Hiveage

Hiveage launched in 2014 in Colombo, Sri Lanka with a focused proposition: build the online invoicing and billing platform that freelancers and small businesses actually want with a free plan for under 5 clients and paid tiers that scale by client count rather than per-user complexity. By 2026 Hiveage serves freelancers and small businesses globally with unlimited invoices on every tier and a 14-day free trial of the Pro plan for paid tier evaluation.

Who Hiveage is right for

This is a vertical product for freelancers and small service-based businesses. The clearest fit in 2026 is solo freelancers and consultants with under 5 clients (Free plan), growing freelancers reaching 50 to 250 clients (Basic or Pro), and small teams managing up to 1,000 clients (Plus). Hiveage is the wrong choice for businesses needing native mobile apps for daily invoicing (Wave or Zoho Invoice fit better), businesses needing deep accounting beyond invoicing (QuickBooks or FreshBooks fit), or organizations needing enterprise-tier custom features (Plus tier custom plans cover this with sales engagement).

Hiveage pricing in 2026

Verified on 2026-06-19 against the official Hiveage pricing page. Annual billing saves up to 17 percent versus monthly. All paid tiers include 14-day free trial of Pro plan with no credit card required.

Hidden costs to know about

Two watch-outs. First, monthly billing adds approximately 17 percent over annual rates; committed buyers should commit annually. Second, payment processing fees through integrated gateways (Stripe, PayPal, etc.) are separate from Hiveage subscription. Tier upgrades as client count grows past 5 (Free to Basic), 50 (Basic to Pro), 250 (Pro to Plus), or 1,000 (Plus to Custom) are the primary cost driver as businesses scale.

Hiveage vs alternatives at a glance

Integrations

Payment gateway integration including Stripe, PayPal, and major regional payment processors. Time tracking and expense tracking native. Limited third-party app ecosystem; Zapier handles some integrations on Basic and Pro tiers. REST API on Plus tier for direct custom integrations. The integration approach is focused on the core invoicing-and-billing workflow rather than ecosystem breadth.

Pros and cons

What works: Free plan with 5 clients and unlimited invoices is genuinely usable for solo freelancers. Time tracking and expense tracking included on every plan. Tier flexibility scales by client count rather than per-user pricing. Up to 17 percent annual billing savings. Custom plans for enterprises exceeding 1,000 clients. Sri Lanka headquartered company provides cost-effective product investment.

Where it strains: No native iOS or Android mobile app (web-responsive only). API access gated to Plus tier ($42/month yearly). Smaller third-party app ecosystem than Wave or QuickBooks. Limited compared to full accounting platforms like FreshBooks or QuickBooks Online. Less brand recognition in some markets versus established competitors.

What real buyers say

Operator reviews on SoftwareAdvice, SelectHub, and the r/freelance subreddit cluster around three wins: Free plan with 5 clients is genuinely usable for solo freelancers, time tracking included on every plan eliminates separate Toggl subscription, and tier flexibility by client count avoids per-user cost climb. Common pushback is on the absence of native mobile apps, API gating to Plus tier, and smaller integration ecosystem versus Wave or QuickBooks.

Field guide

Buyer action plan

Start with the permanently free plan if you have 5 or fewer clients. Add real customers. Create one professional invoice. Track time on one client engagement. Test payment gateway integration. If you grow past 5 clients, upgrade to Basic ($16/month yearly). For 50+ clients with team members and automated reminders, Pro ($25/month) is the standard choice. For 250+ clients and API access, Plus ($42/month) is required.

2026 updates

Hiveage continued refinement of the time tracking and expense tracking integration with invoicing. Payment gateway support expanded. The free plan with 5 clients remains a strong customer acquisition path. The 14-day trial of Pro plan continues to serve as the upgrade pathway for free users hitting the 5-client ceiling.

Security and compliance

Cloud platform with TLS in transit, encryption at rest, GDPR support, role-based access controls on team plans, two-factor authentication. PCI-compliant payment processing through integrated gateways. Sri Lanka headquarters with international data residency for global customers.

Customer support

Email, knowledge base, Hiveage Help Center. Plus tier includes personalized migration support for businesses switching from other invoicing platforms. Response times during global business hours; Sri Lanka headquarters means time zone gaps for some US-only support requests. r/freelance and small business communities provide peer support discussions.

Who can use Hiveage

Best fit: freelancers and small service-based businesses 1 to 10 employees needing invoicing plus time tracking plus expense tracking. Reasonable fit: any solo operator wanting client-count-based tier flexibility with free entry. Not a fit: businesses needing native mobile apps for daily invoicing (Wave or Zoho Invoice fit better), deep accounting beyond invoicing (QuickBooks or FreshBooks fit), or enterprises with very specific compliance requirements (larger US-headquartered alternatives fit).

Mobile app

Hiveage does not publish a dedicated native iOS or Android mobile app in 2026. The web app is mobile-responsive and usable from mobile browsers for invoice creation, time tracking, and client management. For freelancers wanting native mobile apps for daily invoice tasks, alternatives like Wave or Zoho Invoice with their iOS and Android apps fit better.

How to get started with Hiveage

Sign up for the permanently free plan at the official Hiveage pricing page. Add up to 5 real customers. Create one professional invoice. Track time on one engagement. Test payment gateway integration. If you grow past 5 clients, upgrade to Basic, Pro, or Plus based on client count, team size, custom domain, and API access needs. Commit annually for up to 17 percent savings.

Top alternatives to Hiveage

Zoho Invoice is the permanently free alternative with Zoho ecosystem integration. Wave is the free alternative with integrated bookkeeping for US and Canada. FreshBooks is the paid alternative with broader feature set including time tracking plus invoicing. QuickBooks Online is the dominant US small business accounting platform. InvoiceBerry is the alternative with SMS invoice sending on the Ultra plan. Invoicera is the alternative with 15+ payment gateway support.

How to cancel Hiveage

Cancellation is self-serve from account settings. Monthly subscriptions cancel at end of billing period. Annual subscriptions cancel at renewal with prorated refund where applicable. Free plan persists after paid cancellation. Data export available via CSV. No cancellation fee.

Bottom line

Hiveage is the right pick for a freelancer or small business that wants invoicing plus time tracking plus expense tracking with a free 5-client tier and paid plans scaling by client count from 50 to 1,000 clients. Pro at $25/month yearly with 250 clients and 5 team members is the most popular tier. For native mobile apps, Wave or Zoho Invoice fit better. For deep accounting, FreshBooks or QuickBooks Online fit. For freelancers wanting client-count-based tier flexibility with included time tracking, Hiveage is competitive in 2026.

Verified on 2026-06-19. Pricing verified from the official Hiveage pricing page.