Best offer on record: Free plan (always-free tier). 6 verified findings, checked 2026-10-22.
Offers
Free plan (always-free tier) high confidence
$0 forever. Unlimited members, up to 2 teams, 250 active issues (unlimited archived issues), 10 MB file uploads per attachment, Google SSO, core issue tracking plus Agent platform and Linear Agent. This is the de-facto 'trial' for everyone — Linear runs no separate paid-plan trial; sign-up itself is free.
Eligibility
Anyone, worldwide, no account-age, funding or headcount limits. Sign up with email, Google or GitHub — credit card NOT required. No .edu needed.
How to claim
1. Go to linear.app and sign up (free). 2. Create workspace; you get 2 teams / 250 issues immediately. 3. Add unlimited teammates for free. No application, no approval.
Expiry
None published; free-plan limits (unlimited members, 2 teams, 250 issues, 10MB uploads) unchanged across every archived pricing page 2024-10-2026.
Gotchas
250 active-issue cap (new issue creation blocks at cap, archived issues exempt); only 2 teams; 10MB upload cap; AI-credit-dependent features (Coding Sessions, Loops, agent automations) are metered separately on paid tiers — free tier has no paid AI features. Sales tax now applies in specific US states + DC (as of Jan 2026) on paid plans, not free.
Startup program — up to 6 months free Business plan (partner referral only) high confidence
Startups affiliated with an official Linear partner (VC, accelerator or startup community; 500+ partners incl. a16z, Sequoia, Index, Techstars, Antler, Bessemer, 500 Global) get up to 6 months of free access to the Business plan (normally $16/user/mo annual). At redemption the account automatically renews at the standard rate unless you switch plans or cancel.
Eligibility
Must be affiliated with a partner (dedicated partner link/code). Hard cap: fewer than 50 employees AND non-paying Linear user (new paid customers only). No funding cap, company-age cap or revenue cap published. Bootstrapped/unaffiliated founders: NOT eligible — the page explicitly says only partner-affiliated companies can participate; >50 employees: contact sales instead.
How to claim
1. Find your investor/accelerator/community in the partner list on linear.app/startups (ask them to join if missing). 2. Ask the partner for their dedicated redemption link. 3. As workspace admin, follow the link or enter the partner code to redeem; offer applies to a new workspace. No codes to manage on the startup side.
Expiry
Program open-ended (no sunset date published); each grant lasts up to 6 months, then auto-renews at standard Business rate unless cancelled/switched. Older third-party listings mentioning 'Standard and Plus plans' are stale (2024 plan names) — current grant covers Basic or Business.
Gotchas
Referral-only: no self-service application and no bootstrapped path. 50-employee cap and 'non-paying users only' are the effective gates. Duration not precisely published per grant ('up to 6 months'). AI-credit-gated features (agent automations, Loops, Code Intelligence) may incur extra AI-credit charges on top of the free seats. After the free window, workspace drops to paying Business rate for all users, not just admins.
Education program — students: 1 year free (100% off Basic or Business) high confidence
Full-time students at colleges/universities get 100% discount (free) on Basic ($10/user/mo annual) or Business ($16/user/mo annual) for ONE YEAR, for student-led programs, clubs and educational activities (non-commercial). No credit card required to claim (a $0 charge at checkout is mentioned by aggregators).
Eligibility
.edu email required to apply. Must be full-time; high schools, for-profit and online-only institutions excluded. Proof of full-time enrollment required — student IDs are NOT accepted (enrollment letter / proof of enrolled courses). Optionally attach proof of institutional accreditation to speed approval. Not for commercial/business use. No region limits published (non-.edu academic domains possible but undocumented — ask support).
How to claim
1. Create a Linear workspace (name it — needed for the application). 2. Email support@linear.app FROM your .edu address, including your workspace name and the email on the Linear account. 3. Attach proof of full-time enrollment (not a student ID) and optionally accreditation proof. 4. Wait for manual approval (no self-service portal); discount is then applied to Basic or Business.
Expiry
Free period = 1 year per grant. Renewal/re-verification rules NOT published — unclear if renewable; check the approval email.
Gotchas
Applies to Basic/Business only, NOT Enterprise. Covers student/educational use only — commercial side projects out of scope. Approval is at Linear's sole discretion and can change terms. If the workspace exceeds free-tier caps on any paid downgrade/cancellation, new issue creation blocks. Third-party value quotes ($120/yr Basic, $192/yr Business per seat at 2026 prices) reflect the post-Nov-2025 price hike.
Education program — university staff: 75% off Basic/Business (ongoing) high confidence
Staff and employees at qualifying academic institutions (colleges and higher-level institutions) get a 75% discount on Basic and Business paid plans. Discount is ongoing per approval (no published end date, unlike the 1-year student grant).
Eligibility
.edu/school email + proof of employment at an eligible college or university. Same institutional exclusions as the student track (no high schools, for-profit or online-only institutions). At Linear's sole discretion.
How to claim
Email support@linear.app from your institutional .edu address with workspace name, account email and proof of employment; optionally attach proof of your institution's accreditation. Discount applied on approval.
Expiry
No sunset published; discount runs with the subscription. Enterprise plan excluded (75% applies to Basic and Business only).
Gotchas
You still pay 25% of seat price (2026: $2.50/user/mo Basic, $4/user/mo Business equivalent). Excluded from discount: Enterprise tier and any AI-credit add-ons (metered separately).
Non-profit program: 75% off Basic/Business high confidence
Registered non-profits get 75% off Basic and Business plans (not Enterprise). Apply via support@linear.app with proof of non-profit status; eligibility determined at Linear's sole discretion.
Eligibility
Standard 501(c)-style registered non-profit status proof. Explicitly EXCLUDED: legislative/political bodies, churches and religious groups, schools and colleges, government offices, opinion-influence groups, hospitals/health-insurance entities, and private foundations.
How to claim
Email support@linear.app with proof of non-profit status (registration docs); discount applied on approval.
Expiry
No sunset published; runs with the subscription. 75% covers Basic/Business only.
Gotchas
Discretionary approval; a long list of org types is excluded even if formally non-profit; AI credits remain a separate metered cost.
No standalone free trial / trial credits for paid plans high confidence
Linear offers no time-boxed trial of Basic/Business and no trial credits anywhere in 2025-2026. The free plan is the only always-free access; paid access comes via the partner-startup grant or the education/non-profit discounts above.
Eligibility
N/A — absence confirmed on pricing page, docs and startup page as of 2026-10-22.
How to claim
Not claimable.
Expiry
N/A
Gotchas
Don't confuse partner startup grants (up to 6 months free Business) with a general trial — they require partner affiliation. Anyone else paying gets Basic $10/user/mo annual (no published monthly-billing price) or Business $16/user/mo annual.