Cost Comparison at 15 Engineers
| Tool | Plan | Per Seat/Mo | Annual (15 seats) | GitHub Sync |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linear | Standard | $8/seat | $1,440/yr | Native (bi-directional) |
| Jira | Standard | $8.15/seat | $1,467/yr | Native (Bitbucket, GitHub, GitLab) |
| ClickUp | Unlimited | $10/seat | $1,800/yr | Integration (via GitHub app) |
#1: Linear Standard ($1,440/yr for 15 Engineers)
Linear Standard at $8/seat/month is purpose-built for engineering teams. Keyboard-first UX (every action has a shortcut), native GitHub/GitLab sync, cycles (sprints), projects, and automated workflows. The interface is the fastest PM tool available. Free tier gives unlimited members and up to 250 issues.
Linear Plus at $14/seat adds roadmaps, triage, SLAs, and time tracking if you need product management features alongside engineering. At 15 seats, Plus costs $2,520/year.
#2: Jira Standard ($1,467/yr for 15 Engineers)
Jira Standard at $8.15/seat/month is the industry standard for software teams. Deep Scrum and Kanban support, custom workflows, sprint planning, and the Atlassian ecosystem (Confluence, Bitbucket). Free for up to 10 users. The most powerful and customizable option but also the most complex. Best for larger engineering orgs that need advanced workflow customization.
#3: ClickUp Unlimited ($1,800/yr for 15 Engineers)
ClickUp Unlimited at $10/member/month gives engineering teams sprints, docs, Git integration, and time tracking in one tool. Less engineering-focused than Linear or Jira, but the all-in-one nature means PMs and designers can use the same tool without separate licenses. Best when engineering shares a workspace with non-technical teams.
Why Not the Others
Asana Starter ($13.49/seat) = $2,428/yr
No native Git integration, no sprint support, limited dev workflow features. Built for project managers, not engineers.
Notion Plus ($12/user) = $2,160/yr
Great for docs and lightweight boards, but no native sprint support, no Git sync, and performance degrades on large workspaces. Not built for engineering.
The Verdict
For engineering teams, Linear Standard at $1,440/year for 15 engineers is the best choice. Fastest UX, native GitHub sync, and opinionated sprint workflows. Jira Standard at $1,467/year is nearly the same price with more customization and the Atlassian ecosystem. ClickUp Unlimited at $1,800/year is best when engineering shares tools with cross-functional teams.
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