Plane vs Hive
Plane is open-source project management tool for software teams. Self-hostable alternative to Jira and Linear, while Hive is project management with Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and integrated email within the platform. Plane is open source and can be self-hosted, giving you full control over your data. Plane is built for teams that want open-source, self-hosted project management, whereas Hive targets teams wanting project management with built-in email.
At a glance
|
Plane
|
Hive
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Teams that want open-source, self-hosted project management | Teams wanting project management with built-in email |
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | ✓ | — |
| Free tier available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | ✓ | — |
| Analytics | — | ✓ |
| Cycles | ✓ | — |
| Email Integration | — | ✓ |
| Forms | — | ✓ |
| Gantt Charts | — | ✓ |
| Modules | ✓ | — |
| Open Source | ✓ | — |
| Self-Hosted | ✓ | — |
| Views | ✓ | — |
Plane
Strengths
- Open source and self-hostable
- Clean, modern interface inspired by Linear
- Free for unlimited users (self-hosted)
- Active development and growing community
Weaknesses
- Less mature than established alternatives
- Fewer integrations
- Self-hosting requires infrastructure management
- Some features still in development
Hive
Strengths
- Gantt charts visualize project timelines with task dependencies at a glance
- Includes Email Integration as a core feature, purpose-built for project management workflows
- Free for up to 10 users — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
- Established product with 11+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem
Weaknesses
- Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
- Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
- Migrating existing projects from another tool can be time-consuming
- Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish
The bottom line
Pricing: Both Plane and Hive are free. You can try both without spending a dollar.
Feature gaps: Plane offers Cycles, Modules and Open Source that Hive lacks. Hive brings Analytics, Email Integration and Forms that Plane does not have.
Team fit: Plane is geared toward small teams teams, while Hive is aimed at mid-size teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.
Open source: Plane is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Hive is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.
Where each tool shines: Plane's biggest strengths are: open source and self-hostable. clean, modern interface inspired by linear. Hive's biggest strengths are: gantt charts visualize project timelines with task dependencies at a glance. includes email integration as a core feature, purpose-built for project management workflows.
Watch out for: With Plane, users commonly note that less mature than established alternatives. With Hive, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.
Choose Plane if...
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams that want open-source, self-hosted project management
- You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
- You specifically need Cycles and Modules
- You care about clean, modern interface inspired by linear
- Your team size fits the small teams profile Plane is designed for
Choose Hive if...
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams wanting project management with built-in email
- You specifically need Analytics and Email Integration
- You care about includes email integration as a core feature, purpose-built for project management workflows
- Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Hive is designed for
- The free tier works for you: free for up to 10 users
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