Softwr

Project Management · head to head

Hive vs Xero

Hive logo

Hive

Project Management

Project management built for speed

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Xero logo

Xero

All industries

Beautiful accounting software

From
$13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Hive the free plan is capped at 200 MB of storage; Xero the Early plan caps you at 20 invoices and 5 bills per month, and the invoice limit counts both approving and sending
  • They diverge on capability: Hive covers Tasks, Xero covers Bank reconciliation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hive and Xero actually diverge.

Attributes where Hive and Xero differ
AttributeHiveXero
Starting priceOn request$13/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, DesktopWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryProject ManagementAll industries
Founded20152006

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Hive

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

Only in Xero

  • Bank reconciliation
  • Invoicing
  • Bill payment
  • Expense claims
  • Financial reporting
  • Inventory tracking
  • Project tracking
  • Mobile apps

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 Xero
  • Coordinating work, proofing and resourcing for teamsnot Xero

Xero

  • Small business bookkeeping, invoicing and bank reconciliationnot Hive
  • Bill payment and purchase order managementnot Hive
  • Sharing books with an accountant or bookkeepernot 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

Xero

  • The Early plan caps you at 20 invoices and 5 bills per month, and the invoice limit counts both approving and sending
  • Invoices created by connected app partners count against the Early plan invoice limit
  • Multiple currencies, project time and cost tracking, employee expense and mileage claims and industry benchmarking are restricted to the top Established plan at $90 per month
  • Cash flow forecasting is capped at 30 days on Early and 60 days on Growing, with 180 days only on Established
  • Payroll is not included in any plan and costs an extra $36 a month plus $6 per employee or contractor through Gusto
  • Inventory Plus is a paid optional add-on rather than part of any plan
  • The advertised 90% off applies only to the first 6 months, after which the regular $25, $55 or $90 monthly price auto-renews
  • The introductory discount excludes add-ons, usage charges and payment fees
  • Payment fees apply to online invoice payments and to bill payments other than standard domestic ACH, and are billed on top of the subscription
  • Subscriptions are billed monthly with no annual payment option, and after upgrading you must wait one month before downgrading to a cheaper plan
  • Xero states subscription prices are increasing from October 1, 2026

Pricing, plan by plan

Hive

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

Xero

$13/month
  • Early$13/month
    • Send 20 invoices
    • Enter 5 bills
    • Reconcile bank transactions
  • Growing$37/month
    • Unlimited invoices & bills
    • Bulk reconcile transactions
    • Short-term cash flow
  • Established$70/month
    • Everything in Growing
    • Use multiple currencies
    • Track projects

Which should you pick?

Choose Hive if

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

Choose Xero if

  • You need bank reconciliation.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want invoicing.
Xero review

Questions people ask

Is Hive or Xero better?
Neither clearly leads. Hive starts at On request and Xero at $13/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hive or Xero?
Hive starts at On request and Xero at $13/month.
Does Hive or Xero run on more platforms?
Hive runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop. Xero runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
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 Xero is typically brought in for.
What can Hive do that Xero cannot?
Hive covers Tasks, Gantt view, Kanban, Time tracking. Xero covers Bank reconciliation, Invoicing, Bill payment, Expense claims.
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