Guru
Guru turns its knowledge base into an agent platform — now you configure the agent by talking to it.
Comparison · Collab
KACE vs Hive
A side-by-side editorial comparison of KACE and Hive — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
KACE vs Hive: at a glance
| Feature | KACE | Hive |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Collab | Collab, PM |
| Velocity score | 6.3 | 5.0 |
| Sparks · 30d | 1 | 0 |
| Top themes | endpoint management, patch management, windows arm64, enterprise it | dashboards, workflow-automation, ai-assistant, integrations |
| Last editorial update | 4d ago | 14h ago |
| Website | — | Visit → |
What is KACE?
KACE keeps its endpoint management current with native Windows ARM64 support and modern auth.
KACE runs a steady maintenance-plus-release cadence across its two lines — the on-prem SMA appliance and KACE Cloud. The headline is SMA 15.1, which adds native Windows ARM64 agent support, Windows 11 24H2 feature-update handling, HTTPS-only enforcement, and OAuth 2.0 for Microsoft 365 email. The rest of the window is routine: cloud bug fixes, mobile Connect app patches, and a monthly patch-catalog refresh.
What is Hive?
Hive keeps tightening dashboards and threading its Buzz assistant deeper into workflows.
Hive is a project-management and collaboration suite whose recent work clusters in two places: dashboard analytics (conditional formatting, unified series controls, per-project goal filtering) and AI-assisted automation through its Buzz assistant. The July releases are almost entirely incremental — permission warnings, bulk-select shortcuts, refreshed reminders — with the QuickBooks–Buzz integration the only move that meaningfully widens the surface. Nothing here reshapes the product; it's steady polish on an established feature set.
KACE vs Hive: editorial side-by-side
KACE
6.3COLLAB
KACE keeps its endpoint management current with native Windows ARM64 support and modern auth.
◆ Current state
KACE runs a steady maintenance-plus-release cadence across its two lines — the on-prem SMA appliance and KACE Cloud. The headline is SMA 15.1, which adds native Windows ARM64 agent support, Windows 11 24H2 feature-update handling, HTTPS-only enforcement, and OAuth 2.0 for Microsoft 365 email. The rest of the window is routine: cloud bug fixes, mobile Connect app patches, and a monthly patch-catalog refresh.
◆ Where it's heading
KACE's arc is keeping pace with the modern Windows and Microsoft 365 fleet — ARM64 devices, UUP feature updates, modern auth — while hardening security defaults. This is compatibility-and-compliance work aimed at retaining enterprise IT that manages heterogeneous, up-to-date endpoints.
◆ Prediction
Expect the monthly patch-catalog updates and incremental KACE Cloud releases to continue, with SMA point releases extending modern-Windows and modern-auth coverage.
Hive
5.0COLLABPM
Hive keeps tightening dashboards and threading its Buzz assistant deeper into workflows.
◆ Current state
Hive is a project-management and collaboration suite whose recent work clusters in two places: dashboard analytics (conditional formatting, unified series controls, per-project goal filtering) and AI-assisted automation through its Buzz assistant. The July releases are almost entirely incremental — permission warnings, bulk-select shortcuts, refreshed reminders — with the QuickBooks–Buzz integration the only move that meaningfully widens the surface. Nothing here reshapes the product; it's steady polish on an established feature set.
◆ Where it's heading
The center of gravity is analytics dashboards and Buzz-driven automation, and both keep accreting small capabilities rather than landing large ones. Hive appears to be positioning its AI assistants (Buzz and Sidekick) as a connective layer stitched into reminders, integrations, and approvals rather than as a standalone feature. Release cadence is high but per-release weight is low.
◆ Prediction
The next moves likely extend Buzz into more third-party integrations and dashboard automations, following the QuickBooks pattern, plus continued mobile parity after Mail reached the app.
Alternatives to KACE and Hive
Other Collab products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either KACE or Hive.
Rocket.Chat
Rocket.Chat opens its 8.7 cycle by moving OAuth server-side and adding phishing-resistant MFA.
SiYuan
SiYuan's rapid-fire releases keep pouring effort into its Notion-style database layer.
Teable
Teable ships fast on BYODB, billing instrumentation, and security hardening — steady, not showy.
Powell Software
Powell's feed is intranet thought-leadership; the real release notes sit just past the window.
GitHub
GitHub is building the governance layer for AI-written code.
Recent activity from KACE and Hive
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 1d agoHiveImproved Find Buzz faster from Hive messages 🐝
- 5d agoKACEJuly 2026 Microsoft Patch Tuesday
- 6d agoKACEKACE Cloud: Fixed issue with MFA configuration on new tenants
- 6d agoHiveNew Option-click now selects or clears all checkboxes in List View
- 6d agoHiveNew Automate follow-up when timesheets are approved.*
- 6d agoHiveNew Refreshed calendar meeting reminders
- 6d agoHiveNew Smarter dashboard sharing permissions
- 8d agoKACEKACE SMA 15.1 Release ⚡
- 11d agoHiveImproved QuickBooks-powered Buzz automations
- 24d agoKACEKACE Cloud: payload caching, Windows device verification, custom reporting
- 27d agoKACEKACE Cloud Connect app for iOS updated to v2.2.48
- 1mo agoKACEKACE Cloud Connect app for Android updated to v2.0.42
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between KACE and Hive?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. KACE is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is KACE better than Hive?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. KACE is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Collab products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to KACE?
Top KACE alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "KACE alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/kace for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Hive?
Top Hive alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Hive alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/hive for the full list with editorial commentary on each.