Best Linear alternatives
Looking for a European alternative to Linear? Compare OpenProject and Stellary by workflow, hosting and AI agents. Linear also offers EU data residency: check each service’s scope and choose the tool that fits your team.
Updated on 2026-11-01 · Read how we compare tools
European alternative to Linear: what to verify
EU hosting, a European vendor and local AI are three different requirements. Stellary can be relevant when you want a French provider and project work, documentation and agent missions in one workspace. It remains an open-beta product: test a representative project before moving your team.
| Product | Vendor | Hosting scope | AI and typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linear | Linear Orbit, Inc. · United States | EU or US workspace region. Identity and some usage data remain in the US. | Linear Agent, Loops and MCP. Product and engineering issue workflows; check the AI service’s data terms. |
| OpenProject | OpenProject GmbH · Germany | Self-hosted, or cloud: .com on AWS Frankfurt with US transactional email; .eu uses an EU provider scope. | Project planning and governance. Hosting control does not establish where an added AI integration runs. |
| Stellary | Operated from France | API/database: Fly.io Amsterdam. Static files: OVHcloud. Attachment scanning: AWS Paris. Fly.io also processes operational data in the US. | Project work, docs and agent missions. Cloud inference depends on the selected model provider; local inference does not localize the hosted workspace. |
- Hosting: Stellary serves its website and app files from OVHcloud; Fly.io runs the API and database in Amsterdam; AWS scans email attachments in Paris. Fly.io documents US processing for operational data and snapshots. This is not an EU-only processing guarantee.
- AI data flows: cloud models receive the context sent to them. A local model can keep inference on your machine or network; it does not make the hosted Stellary workspace entirely local. Review each connected provider.
- Workflow: test permissions, a human review step and a failed mission. Compare the resulting history and recovery path in both products, using the same project.
- 1
ClickUp
Best for: Teams that want maximum breadth in one configurable platform
Tasks, docs, dashboards, views, and automation in one place, with a deep configuration range Linear does not aim for.
Watch out — Breadth must be governed — without setup discipline, the workspace gets noisy.
- 2
Jira
Best for: Organizations where process depth and governance dominate
The reference for workflow modeling, enterprise controls, and compliance-heavy environments, with a mature ecosystem.
Watch out — Heavier day-to-day flow; docs and context usually live in Confluence.
- 3
Notion
Best for: Teams whose center of gravity is documentation and knowledge
Flexible pages and databases for specs, research and knowledge bases, with more freedom to model a wiki.
Watch out — Dense project execution becomes hand-built databases and manual discipline.
- 4
monday
Best for: Cross-functional coordination and stakeholder visibility
Portfolios, hierarchies, capacity, and views that ops and business teams can read without training.
Watch out — Less natural for deep engineering execution loops.
- 5
OpenProject
Best for: Teams that need an open-source project tool and control over hosting
A German vendor with cloud and self-hosted editions, work packages, planning and project governance.
Watch out — Self-hosting needs an operations owner. Cloud data flows differ between the .com and .eu services; verify the selected service.
- 6
Stellary
The AI-native optionBest for: Teams that want delivery, docs, and AI agents in one system
Delivery, living documentation, a piloting cockpit, and AI agents that execute work under permissions share one workspace — with an MCP server and REST API designed agent-first.
Watch out — Young product, still in open beta — maturity and ecosystem are where the established tools win today.
FAQ
Is there a European alternative to Linear?
OpenProject is a German vendor with a self-hosted edition. Stellary is operated from France and combines project work, docs and agents, with its API and database in Amsterdam. Neither vendor location nor a server region proves that all processing stays in Europe; inspect the data flows and contract.
Is Linear hosted in Europe?
Linear offers EU or US workspace regions, but identity and some usage data remain in the US. European residency alone is therefore not a reason to replace it. Check the selected workspace region and the contractual scope, including sub-processors and AI services.
What is the best Linear alternative in 2026?
Choose by the job: ClickUp for configurable breadth, Jira for complex workflows, Notion for a flexible knowledge base, monday for cross-functional coordination, OpenProject for self-hosted project governance, or Stellary for project work and agent missions in one workspace. Keeping Linear is a valid choice when its workflow already fits.
Does Linear support AI agents and MCP?
Yes. Linear documents Linear Agent, automated Loops and an MCP server. Compare permissions, review steps, context and operating costs instead of treating AI or MCP as exclusive to Stellary.
Does local AI keep all Stellary data on my computer?
No. Local inference concerns the model execution. Project data in the hosted workspace remains subject to Stellary’s hosting terms, and connected cloud services may receive data you send to them.
Try an agent mission on your project
Create a project, connect an AI model and give an agent a bounded task. Review its result and history. Check the current plan limits and included AI credits. A connected model provider may bill you separately.
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