Linear vs Smartsheet
Compare Linear and Smartsheet on features, pricing, and buyer fit using the same researched criteria.
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
VS
Our verdict
There is no universal winner between Linear and Smartsheet. Choose Linear when Product/engineering teams wanting modern UX. Choose Smartsheet when Excel/spreadsheet-native PMOs. Criterion scores come from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments and first-party research — not hands-on lab testing.
Linear is better for
- ✓ Free plan
- ✓ Ease of use
- ✓ AI features
- ✓ Value for money
Smartsheet is better for
- ✓ Automations
- ✓ Reporting
Tie
- • Timeline / Gantt
- • Collaboration
- • Integrations
Choose Linear if: Product/engineering teams wanting modern UX
Choose Smartsheet if: Excel/spreadsheet-native PMOs
Smartsheet
Spreadsheet-style work management with Gantt, portfolios and automation — Pro from $9/member/mo annual.
Best for
- • Excel/spreadsheet-native PMOs
- • Ops teams needing Gantt + portfolios
- • Structured program reporting
Starting from $9.00/user/mo
No free plan
Comparison scorecard
Criterion-by-criterion results for Linear and Smartsheet. Numeric bars appear only when both products have approved scores.
- Depends
Starting pricing
Published floor price and what that floor actually includes.
Linear researched starting price from $8/mo; a free plan is researched; Smartsheet researched starting price from $9/mo. Seat minimums and AI credits can change TCO.
LinearDependsSmartsheetDepends - Depends
Seat / licence minimum
Minimum billed seats and how that changes small-team cost.
Check paid seat floors for Linear and Smartsheet on current vendor packaging.
LinearDependsSmartsheetDepends - Linear
Free plan
Whether a usable free plan is published, and what it gates.
Linear researches a free plan; Smartsheet does not research a free plan.
LinearStrongerSmartsheetWeaker - Linear
Ease of use
How quickly teams become productive.
Linear leads on ease of use (9/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Linear9/10Smartsheet7/10 - Tie
Timeline / Gantt
Native timeline, Gantt, or dependency planning.
Linear and Smartsheet are close on timeline gantt (9/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Linear9/10Smartsheet9/10 - Smartsheet
Automations
Rules, recipes, and workflow automations in the work OS.
Smartsheet leads on automations (7/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Linear7/10Smartsheet8/10 - Tie
Collaboration
Docs, comments, chat, proofing, and guest collaboration quality.
Linear and Smartsheet are close on collaboration (7/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Linear7/10Smartsheet7/10 - Tie
Integrations
Important third-party integrations.
Linear and Smartsheet are close on integrations (8/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Linear8/10Smartsheet8/10 - Linear
AI features
Useful AI for the primary job — not marketing fluff.
Linear leads on ai features (7/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Linear7/10Smartsheet6/10 - Smartsheet
Reporting
Reporting and forecasting quality.
Smartsheet leads on reporting (7/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Linear7/10Smartsheet9/10 - Linear
Value for money
Capability relative to total cost of ownership.
Linear leads on value for money (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Linear8/10Smartsheet7/10
Some visit links may be affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Comparison outcomes are never based on commission.