting from $5.00/user/mo
Free plan available
VS
Our verdict
There is no universal winner between Hive and Linear. Choose Hive when SMB and mid-market teams wanting Work OS depth with a lower paid entry than monday. Choose Linear when Product/engineering teams wanting modern UX. Criterion scores come from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments and first-party research — not hands-on lab testing.
Hive is better for
- ✓ Automations
- ✓ Collaboration
- ✓ Value for money
Linear is better for
- ✓ Ease of use
- ✓ Timeline / Gantt
- ✓ Integrations
Tie
- • Free plan
- • AI features
- • Reporting
Choose Hive if: SMB and mid-market teams wanting Work OS depth with a lower paid entry than monday
Choose Linear if: Product/engineering teams wanting modern UX
Linear
Modern issue tracker for product/engineering teams — Free limited; Basic from ~$8/user/mo annual.
Best for
- • Product/engineering teams wanting modern UX
- • Startups replacing Jira complexity
- • Issue-centric software delivery
Starting from $8.00/user/mo
Free plan available
Hive vs Linear at a glance
Criterion-level leaders from verified research.
Scorecard preview
Criterion leaders based on verified research — open the Scorecard tab for evidence detail.
- Starting pricingDepends
Hive
Linear
- Seat / licence minimumDepends
Hive
Linear
- Free planTie
Hive
Linear
- Ease of useLinear
Hive
Linear
- Timeline / GanttLinear
Hive
Linear
Which project management is better for you?
Quick picks based on fit — not a universal ranking.
- → Hive
Best for automations
Hive leads on automations (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → Hive
Best for collaboration
Hive leads on collaboration (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → Hive
Best for value for money
Hive has the lower researched starting floor ($5/mo vs $8/mo for Linear) while editorial value scores are close. Confirm renewals and seat math.
- → Linear
Best for ease of use
Linear leads on ease of use (8/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → Linear
Best for timeline / gantt
Linear leads on timeline gantt (8/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → Linear
Best for integrations
Linear leads on integrations (7/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
The biggest differences
Where the products diverge most clearly on verified criteria.
Starting pricing
DependsHive
Hive researched starting price from $5/mo; a free plan is researched; Linear researched starting price from $8/mo; a free plan is researched. Seat minimums and AI credits can change TCO.
Linear
Hive researched starting price from $5/mo; a free plan is researched; Linear researched starting price from $8/mo; a free plan is researched. Seat minimums and AI credits can change TCO.
Seat / licence minimum
DependsHive
Check paid seat floors for Hive and Linear on current vendor packaging.
Linear
Check paid seat floors for Hive and Linear on current vendor packaging.
Timeline / Gantt
Linear winsHive
Trails Linear on this criterion
Linear
Linear leads on timeline gantt (8/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Automations
Hive winsHive
Hive leads on automations (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Linear
Trails Hive on this criterion
Integrations
Linear winsHive
Trails Linear on this criterion
Linear
Linear leads on integrations (7/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Reporting
TieHive
Hive and Linear are close on reporting (7/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Linear
Hive and Linear are close on reporting (7/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Which should you choose?
Choose Hive if
- SMB and mid-market teams wanting Work OS depth with a lower paid entry than monday
- Teams that can start on Free (≤10) before upgrading to Teams
- Buyers comparing monday.com as a primary Work OS peer
Choose Linear if
- Product/engineering teams wanting modern UX
- Startups replacing Jira complexity
- Issue-centric software delivery
Related comparisons
Alternatives to consider
monday.com
Work OS / work management platform with boards, timelines, automations and AI credits — Basic from $9/seat/mo annual (3-seat minimum).
Office Timeline
PowerPoint-native timeline / Gantt specialist (now Lucen Timeline) — Free add-in; Lite from $9/user/mo annual.
Jira
Atlassian Agile issue tracker for software teams — Free ≤10; Standard from ~$8.15/user/mo annual.
ClickUp
All-in-one configurable Work OS (tasks, docs, dashboards, ClickUp Brain) — Unlimited from $7/user/mo annual.
How we compare
A short look at the comparison process. Full methodology
1
Collect
Collect official product information, pricing, and product evidence.
2
Normalize
Map evidence to the same category evaluation criteria for both products.
3
Compare
Evaluate both products against identical criteria — ties and depends are allowed.
4
Explain
Show why each product wins, loses, or ties, with evidence behind the outcome.
Still deciding between Hive and Linear?
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- Independent criterion outcomes
- No invented scores or prices
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