Linear alternative for software agencies
Spedy vs. Linear
Linear is a fast issue tracker for product teams building one product. Agencies build twelve, for twelve clients with twelve budgets. Spedy adds time on the ticket, an hour budget per client, free client logins and MCP for your own agents.
Context
What Linear is built for
Linear is built for product teams: one product, one backlog, cycles, pace. It is very good in that role, and anyone developing a single product will find little to miss. A software agency has a different problem: many clients in parallel, each with its own budget, its own contact and its own question of how many hours are already gone this month. That is what Spedy is built for.
Feature comparison
Eight rows that make the difference for a software agency running its own agents.
| Capability | Spedy | Linear |
|---|---|---|
| Tickets & boards | included: One board per client, tickets with status, subtickets, comments and PR links. | included: Issues, cycles and projects, fast and built for product teams. |
| Time tracking | included: Timer on the ticket, agent time as a draft for approval, export or sync to MOCO. | not assessed: Not the product’s focus; please check with the vendor. |
| Budgets & project billing | partial: Hour budget per board with monthly carryover. In hours, not euros, no invoicing. | not assessed: Not the product’s focus; please check with the vendor. |
| Git, pull requests & pipelines | included: GitHub and GitLab pull requests on the ticket, status moves along, CI pipelines in the dashboard. | included: Linking issues to branches and pull requests. |
| MCP for your AI agents | included: Its own MCP server per organisation, included on every plan. No surcharge for agent access. | not assessed: Please check with the vendor |
| Client access | included: Client logins unlimited and free: create tickets, see status and hours. | not assessed: Please check with the vendor |
| GDPR & hosting in Germany | Hosted in Germany, DPA in the standard contract, self-hosted on request. | Please check with the vendor |
| Entry price | Free: a single seat to look around. Pro: €9 per person per month, net. | From €8 per seat per month (list price). |
As researched, without claim to completeness. Third-party details are list prices or publicly described features. Check the vendors’ current offers yourself.
When Linear is the better choice
- You build one product, not many client projects, and nobody asks you for hours per client.
- Speed and keyboard-driven use of the issue tracker are your most important criterion.
- Time tracking and budgets deliberately live outside the tracker at your place.
When Spedy is the better choice
- You run many client projects in parallel and want one board per client with its own hour budget.
- Time belongs on the ticket, and agent time should be approved before it becomes an hour on the invoice.
- Your clients should be able to look in themselves, free and without a seat.
- Your agents should work over MCP with the context of the right client project, and Spedy should be hosted in Germany.
Migration or side by side
Switching: via CSV, one client first
If your tool offers a CSV export, the Spedy importer takes the data over with field and user mapping. The code stays where it is (GitHub or GitLab) and Spedy hangs off the pull requests. You start with one client project and the first agent PR; the rest follows when it fits.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Spedy as fast as Linear?
- Spedy is a web product with keyboard shortcuts, a command palette and real-time boards. The difference is less about pace than about shape: Spedy models clients, budgets and agent time, which a product tracker doesn’t know.
- How do I get from Linear to Spedy?
- If your tool offers a CSV export: export the CSV, import it into Spedy with field and user mapping. One client project first, then the first agent PR, then you decide.
- Can my agents keep working with GitHub?
- Yes. The code stays in GitHub or GitLab, the agent opens its PRs there. Spedy provides the ticket and project context over MCP and receives comments and time. The time lands as a draft for approval.
- What does Spedy cost in comparison?
- Pro is €9 per person per month, net, with unlimited users. Client logins are free and MCP is included on every plan, with no surcharge for agent access.
More comparisons
One client project.Two weeks. Then you decide.
Create a board, import a live project, run the first agent PR. No rollout, no migrating eight clients at once.