Software · head to head
Amplitude vs Linear
Amplitude
Software
The digital analytics platform to understand your users
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Amplitude metered on event volume, so instrumenting more of a product raises the bill even if the audience does not grow; Linear no task-level Gantt chart; Timeline view is available for projects only, not individual issues
- They diverge on capability: Amplitude covers Event tracking, Linear covers Fast, real-time sync.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Amplitude and Linear actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Amplitude
- Event tracking
- User segmentation
- Funnel analysis
- Retention analysis
- Cohort analysis
- A/B testing
- Revenue analytics
- Predictive analytics
Only in Linear
- Fast, real-time sync
- Keyboard-first design
- Automatic issue tracking
- Cycles (sprints)
- Projects & milestones
- Custom workflows
- API & webhooks
- Built-in roadmaps
Both cover
- Slack
- SOC2
- GDPR
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Amplitude
- User behavior analysisnot Linear
- Feature adoption trackingnot Linear
- Conversion rate optimizationnot Linear
- Customer journey mappingnot Linear
- Retention improvementnot Linear
Linear
- Issue management and triage, converting customer feedback into prioritized issuesnot Amplitude
- Strategic planning via initiatives, roadmaps, and PRDs from idea to launchnot Amplitude
- Agent-assisted development, with agents drafting docs and submitting pull requestsnot Amplitude
- Code review with structural diffs for human and agent outputnot Amplitude
- Progress monitoring via dashboards tracking cycle times and project healthnot Amplitude
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Amplitude
- Metered on event volume, so instrumenting more of a product raises the bill even if the audience does not grow
- The free plan covers 2M events a month
- The Plus plan scales to 70M events, above which pricing is custom
- Growth and Enterprise pricing is not published
Linear
- No task-level Gantt chart; Timeline view is available for projects only, not individual issues
- No native time-tracking or hour-logging feature
- No native Linux desktop app; official FAQ states it 'may come in the future but it's not on the roadmap for now'
- Free tier capped at 250 issues and 2 teams
Pricing, plan by plan
Amplitude
Free- StarterFree
- 2 million events per month
- Plus$49/month
- $0.049 per MTU
- Up to 300k MTUs
- Advanced analytics
- GrowthFree
- Causal insights
- Feature experimentation
- Real-time streaming
- EnterpriseFree
- Cross-product analysis
- Advanced permissions
- Dedicated account manager
Linear
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited members
- 2 teams
- 250 issues
- Basic$10/month
- 5 teams
- Unlimited issues
- Unlimited file uploads
- Business$16/month
- Unlimited teams
- Private teams/guests
- Triage Intelligence
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- SAML/SCIM
- Granular admin controls
- Invoice/PO billing
Which should you pick?
Choose Amplitude if
- You need event tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want user segmentation.
Choose Linear if
- You need fast, real-time sync.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
- You also want keyboard-first design.
Questions people ask
- Is Amplitude or Linear better?
- Neither clearly leads. Amplitude starts at Free and Linear at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Amplitude or Linear?
- Amplitude starts at Free and Linear at Free.
- Does Amplitude or Linear run on more platforms?
- Amplitude runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Linear runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
- Can I use Amplitude for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Amplitude best used for?
- Amplitude is most often used for user behavior analysis, feature adoption tracking, conversion rate optimization, customer journey mapping. Of those, user behavior analysis and feature adoption tracking are not what Linear is typically brought in for.
- What can Amplitude do that Linear cannot?
- Amplitude covers Event tracking, User segmentation, Funnel analysis, Retention analysis. Linear covers Fast, real-time sync, Keyboard-first design, Automatic issue tracking, Cycles (sprints). Both handle Slack, SOC2, GDPR.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Amplitude: Does Amplitude have a free plan?
Yes, Amplitude offers a free Starter plan with 2 million events per month and access to the entire platform including analytics, session replay, and experimentation features.
SourceAmplitude: What is Amplitude's pricing based on?
Amplitude's pricing is based on the number of monthly tracked users (MTUs), data volume, and advanced features selected. The Plus plan starts at $49 per month with a rate of $0.049 per MTU.
SourceAmplitude: What analytics features does every Amplitude plan include?
Every plan includes access to the full platform: analytics, session replay, feature experimentation, web experimentation, guides and surveys, activation, and AI tools like AI Feedback and AI Assistant.
Source