.jpg)
If you are comparing Hives.co and Ideanote, you are probably an innovation manager or CI leader trying to find a platform that your people will actually use. Good news: both tools are solid, both come from Scandinavian roots, and both prioritize simplicity over feature bloat. But they are not the same product, and the right choice depends on what you need.
This is a genuine comparison. We will tell you where Ideanote does well, where Hives.co does well, and where neither is perfect. If you are looking for a hard sell, you will not find one here. If you are looking for clarity, keep reading.
Quick Summary
Hives.co is built for mid-to-large organizations (500+ employees) that need structured idea management with a focus on implementation and measurable results. It is the tool for companies that have tried suggestion boxes or Slack channels and found ideas disappearing into the void.
Ideanote positions itself as an "Innovation-Led Growth Platform" that works across company sizes. It offers a free plan, a broader feature set out of the box, and a strong emphasis on automation and AI features. It is a good fit for teams that want flexibility and quick setup.
How Do Hives.co and Ideanote Compare on Features?
Here is a side-by-side breakdown of the key capabilities:
- Idea collection: Hives.co uses challenge-based collections, QR codes, templates, and anonymous or named submissions. Ideanote uses goal-driven idea collections, embeddable widgets, custom submission forms, and shareable links.
- Evaluation and scoring: Hives.co offers custom evaluation parameters, scoring criteria, and structured workflows. Ideanote provides custom rating scales (impact, confidence, ease) and multi-phase evaluation.
- Workflow management: Hives.co has predefined and custom workflows with progress tracking and status updates. Ideanote has Custom Phases with flexible journeys, hidden review phases, and multiple evaluation stages.
- AI features: Hives.co's AI capabilities are emerging, with deeper innovation intelligence planned through the Findest merger. Ideanote has shipped AI-powered summarization, idea merging, duplicate detection, and lead routing today.
- Automation: Hives.co supports workflow automation and notifications. Ideanote has an automation engine with app integrations and workflow triggers.
- Analytics and reporting: Hives.co provides dashboards with prioritization data, evaluation results, and engagement metrics. Ideanote offers innovation performance dashboards, top innovator tracking, and impact measurement from day one.
- Integrations: Hives.co integrates natively with Microsoft Teams (as an app), plus SSO with Microsoft, Google, and Slack. Ideanote offers SSO, API access, and automation-based connections to third-party apps.
- Data hosting: Hives.co is EU-hosted (Frankfurt, Germany), GDPR compliant, with an on-premise option available. Ideanote is GDPR compliant and cloud-based.
- External innovation (technology scouting): Hives.co offers this through the Findest merger, combining internal ideas with external technology scouting. Ideanote does not have external technology scouting capability.
Where Does Ideanote Have the Edge?
Credit where it is due. There are areas where Ideanote is ahead:
- Free plan. Ideanote offers a free tier for up to 10 users and 100 ideas. Hives.co has a free trial but no permanent free plan. If you are a small team testing the waters, Ideanote lets you start without a purchase order.
- AI features today. Ideanote has shipped AI-powered summarization, duplicate detection, and idea merging. These are useful time-savers, especially at scale. Hives.co's AI story is mostly forward-looking, tied to the Findest merger.
- Review volume. Ideanote has 500+ reviews across platforms and a 4.7/5 on Capterra with 140+ verified reviews. That is a meaningful body of social proof. Hives.co has fewer public reviews, which can be a sticking point in procurement.
- Broader market positioning. Ideanote serves companies of all sizes, from freelancers to 140,000-employee enterprises. If you are a startup or small team, Ideanote's flexibility may be a better fit.
Where Does Hives.co Have the Edge?
And here is where we think Hives.co stands out:
- Enterprise client roster. Hives.co works with Volvo, Scania, Halfords, and VINCI Energies. These are major manufacturing, retail, and industrial organizations with complex structures and thousands of employees. That kind of client base signals something about the product's ability to handle real-world complexity.
- Implementation focus. Hives.co's entire philosophy is built around getting ideas implemented, not just collected. The structured workflows, evaluation parameters, and progress tracking are designed to close the loop. In our experience, the biggest frustration innovation managers have is not collecting ideas. It is the black hole where ideas go to die. Hives.co is built to fix that.
- Transparent pricing at €699/month. You can see the price on the website. No "contact sales" wall. Ideanote's Starter plan is listed at approximately $6/user/month, but enterprise pricing requires a sales conversation. Both are more transparent than most competitors, but Hives.co's pricing is straightforward at every tier.
- EU data hosting with on-premise option. For European organizations with strict data sovereignty requirements, Hives.co hosts in Frankfurt on Google Cloud Platform and offers on-premise installation. This matters for manufacturing companies and public sector organizations that cannot store data outside the EU.
- Innovation intelligence (Findest merger). This is the differentiator no other idea management tool can match. Through the merger with Findest, Hives.co combines internal idea management with external technology scouting. If your R&D team needs to connect employee ideas with what is happening in the broader technology landscape, this is a capability nobody else offers.
- Native Microsoft Teams app. Hives.co is available as a native app inside Microsoft Teams, meaning employees can submit and engage with ideas without leaving their daily workflow. For organizations already in the Microsoft ecosystem, this reduces adoption friction significantly.
How Does Pricing Compare?
Here is how the two platforms stack up on cost:
- Free plan: Hives.co offers a free trial. Ideanote has a permanent free plan (10 users, 100 ideas).
- Starting price: Hives.co starts at €699/month (billed annually, includes 2 managers and unlimited participants). Ideanote's Starter plan is approximately $6/user/month.
- Enterprise pricing: Hives.co's Enterprise plan is €1,499/month (billed annually, includes 10 managers). Ideanote's enterprise pricing requires a sales conversation.
- Pricing visible on website: Hives.co publishes full pricing. Ideanote publishes Starter pricing but requires contact for enterprise.
A note on pricing: Ideanote's lower starting price is appealing, especially for smaller teams. But for mid-to-large organizations budgeting for 500+ users, the total cost of ownership depends on which tier you need and what is included. We would recommend getting quotes from both platforms for your specific headcount.
Which One Is Easier to Use?
Both platforms emphasize simplicity, and based on user reviews, both deliver on that promise. Hives.co scores 4.5 out of 5 on Capterra for ease of use, with reviewers consistently mentioning that the platform is quick to set up and intuitive for non-technical users. One reviewer put it simply: "I don't think there's a simpler tool to use on the market."
Ideanote reviewers say similar things. The interface is described as "slick" and "intuitive," and setup reportedly takes under three minutes. Some reviewers note a brief adjustment period and mention wanting additional integrations.
In practice, the real ease-of-use test is not whether the admin finds it intuitive. It is whether the frontline employee, the factory floor worker, or the retail associate will actually submit an idea. Both tools pass this test, but Hives.co's QR code submission and Microsoft Teams integration remove extra steps for workers who do not sit at a desk all day.
Who Should Choose Hives.co?
- Mid-to-large European organizations (500+ employees) in manufacturing, retail, or industrial sectors
- Companies that need EU data hosting or on-premise deployment for compliance
- Innovation managers or CI leaders who are tired of ideas getting collected but never implemented
- Organizations in the Microsoft Teams ecosystem wanting a native integration
- R&D teams that need both internal idea management and external technology scouting (via Findest)
- Companies that value transparent, predictable pricing over feature-count marketing
Who Should Choose Ideanote?
- Smaller teams or startups that want a free plan to get started
- Organizations that need AI-powered automation for managing high volumes of ideas right now
- Companies across a wide range of sizes that want flexibility and quick deployment
- Teams that prioritize a large review base as part of their vendor evaluation process
- Organizations looking for a broad "innovation-led growth" platform rather than a focused implementation tool
Common Questions About Hives.co vs Ideanote
Is Hives.co the same as Hive? No. Hives.co is an idea management platform for collecting and implementing employee ideas. Hive (hive.com) is a project management tool. Different companies, different products. This confusion comes up in search results, so it is worth clarifying.
Can I migrate from Ideanote to Hives.co (or vice versa)? Both platforms allow data export. If you are considering a switch, the Hives.co team offers hands-on migration support to help you transition without losing historical data.
What is "innovation intelligence" and why does it matter? Innovation intelligence combines internal idea management (what your people know) with external technology scouting (what is happening in the market). Hives.co is building this through its merger with Findest, a Dutch technology scouting company. No other idea management platform offers this combination. For R&D teams and innovation leaders, this means you can connect an employee's idea about a manufacturing process improvement with relevant patents, startups, or research papers from outside your organization.
Which platform has better customer support? Both platforms receive positive support reviews. Ideanote reviewers specifically praise the availability of face-to-face virtual support. Hives.co offers personalized guidance from industry experts and hands-on onboarding. For enterprise deployments, both provide dedicated support, so we would recommend asking each vendor about their support model for your specific use case.
Does Hives.co work for continuous improvement (CI) programs? Yes. Hives.co is used by manufacturing and retail organizations for continuous improvement, not just "big idea" innovation. The platform's structured workflows, evaluation parameters, and QR code collection are designed for CI use cases where frontline workers need an easy way to submit improvement suggestions.
The Bottom Line
Both Hives.co and Ideanote are credible idea management platforms built on similar Scandinavian values of simplicity and user-friendliness. The choice comes down to your context.
If you are a mid-to-large European organization that needs structured idea management focused on implementation, transparent pricing, EU data hosting, and a platform that is proven with companies like Volvo and Halfords, Hives.co is the stronger fit.
If you are a smaller team that wants a free tier, mature AI features, and a flexible platform that works across company sizes, Ideanote deserves a serious look.
And if you need both internal idea management and external technology scouting (a combination nobody else offers), the Hives.co + Findest merger makes this an easy decision.
Try Hives.co and see what focused idea management looks like.
Sources
- Hives.co official website
- Ideanote official website
- Ideanote pricing page
- Findest official website
- Hives.co Capterra Reviews
- Ideanote Capterra Reviews
- G2 Idea Management Software Category
