shadcn/ui
A component library turning into scaffolding for AI apps
Comparison · Design
Astra vs Linearity
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Astra and Linearity — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Astra vs Linearity: at a glance
| Feature | Astra | Linearity |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Design | Design |
| Velocity score | 5.0 | 3.8 |
| Sparks · 30d | 0 | 1 |
| Top themes | wordpress-themes, maintenance-releases, elementor-compatibility, woocommerce | vector-design, generative-ai, ios, macos |
| Last editorial update | 3h ago | 4d ago |
| Website | Visit → | — |
What is Astra?
Two release trains, zero new features — Astra has been in pure maintenance mode since spring.
Astra ships the free theme and the Pro add-on on parallel version lines that reuse the same numbers, so v4.13.7 exists in both trains weeks apart. The last six releases are fix rounds: Elementor color regressions, Stripe checkout blockers, shortcode output in the Header/Footer builder, PHP 8 text loss. The newest pair adds a security hardening fix to Pro's Site Builder and a lighter, correctly sized mobile logo.
What is Linearity?
Linearity bets on generation that hands back editable layers, not a flat image.
Curve ships roughly every six to eight weeks on iOS and macOS, and until now the releases were craft work: a glass effect with refraction and dispersion, corner smoothing and path bending, Super Resolution and snapping, a noise effect with SVG and performance gains. Version 6.12 changes the subject by adding Quiver AI generation, framed around keeping every layer owned and editable after the model has run. The companion app Move contributes on its own track, with Lottie export for web and mobile motion graphics.
Astra vs Linearity: editorial side-by-side
Astra
5.0DESIGN
Two release trains, zero new features — Astra has been in pure maintenance mode since spring.
◆ Current state
Astra ships the free theme and the Pro add-on on parallel version lines that reuse the same numbers, so v4.13.7 exists in both trains weeks apart. The last six releases are fix rounds: Elementor color regressions, Stripe checkout blockers, shortcode output in the Header/Footer builder, PHP 8 text loss. The newest pair adds a security hardening fix to Pro's Site Builder and a lighter, correctly sized mobile logo.
◆ Where it's heading
The arc is stabilization, not expansion. Several releases exist only to undo damage from the previous one — 4.13.8 reverses an Elementor color change introduced in 4.13.7 — which points to a codebase absorbing the WordPress 7.0 admin transition and the surrounding plugin ecosystem rather than building on top of it. Compatibility work with Elementor, WooCommerce, and WPML dominates the changelog.
◆ Prediction
Expect the 4.13.x patch cadence to continue on both trains with compatibility and security fixes. Nothing in these entries signals a feature release, so when the next one arrives is not predictable from this feed.
Linearity
3.8DESIGN
Linearity bets on generation that hands back editable layers, not a flat image.
◆ Current state
Curve ships roughly every six to eight weeks on iOS and macOS, and until now the releases were craft work: a glass effect with refraction and dispersion, corner smoothing and path bending, Super Resolution and snapping, a noise effect with SVG and performance gains. Version 6.12 changes the subject by adding Quiver AI generation, framed around keeping every layer owned and editable after the model has run. The companion app Move contributes on its own track, with Lottie export for web and mobile motion graphics.
◆ Where it's heading
The pitch — generation starts it, the designer owns the layers — is a deliberate contrast with image models that return a finished raster. For a vector tool on Apple platforms, that is the only version of AI that fits the product: output has to arrive as paths a designer can keep working. The release cadence and the Move track suggest the wider ambition is a design-to-motion pipeline on iPad and Mac, with Lottie as the handoff format.
◆ Prediction
Expect the next releases to extend generation deeper into the vector editing surface rather than adding separate AI panels, since editable output is the entire argument. How Quiver AI is priced or metered is not visible in these entries.
Alternatives to Astra and Linearity
Other Design products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Astra or Linearity.
Picsart
The editor now prints to a CVS counter, and that is the second business bolted on this summer.
Aseprite
Steady 1.3 maintenance, with the Lua API quietly becoming Aseprite's extension point.
Webflow
Webflow is building for the answer engines, not just the search results page.
Storybook
The 10.6 alphas are an Angular tooling rebuild wearing a version number.
OpenImageIO
Every image reader is now assumed hostile, and the fuzzer proves it monthly
See all Astra alternatives → · See all Linearity alternatives →
Recent activity from Astra and Linearity
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 20h agoAstraAstra Pro v4.13.7 – A round of fixes
- 20h agoAstraAstra v4.13.9 – A faster mobile header and a round of fixes
- 6d agoLinearityCurve 6.12 adds Quiver AI generation with editable layers ⚡
- 14d agoAstraAstra v4.13.8 – Your Elementor colors stay put
- 14d agoAstraAstra v4.13.7 – Small fixes in all the right places
- 1mo agoAstraAstra v4.13.6 – Two fixes that put things back in place
- 1mo agoAstraAstra Pro v4.13.5 – Five fixes that smooth out the rough edges
- 1mo agoLinearityCurve 6.11: noise effect, SVG and performance gains
- 3mo agoLinearityCurve & Move 6.10: corner smoothing, path bending and a community hub
- 4mo agoLinearityCurve & Move 6.9: Super Resolution, snapping and image handling
- 4mo agoLinearityLinearity Curve & Move 6.9 brings smarter tools and cleaner workflows
- 5mo agoLinearityCurve 6.8 adds a Glass Effect with refraction and dispersion
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Astra and Linearity?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Astra is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 3.8), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 1. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is Astra better than Linearity?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Astra is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 3.8), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 1. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Design products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to Astra?
Top Astra alternatives in Design are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Astra alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/astra for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Linearity?
Top Linearity alternatives in Design are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Linearity alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/linearity for the full list with editorial commentary on each.