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Project Management · head to head

Hive vs Penpot

Hive logo

Hive

Project Management

Project management built for speed

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit HiveFull review
Penpot logo

Penpot

Developer Tools

Open source design and prototyping platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit PenpotFull review

The short version

  • Hive is a productivity platform.
  • Free plans on both; paid from $5/mo and $7/mo.
  • Only Hive lists gantt view; only Penpot lists vector editing.
  • Where Hive falls short: the free plan is capped at 200 MB of storage.
  • Where Penpot falls short: smaller user base and community compared to Figma means fewer templates and resources.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hive and Penpot actually diverge.

Attributes where Hive and Penpot differ
AttributeHivePenpot
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOSWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux
CategoryProject ManagementDeveloper Tools
Founded20152021

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Penpot.

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 Hive

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

Only in Penpot

  • Vector editing
  • Interactive prototyping
  • Design systems
  • Components & libraries
  • Real-time collaboration
  • SVG support
  • CSS Grid & Flexbox
  • Code export

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Hive

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

Penpot

  • UI/UX designnot Hive
  • Prototypingnot Hive
  • Design systemsnot Hive
  • Developer handoffnot Hive
  • Open source projectsnot Hive

Where each one falls short

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

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

Penpot

  • Smaller user base and community compared to Figma means fewer templates and resources
  • Self-hosting requires Linux server and Docker knowledge for technical setup
  • Real-time collaboration features may have performance issues with very large design files

Pricing, plan by plan

Hive

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1,000 AI credits per month
    • 200MB storage
    • Up to 10 workspace members
  • Starter$5/mo
    • 3,000 AI credits per month
    • Unlimited storage
    • Up to 10 projects
  • Teams$12/mo
    • 5,000 AI credits per month
    • Unlimited workspace members
    • Custom fields

Penpot

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Cloud-based design
    • Real-time collaboration
    • Components and variants
  • Unlimited$7/mo
    • All free features
    • Priority support
    • Advanced cloud features
  • Enterprise$950/mo
    • Custom enterprise features
    • Dedicated support
    • Advanced security

Which should you pick?

Choose Hive if

  • You need tasks.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want gantt view.
Hive review

Choose Penpot if

  • You need vector editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want interactive prototyping.
Penpot review

Questions people ask

Is Hive or Penpot better?
Neither clearly leads. Hive starts at Free and Penpot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hive or Penpot?
Hive starts at Free and Penpot at Free.
Does Hive or Penpot run on more platforms?
Hive runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS. Penpot runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Hive for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Hive best used for?
Hive is most often used for project and task management with multiple project views, coordinating work, proofing and resourcing for teams. Of those, project and task management with multiple project views and coordinating work, proofing and resourcing for teams are not what Penpot is typically brought in for.
What can Hive do that Penpot cannot?
Hive covers Tasks, Gantt view, Kanban, Time tracking. Penpot covers Vector editing, Interactive prototyping, Design systems, Components & libraries. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hive: Is Hive free?

Hive offers a free plan with 1,000 AI credits per month, 200MB storage, and support for up to 10 workspace members. Paid plans start at $5 per user per month.

Source
Penpot: Is Penpot really free?

Yes. Penpot is completely free with no feature gates. The open-source version can be self-hosted on your own infrastructure for zero cost beyond server expenses.

Source
Hive: Does Hive offer annual billing discounts?

Hive offers 33% savings when choosing annual billing instead of monthly. Annual commitment discounts are available across all plan tiers.

Source
Penpot: Can I self-host Penpot?

Yes. Penpot can be self-hosted on your own infrastructure with no licensing costs. Organizations with specific privacy or governance needs can run Penpot on their own servers.

Source
Hive: What are Hive's add-on pricing options?

Optional add-ons are available at $5 per month each, including CRM, Finance, Proofing & Approvals, Timesheets, and Team Resourcing features.

Source
Penpot: What are the paid plans if I use Penpot cloud?

Penpot's cloud service offers a free tier, Unlimited plan at $7 per user per month for professionals and medium teams, and Enterprise starting at $950 per month for larger organizations.

Source
Penpot: What platforms does Penpot support?

Penpot runs in the browser, so it works on Windows, Mac, Linux, and any OS with a web browser. No platform-specific downloads required.

Source
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