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GitHub vs Linear: startup credits compared

Side-by-side amounts, eligibility and access paths, both verified against the official program pages.

At a glance

FactGitHubLinear
Value$10,000 in GitHub credits for up to 12 monthsUp to 6 months of Linear Business free
TypeCreditsFree plan
Duration1 year6 months
StagesPre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B+Pre-seed, Seed, Series A
RegionsGlobalGlobal
Max funding raisedNot statedNot stated
Max company ageNot statedNot stated
Ways to get it
  • GitHub for Startups partners (VCs, accelerators, incubators) — $10,000 credits, 12 months
  • Official Linear partners (investors, accelerators, communities) — Up to 6 months Business plan free
Requirements
  • Affiliated with a GitHub for Startups partner
  • Received outside equity funding (up to Series B or earlier)
  • New to GitHub Enterprise (not on an Enterprise plan in the past six months)
  • Never received GitHub credits or Enterprise licenses before
  • Fewer than 50 employees
  • Non-paying Linear user
  • Affiliated with an official Linear partner
Not eligible
  • Companies that received GitHub Enterprise credits from Microsoft or GitHub for Startups previously
  • GitHub Enterprise Server and Data Residency deployments
  • Non-equity funding does not count toward the funding requirement
  • Companies with 50 or more employees (contact sales instead)
  • Existing paying Linear customers
VerificationVerified· Nov 3, 2026Verified· Nov 3, 2026

Which should you pick?

The two programs are not directly comparable on dollar value. GitHub accepts a wider range of funding stages, while Linear is more targeted. GitHub credits last longer (12 months versus 6). If you qualify for both, there is usually no reason not to apply to both; the programs are independent.