Open-source alternatives guide · Updated 2026

Best open-source alternatives to Linear

Compare the best free and open-source alternatives to Linear — 13 verified projects with explicit catalog relationships. Inspect licenses, GitHub activity, self-hosting signals, and migration fit before you switch.

Official product reference Linear

13verified alternatives
5self-hosted signals
5categories

Only explicit alternative relationships are shown—never inferred competitor claims.

Overview

This guide compares 13 verified open-source alternatives to Linear, including Plane, Huly, Focalboard, and OpenProject.

Projects appear across Productivity, Business Software, and Data & Analytics. 5 options include a self-hosting signal — see the self-hosted catalog. Ranking follows public GitHub stars and recorded momentum—not vendor marketing. Compare projects side by side, then confirm license fit, migration effort, and operational ownership before adopting any option.

Engineering teams comparing Plane, OpenProject, and other trackers as Linear substitutes.

Migration tip: Map issue states, cycles, and Git links first. Import a single team’s backlog and validate notification noise before company-wide migration.

Strongest repository-activity signal: Plane · Jump to ranking · 54.5K stars · self-hostable

About Linear

Linear is a polished issue tracker for product and engineering teams. Open-source alternatives focus on self-hosted project management with keyboard-driven workflows, Git integration, and clearer data ownership.

Visit Linear

Ranked open-source alternatives to Linear

Compare capabilities, licensing, and ownership model. Stars help with discovery; they are not a security or product-fit guarantee.

Plane

Open-source alternative to Linear

IndiaProductivityAGPL-3.0Self-hosted

🔥🔥🔥 Open-source Jira, Linear, Monday, and ClickUp alternative. Plane is a modern project management platform to manage tasks, sprints, docs, and triage.

🔥🔥🔥 Open-source Jira, Linear, Monday, and ClickUp alternative. Plane is a modern project management platform to manage tasks, sprints, docs, and triage. Review the official repo

Best for: Individuals and small teams
Deployment: Self-hostable
License: AGPL-3.0
Activity: Updated 2 days ago

Key capabilities

Huly

Open-source alternative to Linear

Business SoftwareEPL-2.0

Huly — All-in-One Project Management Platform (alternative to Linear, Jira, Slack, Notion, Motion)

Huly — All-in-One Project Management Platform (alternative to Linear, Jira, Slack, Notion, Motion) Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documen

Best for: Operations teams
Deployment: Inspectable source
License: EPL-2.0
Activity: Updated 2 days ago

Key capabilities

project-management crm wiki issue-tracker

Focalboard

Open-source alternative to Linear

ProductivityLicense not declaredSelf-hosted

Focalboard is an open source, self-hosted alternative to Trello, Notion, and Asana.

Focalboard is an open source, self-hosted alternative to Trello, Notion, and Asana. Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documentation before p

Best for: Individuals and small teams
Deployment: Self-hostable
License: License not declared
Activity: Updated 2 months ago

Key capabilities

hacktoberfest

golang

collaboration project-management

OpenProject

Open-source alternative to Linear

ItalyProductivityGPL-3.0-or-later

Web-based project- and project portfolio management software

OpenProject is a web-based project management solution specifically tailored to the needs of public administration. It supports project planning, task management, Agile workflows,

Best for: Individuals and small teams
Deployment: Inspectable source
License: GPL-3.0-or-later
Activity: Updated 26 hours ago

Key capabilities

project-management kanban

ruby

angular

Vikunja

Open-source alternative to Linear

ProductivityAGPL-3.0Self-hosted

The task manager you actually own.

The task manager you actually own. Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documentation before production adoption.

Best for: Individuals and small teams
Deployment: Self-hostable
License: AGPL-3.0
Activity: Updated 27 hours ago

Key capabilities

self-hosted

golang

api project-management

Kaneo

Open-source alternative to Linear

ProductivityMITSelf-hosted

🎯 All you need. Nothing you don't. Open source project management that works for you, not against you.

🎯 All you need. Nothing you don't. Open source project management that works for you, not against you. Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment do

Best for: Individuals and small teams
Deployment: Self-hostable
License: MIT
Activity: Updated 28 hours ago

Key capabilities

Worklenz

Open-source alternative to Linear

Data & AnalyticsAGPL-3.0

All in one project management tool for efficient teams

All in one project management tool for efficient teams Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documentation before production adoption.

Best for: Data teams
Deployment: Inspectable source
License: AGPL-3.0
Activity: Updated 17 days ago

Key capabilities

typescript

react

postgresql rest-api

Ever Teams

Open-source alternative to Linear

ProductivityAGPL-3.0

Ever® Teams™ - The Workplace for Humans. Open Work & Productivity Platform - https://ever.team

Ever® Teams™ - The Workplace for Humans. Open Work & Productivity Platform - https://ever.team Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documentati

Best for: Individuals and small teams
Deployment: Inspectable source
License: AGPL-3.0
Activity: Updated 43 hours ago

Key capabilities

react

productivity project-management

react-native

Operately

Open-source alternative to Linear

InfrastructureLicense not declared

The open source company operating system.

The open source company operating system. Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documentation before production adoption.

Best for: Infrastructure teams
Deployment: Inspectable source
License: License not declared
Activity: Updated Jul 15, 2026

Key capabilities

#10

Orgnise

Open-source alternative to Linear

Content & CollaborationAGPL-3.0

Streamline your work with our all-in-one knowledge, doc, and project management system.

Streamline your work with our all-in-one knowledge, doc, and project management system. Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documentation befo

Best for: Knowledge teams
Deployment: Inspectable source
License: AGPL-3.0
Activity: Updated Jul 25, 2025

Key capabilities

react project-management

TypeScript

JavaScript

#11

Manage

Open-source alternative to Linear

InfrastructureAGPL-3.0

An open-source project management suite

An open-source project management suite Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documentation before production adoption.

Best for: Infrastructure teams
Deployment: Inspectable source
License: AGPL-3.0
Activity: Updated Apr 3, 2026

Key capabilities

TypeScript

JavaScript

NodeJS

#12

Windshift

Open-source alternative to Linear

InfrastructureAGPL-3.0

Open-source work management that's fast, complete, and simple to run

Open-source work management that's fast, complete, and simple to run Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documentation before production adopt

Best for: Infrastructure teams
Deployment: Inspectable source
License: AGPL-3.0
Activity: Updated Jul 14, 2026

Key capabilities

Github Actions

JavaScript

#13

Sayr

Open-source alternative to Linear

ProductivityLicense not declaredSelf-hosted

Project management & feedback portal in one open defined tool

Project management & feedback portal in one open defined tool Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documentation before production adoption.

Best for: Individuals and small teams
Deployment: Self-hostable
License: License not declared
Activity: Updated Jul 9, 2026

Key capabilities

self-hosted project-management kanban feedback

How to choose a Linear alternative

Map must-have capabilitiesList the workflows in Linear you cannot drop during migration.

Verify the licenseConfirm it fits your use, distribution, and compliance model. Browse license briefs.

Run a proof of conceptTest real data, integrations, clients, and failure modes. Use Compare for side-by-side checks.

Plan ownershipAssess upgrades, backups, support, and an exit path. Read when self-hosting is worth it.

Frequently asked questions about Linear alternatives

What is the best open-source Linear alternative?

Plane is frequently compared for modern product workflows. Others fit classic PM or Git-centric issue tracking. Match your process—not Linear’s visual polish alone.

Can I self-host a Linear-like tracker?

Several options support self-hosting. Budget for PostgreSQL backups, SSO, and email/webhook delivery—the UI is only part of the ops load.

Browse and filter the catalog

Narrow the same alternatives by search, license, tags, or self-hosting signals when you need a tighter shortlist.

Plane

IndiaAGPL-3.0

🔥🔥🔥 Open-source Jira, Linear, Monday, and ClickUp alternative. Plane is a modern project management platform to manage tasks, sprints, docs, and triage.