Quick Summary
Every organization has employees with ideas that could save money, improve processes, or open new markets. The challenge is capturing those ideas before they disappear into email threads, sticky notes, or forgotten conversations. Idea management software gives your team a structured way to collect, evaluate, and act on the ideas that matter most.
But the market is crowded. Some tools focus purely on idea collection and keep things simple. Others try to manage the entire innovation lifecycle, from trend scouting to portfolio management. Choosing the wrong one means paying for complexity you do not need, or outgrowing a tool that cannot scale.
This guide breaks down 10 idea management platforms worth evaluating in 2026, covering what each does best, where it falls short, and what it actually costs.
Here are our top three picks:
- Hives.co – Best for teams that want fast setup, transparent pricing, and focused idea management without the bloat
- Sideways 6 – Best for Microsoft Teams-first organizations running enterprise-wide idea campaigns
- ITONICS – Best for large enterprises that need end-to-end innovation management including foresight and portfolio tracking
What to Look for in Idea Management Software
Before diving into specific tools, here is what separates effective idea management software from glorified suggestion boxes:
- Structured workflows: Can you move ideas through defined stages (collection, evaluation, prioritization, implementation) rather than dumping them into a single list?
- Employee adoption: Does the tool integrate with where your people already work (Microsoft Teams, Slack, intranets), or does it require them to log into yet another platform?
- Evaluation and scoring: Can you apply consistent criteria to compare ideas objectively, rather than relying on gut feelings or loudest-voice-wins dynamics?
- AI and analytics: Does the platform help you spot patterns, identify duplicate ideas, and generate reports that prove ROI to leadership?
- Privacy and compliance: Where is your data hosted? Is the platform GDPR-compliant? Can employees submit ideas anonymously?
- Transparent pricing: Can you see what it costs before talking to sales, or are you walking into a negotiation blind?
With those criteria in mind, let us look at each tool.
10 Best Idea Management Software Tools
1. Hives.co
Hives.co is a focused idea management platform built to help organizations systematically capture employee ideas and turn them into action. The company's mantra is "Stop guessing, start asking," and the product reflects that philosophy. Rather than trying to be an all-in-one innovation suite, Hives.co concentrates on doing idea management well: collecting ideas through customizable templates, tracking them through structured workflows, prioritizing with scoring and ranking, and analyzing results with AI-powered reports.
The platform integrates natively with Microsoft Teams, so employees can submit ideas where they already work. Setup takes days, not weeks. And pricing is published on the website, which is still surprisingly rare in this category.
Key Features
- Customizable idea collection: Use predefined templates or build your own to gather structured input from employees, customers, or partners.
- Structured workflows: Move ideas through defined stages with clear status tracking, so nothing gets lost in a backlog.
- Scoring and prioritization: Evaluate ideas with predefined or custom parameters to make objective, data-driven decisions.
- AI-powered analysis: Generate reports and surface patterns across submissions to identify the highest-impact ideas faster.
- Microsoft Teams integration: Native app that lets employees submit and collaborate on ideas without leaving Teams.
- Anonymous submissions: Encourage honest input by allowing employees to contribute without attaching their name.
- SSO support: Single sign-on with Microsoft, Google, and Slack for frictionless access.
Pricing
Hives.co publishes its pricing openly, which is a refreshing change in a market where most vendors hide behind "contact sales" buttons:
- Kick-Start: €699/month (billed annually). Includes 2 managers, unlimited idea collections, unlimited participants, AI-powered analysis, and SSO.
- Enterprise: €1,499/month (billed annually). Includes 10 managers, priority support, and everything in Kick-Start.
Pros
- Clean, intuitive interface that employees actually use. Reviewers on Capterra and GetApp consistently praise its simplicity.
- Setup takes days, not months. No drawn-out implementation projects or consultant fees.
- Transparent, published pricing with unlimited participants included in every plan.
- EU-first: hosted on Google Cloud Platform in Frankfurt, Germany. All data stored within the EU, fully GDPR-compliant.
- Available in English, German, and Swedish.
Cons
- Not designed for end-to-end innovation management (no trend scouting, portfolio tracking, or roadmapping). It is purpose-built for idea management.
- Smaller ecosystem of integrations compared to enterprise platforms like Brightidea or ITONICS.
Best For
Mid-sized to large organizations that want to start collecting and acting on employee ideas quickly, without paying for features they will never use. Especially strong for European companies that need EU data residency and GDPR compliance by default. Trusted by Volvo, Scania, VINCI Energies, and Halfords.
A Note on Foresight and Technology Scouting
Hives.co is a part of Findest, a Dutch technology scouting company (Amsterdam-based, founded as a VU University spin-off). Findest combines AI-powered search with expert scouts and has completed over 3,000 scouting projects for companies like ASML, Philips, Unilever, and Shell. If your organization needs both idea management and technology scouting, this combination delivers best-in-class tools for both, without the complexity and cost of an all-in-one platform.
2. Sideways 6
Sideways 6 has built its entire product around Microsoft Teams integration. If your organization lives in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem and you want idea management embedded directly in the tool employees already use every day, Sideways 6 is the most mature option. The platform was built in partnership with Microsoft and supports enterprise-wide idea campaigns with features like automated messaging, idea pipelines, and ROI tracking.
Key Features
- Native Microsoft Teams app: Employees submit, like, comment, and vote on ideas directly within Teams.
- Campaign management: Launch branded, time-bound or always-on idea campaigns focused on specific business challenges.
- AI-powered categorization: Automatically enhance idea quality, reduce duplicates, and identify common themes.
- Pipeline and workflow management: Progress ideas through customizable stages with automated notifications.
- ROI tracking: Measure the direct business impact of implemented ideas by time saved, cost saved, and revenue generated.
Pricing
- Lite: Free for up to 10 users. $3/user/month for up to 500 users.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing (reportedly starting around $2,000/month based on review sites).
Pros
- The deepest Microsoft Teams integration in the category. M&S reported 70% more employee ideas after deploying it.
- Affordable Lite plan makes it accessible for smaller teams.
- Strong consulting services to help design and run successful idea campaigns.
Cons
- Heavily tied to the Microsoft ecosystem. Less useful if your organization uses Slack or Google Workspace.
- Enterprise pricing requires a sales conversation.
- Some Capterra reviewers note limited customization options and a small product development team.
Best For
Large organizations running on Microsoft 365 that want maximum employee adoption by meeting people where they already work. Clients include AstraZeneca, Nestlé, and DXC Technology.
3. ITONICS
ITONICS positions itself as a full "Innovation Operating System," combining foresight (trend and technology scouting), ideation (idea campaigns and crowdsourcing), and portfolio management (project tracking and roadmapping) in one platform. If your innovation team needs to connect strategic foresight with idea management and project execution, ITONICS is one of the most comprehensive options available. It is ISO 27001 certified and used by companies like Adidas, Audi, Bosch, and SAP.
Key Features
- Foresight module: AI-powered trend and technology scouting with radar visualizations.
- Ideation module: Customizable idea campaigns, stage-gate processes, and crowd-based evaluation.
- Portfolio module: Innovation project tracking with Kanban boards, dashboards, and roadmapping.
- Modular design: Start with one module and add others as your innovation program matures.
- Jira and Salesforce integrations: Connect to existing project management and CRM workflows.
Pricing
ITONICS offers Team, Professional, and Enterprise plans. Pricing is not published on the website and requires a sales conversation. A 30-day free trial is available. Based on the scope of the platform, expect enterprise-level investment, particularly for the Professional and Enterprise tiers.
Pros
- One of the most comprehensive innovation platforms on the market, recognized by Gartner.
- Strong foresight capabilities that connect trend data to idea evaluation and strategy.
- ISO 27001 certified with enterprise-grade security.
Cons
- Steep learning curve. Multiple Capterra reviewers note the platform is feature-rich but complex for new users.
- Opaque pricing that requires a sales conversation.
- Language support limited to English and German.
- If you only need idea management, you are paying for foresight and portfolio capabilities you may not use.
Best For
Large, global enterprises with dedicated innovation teams that need to connect strategic foresight, ideation, and portfolio execution in one system. Not the right fit if you are looking for a lightweight, focused idea management tool.
4. HYPE Innovation
HYPE Innovation (based in Bonn, Germany) is a veteran in the innovation management space, offering full lifecycle management from idea collection to trend scouting and portfolio tracking. The platform earned a G2 Leader badge for Idea Management in 2025 with a 4.8/5 average rating and 95% recommendation rate. HYPE also provides consulting services and an active community of innovation managers, which can be valuable for teams building their first structured program.
Key Features
- Campaign wizard: Step-by-step guide to define teams, project duration, discussion methods, and voting.
- Evaluation wizard: Analyze ideas based on predefined and custom parameters with interactive bubble charts.
- Trend and technology scouting: Modules for identifying emerging technologies and startup partnerships.
- KPI dashboards: Track session progress, compile presentations, and export data.
- 25+ languages supported: Including Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and most European languages.
Pricing
According to GetApp, HYPE Innovation starts at $50,000/year. Pricing is subscription-based with tiered plans depending on users and features. No free trial is offered. For most organizations, expect a significant investment with additional costs for add-on modules.
Pros
- Highly rated on G2 (4.8/5) with strong customer satisfaction scores.
- Deep consulting expertise and active innovation manager community.
- Excellent multilingual support for global deployments.
Cons
- High entry price ($50,000+/year) puts it out of reach for many mid-market organizations.
- No free trial to evaluate the platform before committing.
- Some Capterra reviewers mention the configuration can be rigid and the project management module needs improvement.
Best For
Mid-sized to large enterprises that want a proven, full-lifecycle innovation platform with strong consulting support. Clients include Harley Davidson, Airbus, Nokia, and Siemens.
5. Brightidea
Brightidea calls itself the #1 Idea Management Platform globally, claiming over 2 million users and $15+ billion in recorded business impact. The platform powers everything from simple crowdsourcing campaigns to hackathons, accelerators, and innovation labs through its Innovation Cloud. It is a good fit for large enterprises that want to run multiple types of innovation programs from one platform.
Key Features
- Innovation Cloud: Portfolio of apps for different innovation activities (crowdsourcing, hackathons, accelerators, labs).
- Drag-and-drop pipelines: Customizable idea pipelines for routing, screening, and evaluating submissions.
- AI-driven analytics: Data-backed insights to track and prioritize ideas across divisions.
- 9 languages supported: English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
- Integrations: Slack, Zapier, Airtable, Asana, Zendesk, Jira, and Vimeo.
Pricing
Brightidea does not publish pricing on its website. A Capterra response from the company mentioned plans starting as low as $5/month, but enterprise deployments are priced via custom quotes. Expect pricing to vary widely based on the number of users, modules, and support level. Multiple reviewers describe it as "pricey."
Pros
- Proven at scale with major enterprises like Cisco, GE, and Merck.
- Flexible enough to support multiple innovation program types from one platform.
- Strong customer support and onboarding praised across review sites.
Cons
- Steep learning curve. Multiple Capterra reviewers note the backend is "outdated and not intuitive" with three different setup areas.
- Opaque pricing requires a sales conversation.
- Can be overwhelming for organizations that just need straightforward idea collection.
Best For
Global enterprises running multiple innovation programs (crowdsourcing, hackathons, labs) that need a single platform to manage them all.
6. Qmarkets
Qmarkets (headquartered in Israel with offices globally) offers a suite of innovation management products: Q-ideate for internal idea management, Q-scout for technology scouting, Q-open for open innovation with external stakeholders, Q-optimize for continuous improvement, and Q-empathize for design thinking. The platform is highly rated on G2 (recognized as a Leader) and Capterra (4.8/5), with clients including Ford, McDonald's, and Lufthansa.
Key Features
- Modular product suite: Choose from five products depending on your innovation use case.
- AI-powered idea matching: Automatically compares new ideas to existing ones and identifies duplicates.
- Technology scouting (Q-scout): AI-curated network of nearly 1,000,000 startups and solution providers.
- 25+ languages supported: Including Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hebrew, and most European languages.
- Flexible hosting: Choose from 6 regions (USA, Germany, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, UAE).
- Microsoft Teams and Slack integration: Included as standard across plans.
Pricing
Qmarkets uses annual license pricing with a setup fee at launch. Total cost depends on product family, plan tier (Start, Flex, Max), number of users, integrations, and add-ons. No prices are published on the website. A free trial is available (no credit card required).
Pros
- Highly rated for ease of setup and ease of use on G2.
- Excellent multilingual and multi-region support for global organizations.
- Modular approach lets you start small and scale.
Cons
- Pricing requires a sales conversation and can be complex with multiple products and add-ons.
- Some Capterra reviewers note that customization options can be limited in certain areas.
- Setup for optimal results can be time-consuming, particularly for advanced features.
Best For
Global enterprises that need a modular innovation platform with strong multilingual support and the flexibility to cover multiple use cases (ideation, scouting, open innovation, continuous improvement).
7. IdeaScale
IdeaScale is one of the longest-running innovation management platforms, with over 25,000 customers and 4.5 million users. It serves enterprises, government agencies, universities, and healthcare organizations. The platform is known for its crowdsourcing capabilities and public-facing idea communities, making it a solid choice for organizations that want to involve external stakeholders (customers, citizens, partners) in their innovation process.
Key Features
- Crowdsourcing portals: Customizable idea submission portals for both internal and external audiences.
- Enterprise dashboards: Innovation input/output analytics with PowerBI integration.
- Stage-gate workflows: Custom evaluation stages with scoring, voting, and expert review.
- IdeaScale Crowd: Open community of 30,000+ problem solvers for open innovation challenges.
- Integrations: Slack, Jira, Microsoft Teams, Yammer, Trello, and API access.
Pricing
IdeaScale crafts custom pricing proposals. Based on publicly available data, plans reportedly range from approximately $12,999/year (Engage) to $64,999/year (Transform). No pricing is published on the website, and costs depend on features, scope, and user count.
Pros
- Proven at massive scale with 25,000+ customers globally.
- Strong open innovation capabilities for engaging external stakeholders.
- Well-suited for government and public sector organizations.
Cons
- Opaque pricing that starts at a minimum of approximately $13,000/year.
- Interface can feel dated compared to newer entrants.
- Complex setup may require training for new users.
Best For
Large organizations and government agencies that need to crowdsource ideas from both internal employees and external communities at scale.
8. Ideanote
Ideanote is a next-generation idea management platform designed for simplicity and speed. It targets organizations that want a clean, modern tool to collect, prioritize, and act on ideas without the complexity of full innovation management suites. The platform offers AI-driven features like automatic idea generation, real-time translation, and topic mapping, making it a strong option for growing teams that want to move fast.
Key Features
- Goal-driven idea collections: Customizable forms with conditional fields to gather structured input.
- AI-powered tools: Automatic idea generation, duplicate detection, and trend identification.
- Kanban boards: Drag-and-drop idea management for prioritization and tracking.
- Guest accounts: Invite external contributors to participate in ideation.
- Integrations: Zapier, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and more.
Pricing
- Free: Up to 15 users with limited features.
- Scale: $6/user/month (billed annually) for unlimited ideas and collections.
- Ultimate: Starting at $899/month for 100 users, with advanced security and enterprise controls.
Pros
- Clean, modern interface that is easy to learn.
- Generous free plan for small teams.
- Transparent pricing published on the website.
Cons
- Limited advanced analytics compared to enterprise platforms.
- German language support is incomplete, according to some Capterra reviewers.
- Fewer integrations with niche enterprise tools.
Best For
Small to mid-sized teams looking for an affordable, modern idea management tool with a generous free tier and fast setup.
9. Viima (now HYPE Boards)
Viima (recently rebranded as HYPE Boards following its acquisition by HYPE Innovation) is a lightweight idea management platform known for its simplicity and visual interface. It offers a free tier for unlimited users, making it one of the most accessible options for organizations testing the waters with structured idea management. The platform uses a board-based approach where ideas appear as cards that can be liked, commented on, and moved through stages.
Key Features
- Visual idea boards: Intuitive card-based interface for idea collection and collaboration.
- Flexible evaluation system: Create custom metrics to rate and compare ideas.
- Automatic notifications: Keep the right people informed about new ideas and status changes.
- IP whitelisting: Enhanced security for organizations with strict access requirements.
- Free tier: Available for unlimited users with basic features.
Pricing
- Basic: Free for unlimited users.
- Premium: Starting at $6/user/month.
- Unlimited: Starting at $1,999/month.
Pros
- Free tier with no user limits is excellent for getting started.
- Very high ratings on Capterra (4.9/5 stars).
- Simple enough for teams with no prior idea management experience.
Cons
- Limited customization options compared to more configurable platforms.
- Some users find the UI less polished than competitors.
- Now part of the HYPE ecosystem, which may affect future pricing and positioning.
Best For
Small teams and organizations exploring idea management for the first time who want a risk-free starting point with a strong free tier.
10. InnovationCast
InnovationCast differentiates itself by focusing on the full idea lifecycle, not just collection. The platform was built specifically to address the gap between capturing ideas and actually implementing them. It offers advanced conditional workflows, stage-gate reviews, automated notifications, and metered funding, giving innovation teams more control over how ideas progress from submission to execution.
Key Features
- Advanced conditional workflows: Configure complex stage-gate processes with automated triggers and branching logic.
- Metered funding: Allocate and track budgets as ideas progress through implementation stages.
- Idea versioning: Track the full evolution of ideas as they receive feedback and iteration.
- Collaboration tools: Commenting, mentioning, and collaborative editing throughout the idea lifecycle.
- Customizable evaluation criteria: Build scoring models tailored to your organization's strategic priorities.
Pricing
InnovationCast does not publish pricing on its website. Contact the vendor for a custom quote based on your organization's requirements.
Pros
- Strongest focus on idea implementation and lifecycle tracking among tools in this list.
- Highly configurable workflows without the cost of a fully custom-built solution.
- Metered funding feature is unique and valuable for teams managing innovation budgets.
Cons
- Opaque pricing with no published plans or free trials.
- Lower brand recognition compared to ITONICS, Brightidea, or HYPE.
- Advanced configuration may require onboarding support.
Best For
Innovation teams that have outgrown simple idea collection and need a platform built for tracking ideas all the way through to implementation, with stage-gate processes and budget tracking.
Choose the Best Idea Management Software for Your Team
The right tool depends on what problem you are solving. If you need a lightweight starting point, Viima's free tier or Ideanote's free plan will get you collecting ideas quickly. If you need enterprise-scale innovation management with foresight and portfolio tracking, ITONICS, HYPE, or Qmarkets serve that market well, though they come with enterprise-level pricing and complexity to match.
For most organizations, the real challenge is not finding a tool with more features. It is finding one that employees will actually use, that leadership can see results from, and that does not take months to deploy. That is where focused tools like Hives.co stand out. With transparent pricing starting at €699/month, EU data hosting, native Microsoft Teams integration, and a setup measured in days instead of months, Hives.co removes the barriers that keep innovation programs from getting off the ground.
Stop guessing. Start asking. Try Hives.co and see what focused idea management looks like.
Sources
- Hives.co – Official website and pricing
- Sideways 6 – Official website
- ITONICS – Official website and pricing
- HYPE Innovation – Official website
- Brightidea – Official website
- Qmarkets – Official website and pricing
- IdeaScale – Official website
- Ideanote – Official website and pricing
- InnovationCast – Official website
- Findest – Technology scouting partner
- Capterra – Idea Management Software reviews
- Gartner Peer Insights – Innovation Management Tools reviews
- GetApp – Idea Management Software reviews
