Microsoft Project vs Hive pricing: which is cheaper for your team?
Hive's cheapest paid tier (Starter) lists at $5/user/month, which beats the other on entry pricing. Mid-tier and enterprise math can flip the answer — use the per-tier table below to see the real cost for your team size at each tier.
Calculate the cost for your team
Microsoft Project pricing tiers
| Tier | Monthly | Annual (eq) | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planner Plan 1 | $10 | $10 | user/month | Backlogs, sprints, Gantt views. |
| Planner and Project Plan 3 | $30 | $30 | user/month | Adds roadmaps, baselines, costing. |
| Project Standard 2024 (one-time) | $679.99 | $679.99 | perpetual | On-premises one-time purchase. |
| Project Professional 2024 (one-time) | $1129.99 | $1129.99 | perpetual | On-premises one-time purchase. |
Hive pricing tiers
| Tier | Monthly | Annual (eq) | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | user/month | Solo or small teams. |
| Starter | $5 | $5 | user/month | Billed annually. |
| Teams | $12 | $12 | user/month | Resource planning and integrations. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | user/month | Custom; advanced controls. |
Feature by feature
The non-pricing differences that drive the real decision.
| Capability | Microsoft Project | Hive |
|---|---|---|
| Billing model | user/month | user/month |
| Pricing model | Per-user with one-time purchase options | Per-user work-management with add-ons |
| Cheapest paid tier | Planner Plan 1 at $10/user/month | Starter at $5/user/month |
| Mid-tier benchmark | Project Standard 2024 (one-time) at $679.99/perpetual | Teams at $12/user/month |
| Total paid tiers published | 4 | 2 |
| Last verified | 2026-05-17 | 2026-05-17 |
Best for…
Hand-picked use cases mapped to the winner.
| Use case | Winner |
|---|---|
| Lowest entry price (10-person team) | Hive Starter |
| Most pricing tiers (room to grow) | Microsoft Project (4 tiers) |
| Predictable per-seat billing | Either (both per-seat) |
| Most recently verified pricing | Microsoft Project |
Choose Microsoft Project when
- Microsoft's enterprise PM tool with Gantt, financials, and roadmaps.
- Entry tier (Planner Plan 1) at $10/user/month is your budget ceiling.
- Project Server is enterprise-only and quoted by Microsoft for portfolio management.
Choose Hive when
- Project tool with chat, time tracking, and AI.
- Entry tier (Starter) at $5/user/month is your budget ceiling.
- Enterprise tier is quoted by sales and unlocks SSO, SCIM, and security controls.
Switching considerations
Watch the hidden fees on both sides. Microsoft Project: Project Online retires on 30 September 2026; migrations may be required. Hive: Most add-ons cost $5/user/month each. Always confirm with the vendor before purchase.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper for a 10-person team, Microsoft Project or Hive?
At entry tier and 10 seats on annual billing: Microsoft Project Planner Plan 1 comes to $100/mo; Hive Starter comes to $50/mo. Hive is the cheaper entry-tier choice at this team size.
Does Microsoft Project have more pricing tiers than Hive?
Microsoft Project publishes more paid tiers (4 vs 2). More tiers usually means more granular ways to grow without re-platforming.
Which pricing was verified more recently?
Microsoft Project's pricing was last verified 2026-05-17; Hive's on 2026-05-17. Both pages link to the vendor's official pricing source so you can re-check before committing.