How to Cancel Linear in 2026 (Export Issues + Find Free Alternatives)

Linear is $8/user/month ($10 on Standard) — beautifully designed but expensive for small teams when GitHub Issues does 80% of the same thing for free. Here's how to export your data and cancel.

Step 1: Export Your Data

1. Go to Settings → General → Export
2. Click Export workspace data
3. Linear exports: issues, comments, labels, projects, cycles, and attachments as JSON/CSV
4. Download and verify the export file
5. API alternative: Use the Linear GraphQL API to programmatically export everything with full fidelity

Step 2: Migrate to an Alternative

Before canceling, set up your new tool and migrate existing issues:

• GitHub Issues (free): If you're already on GitHub. Projects boards + issues cover most Linear features. Use gh CLI to bulk-create issues from your export.
• Plane (free, open-source): The closest Linear clone. Self-hosted or cloud. Same keyboard shortcuts, similar UX.
• Jira (free for 10 users): Enterprise standard. Ugly but powerful. Free for small teams.
• Shortcut (free for 10 users): Clean UI, good API, generous free tier. Good Linear alternative.
• Notion (free): Database views can replicate basic issue tracking. Not purpose-built but flexible.

Step 3: Cancel Linear

1. Go to Settings → Billing
2. Click Cancel subscription
3. Confirm cancellation
4. Your workspace reverts to the free plan (250 issues max, no integrations)
5. To fully delete: Settings → General → Delete workspace

Linear Free vs Paid: What You Lose

• Free plan limits: 250 issues, no Git integrations, no Slack/Discord bots, no API access, no custom fields
• Standard ($10/user/mo): Unlimited issues, integrations, custom fields, cycles, roadmaps
• Plus ($15/user/mo): Advanced analytics, custom roles, SLA tracking, SAML SSO
• For a 5-person team: $50-75/month ($600-900/year)

Do You Actually Need Linear?

Linear is a premium tool. Ask yourself:

• Solo developer? GitHub Issues + Projects is free and sufficient. Linear is overkill.
• 2-3 person team? Plane (self-hosted, free) or Shortcut (free under 10 users) cover everything.
• Need the speed/UX? Linear's keyboard-first design is genuinely faster than alternatives. If that speed saves developer time, it might be worth the cost.
• Enterprise needs? Jira is free for 10 users and scales better for large orgs (despite the UX pain).