Celoxis, Hive, and Microsoft Project all handle Gantt-based scheduling and resource management, but they target different organizations. Celoxis stands out…
Best for: Mid-size and large PMOs that need the option of on-premise or cloud deployment, along with deep what-if scenario forecasting and trend analysis for portfolio planning.
Subscription · From $10/user/month (Project Plan 1)
Best for: Large organizations already standardized on Microsoft 365 that need enterprise-grade portfolio and demand management tied into Teams and Power BI.
At a Glance
Celoxis
Hive
Microsoft Project
Primary category
Project Management
Project Management
Project Management
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Subscription
Freemium
Subscription
Starting price
$10/user/month
Free; paid plans from $5/user/month
$10/user/month (Project Plan 1)
Free plan
Not documented
Yes
Not documented
Free trial
Yes
Yes
Yes
Platforms
Web
Web
Web, Windows
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Not documented
Yes
Not documented
Public API
Yes
Yes
Yes
Standout Differences
Celoxis is the only one with an on-premise option
Celoxis can be deployed as self-managed on-premise software on Linux and PostgreSQL in addition to the cloud, a deployment option not documented for Hive or Microsoft Project, making it a candidate for organizations with data residency requirements.
Celoxis
Hive is the only one with a free plan and native AI
Hive's Free plan covers up to 10 workspace members at no cost, and its AI Assistant is built into paid tiers starting at $5/user/month. Neither is documented for Celoxis or Microsoft Project.
Hive
Microsoft Project's portfolio management sits on top of Microsoft 365
Microsoft Project's top Plan 5 tier adds portfolio selection, optimization, and demand management, all tied into Power BI reporting and Teams, but requires a separate Microsoft 365 license for most users.
Microsoft Project
Both Celoxis and Microsoft Project support PMO-level what-if forecasting
Celoxis offers trend analysis and what-if scenario forecasting at the portfolio level, and Microsoft Project's Plan 5 adds capacity heat maps for similar enterprise-level planning; Hive does not document an equivalent capability.
Celoxis, Microsoft Project
Feature-by-Feature
Deployment and Access
Feature
Celoxis
Hive
Microsoft Project
On-premise / self-hosted deployment option
Available
Unavailable
Not documented
Free plan available
Unavailable
Available
Unavailable
Scheduling and Resourcing
Feature
Celoxis
Hive
Microsoft Project
Gantt chart view
Available
Available
Available
Resource / capacity management
Available
Available
Available
What-if / scenario forecasting
Available
Not documented
Available
Collaboration and AI
Feature
Celoxis
Hive
Microsoft Project
Native team chat
Not documented
Available
Unavailable
AI assistant
Not documented
Available
Not documented
Portfolio and PMO
Feature
Celoxis
Hive
Microsoft Project
Portfolio-level PMO reporting
Available
Available
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Celoxis
Core — $10/user/month Annual
Essentials — $25/user/month Annual
Professional — $35/user/month Annual
Business — $45/user/month Annual
Enterprise — Custom Annual
Hive
Free — $0 forever
Starter — $5/user/month monthly or annual
Teams — $12/user/month monthly or annual
Enterprise — Custom pricing annual/custom
Microsoft Project
Project Plan 1 — $10/user/month Monthly or annual
Project Plan 3 — $30/user/month Monthly or annual
Project Plan 5 — $55/user/month Monthly or annual
Pros & Cons
Celoxis
Pros
Rare dual cloud/on-premise deployment option among modern project management tools
Deep analytics with trend analysis and what-if scenario modeling
Two decades of operating history with Fortune 500 and PMO customers
Granular per-role pricing (Team-Member, Timesheet users) can lower cost for mixed teams
Cons
Five full-access-user minimum makes it less accessible for very small teams
Interface and reporting depth can have a steeper learning curve than lighter task-management tools
Advanced features like risk tracking, billing, and client portal require upgrading to Professional or Business tiers
Flexible switching between Gantt, Kanban, table and calendar views on shared data
Native chat and email reduce the need for separate communication tools
Generous free tier supports up to 10 members with unlimited tasks
Transparent, relatively affordable per-user pricing compared to some competitors
14-day free trial with full features and no credit card required
Cons
Free plan storage is limited to 200MB, restrictive for file-heavy teams
Advanced features like time tracking and portfolios require the higher Teams tier
Enterprise pricing is not publicly listed and requires a sales conversation
Smaller integration marketplace than larger competitors like Asana or Monday.com
AI Assistant is gated behind paid Starter tier and above
Microsoft Project
Pros
Deep integration with Microsoft 365 apps teams already use
Powerful, industry-standard Gantt and critical-path scheduling
Scales from small team task tracking to enterprise portfolio management
Familiar to generations of project managers trained on the .mpp format
Strong reporting via native Power BI connectors
Cons
Steep learning curve for advanced scheduling features
Desktop client requires Windows; no native macOS desktop app
Pricing per user can get expensive for large teams needing Plan 3 or 5
Less intuitive than modern visual PM tools like Asana or monday.com for simple task tracking
Enterprise portfolio features require add-on licensing and setup complexity
Use Cases
Choose Celoxis: Mid-size and large PMOs that need the option of on-premise or cloud deployment, along with deep what-if scenario forecasting and trend analysis for portfolio planning.
Choose Hive: Smaller or cross-functional teams that want a flexible, chat-native, AI-assisted work management tool with a genuinely free starting tier.
Choose Microsoft Project: Large organizations already standardized on Microsoft 365 that need enterprise-grade portfolio and demand management tied into Teams and Power BI.
Celoxis
Enterprise Portfolio & PMO Management — PMOs use Celoxis' analytics, dashboards, and what-if scenarios to plan and monitor portfolios of projects across an organization.
Data-Sensitive On-Premise Deployment — Organizations with data residency or security requirements install Celoxis on-premise instead of using a cloud-only alternative.
Hive
Cross-functional project management — Marketing, product and operations teams use Hive's flexible views to plan and track projects across departments in one workspace.
Agency and creative workflows — Creative and marketing agencies use Hive's proofing, approval and forms features to manage client deliverables and intake requests.
Remote team collaboration — Distributed teams use Hive's native chat and email integration to coordinate work without switching between separate communication tools.
Microsoft Project
Enterprise PMO portfolio management — Prioritize, sequence, and optimize a portfolio of competing projects with demand management and capacity tools.
Construction and engineering scheduling — Track detailed task dependencies, critical paths, and resource costs on large builds.
IT and software delivery scheduling — Coordinate cross-functional IT project timelines alongside Teams and SharePoint.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of Celoxis, Hive, and Microsoft Project can be deployed on-premise?
Only Celoxis. It offers both cloud-hosted and self-managed on-premise deployment on Linux and PostgreSQL; Hive and Microsoft Project are documented as cloud-based products.
Which has a free plan?
Hive has a Free plan for up to 10 workspace members. Celoxis has no free tier and requires a minimum of five full-access users, and Microsoft Project's cheapest tier, Project Plan 1, starts at $10/user/month with no free plan documented.
Which is best for a PMO managing multiple projects at once?
Celoxis and Microsoft Project both document portfolio-level reporting and what-if scenario forecasting aimed at PMOs, with Microsoft Project's deepest portfolio tools reserved for its top Plan 5 tier.
Does any of them include a built-in AI assistant?
Hive is the only one of the three with a documented AI Assistant, available from its Starter tier at $5/user/month.
Which integrates most tightly with Microsoft 365?
Microsoft Project, since it is a Microsoft product that connects natively to Teams, Power BI, and Entra ID, and requires an underlying Microsoft 365 license for most production users.
How do minimum seats and entry pricing compare?
Celoxis requires a minimum of five full-access users starting at $10/user/month, Hive has no minimum and a free tier before paid plans start at $5/user/month, and Microsoft Project has no documented minimum with entry pricing at $10/user/month.