Linear vs Timelint.
Linear is excellent for internal product teams. Agencies need a different shape: client intake, triage, clear status, and retainer boundaries. Timelint is a Jira-style, ticket-first workflow built for agency delivery + support.
- Ticket-first workflow (issue keys, boards, statuses).
- Client portal designed for ticket requests + replies.
- Service desk inside projects (queue + SLA + ownership).
- Retainer hours + time tracking tied to tickets.
Product issues vs agency tickets
Linear is built for internal product workflows. Timelint is built for external-facing agency work.
- – Great for internal issue tracking.
- – Client-facing workflows require extra tooling.
- – Support triage often lives elsewhere.
- – Retainer boundaries aren’t the default shape.
- ✓ Client portal and ticket threads built in.
- ✓ Service desk queue + SLA inside projects.
- ✓ Contract hours and out-of-contract flags tied to tickets.
- ✓ Workflow templates to keep projects consistent.
Agency-shaped workflow
Keep delivery and support coherent without enterprise overhead.
Requests in, status out, with one thread per ticket and predictable access.
Triage with ownership and ordering, inside the project workflow.
Keep promises visible in the queue and on tickets.
Track contract hours and remaining time as work is logged.
Timer or manual logs with required notes, tied to tickets.
Standardise statuses across projects so the system doesn’t fragment.
FAQ
Answers to common questions. Keyboard-friendly and accessible by default.
Is Timelint a Linear alternative? +
Do you include a client portal? +
Do you include a service desk? +
Can we track retainer hours? +
Use a workflow shaped like agency work
Ticket-first project management for agencies.