The Hive Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Hive in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Hive
The Insider’s Guide
AI-assisted project management with chat, notes and proofing
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among project management tools, read from Hive’s own pages.
Made by Hive · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Hive’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Hive’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 20 of the 79 other project management tools we grade
Hive is a project and work management platform that keeps projects, tasks, chat, notes, email and proofing in one workspace. Work can be viewed as Kanban, Gantt, calendar, table and portfolio layouts, and workflows automate repeatable steps. An in-workspace AI assistant called Buzz draws on a monthly credit allowance. There is a free plan for up to 10 members, and several capabilities are sold as paid add-ons.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Hive, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for tasks, chat and notes in one place
Hive puts projects, tasks, chat, notes and email in one workspace, with an AI assistant called Buzz on top.
- 2
Paid plans start at $5 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $5 per user / month, billed yearly.
- 3
There is a free plan
Up to 10 workspace members, 200 MB of storage, 1,000 AI credits a month, unlimited tasks and notes, email in Hive and chat.
- 4
It runs on 5 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
- 5
Flexible project views
Projects and tasks can be shown as Kanban, Gantt, timeline, calendar, table, list and portfolio views. Gantt view starts on Starter and portfolios on Teams.
- 6
Buzz AI assistant
Buzz is an AI assistant inside the workspace that sets up workflows, summarizes work data and analyzes proofs. Plans include 1,000 to 5,000 AI credits a month.
- 7
Chat, notes and email
Native chat messaging, collaborative notes and email inside Hive are part of every plan, including Free.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 20 of 79
That is against the other project management tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Hive you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Hive at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $5 per user / month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial with access to all features, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Hive
- Category
- Project Management
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for tasks, chat and notes in one place
Hive puts projects, tasks, chat, notes and email in one workspace, with an AI assistant called Buzz on top. Starter is $5 a user a month billed yearly but stops at 10 members and 10 projects. Larger teams land on Teams at $12, where proofing, timesheets, resourcing, external users and SSO are still paid add-ons, and the free plan has 200 MB of storage for everyone.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Starter is $5 a user a month billed yearly, but it caps you at 10 members and 10 projects. Everything a team needs, time tracking, forms, portfolios, custom fields, sits on Teams at $12, half again the category's middle price, and proofing, timesheets, resourcing and SSO are add-ons listed at $5 each on top. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free covers up to 10 workspace members with unlimited tasks and notes, chat, email in Hive and 1,000 AI credits a month. Storage is 200 MB for the entire workspace, which a few attachments will finish off, and there's no Gantt view. |
| Features | B | Kanban, Gantt, timeline, calendar, table and portfolio views, with chat, notes and email built in, automations for repeatable steps and Buzz to draft workflows and summarise. The job is covered; it's just carved up across plans and add-ons, with time tracking from Teams and proofing extra. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. Having chat, notes and email beside your tasks does save app-hopping, but you still build the workspace yourself, and working out which add-ons you actually need is a job in itself. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Web, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with Slack, Zoom, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, Jira, GitHub, QuickBooks and Dropbox on the integrations page. The API is listed with Enterprise. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Hive is for
- Fits if you want chat, notes and email in the same place as your tasks
- Works for groups of up to 10 people, who fit on Free or Starter
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you're more than 10 people, as that means Teams at $12 a user plus whatever add-ons you need
- Watch out: proofing, timesheets, resourcing, external users and SSO are add-ons on Teams, and the API is listed with Enterprise
- Tight if you're staying free and share files, with 200 MB of storage for the whole workspace and no Gantt view
- Skip it if you need time tracking, forms, portfolios or custom fields on a low plan, since all of them wait on Teams
- Tight if you pick Starter, which stops at 10 members and 10 projects
Good to know
Good for
- Marketing and creative teams that review and approve documents
- Teams that want chat, notes and email next to their tasks
- Groups of up to 10 people who can use the Free or Starter plan
Worth knowing
- Free and Starter are both capped at 10 workspace members, and Starter is also limited to 10 projects.
- Proofing, timesheets, resourcing, advanced dashboards, external users and SSO are add-ons on Teams and are included only in Enterprise.
- The Free plan has 200 MB of storage and no Gantt view.
- Time tracking, shareable forms, portfolios and custom fields need the Teams plan.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$5
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Hive has a free plan. Paid plans start at $5 per user / month, billed yearly.
Free
$0
Up to 10 workspace members, 200 MB of storage, 1,000 AI credits a month, unlimited tasks and collaborative notes, email in Hive and chat.
Starter
$5
per user / month, billed yearly ($7 billed monthly)
Up to 10 members and 10 projects, unlimited storage, 3,000 AI credits a month, Gantt view, in-app calendar, and Zoom and Slack from Hive.
Teams
$12
per user / month, billed yearly ($18 billed monthly)
Unlimited members, 5,000 AI credits a month, shareable forms, time tracking, portfolios, and custom fields, labels and statuses. Add-ons cost extra.
Enterprise
Custom
Custom AI credits, add-ons included, enhanced security and permission controls, an Enterprise API and a dedicated customer success manager.
The free plan
Up to 10 workspace members, 200 MB of storage, 1,000 AI credits a month, unlimited tasks and notes, email in Hive and chat.
Trying it first
14-day free trial with access to all features, no credit card required
Read from hive.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save up to 33% with yearly billing
Teams is $12 per user / month billed yearly against $18 billed monthly, the 33% saving the pricing page advertises. Starter is $5 against $7.
Stated on hive.comNonprofit
Nonprofit discount on Hive Teams
Hive's pricing FAQ says non-profit teams are eligible for a discount on the Teams plan. The amount is not published and has to be requested from Hive.
Stated on hive.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android
AI-assisted project management with chat, notes and proofing. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, tasks, kanban boards, Gantt & timelines, workflow automation, time tracking, team chat.
The job is covered; it's just carved up across plans and add-ons, with time tracking from Teams and proofing extra.
- Flexible project views
- Projects and tasks can be shown as Kanban, Gantt, timeline, calendar, table, list and portfolio views. Gantt view starts on Starter and portfolios on Teams.
- Buzz AI assistant
- Buzz is an AI assistant inside the workspace that sets up workflows, summarizes work data and analyzes proofs. Plans include 1,000 to 5,000 AI credits a month.
- Chat, notes and email
- Native chat messaging, collaborative notes and email inside Hive are part of every plan, including Free.
- Workflows and automations
- Automations run repeatable steps, such as sending a Slack message or creating a project when the status of an action changes.
- Time tracking and resourcing
- Time tracking is included from the Teams plan. Timesheets and hour-by-hour team resourcing are optional add-ons, listed at $5 each in the Teams price calculator.
- Proofing and approvals
- An add-on for proofing, marking up and approving documents. External users, advanced dashboards and SSO are sold the same way on the Teams plan.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Slack
- Zoom
- Google Drive
- Microsoft Teams
- Jira
- GitHub
- QuickBooks
- Dropbox
Hive is made by Hive.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
20/79
Other project management tools it is graded above
Hive's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 20 of the 79 other project management tools we grade, and level with 21.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 54 of 79) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $5 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 13 of the 74 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 80 project management tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Hive’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 79
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 79
- BFeaturesAbove 27 of 79
- CEase of useAbove 2 of 79
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 54 of 79
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 78 project management tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Hive is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Hive you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 38 of the 79 other project management tools grade higher. It costs $60 a year.
What you could make
- Tasks, kanban boards, Gantt & timelines and time tracking: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Hive’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Asana, monday.com, ClickUp, Wrike and Smartsheet
The 5 tools Hive is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
Asana
Free plan · from $10.99/mo
Work management for projects, goals and cross-team workflows.
- Hive also covers time tracking and team chat.
- Asana also covers goals.
- 2.8GPA
monday.com
Free plan · from $9/mo
Board-based work management with automations and dashboards.
- Hive also covers team chat.
- 3.0GPA
ClickUp
Free plan · from $7/mo
Work platform combining tasks, docs, chat and dashboards.
- Only ClickUp lists a Linux app.
- Only ClickUp lists a browser extension.
- Hive also covers team chat.
- 2.8GPA
Wrike
Free plan · from $10/mo
Work management with Gantt charts, request forms and proofing.
- Hive also covers team chat.
- 3.0GPA
Smartsheet
Free trial · from $9/mo
Spreadsheet-style project and work management for teams.
- Hive has a free plan. Smartsheet does not, though it has a free trial.
- Hive also covers time tracking and team chat.
- Smartsheet also covers calendar.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Hive free?
Hive has a free plan. Up to 10 workspace members, 200 MB of storage, 1,000 AI credits a month, unlimited tasks and notes, email in Hive and chat.
How much does Hive cost?
Hive lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Hive work on?
Hive is available on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Does Hive offer any discounts?
Hive publicly lists the following: Save up to 33% with yearly billing; Nonprofit discount on Hive Teams.
Does Hive have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Hive is listed for Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Is Hive open source?
Hive is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
What does Hive integrate with?
Hive's listing names Slack, Zoom, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, Jira, GitHub, QuickBooks and Dropbox.
Does Hive have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day free trial with access to all features, no credit card required.
Who makes Hive?
Hive is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Hive?
The closest alternatives to Hive in our directory are Asana, monday.com, ClickUp, Wrike and Smartsheet.
How does Hive compare with other project management tools?
Hive's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 20 of the 79 other project management tools we grade, and level with 21.
Is Hive good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Hive D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $5 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 13 of the 74 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Hive?
To replace Hive you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Hive’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Hive's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-10.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Hive. Prices change, so check hive.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Hive, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/hive
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Hive: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/hive
Know someone choosing between project management tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/hive/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded project management tools after Hive, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Project Management Insider's GuideEvery one of the 80 project management tools we grade, compared
- GitHub Issues Insider's GuideIssue tracking and project planning built into GitHub3.4 GPA
- Freedcamp Insider's GuideProject management suite with a free plan for unlimited users3.2 GPA
- Huly Insider's GuideOpen-source project management with chat, docs and video calls3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Hive’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Hive is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Hive. Prices and plans change: check hive.com before you buy.