Compare, as of Oct 2026
RiQ vs HiveHire.
HiveHire is the equipment hire module in HiveSuite, UK job management software for contractors and mobile service businesses, launched on 11 Oct 2026. Here is how RiQ compares for UK hire companies, based on HiveSuite’s public pages, checked 19 Oct 2026.
| Topic | RiQ | HiveHire |
|---|---|---|
| Who it’s for | UK hire businesses from the single yard to groups and networks, tool and plant first. | HiveSuite is for contractors, tradespeople and mobile service businesses; HiveHire adds hire for any of them that hire out equipment. |
| Online booking | Hire website on your own domain and branding, with online booking, live availability, and card payments and deposits at checkout, in every tier. | Hire items are added to HivePlanner jobs, with live availability and overbooking warnings or blocks. The pricing page lists website forms, online booking slots and a branded customer portal; a customer hire checkout is not described in the release notes or on the pricing page. |
| Deployment | Fully cloud-based. Nothing to install and no on-premises servers to run. | Works in the browser on any device, with a native Android app that works offline and an installable web app on iPhone. |
| Hire pricing | Seasonal and utilisation-aware pricing with the Dynamic Pricing app, inside the floor and ceiling prices you set. | Rate cards with daily, weekly and monthly rates, rate tables or fixed periods, always priced at the cheapest combination, plus charging days and minimum hire. |
| Out and back | Off-hire, extension and partial returns, with timestamped before and after photos from the Condition Photos app. | Meter and fuel readings, condition, photos and signatures at dispatch and return, charged up to the customer’s off-hire request. |
| Delivery | Multi-drop delivery and collection planning with the Route Optimiser app, and delivery ETAs from the SMS & WhatsApp Notifications app. | Delivery and collection priced per mile or by distance band from your yard, with included miles and a minimum charge. |
| Invoicing | Invoicing is a bolt-on on Tier 3, the full platform, with sync to Xero, QuickBooks or Sage. | Invoice on return, on a set date or on a recurring schedule for long hires, with nothing billed twice. QuickBooks and Xero sync on every plan. |
| Plans | Three tiers: website and online booking, managed booking, and the full platform. Join the waitlist to find the tier that fits. | Included on every HiveSuite plan at no extra cost, from Solo at £34.99 a month inc VAT for 1 admin or staff seat and 2 crew seats, with a 30-day trial. |
| Availability | Waitlist open; onboarding in stages, tool and plant first. | Available now, since 11 Oct 2026. |
Where HiveHire is strong
- Published GBP pricing including VAT, with HiveHire on every plan and a 30-day trial with no card needed.
- Rate cards that always find the cheapest mix of months, weeks and days, with charging paused for breakdowns or bad weather.
- Hire sits inside the same jobs, calendar, crew app and invoices, including recurring invoices for long hires and an offline hire board on Android.
Where RiQ is different
- Built for hire first, running live tool and plant hire at National Tool Hire and Mammoth Hire.
- A hire website on your own domain and branding, with online booking, is Tier 1 itself, so customers can check availability, book and pay.
- If you’d rather not run bookings yourself, on Tier 2 National Tool Hire manages the booking side for you.
Switching from HiveHire
Join the waitlist, tell us what you hire out and how customers book today, and ask us which tier fits. HiveSuite’s pricing FAQ says cancelling takes effect straight away, so export your data before you cancel.
Sources
- HiveSuite: Introducing HiveHire, release notes of 11 Oct 2026 (checked 19 Oct 2026)
- HiveSuite: pricing and FAQ (checked 19 Oct 2026)
Information about HiveHire comes from its public website as of Oct 2026 and may have changed since. Product names belong to their owners. If anything here is out of date, tell us and we’ll correct it.
Waitlist
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Join the RiQ waitlist for early access and a switching review at no cost. It takes about a minute.