Workboard vs Linear
The open-source Linear alternative
Linear is fast and beautifully focused, but it's closed-source, cloud-only, and you can't run it yourself. Workboard gives you a clean, focused workflow that's open source and self-hostable.
Short answer: is Workboard a good Linear alternative?
Workboard is the closest open-source, self-hostable answer to Linear. It is MIT licensed, runs on your own Docker host, and keeps the same idea of a fast, uncluttered tracker with keyboard-friendly boards, backlog, and workflows. It does not try to reproduce Linear's cycles, triage, or insights.
- License
- MIT, versus a proprietary licence for Linear
- Hosting
- Self-host anywhere, or EU-hosted cloud. Linear is cloud only
- Single sign-on
- Free on every Workboard build, paid plans on Linear
- Pricing
- $0 self-hosted, cloud from $4 / month
Linear details checked on 19 August 2026. Linear pricing, Workboard pricing.
Why teams choose Workboard
Clean and focused
Workboard is built around the same idea Linear popularized: a fast, uncluttered way to plan and execute, without the SaaS lock-in.
Open and self-hostable
Run Workboard on your own infrastructure under the MIT license, keep your data in-house, and never depend on a vendor staying online.
Honest pricing
Free forever to self-host with every feature, including SSO. Managed cloud from $4/month, with no seats-gated features.
When Linear is the better choice
Linear sets the bar for polish, speed, and deep product-team features like cycles and triage. If you're committed to cloud SaaS and want that specific, highly-refined workflow, it's excellent. Workboard is for teams who want a clean experience they can actually own.
Workboard vs Linear, answered
Can Linear be self-hosted?
No. Linear is a closed-source SaaS product with no self-hosted or on-premise edition. If running the tracker on your own infrastructure is a requirement, you need an open-source tool such as Workboard, Plane, or Huly.
What is the best open-source Linear alternative?
Workboard, Plane, and Huly are the three usually named. Workboard is MIT licensed and the smallest of the three to run and understand. Plane is AGPL and larger. Huly is EPL-2.0 and bundles chat, documents, and HR alongside tracking.
Does Workboard have keyboard shortcuts and a fast UI?
Yes. Workboard is built as a single-page React app with realtime updates over WebSockets, so boards stay in sync without reloads. It is deliberately smaller in scope than Linear, which is what keeps it quick.
How does Workboard pricing compare to Linear?
Workboard is free to self-host with every feature including SSO, and its cloud is $4 a month for one user or $5 per user a month for teams. Linear is priced per user with a free tier capped by issue count, and SSO on its paid plans.