One of the newest project management tools on the market, Hive was founded in 2015 by co-founders John Furneaux and Eric Typaldos.
The tool is part project management and part AI, bringing together features like automated task management, custom workflows, templates, messaging, and collaboration under one roof. Hive offers over a dozen native third-party integrations with tools like Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, JIRA, and Salesforce; additional connections can be unlocked with a paid plan through Zapier (costs extra).
Companies can organize entire projects in Kanban boards, track productivity with resource utilization charts, and use deadlines to keep tasks on track.
Hive offers a free plan for up to 2 users with some feature limitations.
Hive Review Summary
Product Description
Pros of Hive
- Easy-to-use communication & collaboration tools
- Accessible, responsive customer service team
- Customized template library
- Advanced analytics suite with budgeting
- Ability to track time within a task
- Guest views available (without paying for a seat)
Cons of Hive
- Weird pricing model (ie. analytics costs extra)
- All-in-one apps come with a high learning curve
- Mobile app has reduced functionality
- Zapier required for many common/popular integrations
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Now, let’s look deeper to find what Hive has to offer and whether it is the right solution for you or not.
What is Hive
Hive was founded in 2015. As every SaaS, it’s been evolving ever since and Hive team works every day on the software’s development.Hive is “built by the users, for the users” and it’s being improved based on customer feedback and their needs. The team’s goal is to “improve workplace productivity for companies of all types and sizes.” Hive is a project management and collaboration software for anybody who needs a centralized workflow management system that can help them operate and understand their team and different processes that are an integral part of company’s activity. The software has two pricing plans:
- ‍Professional plan – $12 per user per month billed annually or monthly (but if you choose a monthly plan, you pay $16 per user per month.). This plan comes with the most essential features: unlimited projects and messages, standard integrations, desktop, and mobile apps, request forms, time tracking, company homepage, action templates, data export.
- ‍Enterprise plan – available on request, billed annually. You get all the features of professional and rollout support, custom integrations, Hive analytics, Hive analytics upgrades, external users, access to Hive API, availability for on-premise installation.
Ease of Use
The Hive deployment is cloud-based, so it doesn’t require any kind of on-premise installation. Because of that, the software is easy to use and the onboarding process is seamless.
We didn’t encounter any problems while testing the program, but a couple of Hive reviews online raised some concerns. Users mentioned that the platform could get pretty cluttered with information at times.
Hive’s main claim to fame is the completeness of services provided. Apart from being an excellent collaboration software, Hive is also solid in the analytical and reporting department. On top of that, it offers all kinds of automated actions.
But due to this plethora of elements and features, the learning curve is a little steep.
Hive Features
Here are some of the best features Hive has to offer.
Built-in messaging system
Hive has a built-in messaging window that works just like Slack or Google Hangouts; you can drag-and-drop chat messages into your task window to turn them into a to-do item.
I like keeping communication within the project management tool. It keeps everything organized and makes it easier to find any messages about specific tasks or projects without jumping from window to window.
Hive’s messaging board connects to the messaging panel inside the tool’s dashboard. Here, you can start private or group chats with the rest of your team, @-mention people to alert them about something, and even react to messages using emojis. And if you don’t want to be disturbed, just turn your notifications off or change your status to busy.
If you want to add someone to a group, you can invite them via email. Inside each chat, you can drag-and-drop content and attachments to easily share assets.
Centralized team communication
Hive acts as a chat messaging system, task collaboration platform, and email solution (integrations with whatever service you already use).
Nobody—I mean nobody—likes scouring through different communication platforms, searching for a message that someone sent weeks ago.
Hive keeps all your communications under one roof. The centralized communication feature means you can add in apps you already use to talk, like Slack, Skype, and Google Hangouts, and use them all from within the Hive dashboard. Hive’s advanced search functionality can even help you pinpoint communication tidbits by keyword or recipient.
Project management layout options
Each user can customize how they view their project schedules (Kanban, Gantt chart, list, calendar) by toggling between them according to personal preferences.
Hive’s flexible project management layout visuals give you several ways to view and organize your tasks.
There are the usual options like Gantt chart and Kanban boards, but there is also an inbuilt table, portfolio view, and calendar view. You can also use the status view to visualize what tasks have been completed and what’s left to finish off.
The team view is also a quick way for project managers to see how much work each team member has on their calendar. It looks like a Kanban board, and each team member has their own column and the tasks they are working on underneath them:
Hive supports project planning using a Kanban board with card-based tasks organized according to status, assignee, or other indicators.
Proofing and approvals tools
Proofing and approval tools are amazing features for remote-based teams or companies that work with a lot of external stakeholders.
Instead of sending emails and attachments out and asking your team to proof and approve them, you can simply add a file in Hive and then ask the team member or stakeholder to approve it within the software. Each time you send a team member a file to approve, they’ll get a notification in their activity feed:
The proofing and approvals tool will automatically ping whoever is responsible for content oversight so that they know when to jump in.
Once they click on it, they’ll be taken to the file you’ve been asked to approve, where you’ll be given two options: approve the asset or request changes:
Hive has simple buttons for approvals or change requests in order to speed up the feedback cycle between team members and leaders.
You can also add an automation trigger so once the feedback is accepted, the asset will be automatically approved.
Handy project summaries
The summary view feature allows you to visualize every task you are working on or have been assigned.
Hive’s project navigator offers users a quick snapshot of what projects they are a part of, who they are working with, and what due dates are coming up.
In this view, each task will be displayed with the project name, due date, and status. Project managers can view a project summary of their entire team. And if you want to email the update to yourself, the rest of your team, or even clients to keep them in the loop—just select the email option from the summary screen:
You can email, export, or link to project status summaries and updates to share them with external stakeholders.
Third-Party Integrations
Hive doesn’t claim to be the solution to all your problems, nor does it pride itself on being the best software possible.
That said, the platform provides tons of integrations with all the essential apps for project workforce management. For instance, it allows for integration with programs like Slack and Zoom to ensure optimal communications and a more collaborative project management approach.
Moreover, integrations with Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive create opportunities for more comprehensive documentation and powerful sharing capabilities.Â
The partnership with Zapier brings other 1,000+ integrations into the picture, including those with several Hive competitors like Asana or Trello.
Non-native integrations will require a separate Zapier account. It costs extra to access their full list of 1000+ third-party integrations. Expect to pay an additional $19.99/month+.
Customer Support
Hive’s customer support is above average compared to other project management tools.
Not only can customers seek help through an email help desk, but they also have access to a 24/7 rep, phone support, and live chat. If customers want to try and solve a problem before contacting customer support, the Hive knowledge base is huge and regularly updated by its support staff.
Hive has a variety of different ways to self-source answers to commonly asked questions, including a community hub and website wiki.
Training
Hive’s training has a teach-yourself approach.
On the tool’s website, customers can access product webinars and video demos to learn more about how to use Hive’s features. There is also a blog, and if you want more training, you can book a product walkthrough to get a refresher about how the basic features of the product works.
Deployment
Because Hive runs in the cloud, companies don’t need to worry about planning for on-premise rollouts.
The onboarding process is standard and mirrors a lot of other project management tools. But there is quite a lot to take on board when you are running through the product demo and even testing out the tool with the free trial. Not only do you have to learn everything from automation workflows to resource utilization tools, but you will also need to integrate all of your existing tools and get a handle on the analytics and reporting dashboards.
Our recommendation? Take advantage of the training resources on the website and if you need more—reach out to customer support for additional help.
Hive Pricing Plans
Hive’s pricing has just two tiers: professional and enterprise.
Solo Plan
Hive Solo is free to use for up to 2 users. You’ll have access to all their basic project management and collaboration features and unlimited data storage. Advanced features and add-ons are not included.
Professional Plan
The professional plan starts at $12/user/month if you pay for an annual subscription and if you want to pay monthly, it’ll increase to $16/user/month.
The professional tier includes most features a small business will need to manage its projects. Your team will be able to message each other, collaborate within boards, and integrate their emails into the Hive dashboard. Project managers can also create workflow automations, store meeting notes, and create action templates to cut down on manual tasks.
Enterprise Plan
Is the enterprise plan good value for money?
I wish I could tell you. Companies need to contact Hive to get an idea of this pricing tier. I can tell you that the enterprise plan includes all of the features from the professional plan and add-ons like analytics, custom integrations, and rollout support. ‍
There is less flexibility with the pricing of the enterprise plan—businesses can only be billed annually.
Workspace Add Ons
I mentioned that some (quite necessary) features are missing from the Hive professional plan earlier, and you’ll have to pay extra for them. These workspace add ons are:
- Proofing & Approvals:Â $4/user/month + base price
- Resourcing:Â $4/user/month + base price
- Timesheets:Â $4/user/per month + base price
- Enterprise Hive Security:Â $4/user/month + base price
- External users:Â $4/user/per month + base price
- Hive Analytics:Â $6/user/per month + base price
Please remember to take these add ons into account when you are deciding whether Hive is the right tool for you as the additional costs can add up.
Hive vs the Competition
Hive vs. Wrike Comparison:
Hive and Wrike are both project management software that shares similar features, offering everything from Gantt charts and templates, to analytics and subtasks. They do differ when it comes to pricing. Hive’s Teams plan is $6.00 more expensive than Wrike’s plan but Hive’s plan does include robust features found in Wrike’s more costly plans.
Features | Hive | Wrike |
|---|---|---|
Starting Price | $0.00 /mo. /user | $9.80 /mo. /user |
Subtasks | Unlimited | âś” |
Analytics | âś” | âś” |
Action Templates | âś” | âś” |
Enterprise Plan | âś” | âś” |
Free Options | 14-day trial | Free plan |
Hive vs. GoToMeeting:
GoToMeeting is an online meeting tool that helps bring remote teams together with features like conference calling and note-taking. Comparatively, Hive’s entry-level plan is cheaper than GoToMeeting’s but the latter includes more collaboration tools ideal for teams on the go. However, Hive’s plan does include templates and proofing and approvals.
Features | Hive | GoToMeeting |
|---|---|---|
Starting Price | $0.00 /mo. /user | $14.00 /mo. /user |
Meeting Notes | âś” | âś” |
Analytics & Reporting | âś” | âś” |
Conference Calling | x | âś” |
Enterprise Plan | âś” | âś” |
Free Options | 14-day trial | 14-day trial |
Hive vs. HubSpot CRM Comparison:
Hive and HubSpot both offer collaboration tools but the companies specialize in different areas. Hive is a project management software, whereas HubSpot is a customer relationship management software. However, the companies do share features like forms, live chats, and tasks and activities.
Features | Hive | HubSpot CRM |
|---|---|---|
Starting Price | $0.00 /mo. /user | Free. |
Team Emails | âś” | âś” |
Analytics & Reporting | âś” | âś” |
Forms | âś” | âś” |
Enterprise Plan | âś” | x |
Free Options | 14-day trial | Free plan. |
Hive vs Jira
Right off the bat, Jira has the edge in terms of pricing. It costs only $7/month and it has a free version.
However, it doesn’t allow for extensive discussions and forums, real-time editing, and video conferencing like Hive.
Hive vs BaseCamp
In this project management software comparison, BaseCamp has a clear disadvantage. For one thing, it lacks Agile methodologies, budgeting tools, and time and expense tracking.
Why would anyone choose BaseCamp over Hive then?
It’s simple—it is suitable for freelancers, as well as for small-scale project management. That alone makes it more desirable for certain target groups.
Hive vs Asana
Asana has a slight edge due to its contact management features, which can be valuable for CRM purposes and are absent from Hive’s offering.
Hive fights back with its video conferencing option and superior analytics.
Hive Review – Final Verdict
Hive is an awesome tool that deserves at least a test drive if you are thinking about investing in project management software.
Not only does it have a clean interface, but its collaboration capabilities, project management features, and advanced analytics really make it an all-in-one tool. Companies will be able to use it straight out of the box, but keep in mind that there are many features in this tool, so there will be a learning curve getting your team fully up to speed.
My biggest gripe—the additional add-ons—is something I urge you to consider when testing Hive out. You need to be honest about what features you will need and then think about whether or not you can afford them on your budget.
All in all, my verdict is easy to make—give Hive a try.
Try Hive For Yourself
Try a risk free unlimited 14 day trial of all Hive's features! Click the link below!
Frequently Asked Questions
Hive paid pricing ranges between $12.00 and $16.00 per user, per month, depending if you choose the monthly or annual option.
Yes, Hive offers a 14-day free trial on its website.
Hive offers virtual management tools for projects and teams. For more detailed information, check out our Hive review above.
Yes. Hive is completely secure and legitimate software. It’s up-to-date with the latest security features and protects its users’ data.
Hive works with these users and organization types: Mid Size Business, Small Business, Enterprise, Freelance, Nonprofit, and Government.
Unfortunately Hive only supports english.
Hive offers support via business hours, 24/7 live support, and online.
Hive integrates with: Box, CData API Server, Cognito Forms, Google Drive, Dropbox, Eventbrite, Google Workspace, GitHub, Google Calendar, HoneyBook, Incorta, Jira Software, LambdaTest, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft OneDrive, Retently, Salesforce, Sisense, Slack, Swimlane, Upsolver, WebHR, and Wufoo and more.
Yes, Hive has a mobile app for Android, iPhone, and iPad.
Hive provides training in the form of documentation, live online, webinars, and in person.
