Haystack vs HiHello (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick Haystack: it is second in our ranking of digital business cards, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.8.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 and Oct 24, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 by ToolGPA
Haystack grades higher on value for money and the free plan. HiHello grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Haystack
Digital-only business cards with directory sync for large companies
HiHello
Digital business cards, email signatures and lead capture for teams
Which one is for you
Pick Haystack if
- Fits if you want free digital cards and scan a lot of paper cards
- Works for companies that want staff cards created and switched off from their directory
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a physical NFC card, as Haystack sells none and suggests printing your QR code on paper
- Watch out: prices carry a dollar sign without saying US or Australian dollars, and the page takes both
- Not for you if you want your own card design, email signatures or CRM links for free: those need Pro or Business
- Tight if your team is under 10, as Business starts at 10 users, and HRIS sync and custom fields need Enterprise from 250
- Pricey if you pay monthly: Pro is $7.95 against $4.50 yearly, and the 14-day trial takes your card up front
Pick HiHello if
- Fits if you want a free card with a few paper card scans a month
- Works for teams of 5 to 100 that want signatures pushed to Gmail or Outlook
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a physical NFC card from the same company, as HiHello sells none and you'd write your card to your own tag
- Tight if your team is under five, since Business bills five users at least, $25 a month on yearly billing
- Not for you if you need CRM sync on your own: it needs Business, and SSO, SCIM and the contact webhook need Enterprise
- Pricey if you upgrade inside the iPhone app, at $9 a month or $84 a year against $8 and $72 on the website
- Watch out: Business stops at 100 users, and the lower per-user prices from 26 and 51 users aren't published
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAHaystackVery good | 2.8GPAHiHelloGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $4.50 a user a month on yearly billing, inside this category's cheapest quarter ($4.99), though $7.95 monthly. Business is $2.50 a user for 10 users or more, $25 a month at the least. The page doesn't say which dollar. | CProfessional is $6 a month on yearly billing for one person, and Business $5 a user with five users at least, which is this category's middle. Bought in the iOS app, Professional is $9 a month or $84 a year, against $8 and $72 on the website. |
| Free plan and trial | APersonal is free with no cap on cards, shares, contacts or AI card scans, plus your logo, photos, notes, tags and both phone apps. Custom card design, email signatures and CRM links are the paid part. | BPersonal is free with no time limit: 2 cards, sharing by QR, widget, SMS, WhatsApp and wallet, a personal email signature and 5 card or badge scans a month. One person can live on that unless they scan a lot. |
| Features | CUnlimited cards, a paper card scanner, sharing by QR, link, widget and email signature, directory sync, admin templates, CRM links, Zapier, webhooks and a REST API. The listing's gap: no NFC cards, so a physical card means printing its QR code. | CCards, a scanner with enrichment from Professional, signatures deployed to Gmail and Outlook, lead forms, CRM sync and a company directory. The listing's gap: HiHello sells no NFC cards, so a tap means writing your card to a tag you already own. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You make a card in the iOS or Android app and share it by QR, link or widget. Directory sync and admin templates are for companies setting up their staff. | AHiHello rates 4.9 on the US App Store from 45,197 ratings, the top of our ease ladder. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Zapier, webhooks and a public REST API. No desktop app. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Salesforce, HubSpot, Dynamics 365, Google Contacts, Gmail, Outlook, Zoom and Entra ID. No desktop app, so on a computer it's the browser. |
| Best for | free digital cards with unlimited card scans | cards and email signatures on one brand |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Haystack and HiHello. How we grade
Price against what you get
Haystack starts at $2.50 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. HiHello starts at $5 a month for each person and scores 3.0.
HiHello scores higher, and starts $2.50 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other digital business cards on the chart, none scores higher than Haystack for less, and 1 scores higher than HiHello for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
At a glance
| Haystack | HiHello | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $2.50 per user / month, billed annually (Business, 10+ users) | $5 per user / month, billed yearly (Business, five-user minimum) |
| Free plan | Personal plan, free: unlimited cards, shares and contacts, unlimited AI card scans, logo and photos, social links, notes and tags, and the iOS and Android apps. | Personal plan: 2 cards, sharing by QR code, widget, email, SMS and WhatsApp, Apple and Google Wallet, a personal email signature, virtual backgrounds and 5 card or badge scans a month. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of Pro and Business; the card is charged only when the trial ends | 14-day free trial of Professional, and of Business for teams of five or more |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Haystack Australia Pty Ltd | HiHello, Inc. |
| Price read from | thehaystackapp.com | hihello.com |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Haystack
- Prices carry a dollar sign without saying whether they are US or Australian dollars; the page lists USD and AUD as payment options.
- Haystack sells no NFC cards; it suggests printing your card's QR code on paper cards if you want something physical.
- Card design, smart email signatures and CRM integrations need Pro or Business; HRIS integrations and custom fields are Enterprise features.
- Business is for teams of 10 or more, and Enterprise starts at 250 users with usage-based pricing.
HiHello
- Business needs at least five users ($25 a month on yearly billing) and stops at 100; larger teams move to Enterprise.
- CRM sync, Gmail and Outlook signature deployment and the admin dashboard need Business; SAML SSO, SCIM and a contact webhook need Enterprise.
- HiHello sells no NFC cards: you write your card to an NFC tag you already own.
- Professional bought in the iOS app costs $9 a month or $84 a year, against $8 and $72 on the website.
Key features
Haystack
- Digital cards
- Unlimited cards with a logo, profile image, gallery, theme colors, social and video links, a portfolio, brochures and a calendar scheduler.
- AI card scanner
- Scan paper business cards into contacts without limit on every plan, including the free one, and add notes and tags.
- Sharing
- Share by QR code, personalized link, iOS and Android home screen widgets, or a smart email signature.
- Directory sync
- Sync employees from Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace or an HR system so new hires get a card on day one and leavers' cards switch off.
- Admin controls
- An admin dashboard with card templates and employee permissions, such as locking synced job titles while people add their own links.
- CRM, Zapier and API
- Send new contacts met in person or over Microsoft Teams to a CRM, or connect other tools through Zapier, webhooks and a public REST API.
HiHello
- Cards and sharing
- Two cards free and eight on Professional, shared by QR code, widget, email, SMS, WhatsApp, Apple or Google Wallet, offline, or from an Apple Watch.
- Universal Contact Scanner
- Scans paper cards, event badges and QR codes into contacts: 5 a month free, 20 on Professional and 50 per user on Business, pooled across the team.
- Email Signature Manager
- Everyone gets a personal signature. Business deploys template signatures to Gmail and Outlook, with legal disclaimers and banner campaigns beneath them.
- Lead capture and events
- Business adds lead capture forms with consent, event tracking and analytics, and sends leads straight to Salesforce, HubSpot or Microsoft Dynamics 365.
- Business Contact Manager
- Unlimited contacts that update themselves, with notes and tags. On team plans, contacts stay with the company when someone leaves.
- Directory and partner cards
- Business adds a searchable company directory. Enterprise extends branded cards to affiliates, contractors and franchisees through self-enrollment.
Plans
Haystack
Personal$0
For sole operators: unlimited cards, shares, contacts and AI card scans, with logo, photos and social links.
Pro$4.50
per user / month, billed annually ($7.95 billed monthly)
Custom card design, user permissions, custom links, smart email signatures, CRM integrations and analytics. Currency not stated.
Business$2.50
per user / month, billed annually ($4.95 billed monthly)
For teams of 10 or more: everything in Pro plus teams for organizing shared contacts. Currency not stated.
EnterpriseCustom
For 250+ users: usage-based pricing, HRIS integrations, custom fields, contract terms and dedicated customer success.
HiHello
Personal$0
One user: 2 cards, wallet and messaging sharing, a personal email signature, virtual backgrounds and 5 scans a month.
Professional$6
per month, billed yearly ($8 billed monthly)
One user: 8 cards, your colors, fonts and video, branded QR codes, card analytics and 20 scans a month with contact enrichment.
Business$5
per user / month, billed yearly ($6 billed monthly)
5 to 100 users: templates, signatures pushed to Gmail and Outlook, lead forms, CRM sync, a company directory and 50 scans per user.
EnterpriseCustom
100+ users: unlimited cards, scans and enrichment, SAML SSO and SCIM, a branded subdomain, invoice billing and a dedicated account team.
Ways to pay less
Haystack
- Annual discount
Up to 40% off with annual billing
Haystack's pricing page marks annual billing -40%: Pro is $4.50 per user a month billed annually against $7.95 monthly, Business $2.50 against $4.95.
HiHello
- Annual discount
Save up to 25% with yearly billing
HiHello says yearly billing saves 25% on Professional ($72 a year against $8 a month). Business is $5 per user a month yearly, or $6 monthly.
- Other savings
Lower Business price from 26 and 51 users
HiHello's pricing page says the Business price per user drops when a team reaches 26 users and again at 51; the lower figures are not published.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Haystack or HiHello?
As of Oct 24, 2026, Haystack is cheaper to start with: $2.50 a month for each person, against $5 a month for each person for HiHello. Haystack starts at $2.50 per user / month, billed annually (Business, 10+ users), and HiHello starts at $5 per user / month, billed yearly (Business, five-user minimum).
Which has a free plan, Haystack or HiHello?
As of Oct 24, 2026, both Haystack and HiHello have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.