Quick verdict
Linear is a fast, opinionated issue tracker for software teams, with cycles, triage, roadmaps and Git integrations, priced per seat. Tasks is for getting everyday work done on Apple devices, with quick capture, location reminders and projects that grow a board only when they need one.
Sometimes you just want toast. You could make it in a restaurant kitchen. It has six ovens, a walk-in fridge, a head chef and a system for everything. But first you need a booking for the line, a prep list, a ticket from the pass and someone to sign off the order. Meanwhile, the person with a toaster has already eaten breakfast and done the washing up.
Linear is a brilliant restaurant kitchen. It is built for software teams shipping at speed, with cycles, triage, roadmaps, initiatives, Git integrations and SLAs, all inside an interface so quick that most other issue trackers feel like they are loading over dial-up. If you run a product team, it is one of the best tools you can buy.
Tasks is the toaster. Pop it in and go. Add a task from a widget, Siri or the share sheet, get reminded when you arrive at the office, and tick it off from your wrist. A project can still grow its own statuses, fields and Kanban board when the work needs them, but nobody asks you to create a workspace, name a team or choose a cycle length before you write “buy milk”.
The trouble starts when a personal list moves into a kitchen built for a hundred engineers. Your groceries get issue IDs. Your dentist appointment sits in Backlog marked Urgent. Every other Sunday you plan a two-week cycle for the laundry, and it still slips to the next one.
Both apps now let AI in. Linear has its own Linear Agent, and admins can install coding agents that take delegated issues while a human stays the owner. In Tasks, your own ChatGPT or Claude joins a project as a collaborator, labelled Agent, that you assign tasks to and can remove at any time. No admin console, no head chef. Here is how it works.
Then there is the bill. Linear charges per seat, and its free plan stops at 250 issues, which is about one busy quarter of household errands. In Tasks, only the person sharing a project needs Tasks Plus, and there is a lifetime option if you would rather never think about it again.
So, if you are feeding a whole restaurant of engineers, book the kitchen. It is worth every seat. If you just want breakfast, and maybe a second slice while you are at it, Tasks is already warm.
Sources checked: Linear pricing, Linear downloads and Tasks on the App Store.
Feature by feature
The questions that usually decide which app fits. For more detail, browse all 201 Tasks features.
Scroll sideways to compare both apps
| Question | Tasks | Linear |
|---|---|---|
| Capture | ||
| Quick task capture | App, widgets, Siri and extensions | Keyboard-first issue creation |
| Natural-language dates | Recognised while typing | Natural-language date picker |
| Structure | ||
| Projects and subtasks | Folders, projects and nested tasks | Teams, projects and sub-issues |
| Custom workflow statuses | Defined per project | Defined per team |
| Project-specific custom fields | Field layout varies by project | Labels, priority and estimates |
| Views | ||
| Kanban board | Optional project view | Board view |
| Calendar and timeline | Dated filters, not a full calendar | Project timelines, no calendar |
| Saved cross-project filters | Smart Lists with grouping | Custom views and filters |
| Planning | ||
| Cycles and roadmaps | No sprints or roadmaps | Cycles, projects and initiatives |
| Reminders | ||
| Recurring tasks | Fixed and completion-based | Recurring issues on a schedule |
| Location reminders | Arrival and departure | Not supported |
| Task detail | ||
| Notes and attachments | Text, images, PDFs and files | Rich descriptions, 10 MB files on Free |
| Collaboration | ||
| Assignments and comments | Shared project tasks | Assignees, comments and mentions |
| Triage and guests | Lightweight shared projects | Triage, with guests on Business |
| Focus | ||
| Task time tracking | Built-in timer and sessions | No built-in timer |
| Automation | ||
| Git integration | Not built for code | GitHub and GitLab linking |
| AI assistants as collaborators | Invite, assign and revoke per project | Agents take delegated issues |
| Official MCP connector | Hosted server for ChatGPT and Claude | Official hosted MCP server |
| Platforms | ||
| Apple devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch and Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad and Mac, no Watch |
| Web, Windows and Android | Apple devices, with a web app in beta testing | Web, Windows and Android |
| Price | ||
| Free use | Free download with limits | 250 issues and 2 teams |
| Purchase model | Free, subscription or lifetime Plus | Basic $10 per seat monthly, billed yearly |
Which should you choose?
Choose Tasks if…
- Your work is personal or a small shared project, not a software backlog
- You want Siri, widgets, Apple Watch and location reminders
- You want your own ChatGPT or Claude assigned tasks as a project member
- You want custom fields and a lifetime option without paying per seat
Choose Linear if…
- You run a software team that plans in cycles and ships from Git
- You need triage, SLAs, roadmaps and initiatives across many teams
- Your team uses Windows, Android or the web
- You want coding agents picking up delegated issues
Limitations worth knowing
Tasks has no cycles, roadmaps or Git integration, and its web app is still in beta testing, so engineering teams planning releases will be better served by Linear.
Switching over
Export your Linear issues to CSV and use the file as a checklist to rebuild active projects in Tasks, turning workflow states into statuses. An assistant connected to both apps through MCP can help copy tasks across, but check the result before you archive the original.