Customer Support · head to head
Freshservice vs Linear
The short version
- Only Linear has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Freshservice change, problem and release management require the Pro plan at $99 per agent per month, so core ITIL processes sit two tiers up; Linear no task-level Gantt chart; Timeline view is available for projects only, not individual issues
- They diverge on capability: Freshservice covers Incident management, Linear covers Fast, real-time sync.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Freshservice and Linear actually diverge.
| Attribute | Freshservice | Linear |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $19/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows |
| Category | Customer Support | Technology |
| Founded | 2010 | 2019 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Freshservice
- Incident management
- Asset management
- Change management
- Knowledge base
- Automation
- Reporting
- Microsoft Teams
- AWS
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.
Freshservice
- IT service management and internal help desk ticketingnot Linear
- Asset management and change control for IT teamsnot Linear
Linear
- Issue management and triage, converting customer feedback into prioritized issuesnot Freshservice
- Strategic planning via initiatives, roadmaps, and PRDs from idea to launchnot Freshservice
- Agent-assisted development, with agents drafting docs and submitting pull requestsnot Freshservice
- Code review with structural diffs for human and agent outputnot Freshservice
- Progress monitoring via dashboards tracking cycle times and project healthnot Freshservice
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Freshservice
- Change, problem and release management require the Pro plan at $99 per agent per month, so core ITIL processes sit two tiers up
- Every plan includes only 100 ITAM asset units, with more sold separately regardless of tier
- Orchestration transactions are metered monthly, from 1,000 on Starter to 20,000 on Enterprise, with extra packs at $250 per 1,000
- The Freddy AI copilot is a $29 per agent per month add on on top of Pro or Enterprise
- Sandbox and audit logs are Enterprise only, which carries no published price
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
Freshservice
$19/month- Starter$19/month
- Incident management
- Knowledge base
- Self-service portal
- Growth$49/month
- Asset management
- Approval workflows
- SLA management
- Pro$95/month
- Problem management
- Change management
- Release management
- Enterprise$119/month
- Freddy AI
- Audit logs
- Custom SSL
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 Freshservice if
- You need incident management.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want asset management.
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 Freshservice or Linear better?
- Neither clearly leads. Freshservice starts at $19/month and Linear at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Freshservice or Linear?
- Linear has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $19/month for Freshservice and Free for Linear.
- Does Freshservice or Linear run on more platforms?
- Freshservice runs on Web, Ios, Android. Linear runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
- Can I use Linear for free?
- Yes. Linear has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Freshservice starts at $19/month.
- What is Freshservice best used for?
- Freshservice is most often used for it service management and internal help desk ticketing, asset management and change control for it teams. Of those, it service management and internal help desk ticketing and asset management and change control for it teams are not what Linear is typically brought in for.
- What can Freshservice do that Linear cannot?
- Freshservice covers Incident management, Asset management, Change management, Knowledge base. 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
Freshservice: How much does Freshservice cost?
Freshservice is priced per agent per month on annual billing: Starter at $19, Growth at $49 and Pro at $99. Enterprise is quoted by sales. Freshworks states annual billing is 20% cheaper than monthly.
SourceLinear: How much does Linear cost?
Linear has a free tier supporting 2 teams and 250 issues. Paid plans start at $10 per user per month for Basic and $16 per user per month for Business. Annual billing is required for paid tiers.
SourceFreshservice: Does Freshservice have a free trial?
Yes. Freshworks states you get free unrestricted access to all features available in Freshservice for 14 days after sign up, plus 3 free Day Passes for occasional agents.
SourceLinear: What are the file upload limits on Linear?
The free tier is restricted to 10MB file uploads per team. Paid plans offer unlimited file uploads.
SourceFreshservice: Which Freshservice plan includes change management?
Problem management, change management, major incident management and release management all start on the Pro plan at $99 per agent per month. The Growth plan at $49 covers service catalog, SLA and on-call management.
SourceLinear: Does Linear offer an Enterprise plan?
Yes, Linear offers an Enterprise tier with custom pricing, annual billing required, SAML and SCIM support, granular admin controls, and priority support.
SourceFreshservice: How much does Freddy AI cost on Freshservice?
Freddy AI Copilot is an optional add-on at $29 per agent per month on the Pro plan. The Freddy AI Agent in its Classic form is included on the Enterprise plan.
SourceRelated pages
More on Freshservice
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