How Pad compares
Pad isn't for everyone or everything. Here's an honest look at where it fits next to a
plaintext TODO.md, GitHub Issues, and Linear.
| Feature | Pad | TODO.md / plaintext | GitHub Issues | Linear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | Local SQLite you own — or opt-in Pad Cloud | A file in the repo | GitHub's cloud | Linear's cloud |
| Built for AI agents | Yes Native /pad skill, MCP server, agent roles | Partial grep-able text | Partial via API / Actions | Partial third-party integrations |
| Structured fields + schemas | Yes Typed collections | No | Partial labels + issue forms, project fields | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes Single binary you run yourself | Yes It's a file in your repo | Partial Enterprise Server only | No Cloud only |
| First-class CLI | Yes | Yes it is a file | Partial gh | Partial limited |
| Cost | Free & open source · flat cloud | Free | Free with GitHub | Per-seat |
yes partial no
Linear has deeper team analytics and a mature ecosystem; GitHub Issues sits where your code review already is. Pad wins on ownership, local control, and agents — not on everything.