Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Freshworks Customer Service Suite vs Hive

Freshworks Customer Service Suite logo

Freshworks Customer Service Suite

Customer Support

Unified customer service powered by AI

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 Freshworks Customer Service Suite has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Freshworks Customer Service Suite separate products for support, chat, and CRM create context fragmentation between teams; Hive the free plan is capped at 200 MB of storage
  • They diverge on capability: Freshworks Customer Service Suite covers Unified inbox, Hive covers Tasks.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshworks Customer Service Suite and Hive actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshworks Customer Service Suite and Hive differ
AttributeFreshworks Customer Service SuiteHive
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS, Android)Web, Ios, Android, Desktop
CategoryCustomer SupportProject Management
Founded20102015

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 Freshworks Customer Service Suite

  • Unified inbox
  • AI-powered chatbot
  • Ticketing system
  • Self-service portal
  • Analytics
  • Automation
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Salesforce

Only in Hive

  • Tasks
  • Gantt view
  • Kanban
  • Time tracking
  • Forms
  • Zoom
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Freshworks Customer Service Suite

  • Customer supportnot Hive
  • Help desknot Hive
  • Self-servicenot Hive

Hive

  • Project and task management with multiple project viewsnot Freshworks Customer Service Suite
  • Coordinating work, proofing and resourcing for teamsnot Freshworks Customer Service Suite

Where each one falls short

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

Freshworks Customer Service Suite

  • Separate products for support, chat, and CRM create context fragmentation between teams
  • Add-ons and renewal uplifts typically increase real costs 30-50% above published pricing
  • Customization beyond default configurations requires significant training and consulting fees

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

Freshworks Customer Service Suite

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Freshworks Customer Service Suite review.

Hive

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshworks Customer Service Suite if

  • You need unified inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android).
  • You also want ai-powered chatbot.
Freshworks Customer Service Suite 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 Freshworks Customer Service Suite or Hive better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshworks Customer Service Suite 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, Freshworks Customer Service Suite or Hive?
Freshworks Customer Service Suite has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Freshworks Customer Service Suite and On request for Hive.
Does Freshworks Customer Service Suite or Hive run on more platforms?
Freshworks Customer Service Suite runs on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android). Hive runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
Can I use Freshworks Customer Service Suite for free?
Yes. Freshworks Customer Service Suite has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Hive starts at On request.
What is Freshworks Customer Service Suite best used for?
Freshworks Customer Service Suite is most often used for customer support, help desk, self-service. Of those, customer support and help desk are not what Hive is typically brought in for.
What can Freshworks Customer Service Suite do that Hive cannot?
Freshworks Customer Service Suite covers Unified inbox, AI-powered chatbot, Ticketing system, Self-service portal. Hive covers Tasks, Gantt view, Kanban, Time tracking. Both handle Slack, Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Freshworks Customer Service Suite: What products are included in Freshworks Customer Service Suite?

The suite includes Freshdesk for support ticketing, Freshchat for live chat and messaging, and Freshsales for CRM. Pricing varies per product based on features and user count.

Source
Freshworks Customer Service Suite: Does Freshworks offer a free tier?

Yes. Freshdesk offers a free plan for 1-2 agents for 6 months. Paid plans start at $19/agent/month for Growth tier.

Source
Freshworks Customer Service Suite: Does Freshworks integrate with Slack?

Yes. Freshworks offers official Slack integration via the Freshdesk and Freshservice Slack apps, enabling ticket creation, notifications, and agent messaging directly in Slack.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Freshworks Customer Service Suite

More on Hive

Keep looking

Other head to heads