Superconductor vs Linear: which one is right for your team?

Each capability below is marked built in, partial, or not offered for both products.

Linear calls itself "the product development system for teams and agents". On every plan, Linear Agent finds information across issues, projects, documents, and connected code. It creates and updates work and answers in Linear, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. On paid plans, Loops run saved workflows on a schedule or when an issue, pull request, Slack message, or GitHub event fires.

When you delegate a well-scoped issue to Linear Agent, Linear starts a coding session with Claude Code or Codex in a cloud environment configured per repository. A Linear coding session can run the app and test it with a browser. The session returns a draft pull request to the Reviews tab. You can also delegate an issue to one of about 40 directory agents as of October 2026. Each directory agent is billed by its own provider.

Superconductor is a multiplayer AI platform where work starts from a ticket. You write a prompt and choose one or more agent harnesses. Superconductor runs Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Factory Droid, Grok Build, Amp, OpenCode, Pi, and Devin. Each agent works on a dedicated cloud computer that runs your whole app.

The result is a session attached to the ticket with the agent's chat, the diff, a live preview of the running app, and a terminal into the environment side by side. Anyone on the team can open the session, ask the agent a question, or redirect the agent from the app, Slack, or the Linear issue. When the work is ready, the agent opens a pull request on GitHub.

In Superconductor, work can also start outside the app. The meeting assistant joins a Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams call and creates new tickets or links existing ones as people speak. You can also forward customer emails to Superconductor to create or link tickets. Teammates who don't use an editor can review the running app from a phone or Slack.

Linear Agent's work beyond code stays inside Linear. Linear Agent drafts issues, specs, and project updates and answers in Linear, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. After a meeting it reads Granola notes over MCP instead of joining the call. On Business and Enterprise plans, Linear Asks turns email, Slack, and form requests into issues.

In Linear you review a coding session's result in the Reviews tab. Linear Diffs shows the pull request next to the issue it came from. CI results, GitHub comments, and any screenshots or recordings from the session appear in the same view. There is no running app to open.

In Superconductor the whole team reviews in one multiplayer session. Guided Review and the QA check agent work on the session for any supported agent harness. Everyone sees the diff and the running app without pulling a branch.

A Linear coding session uses Claude Code or Codex. A workspace admin picks the model for everyone. As of October 2026, the default is GPT-6 Sol. Adaptive routing sends simpler tasks to a smaller model. The cost comes from AI credits, separate from seats.

In Superconductor you pick an agent harness and a model for each ticket. The built-in benchmark scores harnesses against pull requests your team has already merged. Tokens come from the subscriptions or API keys you already have. Superconductor charges only for the cloud computers.

Linear holds SOC 2 Type II. Linear Agent acts within each person's permissions. An admin approves each third-party agent and each MCP connection. SAML, SCIM, and a three-month audit log are Enterprise features. A coding session's environment holds the repository's secrets. As of October 2026, Linear's docs describe no outbound network rules for the sandbox.

Superconductor has a built-in Linear integration and connectors for Notion, Jira, Sentry, Gmail, and custom MCP servers. Each implementation runs on its own cloud computer under the project's network rules. On the Enterprise plan the cloud computers run in your own cloud. Connecting to GitHub requires someone with admin rights to the account.

Linear charges per seat. Agent work uses a separate prepaid dollar balance of AI credits. Buy credits by card in top-ups of $10 or more or set automatic refills of $50 or more. AI credits expire 12 months after purchase. A Linear coding session costs the model's tokens at the provider's published rate with no markup, plus metered sandbox time. The per-plan figures appear below. Linear publishes the rates on its pricing page and in its AI credits docs.

A Superconductor credit pays for cloud computer time only. Tokens are billed to your own subscription or API keys. A team that delegates from Linear to Superconductor pays Linear for seats and Superconductor for compute.

Superconductor pricing figures match the pricing page as checked on October 27, 2026.

These figures match linear.app as of October 29, 2026. Prices shown include annual contract discounts. Current pricing is available at linear.app/pricing.

Linear stays the source of truth for issues, and Superconductor runs the agents. When you assign an issue to Superconductor or mention @Superconductor with instructions, Superconductor starts an implementation in the project set for that Linear team. Linear moves the issue to in progress. A thread on the issue collects the agent's reply, the live preview link, and the pull request link when the pull request opens and merges. Replies in the Linear issue thread go to the Superconductor agent. The Linear connector separately lets agents read and update issues while they work. Linear bills for seats and Superconductor for compute. Linear's own coding session remains an option for the same issue.

Linear can be used to track tasks whether you use their built-in coding agents, or Superconductor. Linear agents are a good fit when a small diff and screenshot are enough to review the agent's work. Superconductor is a good fit when review requires a live app preview, the team wants to use their favorite agent harnesses, or features such as email triage and live meeting assistant are important.