Hive vs Plutio
Features, use cases, pros and cons, and pricing side by side — and which one to pick.
Best for: Marketing teams that plan campaigns, coordinate content, and need approval workflows in one place., Agencies and studios that manage multiple client projects and bill by the hour.
Read the full Hive reviewBest for: Freelance designers, writers, and developers who want project tracking, contracts, and invoicing in one account instead of three or four subscriptions, Small agencies and studios of roughly two to ten people managing several client projects that need portals, approvals, and shared visibility
Read the full Plutio reviewCommission may apply at no extra cost
Hive vs Plutio: features compared
Compare key features side by side
Feature Comparison Summary
Which should you choose?
Choose Hive if
- You expect team spend to grow beyond mid-tier limits.
Choose Plutio if
- You prefer yearly billing or a one-time payment.
Hive vs Plutio: pros and cons
Hive bundles project views, native time tracking, proofing, and chat into one workspace, which can replace several separate subscriptions for agencies and creative teams. Setup takes real effort, though, and the most valuable features sit behind paid tiers with pricing that isn't fully published. Overall, it's a solid pick for teams that bill time or manage client approvals.
Pros
- Kanban, Gantt, calendar, and table views are available for the same project, so team members can work in the layout that suits them.
- Time tracking, proofing, chat, and email come built in, potentially replacing several standalone subscriptions.
- A free plan and free trial let teams evaluate the platform with a small group before paying.
Cons
- The most useful capabilities — advanced automations, deeper analytics, and full proofing — sit behind paid tiers, so the free plan works best as an evaluation tier.
- The breadth of features creates a real learning curve; teams must invest in setup and conventions to avoid a cluttered workspace.
- Notification volume can become noisy on busy projects without deliberate configuration.
Plutio bundles project boards, branded client portals, e-signed contracts, forms, and invoicing into one workspace for freelancers and small teams, though its modules trade depth for convenience and setup takes real effort. Overall, it's a smart bet if one platform for client work beats juggling several specialist subscriptions.
Pros
- Consolidates project management, client portals, proposals, contracts, invoicing, and forms into one platform, which can replace several separate subscriptions and cut both cost and app-switching
- Proposals and contracts with built-in e-signatures let you go from pitch to signed agreement to active project without leaving the tool
- Branded client portals and white-label options make the client experience look like your own product rather than a third-party tool
Cons
- Breadth comes at the cost of depth — individual modules like reporting and analytics are simpler than dedicated specialist tools offer, which may matter as your team grows
- Setting up portals, templates, branding, and workflows takes real upfront configuration, so expect a learning curve before the consolidation pays off
- If your clients prefer plain email, some of the client-portal benefit is lost and communication may end up split between the portal and your inbox
Hive and Plutio in detail
Hive
Hive is a cloud-based project management and productivity platform. Teams plan work in flexible layouts — Kanban boards, Gantt charts, calendars, and table views — and manage tasks, files, conversations, and approvals from a single workspace. It runs in the browser and offers desktop and mobile apps for working across devices.
Standout features
- Flexible Project Views
- Built-In Time Tracking
- Proofing and Approvals
- Automations
- Dashboards and Reporting
Use cases
- Marketing Campaign Management
- Agency and Client Project Delivery
- Creative Production and Design Reviews
- Cross-Functional Project Coordination
Plutio
Plutio is a web-based workspace that combines project and task management with client-facing business tools. On the delivery side you get kanban boards, task lists, timelines, templates, and time tracking. On the business side it covers client portals, proposals and contracts with e-signatures, forms and surveys, invoicing with online payments, and file sharing with feedback tools. Branding controls and a custom domain let you present the workspace under your own label, and it is accessible through web and mobile apps.
Standout features
- Project and task management
- Client portals
- Proposals and contracts with e-signatures
- Invoicing and payments
- Forms and intake
Use cases
- Freelancers running the full client lifecycle
- Small agencies managing multiple client projects
- Consultants and coaches onboarding new clients
- Replacing a patchwork of subscriptions
Pricing compared
List prices from each vendor's pricing page, before taxes and add-ons. Costs are per month.
| Pricing compared | Hive | Plutio |
|---|---|---|
| From (cheapest paid plan) | $5/mo Starter · per user | $10.99/mo Asana pricing plans · per user |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| Money-back guarantee | Not stated | Not stated |
| Annual billing savings | — | — |
| Pricing model | Per user | Per-user and flat plans |
| Cost for 1 user | $5/moCheaper Starter plan, billed monthly | $10.99/mo Asana pricing plans plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 5 users | $25/moCheaper Starter plan, billed monthly | $54.95/mo Asana pricing plans plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 10 users | $50/moCheaper Starter plan, billed monthly | $109.90/mo Asana pricing plans plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 25 users | $125/moCheaper Starter plan, billed monthly | $274.75/mo Asana pricing plans plan, billed monthly |
| Plans | 2 | 16 |
| Prices checked | Checked Oct 13, 2026 | Checked Oct 13, 2026 |
| Price history | Tracking prices since Oct 1, 2026. No price change detected yet. | Tracking prices since Oct 1, 2026. No price change detected yet. |
- Cheapest plan that fits each team size. Per-user plans are multiplied by the number of users (respecting stated minimums and seat packs). Plans that include some users cost their base price plus the extra-user price for each user beyond those included. Flat-priced plans with no stated user limit are counted as one licence per user.
Cheaper for your team size
For 5 users (billed monthly), Hive costs $25/mo vs Plutio at $54.95/mo.
- Hive is cheaper at every team size we checked (1 to 25 users).
- For 1 user (billed monthly), Hive costs $5/mo vs Plutio at $10.99/mo.
- For 10 users (billed monthly), Hive costs $50/mo vs Plutio at $109.90/mo.
- For 25 users (billed monthly), Hive costs $125/mo vs Plutio at $274.75/mo.
Computed from published list prices on the dates shown. Excludes taxes, add-ons and promotions.