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ZenHub is built around engineering work in GitHub, and the pricing page shows a free plan with paid pricing from $4.99. The catch: a Reddit commenter said it was difficult to use as the team's only system and that their team paired it with Asana for general task management. For a broader home for projects, tasks or cross-team workflows, consider Asana, ClickUp or monday.com. If issue tracking is still the priority, Linear is a closer fit. Prices below are listed starting prices; plan details and billing terms are not provided here.
01Why people leave ZenHub
Hard to use as one system
A Reddit commenter described ZenHub as a layer on GitHub that was difficult to make work as the team's only system; their team also used Asana.
Public roadmap access concerns
A Reddit user said ZenHub roadmaps require invite access, which did not suit their goal of publishing an open-source project's roadmap publicly.
General tasks may need another tool
In one Reddit discussion, a commenter said their team used Asana alongside ZenHub for general task management, rather than relying on ZenHub alone.
02The alternatives, ranked by fit
- Best for broader teamwork
AsanaAsanaAsana is the most direct option here if the reason for leaving is the need to manage work beyond GitHub. A Reddit commenter said their team used it alongside ZenHub for general task management. The listing positions Asana for cross-project work, goals and dependencies, with a free plan and pricing from $10.99.
Trade-off: The listing flags higher tiers and custom enterprise pricing as costs to scrutinize.
7.0/10from
$10.99/mofree plan - Best for product teams
LinearLinearIf you want to keep issue tracking and product planning at the center, Linear is a focused alternative rather than a general task hub. The listing describes it as a product-work hub for planning from idea to launch, with a free plan and pricing from $10. It may suit teams switching for a simpler product workflow.
Trade-off: Check reporting needs and annual pricing before switching.
7.7/10from
$10/mofree plan - Best for tool consolidation
ClickUpClickUpClickUp is worth considering if ZenHub leaves too much general work outside your engineering workflow. The listing groups projects, docs, chat and time tracking in one product, and names tool consolidation as a fit. It has a free plan and pricing from $9, though the source does not specify plan limits.
Trade-off: Users report complexity and reliability concerns.
6.7/10from
$9/mofree plan - Best for visual workflows
monday.commonday.commonday.com suits teams that want configurable shared workflows and visual dashboards rather than a GitHub-centered work layer. The listing names marketing and operations teams among its best-fit users, and shows a free plan with pricing from $8. It is a broad-workflow alternative, not a like-for-like issue tracker.
Trade-off: Check seat pricing and plan limits before moving your team.
6.5/10from
£8/mofree plan - Best for simple boards
TrelloTrelloTrello is a simpler switch if your team mainly needs a visual place to track tasks, not a broad engineering planning system. The listing describes board-based task management with automation and integrations, and identifies individuals and small teams as a fit. It has a free plan and pricing from $5.
Trade-off: Its board-based approach may not suit teams needing broader project workflows.
7.3/10from
$5/mofree plan - Best for PMOs
SmartsheetSmartsheetSmartsheet is a better match for organizations coordinating multiple projects than for a small team seeking a lightweight GitHub companion. The listing highlights portfolio dashboards and resource planning across teams. Pricing starts from $9, and no free plan is listed in the published information.
Trade-off: The listing says it is less compelling for simple, low-cost project tracking.
6.7/10from
$9/mo
03Side by side
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 ZenHub ZenHub (current) | 7.2 | $4.99/mo | Yes | Engineering teams already working in GitHub |
| Asana Asana | 7.0 | $10.99/mo | Yes | Teams coordinating cross-project work |
| Linear Linear | 7.7 | $10/mo | Yes | Product teams wanting focused issue tracking |
| ClickUp ClickUp | 6.7 | $9/mo | Yes | Teams consolidating work tools |
| monday.com monday.com | 6.5 | £8/mo | Yes | Teams building shared workflows |
| Trello Trello | 7.3 | $5/mo | Yes | Individuals and small teams |
| Smartsheet Smartsheet | 6.7 | $9/mo | No | PMOs coordinating multiple projects |
Questions people ask
Is ZenHub free to use?
The published ZenHub listing includes a free plan and shows paid pricing from $4.99. It does not give plan names, usage caps, billing terms or the limits of the free plan, so check ZenHub's current pricing page before deciding whether the free tier covers your team.
What is a free open-source alternative to Linear?
The alternatives covered here include products with free plans, such as Trello, Asana and Linear, but the published information does not identify any as open source or self-hosted. If open-source hosting is a requirement, this shortlist does not establish a match; verify licensing and hosting options before choosing.
Is ZenHub like Jira?
The published information describes ZenHub as a GitHub-based tool for engineering work and sprint planning. That makes it relevant to issue tracking, but the source does not provide a feature-by-feature comparison with Jira. If you are switching, compare the specific planning and reporting features your team relies on.