Figma vs Linear: Which Should You Choose in 2026?
Choosing between Figma and Linear? We analyzed both tools using our proprietary 100-point scoring methodology. Here's what we found.
🏆 Quick Verdict
Winner: Tie
Both tools scored equally at 88/100.
📊 Score Comparison
Figma
Linear
📈 Detailed Score Breakdown
| Category | Figma | Linear | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value/Price (30pts) | 25/30 | 25/30 | Tie |
| Competitive Moat (25pts) | 23/25 | 22/25 | Figma |
| Transparency (20pts) | 18/20 | 18/20 | Tie |
| UI/UX (15pts) | 14/15 | 14/15 | Tie |
| Tech Maturity (10pts) | 8/10 | 9/10 | Linear |
✅ Pros & Cons
Figma
Strengths
- Figma provides a free Starter plan suitable for personal projects and basic design needs.
- The product offers a comprehensive suite of integrated design and collaboration tools.
- Flexible tiered pricing with distinct seat types (Collab, Dev, Full) caters to various user roles and team structures.
- AI credits are included across various plans, enhancing user productivity.
- Robust enterprise-level features are available, including custom team workspaces, APIs, and SCIM seat management.
Weaknesses
- Full pricing details and specific terms for Organization and Enterprise plans are not publicly listed and require contacting sales.
- Several advanced features, such as Multi-brand design systems and In-app Library Analytics, are restricted to higher-tier plans.
- Some new products and features, like Figma Buzz and Figma Sites, are currently in Beta, which may imply evolving functionality or stability.
- A prominent cookie consent banner appears on initial page load, which can be intrusive to the user experience.
Linear
Strengths
- Linear provides a generous free tier that supports unlimited members and essential features for small teams.
- The pricing structure for Basic and Business tiers is clear and transparent, detailing per-user monthly costs with annual billing.
- The product includes extensive AI-powered features designed to enhance productivity and provide insights.
- Linear offers robust integrations with popular development, communication, and support platforms.
- Enterprise-grade security features, including SAML, SCIM, and audit logs, are available for larger organizations.
Weaknesses
- The pricing for the Enterprise tier is not publicly disclosed, requiring direct contact with sales.
- Key analytical and organizational features like Dashboards and Sub-initiatives are exclusively available in the Enterprise plan.
- Premium support options such as an Account Manager and Uptime SLA are restricted to the Enterprise tier.
🏰 Competitive Moat Analysis
Figma
Figma possesses a very strong competitive moat primarily built on network effects and high switching costs. Its real-time collaborative nature makes it indispensable for design teams, fostering a shared ecosystem where moving to another tool would disrupt established workflows and require significant re-training and migration of assets. The comprehensive suite of integrated tools (Figma Design, FigJam, Dev Mode, Slides, Draw, Buzz, Sites, Make) creates a powerful, all-in-one solution that reduces the need for multiple disparate tools. The strong community and extensive template/UI kit libraries further enhance its value proposition and lock-in. Enterprise-level features like design system APIs and SCIM management solidify its position within large organizations, making it deeply embedded in their operational infrastructure.
Linear
Linear establishes a strong moat through several key differentiators. Its focus on speed and a highly refined user experience, particularly for product and engineering teams, creates high switching costs once workflows are established. The integration of advanced AI features like 'Triage Intelligence,' 'Linear Asks,' and 'Issue discussion summaries' provides a significant competitive edge by automating and enhancing common project management tasks, which is not universally offered by competitors. Furthermore, comprehensive enterprise-grade security features (SAML, SCIM, Audit logs, HIPAA compliance) and extensive integrations with critical tools like Slack, GitHub, Zendesk, Intercom, and Salesforce ensure deep embedding into organizational tech stacks. The generous free tier also acts as an effective top-of-funnel acquisition strategy, allowing teams to experience the product's core value before committing to paid plans.
🎯 Our Recommendation
Choose Figma if: Figma offers a highly collaborative and comprehensive design ecosystem with strong value across individual, small team, and enterprise segments, supported by clear pricing and a modern user experience...
Choose Linear if: Linear offers a highly polished, feature-rich issue tracking and project management solution with strong AI capabilities, comprehensive integrations, and enterprise-grade security, all presented with ...
Our Methodology
This audit uses Onyx Protocol's standardized evaluation methodology, scoring products across 5 categories: Value/Price (30pts), Competitive Moat (25pts), Transparency (20pts), UI/UX (15pts), and Technical Maturity (10pts). Each category is assessed based on publicly available information.
- This analysis is based on publicly available information at time of audit
- Pricing and features are subject to change
- Individual use cases may have different requirements
- Not a substitute for hands-on evaluation or free trial
Last updated: January 03, 2026. Scores may change as products evolve.