Kannect vs Hivebrite
The honest comparison. Hivebrite starts at $799/mo for their entry tier. Kannect covers growing organizations from $29/mo and enterprise multi-community from $3,500/mo, with published pricing at every tier.
Two comparisons below: growing orgs vs Hivebrite Connect, and enterprise multi-community vs Hivebrite Enterprise.
Pick your tier
Growing organization
Under 15,000 people. One community, one brand. Comparing Kannect self-serve ($29-$299/mo) to Hivebrite Connect ($799/mo).
See growing-orgs comparison →
Enterprise + multi-community
50,000+ people baseline. Parent organization with sub-communities. Comparing Kannect Enterprise ($3,500/mo starting) to Hivebrite Enterprise (quote-only).
See enterprise comparison →
Kannect self-serve vs Hivebrite Connect
Hivebrite Connect is their entry tier at $799/mo. Kannect self-serve covers the same use cases from $29/mo (Starter) up to $299/mo (Scale, up to 15,000 people).
Kannect Scale delivers more community features than Hivebrite Connect at 63% lower cost.
Hivebrite Connect is priced for the association market — $799/mo before you get to features like your own mobile app or automated journeys. Kannect Scale at $299/mo covers up to 15,000 people, includes the Kannect mobile app for members, adds automated email journeys, and applies a 1% platform fee on paid revenue with 0% on registered nonprofit donations.
For a growing chamber, nonprofit, PTA, or membership organization, Kannect Scale is the honest fit against Hivebrite Connect.
$29 vs $799
Starting price. Kannect Starter is $29/mo. Hivebrite Connect starts at $799/mo.
$299 vs $799
Top self-serve tier. Kannect Scale ($299/mo, 15,000 people) is 63% cheaper than Hivebrite Connect with more features.
0% vs varies
Nonprofit donation fee. Kannect: 0% on registered nonprofit donations. Hivebrite: varies by module.
Self-serve
Signup. Kannect: 7-day free trial, card required to keep the network spam-free. Hivebrite: sales cycle required.
Kannect Scale vs Hivebrite Connect
| Feature | Hivebrite Connect | Kannect Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $799/mo | $299/mo (63% cheaper) |
| People capacity | Custom | Up to 15,000 |
| Self-serve signup | 7-day free trial | |
| Full member CRM | ||
| Branded community website | ||
| Kannect mobile app for members | Custom app is add-on | Included |
| Events with ticketing (unlimited) | ||
| Recurring events | ||
| Memberships with unlimited tiers | 5 types | |
| Directories | 10 directories | |
| Automated email journeys | Higher tier | |
| Fundraising campaigns and donations | Add-on module | |
| 0% platform fee on nonprofit donations | ||
| Kannect Discover portal listing | ||
| Ownership | PE-backed | Independent, founder-run |
Kannect Enterprise vs Hivebrite Enterprise
National nonprofits, multi-campus universities, chamber networks, and franchise organizations that need parent-org visibility across independent sub-communities.
Kannect Enterprise publishes pricing. Hivebrite Enterprise is quote-only.
Hivebrite Enterprise has served enterprise alumni networks and global associations for years. If your organization runs a formal RFP procurement cycle with a preference for quote-only pricing, Hivebrite is a known quantity.
Kannect Enterprise takes a different approach. Published $3,500/mo starting, 5 sub-communities included, packs of 5 for expansion. Every sub-community gets its own branded iOS + Android mobile app included, its own branded website, and its own full CRM. Setup starts at $5,000. Platform fee: 0.5% — Kannect's lowest published rate, half the rate of other white-label tiers.
Published vs Quote
Enterprise pricing. Kannect publishes $3,500/mo starting. Hivebrite Enterprise is quote-only.
Included vs Add-on
Branded mobile app. Kannect includes iOS + Android apps per sub-community. Hivebrite often gates them behind add-ons.
5 included
Sub-communities at starting price. Kannect includes 5. Add more in packs of 5.
Founder-run
Ownership. Kannect is independent. Not for sale to the holding-company circuit.
Kannect Enterprise vs Hivebrite Enterprise
| Feature | Hivebrite Enterprise | Kannect Enterprise |
|---|---|---|
| Published enterprise pricing | $3,500/mo starting | |
| Sub-communities included at starting price | Quote-based | 5 included, add packs of 5 |
| People capacity baseline | Custom | 50,000 (packs for more) |
| Setup fee | Custom quote | Starts at $5,000 |
| Platform fee on paid revenue | Custom (opaque) | 0.5% — Kannect's lowest published rate |
| Branded iOS + Android app per sub | Often an add-on | Included |
| Fully white-labeled admin dashboard | ||
| Parent org dashboard with roll-up reporting | ||
| Full member CRM per sub-community | ||
| Memberships with unlimited tiers per sub | ||
| Fundraising campaigns and donations | ||
| 0% platform fee on nonprofit donations | ||
| SSO / SAML | ||
| Dedicated success manager (leads implementation) | ||
| Ownership | PE-backed | Independent, founder-run |
Be honest about the fit
When to choose Hivebrite
- You run a formal enterprise RFP procurement process.
- You need deep integrations with an association management system.
- You are a Fortune 500 or global alumni network with existing Hivebrite investment.
- Quote-based pricing is your preference at every tier.
When to choose Kannect
- You want published pricing you can plan against without a sales cycle.
- You are a growing organization who wants to start under $100/mo and scale up.
- You want branded iOS and Android mobile apps included, not gated.
- You run a national nonprofit, multi-campus university, chamber network, or franchise organization needing multi-community architecture.
- You want each sub-community to have its own full community operating system.
- You want independent ownership, not a platform positioned for acquisition.
Community platform without the enterprise theater
Hivebrite built its business selling to Fortune 500 alumni networks. That comes with pricing opacity, procurement cycles, and add-on gating — even for orgs that don't need it.
Pricing you can plan against
Kannect self-serve starts at $29/mo. Kannect Enterprise starts at $3,500/mo. Both are published. No discovery call required to get a number.
Mobile apps included
Every Kannect Enterprise sub-community gets its own branded iOS and Android app. Self-serve tiers include the Kannect mobile app for members. No add-on gate at any tier.
Independent and founder-run
Kannect is not for sale to the holding-company circuit. What you buy today is what you have in five years.
On Kannect, the enterprise features come without the enterprise theater. Published pricing. Included mobile apps. Independent ownership.
Switching from Hivebrite
How does Kannect self-serve compare to Hivebrite Connect on price?
Hivebrite Connect starts at $799/mo. Kannect self-serve plans start at $29/mo and scale to $299/mo (Scale, up to 15,000 people). Kannect Scale at $299/mo delivers more community features than Hivebrite Connect at $799/mo, at 63% lower cost.
How does Kannect Enterprise compare to Hivebrite Enterprise?
Hivebrite Enterprise is quote-based, typically $25,000 to $50,000+ per year. Kannect Enterprise starts at $3,500/mo ($42,000/year) plus $5,000 setup, and includes 5 sub-communities each with the full Kannect operating system.
Can I move from Hivebrite to Kannect?
Yes. Small and mid-size orgs move to Kannect self-serve at their next renewal. Enterprise multi-community orgs move to Kannect Enterprise, migrating networks one at a time and keeping Hivebrite running during the transition.
What does Kannect include that Hivebrite requires add-ons for?
Branded iOS and Android mobile app, custom sending domain, automated email journeys, 0% platform fee on nonprofit donations, and (on Enterprise) full white-labeled admin dashboard, SSO/SAML, and 5 sub-communities. On Hivebrite these often require add-ons or higher tiers.
Is Kannect really the only enterprise community platform with published pricing?
Kannect is the only community operating system with a published enterprise price and included sub-community count. Hivebrite, Bevy, Higher Logic, and Bettermode Enterprise are all quote-only.
What ownership model does Kannect have?
Kannect is independent and founder-run. Not for sale to the holding-company circuit that now owns Meetup and Eventbrite. Your contract terms, product direction, and partnership stay predictable.
Community platform without the theater
Published pricing at every tier. Mobile apps included. Independent ownership. See where Kannect fits your organization.