Estimated monthly cost comparison — not just the headline price
Prices change often — confirm on the vendor's site before buying. Report incorrect pricing →
Quick Take
Linear has the lower estimated monthly cost (~68%)
Based on advertised price plus documented recurring fees, not your exact usage.
Best for ClickUp
All-in-one project management with docs, whiteboards, and goals. Free plan is generous but paid plan
Best for Linear
Modern issue tracking for software teams. Free for up to 250 issues, then $8-$14/user/mo. Clean and
All-in-one project management with docs, whiteboards, and goals. Free plan is ge...
Advertised
$10
/month
Estimated monthly cost
$37
/month (illustrative)
Per-Seat Multiplication
10 users × $7/mo = $70/mo, not $7/mo. Per-seat pricing makes team growth expensive. The headline '$7...
AI Brain Add-on
ClickUp Brain AI is a SEPARATE add-on: $9/user/mo (1,500 credits) or $28/user/mo (5,000 credits). NO...
60MB Storage on Free
Free plan has only 60MB total storage — the most restrictive of any PM tool. A few file attachments ...
Automation Cap on Business
Business plan caps at 5,000 automations/month. No published overage rate — automations stop. Enterpr...
$7/mo annual
$12/mo annual
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission
Modern issue tracking for software teams. Free for up to 250 issues, then $8-$14...
Advertised
$0
/month
Estimated monthly cost
$12
/month (illustrative)
250 Active Issue Limit on Free
Free plan limits to 250 active issues. Fast-moving engineering teams hit this in weeks. Standard at ...
Guest Access Requires Plus
External guest access for contractors and clients requires Plus plan at $14/user/mo — 75% more than ...
Advanced Features on Plus Only
Triage responsibility, SLA tracking, and advanced GitHub/GitLab integrations require Plus at $14/use...
ClickUp advertises $10/mo. Linear advertises $0/mo.
ClickUp has 4 documented hidden fees. Linear has 3.
ClickUp confidence: 76%. Linear confidence: 78%.
| Metric | ClickUp | Linear | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertised Price | $10/mo | $0/mo | Linear |
| Estimated Monthly Cost | $37/mo | $12/mo | Linear |
| Recurring Extra Fees | +$27/mo | +$12/mo | Linear |
| One-Time Costs | $0 | $0 | — |
| # Documented Fees | 4 | 3 | — |
| Pricing Tiers | 4 | 3 | — |
| Affiliate Program | 20% recurring | None | — |
Try the tool that fits your needs. Both offer free trials or free tiers.
ClickUp advertises $10/mo and Linear advertises $0/mo. ClickUp has 4 documented extra fees (recurring: +$27/mo), while Linear has 3 (recurring: +$12/mo). On these illustrative assumptions, Linear has the lower estimated monthly cost (about 68% less). Your real cost depends on seats and usage — use the calculator for your numbers.
ClickUp has 4 documented extra fees: Per-Seat Multiplication, AI Brain Add-on, 60MB Storage on Free, Automation Cap on Business. Recurring fees add roughly $27/mo on top of the $10/mo advertised price.
Linear has 3 documented extra fees: 250 Active Issue Limit on Free, Guest Access Requires Plus, Advanced Features on Plus Only. Recurring fees add roughly $12/mo on top of the $0/mo advertised price.
Choose ClickUp if: All-in-one project management with docs, whiteboards, and goals. Free plan is generous but paid plan. Choose Linear if: Modern issue tracking for software teams. Free for up to 250 issues, then $8-$14/user/mo. Clean and . The right choice depends on your team size, usage volume, and which features you need most.
This comparison is compiled from public vendor pricing pages and documentation. It uses illustrative assumptions (see "Cost Comparison Summary"), not your exact seats or usage, and vendor prices change often. Confirm current prices on each vendor's site, and use our calculator with your own usage for a closer estimate. Spotted an error? Email hello@trulycritic.com.
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