Both Hives.co and HYPE Innovation help organizations collect and manage ideas from employees, but they take very different approaches to getting there.
HYPE Innovation is a broad enterprise platform that covers the full innovation lifecycle, from idea management and startup scouting to strategic foresight and portfolio management, assembled through a series of acquisitions over 20+ years.
Hives.co focuses on making idea management simple, structured, and fast to deploy, so organizations can start collecting, tracking, and acting on ideas in days rather than months.
1. Core Focus
- Hives.co - Purpose: Structured idea management tied to real workflows and outcomes
- HYPE Innovation - Purpose: Full innovation operating system with modules for ideation, foresight, scouting, and consulting
- Hives.co - Best for: Organizations that want a practical way to collect and act on ideas without enterprise overhead
- HYPE Innovation - Best for: Large enterprises running multiple innovation programs across departments and geographies
- Hives.co - Approach: One focused product built from the ground up for idea management
- HYPE Innovation - Approach: Modular suite assembled through acquisitions (Viima, Planbox, HLP, Innospot)
- Hives.co - Time to launch: Days
- HYPE Innovation - Time to launch: Weeks to months, depending on modules and configuration
2. Setup and Implementation
Hives.co is designed to get teams running quickly. There's no extended onboarding process or dedicated implementation project. You configure your idea collections using customizable templates, invite your team, and start collecting ideas. Most organizations are live within a few days.
HYPE Innovation, as a full enterprise platform, typically involves a longer implementation cycle. Depending on which modules are activated (idea management, foresight, scouting, continuous improvement), setup can involve dedicated consultants, training programs, and configuration across multiple systems. Multiple G2 reviewers have noted that implementation timelines can stretch to 12 weeks or more.
For teams that want to test whether structured idea management works for their organization before committing to a large rollout, Hives.co's fast setup means you can validate the approach quickly and scale from there.
3. Idea Management Features
Hives.co covers the core idea management workflow end to end: collection through customizable templates, structured tracking through configurable workflows, prioritization using scoring and ranking, and analysis through AI-powered reporting. It also supports anonymous submissions, which matters for organizations that want honest input from employees at all levels.
HYPE Innovation covers idea management through two separate products: HYPE Enterprise (the original campaign and challenge platform) and HYPE Boards (formerly Viima, acquired in 2023 and rebranded). Beyond ideation, HYPE extends into startup scouting (via Innospot), strategic foresight, continuous improvement (via HLP), and innovation consulting services.
The scope difference is significant. HYPE offers more modules, but each was originally built as a separate product. Hives.co offers fewer features but they're part of a single, cohesive system where everything works together by design.
For organizations whose primary need is collecting and acting on ideas, Hives.co delivers the essential workflow without the complexity of managing multiple modules built by different teams.
4. Integrations and User Experience
- Hives.co - Microsoft Teams: Native integration for idea collection where employees already work
- HYPE Innovation - Microsoft Teams: Integration available
- Hives.co - SSO: Microsoft, Google, and Slack
- HYPE Innovation - SSO: Enterprise SSO supported
- Hives.co - Languages: English, German, Swedish
- HYPE Innovation - Languages: 18 languages
- Hives.co - Deployment: Cloud (EU-hosted)
- HYPE Innovation - Deployment: Cloud and on-premises
- Hives.co - User experience: Single, consistent interface across all features
- HYPE Innovation - User experience: Multiple interfaces across acquired products (HYPE Enterprise, HYPE Boards, HLP, Innospot)
HYPE has the advantage in language support and offers on-premises deployment, which matters for organizations with strict data residency requirements. Hives.co's strength is a consistent, simple user experience that doesn't require training across multiple interfaces, plus a Microsoft Teams integration that makes idea submission accessible to employees who would never log into a standalone platform.
5. Privacy and Hosting
Hives.co is hosted on Google Cloud Platform in Frankfurt, Germany, and is fully GDPR-compliant. All data stays within the EU. The platform supports SSO through Microsoft, Google, and Slack, and offers anonymous submission capabilities so employees can share ideas without attaching their identity.
HYPE Innovation offers both cloud and on-premises deployment. As a German company with a long history of serving European enterprises, HYPE also has strong GDPR credentials. Their on-premises option is relevant for organizations in regulated industries that require full control over where data is stored.
For most European organizations, both platforms meet GDPR requirements. Hives.co's EU-only cloud hosting is simpler to manage, while HYPE's on-premises option serves organizations with stricter infrastructure policies.
6. Pricing and Value
Hives.co publishes transparent pricing on its website. There are two plans, both billed annually:
- Kick-Start: €699/month. Includes 2 managers, unlimited idea collections, unlimited participants, AI-powered analysis, and SSO. Additional managers cost €195/month each.
- Enterprise: €1,499/month. Includes 10 managers, priority support, and everything in Kick-Start. Additional managers cost €95/month each.
HYPE Innovation does not publish pricing. As a modular enterprise platform, costs depend on which modules are activated, the number of users, deployment type, and consulting services. External sources and G2 reviews suggest enterprise contracts typically start around $50,000/year, with costs increasing based on modules and scale.
The pricing philosophies reflect different markets. HYPE is built for enterprise procurement with custom contracts. Hives.co is built for teams that want to evaluate, budget, and get started without a lengthy sales process.
For organizations that want pricing clarity before engaging with sales, Hives.co's published rates make it easy to evaluate fit and get internal buy-in without waiting for a custom quote.
7. Bottom Line
Use Hives.co when you want a focused, fast way to collect, track, and act on ideas from employees, customers, or citizens, with transparent pricing and a platform that's live in days.
Use HYPE Innovation if you need a comprehensive innovation operating system that covers ideation, foresight, startup scouting, and portfolio management across a large enterprise, and you have the budget and timeline for a full implementation.
The decision comes down to scope. If your primary goal is structured idea management that people actually use, Hives.co delivers that without the overhead of features you may never need. If your organization runs a multi-layered innovation program across departments and wants a single vendor for everything from idea campaigns to technology scouting, HYPE's breadth may justify the investment.
For most organizations starting or improving their idea management practice, Hives.co provides the fastest path from "we should be collecting ideas" to actually doing it, with results you can measure from day one.
Try Hives.co and see the difference focus makes.
