12 Best Hive Alternatives in 2026

Hive is an AI-powered project management platform that offers Gantt charts, Kanban boards, calendar views, time tracking, proofing, goals, forms, and a built-in AI assistant called Buzz. It positions itself as a central workspace for teams to plan and execute projects across multiple views. With a free tier and paid plans starting at $5/user/month, Hive looks affordable on the surface — but the real cost is in the add-ons. Features like automations, advanced reporting, proofing, SSO, and timesheets each cost an extra $5/month, pushing the true price well beyond the base subscription.

If you are evaluating Hive alternatives, the add-on model is usually the trigger. A team on the Teams plan at $12/user/month that needs automations, reporting, and proofing is already paying $27/user/month before accounting for SSO or resourcing. Beyond pricing, Hive lacks CRM, invoicing, proposals, contracts, and a client portal — so service businesses and agencies still need separate tools for everything outside project tracking. Here are 12 Hive alternatives worth considering in 2026.

Why Teams Switch From Hive

• Add-on pricing inflates the real cost — Core features like automations, advanced reporting, proofing, timesheets, resourcing, and SSO are each $5/month add-ons. A team that needs three or four of these is paying significantly more than the advertised base price.
• No CRM or sales pipeline — Hive has no contact management, deal tracking, or visual sales pipeline. Teams that manage client relationships need a separate CRM tool.
• No invoicing, proposals, or contracts — There is no way to create invoices, send proposals, or manage contracts within Hive. Billing and legal documents require external platforms.
• No client portal — Hive does not offer a branded space where clients can view project progress, approve deliverables, or make payments.
• Free plan is restrictive — The free tier limits storage to 200MB and caps team size at 10 members, making it impractical for most teams beyond initial evaluation.
• Starter plan caps at 10 projects — Teams outgrow the $5/user/month Starter plan quickly when they hit the 10-project limit and are forced to upgrade.
• Smaller ecosystem and fewer integrations — Hive's integration library is smaller than ClickUp, Monday.com, or Asana, limiting how well it connects with existing tool stacks.

The Real Cost of Hive: A Breakdown

Before comparing alternatives, it helps to see what Hive actually costs for a typical team. Consider a 10-person agency on the Teams plan ($12/user/month) that needs automations, advanced reporting, proofing, and timesheets:

• Base plan: 10 × $12 = $120/month
• Automations add-on: $5/month
• Advanced reporting: $5/month
• Proofing & approvals: $5/month
• Timesheets: $5/month
• Total: $140/month ($1,680/year)

And that still does not include CRM, invoicing, proposals, contracts, or a client portal. Adding HubSpot Starter ($20/month) for CRM and FreshBooks Plus ($43/month) for invoicing pushes the total to $203/month — $2,436/year across three tools with no shared data. Most of the alternatives below consolidate these capabilities into a single subscription.

1. Agiled — Best All-in-One Hive Alternative

Agiled is the most complete Hive alternative because it includes project management, CRM, invoicing, proposals, contracts, client portals, HR, and AI agents in one platform — with no add-on fees for core features.

The core issue with Hive is that the base product covers project tracking, but everything else is either an add-on or missing entirely. Need automations? That is $5/month extra. Need advanced reporting? Another $5/month. Need proofing? Another $5/month. And even after paying for every add-on, Hive still cannot manage client relationships, send invoices, create proposals, or provide clients with their own portal. Agiled solves this by including the full business workflow in one platform.

For agencies and service businesses, the difference is most visible in the lead-to-cash flow. With Hive, you manage tasks and timelines but still need a CRM for sales, a separate tool for proposals and contracts, an invoicing platform for billing, and a client portal for external collaboration. Agiled connects all of these natively. A lead enters through CRM, receives a proposal from Documents, signs a contract, becomes an active project in Projects, tracks time against it, and gets invoiced from Finance — without switching apps or paying per-feature add-ons.

What makes Agiled the top pick:

• Project management — Kanban boards, Gantt charts, task dependencies, milestones, project templates, and burn-down charts via Projects
• Time tracking — Built-in timer that converts tracked hours into billable invoices automatically
• CRM — Visual pipelines, contact management, deal tracking, and activity timelines via CRM
• Invoicing & finance — Professional invoices, estimates, recurring billing, expense tracking, and financial reports
• Proposals & contracts — Create, customize, and e-sign documents with reusable templates
• Client portal — Branded portal where clients view project progress, approve deliverables, and make payments
• HR & payroll — Employee management, attendance, leave tracking, and payroll
• Workflow automation — Visual builder with triggers, conditions, and actions — included in the base price, not a $5/month add-on
• AI agents — Draft proposals, emails, and reports with context-aware AI — included, unlike Hive's Buzz AI which requires paid plans
• Brand customization — Custom branding for your client-facing portal and documents

Agiled's free plan lets you test the full platform before committing, and paid tiers scale affordably without nickel-and-diming you for features that should be standard. For teams frustrated by Hive's add-on model or limited business capabilities, Agiled offers a broader feature set at a predictable cost.

Start Free Now

2. ClickUp — Best Feature-Rich Alternative

ClickUp is one of the most feature-dense project management platforms available, with 15+ views, built-in docs, whiteboards, goals, and time tracking all included in the base price — no add-on model like Hive.

Key features:

• 15+ views including List, Board, Gantt, Timeline, and Mind Maps
• Built-in docs, whiteboards, and chat
• Custom fields, statuses, and automations included
• Time tracking and goal setting
• CRM templates for deal tracking

Limitations: Can feel overwhelming due to feature density. Performance can slow on large workspaces. No native invoicing, proposals, or client portal.

Pricing: Free plan available. Unlimited at $7/user/month. Business at $12/user/month.

3. Monday.com — Best for Visual Workflows

Monday.com offers intuitive, colorful visual boards with built-in automations and dashboards. Unlike Hive, automations are included in Standard plans and above — no per-feature add-ons.

Key features:

• Customizable visual boards and dashboards
• AI features for task automation and data extraction
• 200+ templates for different workflows
• Time tracking and workload management
• Integrations with 40+ tools

Limitations: CRM is a separate product (Monday Sales CRM) with its own pricing. No invoicing, proposals, or contracts built in. Per-seat pricing scales steeply for larger teams.

Pricing: Free for up to 2 users. Basic at $9/seat/month. Standard at $12/seat/month. Pro at $19/seat/month.

4. Asana — Best for Cross-Functional Teams

Asana is a well-structured project management tool designed for cross-functional collaboration. Its portfolio and goals features give leadership visibility across teams and departments — something Hive handles only at the project level.

Key features:

• Lists, boards, timelines, and calendar views
• Workflow builder with custom rules
• Goals, milestones, and portfolio management
• Reporting dashboards across projects
• 260+ integrations

Limitations: Expensive at scale — Advanced plan is $24.99/user/month. Tasks can only have a single assignee. No CRM, invoicing, or client portal.

Pricing: Free for 1–2 users. Starter at $10.99/user/month. Advanced at $24.99/user/month.

5. Wrike — Best for Enterprise Teams

Wrike is an enterprise-grade project management platform with built-in proofing, resource management, and cross-departmental collaboration. Unlike Hive, proofing is included in higher plans rather than sold as a separate add-on.

Key features:

• Custom workflows and request forms
• Real-time Gantt charts and workload management
• Proofing and approval workflows for creative assets
• Time tracking and budget calculation
• Cross-tagging for multi-department visibility

Limitations: Complex interface with a steep learning curve. Many features gated behind higher plans. No CRM, invoicing, or client portal.

Pricing: Free plan available. Team at $10/user/month. Business at $24.80/user/month. Enterprise pricing on request.

6. Notion — Best for Docs + Light Project Management

Notion is an all-in-one workspace that combines docs, wikis, databases, and lightweight project management. It suits teams that prioritize knowledge management and documentation alongside task tracking, rather than the execution-heavy approach Hive takes.

Key features:

• Flexible databases for task and project tracking
• Built-in wikis and documentation
• Templates for every workflow
• AI-powered writing and summaries included in paid plans
• Real-time collaboration

Limitations: Not purpose-built for project management — lacks Gantt charts, resource management, time tracking, and task dependencies. No CRM, invoicing, or client portal.

Pricing: Free plan available. Plus at $10/seat/month. Business at $20/seat/month.

7. Teamwork — Best for Client-Facing Agencies

Teamwork is built for agencies and client services teams with strong project management, time tracking, and billing features. Its client user access and profitability tracking per project fill a gap that Hive does not address.

Key features:

• Project templates and milestone tracking
• Profitability tracking per client and project
• Built-in time tracking and invoicing
• Client user access for project transparency
• Resource workload management

Limitations: No built-in CRM, proposals, or contracts. Interface feels dated compared to newer competitors.

Pricing: Free for up to 5 users. Deliver at $13.99/user/month. Grow at $25.99/user/month.

8. ProofHub — Best Flat-Rate Project Management

ProofHub offers project management and collaboration at a flat monthly rate with unlimited users. For growing teams that dislike Hive's per-user pricing and per-feature add-ons, ProofHub's pricing model provides cost predictability.

Key features:

• Task management with Kanban boards and Gantt charts
• Proofing and approval workflows for creative files
• Custom workflows and custom roles
• Time tracking and timesheets
• Discussions and group chat

Limitations: Dated interface. No CRM, invoicing, or client portal. Limited integrations compared to major PM tools.

Pricing: Essential at $45/month (flat rate, unlimited users). Ultimate Control at $89/month (flat rate, unlimited users).

9. Basecamp — Best for Simplicity

Basecamp takes a deliberate less-is-more approach. It is the opposite of Hive's feature-plus-add-on philosophy: fewer features, zero configuration, and a focus on communication and organization over project complexity.

Key features:

• Message boards and group chat per project
• To-do lists with assignments and deadlines
• File storage and document sharing
• Schedule and milestone tracking
• Automatic check-ins for async updates

Limitations: No Gantt charts, time tracking, or advanced task dependencies. No CRM, invoicing, or client portal.

Pricing: $15/user/month. Flat-rate Pro Unlimited plan at $299/month for unlimited users.

10. Smartsheet — Best for Spreadsheet Users

Smartsheet offers a familiar spreadsheet interface for project management, making it a natural fit for teams already comfortable with Excel or Google Sheets. Its grid-based approach differs from Hive's card and timeline focus.

Key features:

• Spreadsheet-style project tracking with formulas
• Gantt charts and card views
• Automated workflows and alerts
• Resource management dashboards
• Enterprise-grade security and governance

Limitations: No free plan. Interface can feel less modern than dedicated PM tools. No CRM, invoicing, or client portal.

Pricing: Pro at $9/user/month. Business at $19/user/month. Enterprise pricing on request.

11. Scoro — Best for Professional Services

Scoro is an enterprise work management platform that combines CRM, project management, time tracking, invoicing, and financial reporting in one tool. It targets larger agencies and professional services firms that need end-to-end business visibility — a scope Hive cannot cover.

Key features:

• Project and resource management with Gantt charts
• CRM with deal pipelines and quoting
• Time tracking and invoicing
• Profitability analysis and financial dashboards
• Advanced reporting and forecasting

Limitations: Requires a minimum of 5 seats. Starting at $20/user/month, the entry point is at least $100/month. Steep learning curve and overkill for small teams.

Pricing: Essential at $20/user/month (5-seat minimum). Standard at $42/user/month.

12. Zoho Projects — Best Budget Project Management

Zoho Projects offers solid project management at one of the lowest price points in the market. For teams that want the core PM features Hive provides — Gantt charts, automations, time tracking — without the add-on pricing model, Zoho Projects delivers at a fraction of the cost.

Key features:

• Gantt charts with task dependencies and critical path
• Automations with custom rules and triggers
• Built-in time tracking and timesheets
• Issue tracker for bug and request management
• Integration with the broader Zoho ecosystem

Limitations: Basic UI compared to modern competitors. Limited customization options. Best value when used alongside other Zoho products.

Pricing: Free for up to 3 users. Premium at $4/user/month. Enterprise at $9/user/month.

Quick Comparison: Hive Alternatives

Platform	Gantt	Time Tracking	CRM	Invoicing	AI Features	Starting Price
Agiled	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Free
ClickUp	Yes	Yes	Template	No	Add-on	Free
Monday.com	Yes	Yes	Add-on	No	Yes	Free
Asana	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Free
Wrike	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Free
Notion	No	No	No	No	Yes	Free
Teamwork	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Free
ProofHub	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	$45/month
Basecamp	No	No	No	No	No	$15/user
Smartsheet	Yes	No	No	No	No	$9/user
Scoro	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	~$20/user
Zoho Projects	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Free

The table highlights a consistent gap: most Hive alternatives handle project management well but leave CRM, invoicing, and client-facing workflows to separate tools. Agiled is the only option that covers all five columns — Gantt, time tracking, CRM, invoicing, and AI — in one platform at no per-feature add-on cost.

What Is the Best Hive Alternative in 2026?

Agiled is the best overall Hive alternative because it delivers everything Hive does for project management — Gantt charts, Kanban boards, time tracking, task dependencies, milestones — plus native CRM, invoicing, proposals and contracts, client portals, HR, and AI agents. Unlike Hive, none of these are gated behind $5/month add-ons. For teams tired of watching their Hive bill climb with every feature toggle, Agiled provides a broader feature set at a predictable, transparent price. Agencies and service businesses especially benefit from having projects, clients, and finances in one workspace instead of bolting separate CRM, invoicing, and contract tools onto a PM platform.

Get Started With Agiled

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Hive actually cost?

Hive's base pricing is Free (200MB storage, 10 members), Starter at $5/user/month (10 projects), and Teams at $12/user/month. However, features like proofing, timesheets, resourcing, advanced reporting, automations, and SSO are each $5/month add-ons. A team on the Teams plan that activates four add-ons is paying $32/user/month — nearly three times the advertised base price.

Which Hive alternative is best for agencies?

Agiled and Teamwork are the best options for agencies. Agiled offers the most complete package with CRM, invoicing, proposals, contracts, and client portals alongside project management — with no add-on fees. Teamwork excels at profitability tracking per client and offers built-in invoicing, though it lacks CRM and proposals.

Can I migrate from Hive to another tool?

Most alternatives support CSV import for tasks, projects, and team data. Hive allows exporting project and task data which can be imported into other platforms. Check each tool's migration documentation for specific field mapping instructions.

Does Hive include AI in the base price?

Hive's Buzz AI assistant is available on paid plans (Starter and above), but the free plan does not include AI features. By comparison, platforms like Agiled, Monday.com, and Notion include AI capabilities in their paid tiers without charging separate AI add-on fees.

Is Hive good for agencies that manage client work?

Hive handles internal project tracking well, but it has significant gaps for client-facing work. There is no client portal for external stakeholders, no CRM for tracking leads and deals, no invoicing for billing clients, and no proposal or contract management. Agencies typically need all of these alongside project management. Agiled and Teamwork are better fits for agencies because they include client-facing features alongside PM capabilities.

How does Hive compare to ClickUp on pricing?

At face value, Hive Teams ($12/user/month) and ClickUp Business ($12/user/month) look identical. The difference is that ClickUp includes docs, whiteboards, goals, time tracking, custom automations, and advanced dashboards in the base price, while Hive charges $5/month extra for each of automations, reporting, proofing, and timesheets. A team needing those features pays $27+/user/month on Hive vs $12/user/month on ClickUp — more than double the cost for a similar feature set.

For more useful information, browse the resources guide today!

Related Articles:

• Best ClickUp Alternatives
• Best Monday.com Alternatives
• Best Asana Alternatives
• Best ProofHub Alternatives
• Best Wrike Alternatives