---
title: Hive
slug: hive
product: Hive
excerpt: 'An independent expert review of Hive: six add-ons at $5 per user each take
  the $12 plan to $42, and Enterprise includes them all.'
created_at: '2026-10-06T00:00:00Z'
updated_at: '2026-10-06T00:00:00Z'
---

**[Hive](https://findstack.com/go/hive)'s Teams plan is advertised at $12 per user per month. Its own calculator, run at eight users, takes that to $42 once you select all six "flexible add-ons" — a 3.5-fold increase.** Each add-on costs **$5 per user per month**, verified by watching the total climb from $96 to $136 to $176 as they are ticked. Enterprise, meanwhile, **includes all six**, so the quoted tier becomes the cheaper option well before you reach the top of that ladder.

- **What it is**: An all-in-one [project management](https://findstack.com/software/project-management) platform with multiple project views, messaging and AI assistance.
- **Best for**: Teams that need one or two add-ons, or none at all.
- **Pricing**: Free, Starter $5, Teams $12 per user per month billed annually. Verified July 2026.
- **The honest catch**: Timesheets, resourcing, dashboards and SSO are all extra.

## What Is Hive?

Hive is a **project management and collaboration platform** offering multiple project views, built-in messaging, and an AI layer metered in credits. It describes itself as *"the world's first democratic software platform"*, building features from user requests. Its plan ladder runs **Free, Starter, Teams and Enterprise**, with a set of optional modules — **proofing and approvals, timesheets, team resourcing, advanced dashboards, SSO and external users** — sold separately as "flexible add-ons".

![Hive's pricing page showing Free at $0, Starter at $5 and Teams at $12 per user per month, with Enterprise quoted.](https://assets.findstack.com/r892um5kd4gh4qt4kc4mqornl0my)

The add-ons are where the real cost decision sits.

## How Hive Works

- **Four plans**, three priced publicly.
- **Per user, per month.**
- **Six add-ons at $5 each**, per user.
- **Enterprise includes all add-ons.**
- **AI credits are metered** monthly.
- **Annual billing saves a third.**

## Hive Pricing

Captured from Hive's pricing page and its own plan calculator in July 2026, in US dollars.

| Plan | Annual | Monthly | AI credits/month | Storage | Projects |
|------|--------|---------|------------------|---------|----------|
| **Free** | $0 | $0 | 1,000 | **200 MB** | — |
| **Starter** | **$5** | — | 3,000 | Unlimited | **Up to 10** |
| **Teams** | **$12** | **$18** | 5,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| **Enterprise** | Quoted | — | — | — | **Add-ons included** |

| Add-ons — **$5 per user per month each** |
|------------------------------------------|
| Proofing & approvals |
| Timesheets |
| Team resourcing |
| Advanced dashboards |
| **SSO, enterprise security & control** |
| External users *(each licence includes 5 external users)* |

| Verified on Hive's calculator, 8 users, annual | Total/month | Per user |
|------------------------------------------------|-------------|----------|
| Teams, no add-ons | **$96.00** | **$12.00** |
| Teams + 1 add-on | **$136.00** | **$17.00** |
| Teams + 2 add-ons | **$176.00** | **$22.00** |
| **Teams + all 6 add-ons** | **$336.00** | **$42.00** |

![Bar chart of Hive Teams pricing per user per month: $12 as advertised, $17 with one add-on, $27 with three and $42 with all six.](https://assets.findstack.com/hn102f1r4uud3gkyj1r05nnvnrwp)

What actually decides your cost:

- **Add-ons cost $5 per user per month each, and there are six of them.** Hive's calculator makes this checkable: at eight users the total runs **$96, then $136, then $176** as add-ons are selected — a clean **$40 per add-on across eight seats, or $5 per user**. Select all six and Teams reaches **$42 per user per month**, or **$336** for that eight-person team. The headline **$12 is therefore a floor**, not a price, for anyone who needs the modules.
- **Several add-ons are things most teams would consider core.** **Timesheets, team resourcing and advanced dashboards** are standard inclusions in competing project management tools rather than optional extras. A team wanting all three pays **$27 per user per month** — more than double the advertised rate, and above what [monday.com](https://findstack.com/go/monday-com) or [ClickUp](https://findstack.com/go/clickup) charge for comparable tiers.
- **SSO is an add-on, which is worth flagging on its own.** At **$5 per user per month**, single sign-on is billed like any other module. That is the "SSO tax" pattern, though Hive at least makes it available on Teams rather than reserving it for a quoted enterprise contract, as several products in this series do.
- **Enterprise includes every add-on, which creates a clear crossover.** The Enterprise card states **"Flexible add-ons included"** against Teams' **"Flexible add-ons (extra)"**. Since three add-ons already take Teams to **$27 per user** and six take it to **$42**, an Enterprise quote is very likely cheaper for any team needing more than two or three modules. If you are pricing Hive with add-ons, get an Enterprise quote before signing up for Teams.
- **Annual billing saves a third, and the page does not put a percentage on it.** Teams is **$12 per user per month billed annually against $18 monthly** — a **33.3%** saving, among the largest in this review series. There is no "Save X%" badge; you have to switch the calculator to see it. Worth doing.
- **Starter caps at 10 projects, which is the limit that actually bites.** At **$5 per user per month** Starter gives unlimited storage and 3,000 AI credits, but **up to 10 projects**. For a project management tool that is the meaningful constraint, and it is the reason most teams will land on Teams rather than Starter regardless of the other features.
- **The free plan's 200 MB of storage is a hard ceiling.** Free includes 1,000 AI credits a month and core project management, but **200 MB** is small enough that any team sharing documents or images will exhaust it quickly. Storage becomes unlimited from Starter upward, so the free tier works as an evaluation rather than a working plan.
- **AI credits are metered and undefined.** **1,000, 3,000 and 5,000 credits a month** across Free, Starter and Teams. Hive does not publish what consumes a credit or what happens when you run out, so if AI features are central to your workflow, establish both before committing.

## Who Should Use Hive

- **Teams needing no more than one or two add-ons.** The clearest case — $12 to $22 per user is competitive.
- **Small teams under 10 projects.** Starter at $5 per user with unlimited storage.
- **Organisations wanting one tool for projects and messaging.** Built-in chat rather than a separate app.
- **Anyone who will commit annually.** A 33% saving against monthly billing.

It fits poorly for teams needing timesheets, resourcing and dashboards together, where Teams reaches $27 and Enterprise likely undercuts it; for free-plan users sharing files, given 200 MB; and for anyone needing SSO without paying per seat for it.

## Honest Pros and Cons

### Strengths

- **A transparent calculator** that lets you verify add-on costs before buying.
- **33% saving** on annual billing.
- **Unlimited storage** from the $5 Starter plan.
- **SSO available on Teams**, not locked to a quoted contract.
- **Built-in messaging** alongside project views.
- **A free tier** with 1,000 AI credits a month.

### Limitations

- **Six add-ons at $5 per user** take $12 to $42.
- **Timesheets, resourcing and dashboards** are all extra.
- **SSO is charged per user.**
- **Starter caps at 10 projects.**
- **Free storage is 200 MB.**
- **AI credits are undefined** with no published overage.

## Hive Alternatives and How It Compares

- **[monday.com](https://findstack.com/go/monday-com)** bundles dashboards and time tracking into its tiers rather than charging separately.
- **[ClickUp](https://findstack.com/go/clickup)** includes far more in its base plans at comparable prices.
- **[Wrike](https://findstack.com/go/wrike)** targets larger teams with resource management built in.
- **[Notion](https://findstack.com/go/notion)** is the flexible-document alternative, lighter on project structure.
- **[SmartSuite](https://findstack.com/go/smartsuite)** competes directly on configurable work management.

For a wider survey, browse our [project management directory](https://findstack.com/software/project-management).

## The Verdict

Hive deserves credit for something rare: **it publishes a calculator that lets you verify its own add-on pricing before you buy.** Set it to eight users and the total moves from **$96 to $136 to $176** as modules are selected — a transparent **$5 per user per month** each. Very few vendors in this series expose that arithmetic, and several would look considerably worse if they did. The underlying product is capable too, with multiple project views, built-in messaging and an AI layer included from the free plan upward.

The thing to understand is that **$12 is a floor rather than a price**. Six add-ons are sold separately — **proofing and approvals, timesheets, team resourcing, advanced dashboards, SSO, and external users** — and taking all six brings Teams to **$42 per user per month**, three and a half times the advertised rate. More to the point, **timesheets, resourcing and dashboards are things competing tools generally include**. A team that wants those three is paying **$27 per user**, which is above what [monday.com](https://findstack.com/go/monday-com) or [ClickUp](https://findstack.com/go/clickup) charge for tiers that bundle them.

That leads to the practical recommendation. Hive's Enterprise plan states **"Flexible add-ons included"**, and since three add-ons already reach $27 per user, **an Enterprise quote is likely to beat Teams-plus-add-ons for any team needing more than two modules**. If you are evaluating Hive with add-ons in mind, ask for that quote first rather than signing up for Teams and discovering the escalation afterwards. Note too that **SSO is billed per user at $5**, which is at least available on Teams rather than gated behind a contract — better than several products reviewed here, though still charged per seat for a security control.

Two smaller points. **Annual billing saves 33.3%** — $12 against $18 per user per month — which is among the largest discounts in this series, and Hive puts no percentage badge on it at all, so you have to toggle the calculator to notice. And on plan choice, **Starter's ten-project cap** is the constraint that matters: at $5 per user it offers unlimited storage and 3,000 AI credits, but ten projects is a low ceiling for a project management tool, which is why most teams will end up on Teams. Budget from **$12 plus $5 for every module you actually need**, and compare that total — not the headline — against the alternatives.

## FAQ

### How much does Hive cost?

In US dollars, captured July 2026: **Free $0**, **Starter $5 per user per month** and **Teams $12 per user per month billed annually** ($18 monthly), with **Enterprise quoted**. Six optional add-ons cost **$5 per user per month each**, so Teams ranges from $12 to **$42 per user** depending on how many you select. Enterprise includes all six.

### What do Hive's add-ons cost?

**$5 per user per month each**, for any of six modules: proofing and approvals, timesheets, team resourcing, advanced dashboards, SSO, and external users. Verified on Hive's own calculator at eight users, where the monthly total rises from **$96 to $136 to $176** as add-ons are selected. All six together bring Teams to **$42 per user per month**, or $336 for eight users.

### Is Hive's Enterprise plan cheaper than Teams with add-ons?

Very possibly. Enterprise states **"Flexible add-ons included"** where Teams charges $5 per user for each. Three add-ons already take Teams to **$27 per user per month** and all six to **$42**, so any team needing more than two modules should request an Enterprise quote before committing to Teams. Enterprise pricing is not published.

### What are the limits on Hive's free and Starter plans?

Free includes **1,000 AI credits a month and 200 MB of storage** — small enough that any file sharing will exhaust it quickly. **Starter at $5 per user** raises that to **3,000 AI credits and unlimited storage**, but caps you at **10 projects**, which for a project management tool is usually the binding constraint and the main reason teams move to Teams.

### How much does annual billing save on Hive?

**33.3%** on the Teams plan — $12 per user per month billed annually against **$18** monthly. Hive does not display a percentage badge for this anywhere on the pricing page; the difference is only visible by switching the calculator between yearly and monthly. It is one of the larger annual discounts among the products reviewed in this series.