Velocity vs Linear
Both tools are built for speed — here is how they differ.
Linear and Velocity are both modern, keyboard-first project management tools designed for engineering teams. Linear pioneered the fast, opinionated issue tracker category. Velocity builds on that foundation with native AI features, a built-in MCP server for AI coding agents, and a public API with GraphQL.
Core Features
| Feature | Velocity | Linear |
|---|---|---|
| Issue tracking | Unlimited on paid plans | Unlimited on paid plans |
| Kanban boards | Yes, with fractional indexing | Yes |
| Sprint / Cycle planning | Cycles with snapshots | Cycles with auto-scheduling |
| Projects & Milestones | Yes, with progress tracking | Projects, Initiatives, Roadmaps |
| Documents | Rich Tiptap editor with slash commands | Project documents |
| Custom views & filters | Yes (Pro+) | Yes (Standard+) |
| Automations | Trigger-condition-action rules | Workflow automations |
AI & Automation
| Feature | Velocity | Linear |
|---|---|---|
| AI issue creation | Smart Create from natural language | No |
| AI search | Semantic search across issues | No native AI search |
| AI writing assistance | Description writer, comment drafts, doc drafting | No |
| MCP server for AI agents | Yes — 38 tools, works with Claude Code, Cursor | No |
| AI triage | Auto-priority and label suggestions | Auto-assignment |
Developer Experience
| Feature | Velocity | Linear |
|---|---|---|
| Keyboard shortcuts | 23+ with sequence key support | 50+ keyboard shortcuts |
| Command palette | Cmd+K with fuzzy search | Cmd+K with fuzzy search |
| API | GraphQL with OAuth 2.0 + API keys | GraphQL with OAuth 2.0 + API keys |
| GitHub integration | PR linking, commit tracking | PR linking, branch tracking, auto-close |
| Slack integration | Notifications, issue updates | Notifications, issue creation |
Pricing
| Feature | Velocity | Linear |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 5 members, 250 issues | Unlimited members, 250 issues |
| Standard/Pro tier | $8/user/month | $8/user/month (Standard) |
| Advanced tier | $14/user/month (Business) | $14/user/month (Plus) |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Custom pricing |
Where Velocity excels
- Built-in MCP server lets AI coding agents manage issues directly from IDE
- AI-powered features: Smart Create, AI Search, Description Writer, Comment Drafts
- Rich document editor with slash commands and nested pages
- Public roadmap with voting and feature submissions
- Open pricing — no hidden costs for AI features
Where Linear excels
- More mature product with larger ecosystem and community
- Initiatives and Roadmaps for portfolio-level planning
- Triage feature with auto-scheduling and SLA tracking
- More keyboard shortcuts (50+ vs 23+)
- Deeper GitHub integration with branch tracking and auto-close
Choose Velocity if...
Teams that use AI coding agents (Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf) and want their project tracker to integrate natively via MCP. Teams that value AI-powered issue creation, search, and writing assistance built into the core product at no extra cost.
Choose Linear if...
Teams that need portfolio-level planning with Initiatives, mature Slack/GitHub integrations, or are already invested in Linear's ecosystem. Larger organizations that need established enterprise features and proven scale.
How to migrate from Linear to Velocity
Velocity supports CSV and JSON import, making it straightforward to migrate issues from Linear. Export your Linear workspace as CSV, then import directly into Velocity.
Ready to try Velocity?
Free for teams up to 5. No credit card required.