Technology · head to head
Linear vs Aha!
The short version
- Only Linear has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Linear no task-level Gantt chart; Timeline view is available for projects only, not individual issues; Aha! sold as eight separate products rather than one subscription, so Roadmaps, Discovery, Ideas, Whiteboards, Builder, Develop, Teamwork and Knowledge are each priced per user
- They diverge on capability: Linear covers Fast, real-time sync, Aha! covers Strategic roadmaps.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Linear and Aha! actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Technology).
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 Linear
- Fast, real-time sync
- Keyboard-first design
- Automatic issue tracking
- Cycles (sprints)
- Projects & milestones
- Custom workflows
- API & webhooks
- Built-in roadmaps
Only in Aha!
- Strategic roadmaps
- Release planning
- Idea management
- Requirements & user stories
- Visual workflows
- Gantt charts
- Pivot tables
- Custom scorecards
Both cover
- GitHub
- GitLab
- Slack
- SOC2
- GDPR
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Linear
- Issue management and triage, converting customer feedback into prioritized issuesnot Aha!
- Strategic planning via initiatives, roadmaps, and PRDs from idea to launchnot Aha!
- Agent-assisted development, with agents drafting docs and submitting pull requestsnot Aha!
- Code review with structural diffs for human and agent outputnot Aha!
- Progress monitoring via dashboards tracking cycle times and project healthnot Aha!
Aha!
- Product roadmapping linked to strategy and goalsnot Linear
- Collecting and scoring customer feedback through Ideasnot Linear
- Customer research and interview analysis with Discoverynot Linear
- Agile delivery tracking with Developnot Linear
- Internal product documentation with Knowledgenot Linear
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Aha!
- Sold as eight separate products rather than one subscription, so Roadmaps, Discovery, Ideas, Whiteboards, Builder, Develop, Teamwork and Knowledge are each priced per user
- Roadmaps at $59 per user per month is expensive next to general project tools, and Discovery and Ideas add $39 each
- The Develop integration with Roadmaps requires the Enterprise or Enterprise+ tier
- Annual billing is by invoice only; monthly is card
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Aha!
$59/month- Startup$29/month
- All premium features
- Discounted pricing for early-stage startups
- Premium$59/month
- Strategy setting
- Roadmap creation
- Feature prioritization
- Enterprise$null/month
- Unlimited reviewers and viewers
- Advanced features
- Enterprise+$null/month
- Everything in Enterprise plus workflow automation
- Capacity planning
- Concierge support
Which should you pick?
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 Linear or Aha! better?
- Neither clearly leads. Linear starts at Free and Aha! at $59/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Linear or Aha!?
- Linear has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Linear and $59/month for Aha!.
- Does Linear or Aha! run on more platforms?
- Linear runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows. Aha! runs on Web.
- Can I use Linear for free?
- Yes. Linear has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Aha! starts at $59/month.
- What is Linear best used for?
- Linear is most often used for issue management and triage, converting customer feedback into prioritized issues, strategic planning via initiatives, roadmaps, and prds from idea to launch, agent-assisted development, with agents drafting docs and submitting pull requests, code review with structural diffs for human and agent output. Of those, issue management and triage, converting customer feedback into prioritized issues and strategic planning via initiatives, roadmaps, and prds from idea to launch are not what Aha! is typically brought in for.
- What can Linear do that Aha! cannot?
- Linear covers Fast, real-time sync, Keyboard-first design, Automatic issue tracking, Cycles (sprints). Aha! covers Strategic roadmaps, Release planning, Idea management, Requirements & user stories. Both handle GitHub, GitLab, Slack, SOC2.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Aha!: Does Aha! have a free tier?
No. Aha! offers a 30-day free trial without requiring a credit card, but there is no permanent free plan. Pricing starts at $59/user/month for Aha! Roadmaps.
SourceAha!: How is Aha! pricing structured?
Aha! uses per-user billing. Premium plan charges all users equally regardless of permission level. Enterprise plans only charge for workspace owners and contributors, with unlimited reviewers and viewers at no additional cost.
SourceAha!: Can I use Aha! offline?
Aha! is a cloud-based SaaS platform with no offline mode mentioned in documentation. All features require internet connectivity to the cloud servers.
SourceAha!: What does Enterprise+ plan include?
Enterprise+ includes workflow automation, capacity planning, custom tables and calculations, advanced license management, account backup and export, anti-virus scanning, IP access control, and concierge white-glove support.
SourceAha!: How many integrations does Aha! support?
Aha! Roadmaps offers 40+ integrations including Jira, Azure DevOps, Slack, Salesforce, and Zendesk. Salesforce and Zendesk require additional add-on purchases.
Source