Hive vs Smartsheet Comparison
Compare Hive vs Smartsheet features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Hive
6.4/10
Project management platform with multiple project views, built-in chat and email, automations, time tracking and AI credits, aimed at small and mid-sized teams.
Smartsheet
6.8/10
Spreadsheet-based work management platform that teams and enterprises use to plan projects, automate workflows, and report on portfolios.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.4/10 | 6.8/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 6/10 | 4/10 |
| Customization | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Ease of Use | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 9/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 9/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $5/user/mo Starter | $12/user/mo Pro |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Free | $120/mo Pro |
| Features | ||
| Task management | ||
| Kanban boards | ||
| Gantt charts | ||
| Time tracking | Not listed | |
| Workflow Automation | ||
| Team messaging | Not listed | |
| Dashboards | ||
| App integrations | ||
| Client collaboration | ||
| Collaboration tools | ||
| Reporting | ||
| Scheduling | ||
| Spreadsheet interface | ||
| Task lists | Not listed | |
| Timeline view | ||
| File sharing | Not listed | |
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Hive
- Has a free plan (Smartsheet does not)
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: Free vs $120/mo
- Higher Cost score (6/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for startups (7/10 vs 4/10)
Why choose Smartsheet
- Higher Scalability score (9/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Security score (9/10 vs 7/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (9/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for mid-market (8/10 vs 6/10)
Pros & Cons
Hive
Pros
- Chat, email inside the app, notes and tasks sit in one workspace, so small teams need fewer separate tools.
- The free plan allows up to 10 members, and Starter costs only 5 USD per user per month.
- Kanban, Gantt, table and calendar views let each team member plan the same project their own way; reviewers often praise the Gantt view.
- The vendor lists SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR and CCPA compliance.
Cons
- Proofing, timesheets, resourcing, advanced dashboards and SSO are each separate per-user add-ons, which inflates the real cost.
- Starter caps workspaces at 10 members and 10 projects, and the free plan has only 200MB of storage.
- Reviewers report delayed notifications and problems with the mobile app.
- Some users find the interface hard to navigate at first.
Smartsheet
Pros
- The spreadsheet grid feels familiar to Excel users and supports strong formulas across sheets.
- One sheet can be viewed as a grid, Gantt chart, board or calendar.
- Its compliance record is strong, including SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, FedRAMP and HIPAA support under a BAA on Enterprise.
- Dashboards can be shared with stakeholders who cannot open the underlying sheets.
- Bi-directional Jira and Salesforce connectors plus a well-documented API suit larger IT estates.
Cons
- There is no free plan, and reviewers on Capterra repeatedly call pricing high and restrictive for small teams.
- The 2024 to 2025 move to paid Member licensing ended free collaborators and raised costs for many existing customers.
- Advanced automations are complex to set up, according to reviewers.
- Key capabilities such as Dynamic View, Data Shuttle and Resource Management are sold as extra-cost add-ons or held for top tiers.
- Some users report slow dashboards and performance problems on large sheets.
- Pro allows 250 automations per month and caps teams at 10 Members.
