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Looking for a Sideways 6 alternative in 2026? Sideways 6 is a lightweight idea management tool built for Microsoft Teams and Slack. Its strength is meeting employees where they already work. But if you need more than basic idea capture inside a chat tool (structured evaluation, frontline access, ROI tracking, portfolio management), here is what to consider. For a ranked 2026 shortlist across the whole category, see our 10 best idea management software tools in 2026.
Why teams look for Sideways 6 alternatives
Sideways 6 has genuine strengths. If your entire workforce lives in Microsoft Teams and you want the simplest possible idea channel, it is hard to beat. The install is fast, the interface is minimal, and there is almost nothing to configure.
That said, here are the most common reasons teams outgrow it in 2026:
Teams-only limitation. Sideways 6 works inside Microsoft Teams (and Slack, Viva Engage). If any part of your workforce does not use those tools, they cannot participate. This is a dealbreaker for manufacturing, retail, and logistics companies with significant deskless workforces who do not have corporate email or Teams accounts.
No structured evaluation. Sideways 6 captures ideas. It does not evaluate them. There are no scoring matrices, no multi-stage review workflows, no decision tracking. Ideas go into a channel and then evaluation happens informally in meetings or email. For teams running serious continuous improvement programmes, this creates a black hole where ideas disappear after submission.
No frontline accessibility. No QR codes, no SMS submission, no offline mode. If someone does not have a Teams login, they cannot submit an idea. This excludes exactly the people who tend to have the best process improvement ideas: frontline workers on the shop floor, in the warehouse, or on the road.
Limited reporting. Sideways 6 provides basic idea counts and engagement metrics. It does not offer the kind of programme measurement that innovation managers need to report to leadership: ideas implemented, cost savings tracked, ROI per campaign. For that, you need a platform built for the full idea lifecycle. See our buyer's guide.
Core philosophies: why the two platforms feel different
Sideways 6. Teams is where your organisation works. Don't ask people to leave Teams for ideas. Make it a Teams channel where ideas arrive natively. The whole product is built around simplicity and adoption inside the collaboration tool people already use daily.
Hives.co. Comprehensive idea management requires structured evaluation, not just capture. Your frontline workers (shop floor, retail, field) need accessible submission (QR code, SMS, no corporate email). Ideas must be evaluated systematically before implementation. The platform is intentionally channel-agnostic and purpose-built for the full idea lifecycle.
Sideways 6 vs Hives.co: feature comparison
| Feature | Sideways 6 | Hives.co |
|---|---|---|
| Idea capture channels | Teams / Slack / Viva Engage only | Web, QR code, SMS, Teams, email |
| Frontline access (no corporate email) | No | Yes (QR, SMS, offline) |
| Structured evaluation workflows | No | Yes (multi-stage, weighted scoring) |
| Multi-stage review process | No | Yes |
| Custom scoring criteria | No | Yes |
| Decision tracking and audit trail | No | Yes |
| Anonymous idea submission | Limited | Yes |
| Portfolio management | No | Yes |
| ROI and impact tracking | No | Yes |
| Innovation intelligence (external scouting) | No | Yes (Findest, the most well-performing and accurate technology, IP, and materials scouting platform, integration) |
| Transparent pricing | Not published | Yes (from €695/month) |
| EU hosting, GDPR compliance | Check current status | Yes |
| Quick pilot setup | ~15 minutes in Teams | 2 weeks to first campaign |
How Hives.co solves the Sideways 6 gaps
Multi-channel idea collection
Sideways 6 is channel-native: ideas live inside Teams. Hives.co is channel-agnostic: ideas come from anywhere and flow into a single evaluation pipeline. You can set up QR codes on the factory floor, send SMS links to field workers, embed a submission form on your intranet, and still have office workers submit through a web interface. Every idea ends up in the same place, regardless of how it was submitted.
This matters because the best process improvement ideas often come from the people furthest from a desk. Halfords (a UK retailer with 1,000+ engaged colleagues across 400 stores) uses Hives.co to run a continuous improvement programme that has already generated hundreds of implemented ideas, many of them submitted by store and workshop staff who would never sit at a desk to fill in a Teams form.
Structured evaluation and scoring
With Sideways 6, what happens after an idea is submitted? Usually a manager reads it, thinks about it, and either acts on it or does not. There is no structured process, no scoring, no record of why an idea was approved or rejected.
Hives.co gives you configurable evaluation workflows. You define the stages (initial screening, expert review, business case, final decision). You set scoring criteria with weights. Multiple evaluators can assess the same idea independently. The entire decision trail is recorded.
This is not bureaucracy for its own sake. It is how you ensure good ideas do not get lost and that employees see what happened to their suggestion.
Impact tracking and ROI measurement
Sideways 6 tells you how many ideas were submitted. Hives.co tells you how many ideas were implemented and what they were worth. When you need to build a business case for continuing your idea programme, having concrete ROI data makes the conversation with leadership much easier.
Innovation intelligence
Through its Findest integration, Hives.co adds external technology scouting alongside internal idea collection. This means you can match employee ideas with external research, patents, and technology trends. We call this innovation intelligence. Sideways 6 focuses exclusively on internal idea capture.
When Sideways 6 is still the right choice
To be fair, Sideways 6 is the better fit in some specific scenarios:
- 100% Teams-based workforce. If literally everyone in your organisation uses Teams daily and you want a lightweight suggestion channel with zero learning curve, Sideways 6 is fine.
- Early-stage programme. If you are just starting to collect ideas and do not yet need structured evaluation, starting simple in Teams can work. You can always migrate to a more capable platform later.
- Small teams. For teams under 100 people where the manager personally reviews every idea, the lack of structured evaluation is less of an issue.
- Rapid pilot. Sideways 6's 15-minute install beats any standalone platform if your only goal is a two-week feedback gathering exercise.
The problem is that most organisations outgrow these conditions quickly. Once you have hundreds of ideas, multiple evaluators, or any workers without Teams access, the limitations become painful.
Pricing comparison
Sideways 6 does not publish its pricing. You need to request a quote.
Hives.co publishes transparent pricing: €695/month (Core) for up to 500 contributors, €1,495/month (Pro) for up to 2,000, and €1,995/month (Enterprise) for unlimited contributors. No per-user fees, no hidden costs.
For a broader look at what the category costs in 2026, see our idea management software pricing comparison.
How to switch from Sideways 6 to Hives.co
The transition is straightforward. Most teams are running their first campaign in Hives.co within two weeks. Here is the typical process:
- Week 1: Set up your Hives.co workspace, configure evaluation criteria, import any existing ideas you want to carry over.
- Week 2: Launch your first idea challenge. Distribute QR codes and links. Announce the new channel to your organisation.
- Ongoing: Run campaigns, evaluate ideas, track results. Use ROI tracking to demonstrate value to leadership.
Making your decision
- Frontline workers without email/Teams? Hives.co's QR codes and SMS are essential. Sideways 6 won't reach them.
- Structured evaluation beyond capture? Hives.co's multi-stage review and custom scoring win. Sideways 6 is capture-only.
- Portfolio management needed? Hives.co includes portfolio tools. Sideways 6 doesn't.
- Want to stay entirely within Teams? Sideways 6's native integration keeps everything in Teams. Hives.co is a separate platform (with Teams notifications available).
- Need the fastest possible pilot? Sideways 6's 15-minute setup beats Hives.co's two weeks. But Sideways 6 won't scale to serious evaluation.
- Want external innovation insights? Hives.co's Findest integration adds technology scouting. Sideways 6 doesn't include external intelligence.
- EU hosting and GDPR compliance? Hives.co is EU-hosted by default. Sideways 6's hosting arrangements are not published.
Other alternatives to consider
Ideanote. AI-first idea management with a free plan for small teams. Good if you want to test before investing.
Brightidea. Enterprise innovation suite for large, global organisations. Overkill for most Sideways 6 upgrades, but worth a look if you need full portfolio management.
HYPE Innovation. Full enterprise lifecycle with ISO 56001 alignment. Good for formal innovation governance.
Qmarkets. Multilingual global deployments (23+ languages, multiple hosting regions). Good if you run programmes across many countries.
ITONICS. Innovation suite with strong foresight and trend-scouting modules. Good if you need strategic innovation alongside idea management.
What should you look for in a Sideways 6 alternative?
If you are evaluating alternatives, here are the capabilities that matter most based on what Sideways 6 lacks:
- Multi-channel submission. Can employees without Teams accounts submit ideas? Look for QR codes, SMS, web forms, and offline support.
- Evaluation workflows. Does the platform have structured scoring, multi-stage review, and decision tracking? Or does evaluation happen outside the tool?
- Impact measurement. Can you track which ideas were implemented and quantify their business value? This is critical for getting leadership support for continued investment in the programme.
- Transparent pricing. Some platforms in this space hide their pricing behind sales calls. Look for published pricing so you can evaluate fit before committing time to a demo.
- Data ownership and GDPR. Where is your data hosted? For European organisations, EU hosting and GDPR compliance are non-negotiable in 2026.
For a comprehensive overview of the category, our buyer's guide covers all the major platforms including their strengths, weaknesses, and ideal use cases.
What is the main difference between Sideways 6 and Hives.co?
Sideways 6 is an idea capture tool embedded in Microsoft Teams. Hives.co is a full idea management platform with multi-channel collection, structured evaluation, and impact tracking. If you only need to collect ideas from Teams users, Sideways 6 works. If you need to collect, evaluate, and measure ideas from any employee (including frontline workers without corporate accounts), Hives.co is the stronger choice.
Can I use Hives.co with Microsoft Teams?
Yes. Hives.co integrates with Teams for notifications and idea sharing. The difference is that Hives.co also supports QR codes, SMS, web forms, and other submission channels, so you are not locked into a single platform for the entire workforce.
What's the best Sideways 6 alternative for 2026?
For most organisations leaving Sideways 6 in 2026, especially those with any frontline workforce or any need for structured evaluation, Hives.co is the most direct answer. It adds everything Sideways 6 is missing (multi-channel capture, evaluation workflows, ROI tracking, portfolio management, transparent pricing) without the enterprise complexity of Brightidea, HYPE Innovation or ITONICS. If you genuinely want to stay inside Teams and only add slightly more capability, Ideanote's Teams integration is worth a look. Everyone else should start with Hives.co.
Next steps
Want to see how Hives.co works with your own data? Book a 30-minute demo. Want to see the pricing first? Review 2026 pricing. Want to compare the full shortlist? Read our 10 best idea management software tools in 2026.
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