A Linear alternative for teams that need time tracking, approvals, and Git-aware execution
Linear is fast and clean — but estimates in story points only, with no built-in time tracking. Vi gives software teams hour-based estimates, built-in time tracking, approval chains, workflow automation, and Commit & Close from the IDE.
Story points don't pay the bills
When a task is "3 points," you still can't tell how many hours it takes or what it costs. Linear has no hour-based estimation and no built-in time tracking, so teams rebuild it in spreadsheets. Vi is a project management system for software teams that need more than lightweight issue tracking: it tracks estimated vs actual time natively — in concrete hours, not abstract points — and connects tasks, time, approvals, Git commits, push, and workflow status in one system.
What Vi adds over Linear
Estimate in hours, not points
Set a concrete time estimate per task and compare it to actual time logged — ready for budgets and client invoices.
Built-in time tracking
A server-side timer plus manual entry, with personal and team timesheet reports — no add-on required.
Approval chains
Require sign-off per workflow step, with role-based auto-assign — accountability Linear doesn't offer.
Lives in your IDE
Manage tasks and Commit & Close from VS Code — finish work, create a task-aware commit, push to Git, close the task, and advance the workflow in one action.
Vi vs Linear
| Feature | Vi | Linear |
|---|---|---|
| Hour-based estimates | ✓ | ✗ |
| Built-in time tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Approval chains | ✓ | ✗ |
| Commit & Close from the IDE | ✓ | ✗ |
| Starting price / user / month | $5 | $10 (annual) |
Vi's price requires no commitment; Linear's $10 requires annual billing (Linear does not publish a monthly rate). Verify before relying on it.
When Linear is better
Linear may be better for teams that want a very fast, minimal issue tracker with simple cycles and less process.
When Vi is better
Vi is better when teams need hour-based estimates, built-in time tracking, approval chains, workflow automation, Git-aware execution from the IDE, and project visibility beyond a simple issue list.
Frequently asked
Does Vi support time tracking like a real timesheet?
Yes — a built-in timer and manual logging, with per-user and per-team timesheet reports and estimated-vs-actual comparison.
Can I use hours instead of story points?
Vi is hour-native: set an estimate in hours on each task — there are no forced story points.
Concrete hours. Built-in tracking. From your IDE.
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