Hive vs Smartsheet: Complete Comparison (2026)
In comparing Hive and Smartsheet in 2026, Smartsheet is the stronger choice for operations teams comfortable with spreadsheet-style tools due to familiar spreadsheet feel. Hive excels for teams wanting project management with built-in resourcing and time tracking with all-in-one project management. Hive offers Task management, Time tracking, Resourcing starting at $12/user/mo with a free plan. Smartsheet provides Grid, Gantt & card views, Automation workflows, Dashboards from $9/user/mo. For teams prioritizing value, Smartsheet delivers a hiltonsoftware Score of 71/100. Hive and Smartsheet compete in the project management segment of the SaaS market, where cloud-native solutions, API integrations, and workflow automation drive enterprise and SMB adoption. Other leading project management tools include Asana, Monday.com, Jira. Hive serves 10K+ orgs users globally (founded 2015) while Smartsheet reports 90K+ orgs active users (founded 2005).
Hive vs Smartsheet at a Glance
What are the main differences between Hive and Smartsheet?
Hive and Smartsheet differ across ease of use, features, value, support, integrations, scalability, and learning curve. Smartsheet leads in 3 of 7 categories.
What are the pros and cons of Hive vs Smartsheet?
Which is better, Hive or Smartsheet?
After evaluating Hive and Smartsheet across features, pricing, integrations, and user satisfaction, Smartsheet earns a higher hiltonsoftware Score of 71/100 versus Hive at 69/100. Smartsheet stands out for "familiar spreadsheet feel" and "powerful automation". Hive delivers competitive advantages in "all-in-one project management", making Hive a viable alternative.
On pricing, Hive offers a free plan for SMBs and startups. Smartsheet starts at $9/user/mo with no free tier, but justifies the cost with grid, gantt & card views and automation workflows and enterprise-grade scalability.
Bottom line: Choose Hive for teams wanting project management with built-in resourcing and time tracking. Choose Smartsheet for operations teams comfortable with spreadsheet-style tools. Both Hive and Smartsheet are established project management platforms.
Teams wanting project management with built-in resourcing and time tracking.
Operations teams comfortable with spreadsheet-style tools.
Hive vs Smartsheet: Frequently Asked Questions
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Reviewed by Alex Chen, SaaS & Productivity Analyst. Last updated: 2026-04-24. Pricing verified: March 2026.
Read our scoring methodology to understand how the hiltonsoftware Score is calculated.