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Professional Services · head to head

FreshBooks vs Hive

FreshBooks logo

FreshBooks

Professional Services

Accounting software that makes you look good

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Hive logo

Hive

Project Management

Project management built for speed

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only FreshBooks has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: FreshBooks lite tier limited to 5 clients maximum; Hive the free plan is capped at 200 MB of storage
  • They diverge on capability: FreshBooks covers Invoicing, Hive covers Tasks.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FreshBooks and Hive actually diverge.

Attributes where FreshBooks and Hive differ
AttributeFreshBooksHive
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
CategoryProfessional ServicesProject Management
Founded20032015

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in FreshBooks

  • Invoicing
  • Expense tracking
  • Project management
  • Payments
  • Financial reporting
  • Proposals
  • Mileage tracking
  • Stripe

Only in Hive

  • Tasks
  • Gantt view
  • Kanban
  • Forms
  • Zoom
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox
  • SOC 2

Both cover

  • Time tracking
  • Slack

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

FreshBooks

  • Invoicing and payment processingnot Hive
  • Time tracking and expense managementnot Hive
  • Multi-client project accountingnot Hive

Hive

  • Project and task management with multiple project viewsnot FreshBooks
  • Coordinating work, proofing and resourcing for teamsnot FreshBooks

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

FreshBooks

  • Lite tier limited to 5 clients maximum
  • E-signatures, proposals, and client retainers unavailable on Lite and Plus tiers
  • Advanced payment processing fee of £20/month on Plus tier (extra cost)
  • Email customization and project profitability tracking restricted to Premium tier and above
  • Offline mode not available; web-based only

Hive

  • The free plan is capped at 200 MB of storage
  • The Starter plan at $5 per user per month is limited to 10 projects
  • Eight capabilities are sold as $5 per user add ons on the Teams plan, including CRM, timesheets, proofing, resourcing, advanced dashboards, external users and SSO
  • Buying SSO plus a few of those add ons therefore costs more than the $12 base seat itself
  • AI credits are metered monthly at 1,000, 3,000 and 5,000 by plan

Pricing, plan by plan

FreshBooks

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the FreshBooks review.

Hive

On request
  • FreeFree
    • Basic features
    • 10 users
  • Teams$12/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Time tracking
    • Automations

Which should you pick?

Choose FreshBooks if

  • You need invoicing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want expense tracking.
FreshBooks review

Choose Hive if

  • You need tasks.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want gantt view.
Hive review

Questions people ask

Is FreshBooks or Hive better?
Neither clearly leads. FreshBooks starts at Free and Hive at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FreshBooks or Hive?
FreshBooks has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for FreshBooks and On request for Hive.
Does FreshBooks or Hive run on more platforms?
FreshBooks runs on Web, iOS, Android. Hive runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
Can I use FreshBooks for free?
Yes. FreshBooks has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Hive starts at On request.
What is FreshBooks best used for?
FreshBooks is most often used for invoicing and payment processing, time tracking and expense management, multi-client project accounting. Of those, invoicing and payment processing and time tracking and expense management are not what Hive is typically brought in for.
What can FreshBooks do that Hive cannot?
FreshBooks covers Invoicing, Expense tracking, Project management, Payments. Hive covers Tasks, Gantt view, Kanban, Forms. Both handle Time tracking, Slack.
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