Hive vs monday.com: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Hive and monday.com comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.
Bottom line: monday.com is our overall pick for project management workflows. Pick Hive if you need a free tier to start with.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:
Hive
The #1 Project Management Software For Teams.
Best for you if:
- • All-in-one project management with flexible views and collaboration tools.
- • Includes time tracking, automation, and over 1,000 integrations.
monday.com
Organize work, automate tasks, and connect tools for team clarity
Best for you if:
- • Work management platform
- • Customizable boards
| At a Glance |  Hive |  monday.com |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | FreeFree tier available | FreeFree tier available |
Best For | Project Management | Project Management |
Rating | 4.4/5 | 4.7/5 |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose Hive or monday.com?
Choose Hive if
The #1 Project Management Software For Teams.
- Project management
- Multiple views
- Good integrations
Choose monday.com if
Organize work, automate tasks, and connect tools for team clarity
- Highly visual
- Very customizable
- Good automations
| Feature | Hive | monday.com |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| User Rating | ★4.4/5 383 reviews | ★4.7/5 16,800 reviews |
| Categories | Project ManagementTask Management | Project ManagementProductivity |
In-Depth Analysis
Hive
The #1 Project Management Software For Teams.
Hive's pricing is fair, offering a generous Free tier for up to 10 users.
Watch out
Teams plan billed annually only
Strengths
- +Project management
- +Multiple views
- +Good integrations
- +Team collaboration
- +Fair pricing
Weaknesses
- -Learning curve
- -Can be overwhelming
- -Mobile app basic
- -Support varies
- -Feature bloat
Key features
monday.com
Organize work, automate tasks, and connect tools for team clarity
monday.com sits in the sweet spot between Trello's simplicity and Asana's structure, with pricing to match.
Watch out
3-seat minimum on all paid plans: you cannot buy 1 or 2 seats. A solo user on Basic pays $27/mo ($9 × 3), not $9/mo
Strengths
- +Highly visual
- +Very customizable
- +Good automations
- +Multiple view options
Weaknesses
- -Can be expensive
- -Minimum 3 seats
- -Learning curve
Key features
Pricing: Hive vs monday.com
| Plan | Hive | monday.com |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Free Free | N/A |
| Tier 2 | $12 /user/month Teams | N/A |
| Tier 3 | custom Enterprise | N/A |
Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on Hive pricing and monday.com pricing.
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
Both are freemium. Compare plans on their websites.
Go with: Hive
Want the highest-rated option?
Hive: 4.4/5 (383 reviews). monday.com: 4.7/5 (16,800 reviews).
Go with: monday.com
Value user reviews?
Hive: 383 reviews (4.4/5). monday.com: 16,800 reviews (4.7/5).
Go with: monday.com
3 Questions to Help You Decide
What's your budget?
Both are freemium. Pricing won't help you decide here.
What's your use case?
Both are project management tools. Compare their specific features to decide.
How important are ratings?
monday.com is rated higher: 4.7/5 vs 4.4/5.
Key Takeaways
monday.com
- Higher user rating: 4.7/5 vs 4.4/5
- Larger review base (16,800 reviews)
- Free tier available
- Our pick for this comparison
Hive
- Choose if you want the #1 Project Management Software For Teams
The Bottom Line
monday.com is our pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hive or monday.com better?
monday.com is rated in our evaluation. Both are freemium.
What are Hive and monday.com used for?
Hive: The #1 Project Management Software For Teams.. monday.com: Organize work, automate tasks, and connect tools for team clarity.
What does Hive cost vs monday.com?
Hive is freemium (free tier + paid plans). monday.com is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Visit their websites for detailed pricing.