Hive vs Smartsheet
An honest, feature-by-feature look at Hive and Smartsheet for creative teams, where each is stronger, what they cost, and what neither includes.
IncludedIncludedIncludedIncludedIncludedIncludedIncludedIncludedIncludedIncludedIncludedIncludedIncludedIncludedIncludedIncludedIncluded14-day free trial, then $29/member/moStatuses researched against each tool's official docs and pricing pages. “Limited” means the capability exists with meaningful restrictions.
Where Hive and Smartsheet differ
Of the 8 capabilities creative teams typically stitch together, Hive fully includes 4 and Smartsheet fully includes 5.
Video & Image Review
Smartsheet includes video & image review; Hive covers it partially.
Built-in Chat
Hive includes built-in chat; Smartsheet doesn't include it.
Free Guest Access
Smartsheet includes free guest access; Hive covers it partially.
What neither includes
Whichever you pick, you'll still be stitching tools around it for the rest of the workflow. kloudboard includes all of the below in the same workspace:
- Freelancer Payments
- AI Assistant (kloudie)
Frequently asked questions
Is Hive or Smartsheet better for creative teams?
Smartsheet covers more of the workflow out of the box (5 of the 8 capabilities we track fully included, vs 4), but the right pick depends on which capabilities your team actually uses. The comparison table above shows exactly where they differ.
How much do Hive and Smartsheet cost?
Hive's Free plan is $0 forever (up to 10 members, just 200MB storage, 10 projects), then Starter is $5/user/mo billed annually ($7 monthly, capped at 10 members) and the popular Teams plan is $12/user/mo annually ($18 monthly) - but proofing, timesheets, analytics, automations, and external-user access each cost roughly +$5/user/mo, and Buzz AI is a +$12/user/mo add-on on top of that. Smartsheet retired its free plan in 2025 - it now offers only a 30-day trial, with paid plans starting at Pro $9/user/mo ($108/yr, capped at 1-10 users, 250 automations/mo, 20GB storage, 30MB attachment limit) and Business at $19/user/mo ($228/yr, 3-user minimum, 1TB); AI tools are gated to the custom-priced Enterprise plan (10+ seats).
What do both Hive and Smartsheet lack?
Neither fully includes freelancer payments and ai assistant (kloudie). kloudboard includes all of these in one workspace, with a 14-day free trial that unlocks everything.
Is there one tool that replaces both Hive and Smartsheet?
kloudboard combines kanban boards, frame-accurate video and image review, built-in real-time chat, freelancer payments, file storage, calendar, and the included kloudie AI assistant in one workspace. Every new workspace starts with a 14-day free trial with everything unlocked, then Pro is $29/member/mo, or $20/member/mo billed annually.
Skip the trade-off
Instead of choosing between Hive and Smartsheet, get boards, review, chat, and payments in one workspace. Try everything free for 14 days; client guests never take a paid seat.
Start your 14-day free trial