LinearB

Basic Information

LinearB is an AI Productivity Platform designed for engineering leaders, providing insights into software development workflows. The company was founded in 2018 by Dan Lines and Ori Keren.

• Model/Version: AI Productivity Platform (SaaS)
• Release Date: Founded in 2018.
• Minimum Requirements: Requires a modern web browser.
• Supported Operating Systems: Web-based, compatible with any operating system that supports a modern web browser.
• Latest Stable Version: Not applicable; the platform is a continuously updated Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).
• End of Support Date: Not explicitly stated; continuous support is provided as a SaaS offering.
• End of Life Date: Not explicitly stated; continuous service is implied for a SaaS platform.
• Auto-update Expiration Date: Not applicable for a SaaS platform.
• License Type: Offers Free, Pro, and Enterprise plans. Pricing for Pro starts from $420 per user per year, and Enterprise from $600 per user per year.
• Deployment Model: Primarily Cloud Hosted. An on-premise deployment option is available for Git and Project Integration.

Technical Requirements

As a web-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform, LinearB's technical requirements are primarily client-side and minimal.

• RAM: Dependent on the client device and web browser usage; no specific minimum for the platform itself.
• Processor: Dependent on the client device and web browser usage; no specific minimum for the platform itself.
• Storage: Minimal client-side storage required for browser cache; no specific minimum for the platform itself.
• Display: Standard display resolution compatible with modern web browsers.
• Ports: Standard network ports for internet connectivity (e.g., HTTP/HTTPS).
• Operating System: Any operating system capable of running a modern web browser.

Analysis of Technical Requirements: LinearB is designed for broad accessibility, relying on standard web browser capabilities. The core infrastructure operates in the cloud, utilizing services like AWS for data hosting. This model offloads significant technical burden from the end-user, requiring only a standard internet-connected device with a compatible browser.

Support & Compatibility

LinearB provides comprehensive support and broad compatibility due to its cloud-native architecture.

• Latest Version: Not applicable; the platform receives continuous updates as a SaaS.
• OS Support: Compatible with any operating system that supports a modern web browser.
• End of Support Date: Not explicitly stated; continuous support is inherent to its SaaS model.
• Localization: No specific language localizations are explicitly mentioned in publicly available information.
• Available Drivers: Not applicable for a SaaS platform.

Analysis of Overall Support & Compatibility Status: LinearB demonstrates strong support, frequently highlighted in user reviews for its responsiveness and helpfulness. Its web-based nature ensures wide compatibility across various operating systems and devices, requiring only a modern internet browser. The platform integrates with popular tools such as Git repositories (e.g., GitHub, GitLab), project management tools (e.g., Jira, Shortcut), and communication platforms (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams).

Security Status

LinearB prioritizes security, implementing robust measures and adhering to industry standards to protect customer data and ensure platform integrity.

• Security Features: Data encryption, strict access control, regular security audits, employee training, and a defined incident response plan. The platform performs shallow cloning of repositories solely for metadata extraction and immediately deletes cloned data, ensuring no customer code is stored or scanned.
• Known Vulnerabilities: No specific known vulnerabilities are publicly disclosed. LinearB has processes for promptly addressing security vulnerabilities and incidents.
• Blacklist Status: No information indicates a blacklist status.
• Certifications: ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2 Type II, and GDPR compliant. HIPAA compliance is available for Enterprise plans.
• Encryption Support: Employs data encryption for sensitive customer data. Encrypted and authenticated remote connectivity is used for computing environments.
• Authentication Methods: Supports Single Sign-On (SSO) with SAML 2.0 compliant providers, including Okta, Microsoft Azure Active Directory, Jumpcloud, OneLogin, and Google Workspace. Other methods include Google authentication, email login, and Passkey. IP restrictions are available for Enterprise plans.
• General Recommendations: LinearB maintains continuous security improvements and provides a Trust Center for independent verification of compliance.

Analysis on Overall Security Rating: LinearB exhibits a strong overall security posture. Its adherence to multiple international security and privacy certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, HIPAA for enterprise) demonstrates a commitment to data protection. The platform's approach to handling Git data—only extracting metadata and not storing code—mitigates significant security risks. Comprehensive authentication options, including SSO and IP restrictions, further enhance access control.

Performance & Benchmarks

LinearB is fundamentally a performance-oriented asset, providing extensive metrics and benchmarking capabilities to optimize software engineering processes.

• Benchmark Scores: Provides benchmark indicators for over 20 engineering metrics, including Cycle Time, Coding Time, Pickup Time, Review Time, Deploy Time, Deploy Frequency, Merge Frequency, PR Size, Rework Rate, MTTR, CFR, and Refactor Rate. These benchmarks are derived from studies of millions of pull requests across thousands of development organizations globally. Elite teams, for example, achieve a Cycle Time under 26 hours, Deploy Frequency greater than 1 per service, and a Change Failure Rate below 1%.
• Real-World Performance Metrics: The platform delivers real-time insights into engineering performance, code quality, project management, and development velocity. It helps identify bottlenecks, improve delivery speed, and optimize resource allocation.
• Power Consumption: Not directly applicable to the SaaS platform itself; power consumption is tied to the user's client device and LinearB's cloud infrastructure provider.
• Carbon Footprint: Not directly applicable to the SaaS platform itself; the carbon footprint is associated with the underlying cloud infrastructure.
• Comparison with Similar Assets: In comparisons, LinearB is noted for its "Quality of Support" and "Analytics and Trends" capabilities, often outperforming competitors in these areas. Its "Historical Data Consolidation" and "Impact Predictions" features are also highlighted as strengths.

Analysis of Overall Performance Status: LinearB excels in providing detailed performance insights and robust benchmarking against industry standards, including DORA metrics and its own expanded set of metrics. The platform's core function is to enhance the performance and efficiency of software engineering teams by offering visibility, context, and workflow automation. While direct power consumption and carbon footprint metrics are not applicable to the software itself, its cloud deployment model leverages the efficiencies of modern data centers.

User Reviews & Feedback

User reviews and feedback for LinearB generally highlight its effectiveness in providing actionable insights and improving engineering workflows.

• Strengths: Users frequently praise LinearB for its user-friendliness and straightforward setup, enabling seamless integration into existing workflows. It provides stakeholders with insightful data across individual teams, projects, and broader departmental trends. The platform helps in distributing work-in-progress evenly and identifying signals of overload or burnout. Customizable automations, such as gitStream, optimize software delivery workflows. Customizable investment reports illustrate how development time is spent across different issue types. LinearB focuses on team-based metrics, fostering a collaborative improvement culture. Many users commend its comprehensive Software Engineering Intelligence (SEI) capabilities and exceptional customer support. It is effective in identifying cycle time problems and providing efficiency and investment metrics for budget and management. The platform is seen as a valuable tool for measuring R&D productivity and reducing cognitive load for developers.
• Weaknesses: Some feedback indicates a desire for more advanced forecasting capabilities related to project delays and impact. While overall support is highly rated, one review mentioned a negative experience with customer support regarding urgency for critical issues. In comparisons, some competitors are noted for potentially more intuitive planning tools or streamlined productivity updates.
• Recommended Use Cases: LinearB is recommended for improving engineering team productivity and efficiency, optimizing software engineering processes, and gaining visibility into key metrics like operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. It is particularly beneficial for startups, unicorns, and development teams aiming to remove bottlenecks and accelerate time to market. Engineering leaders also use it to measure and visualize the impact of AI code assistant tools.

Summary

LinearB is a robust AI Productivity Platform designed for engineering leaders, offering comprehensive insights and automation to optimize software development processes. Founded in 2018, it operates as a cloud-hosted SaaS solution, ensuring broad accessibility via any modern web browser. The platform's core strength lies in its ability to provide real-time, data-driven metrics and benchmarks, including DORA metrics and an expanded set of engineering performance indicators, derived from extensive studies of millions of pull requests. This allows teams to identify bottlenecks, improve delivery speed, and align engineering efforts with business goals.

Strengths include its user-friendly interface, straightforward setup, and exceptional customer support. Users value its customizable automations (gitStream) and investment reports, which provide granular visibility into team activities and resource allocation. The platform's focus on team-based metrics promotes a culture of continuous improvement. From a security standpoint, LinearB maintains a strong posture, evidenced by ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2 Type II, and GDPR certifications, along with robust data encryption and diverse authentication methods, including SSO. It specifically avoids storing customer code, focusing instead on Git metadata for analysis.

Potential weaknesses, as noted in some user feedback, include a desire for more advanced project forecasting features and isolated concerns regarding support responsiveness, though overall support is highly praised. While some competitors may offer slightly different strengths in planning tools or productivity updates, LinearB consistently stands out for its analytics, trends, and quality of support. Recommended use cases span from improving overall engineering productivity and efficiency to optimizing software delivery and measuring the impact of AI code assistant tools, making it a valuable asset for startups to large enterprises.

In conclusion, LinearB is a highly effective tool for engineering organizations seeking to enhance visibility, drive efficiency, and make data-informed decisions in their software development lifecycle. Its comprehensive feature set, strong security, and focus on actionable insights position it as a leading solution in the Software Engineering Intelligence domain.

Information provided is based on publicly available data and may vary depending on specific device configurations. For up-to-date information, please consult official manufacturer resources.