Best Shortcut alternatives in 2026

Looking for an alternative to Shortcut? Whether you've outgrown it, find the pricing steep, or just want to weigh your options, these are the strongest project management alternatives in 2026 — ranked on pricing, features, and who each one fits best. Shortcut itself has a free tier, so we've flagged where each option is cheaper, simpler, or more specialized.

1
Linear
Best for: engineering-teams
The issue tracker built for speed. A popular project management alternative to Shortcut with a genuinely usable free tier — free – $8/user/mo. Particularly strong for engineering-teams.
4.7Free – $8/user/moVisit
2
Taskade
Best for: startups
If Shortcut feels like overkill or over-budget, Taskade is a leaner option with a genuinely usable free tier. AI-powered tasks, notes, and chat. Pricing: free – $8/mo.
4.6Free – $8/moVisit
3
ClickUp
Best for: smb
ClickUp goes head-to-head with Shortcut on features with a genuinely usable free tier. One app to replace them all. Best suited to smb. Free – $7/user/mo.
4.5Free – $7/user/moVisit
4
Notion Projects
Best for: startups
A well-rated project management pick. Project management inside Notion. Notion Projects offers a free plan and starts at free – $10/user/mo, making it a credible Shortcut replacement.
4.5Free – $10/user/moVisit
5
Height
Best for: startups
The autonomous project management tool. A popular project management alternative to Shortcut with a genuinely usable free tier — free – $9.90/user/mo. Particularly strong for startups.
4.4Free – $9.90/user/moVisit
6
Plane
Best for: startups
If Shortcut feels like overkill or over-budget, Plane is a leaner option with a genuinely usable free tier. Open-source project management. Pricing: free – $8/user/mo.
4.4Free – $8/user/moVisit
7
Jira
Best for: engineering-teams
Jira goes head-to-head with Shortcut on features with a genuinely usable free tier. Agile issue tracking for software teams. Best suited to engineering-teams. Free – $7.90/user/mo.
4.3Free – $7.90/user/moVisit
8
ZenHub
Best for: engineering-teams
A well-rated project management pick. Project management inside GitHub. ZenHub starts at from $8.33/user/mo, making it a credible Shortcut replacement.
4.3From $8.33/user/moVisit

Still considering Shortcut itself? Read our Shortcut review →

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Shortcut alternative?

Linear is our top-rated Shortcut alternative for 2026. The issue tracker built for speed. Free – $8/user/mo.

Is there a free Shortcut alternative?

Yes — Linear, Taskade, ClickUp all offer a free tier you can start on without a credit card.

Why switch from Shortcut?

Common reasons are price, a simpler feature set, better fit for a specific use case, or platform support. Each tool above notes where it has an edge over Shortcut.