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Head-to-head · Museum Software

eHive vs CollectiveAccess

  • Updated Sep 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score eHive #5 in Museum Software 7.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit eHive
CollectiveAccess #8 in Museum Software 6.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Try CollectiveAccess

eHive leads on 5 checks, CollectiveAccess on 0, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreeHive · 7.7/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featureseHive · 5 of 5

eHive scores higher on our rubric for museum software: 7.7 against 6.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #8.

eHive offers collection cataloging; CollectiveAccess doesn't publish it. eHive offers loan management; CollectiveAccess doesn't publish it. eHive offers exhibition management; CollectiveAccess doesn't publish it. eHive offers rights tracking; CollectiveAccess doesn't publish it. eHive offers public collections access; CollectiveAccess doesn't publish it.

eHive is the better fit for small museums publishing collections on a free plan. CollectiveAccess is the better fit for museums needing configurable metadata and preservation.

  • eHive fits best

    Small museums publishing collections on a free plan

  • CollectiveAccess fits best

    Museums needing configurable metadata and preservation

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature eHive 7.7/10 Visit ↗ CollectiveAccess 6.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 7.7 6.6
Ranking #5 in Museum Software #8 in Museum Software
Best for Small museums publishing collections on a free plan Museums needing configurable metadata and preservation
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web Web
Support Docs Live chat, Community, Docs
Integrations 3 integrations 3 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features eHive 5/5 · CollectiveAccess 0/5
Collection cataloging ✓ (best) Not published
Loan management ✓ (best) Not published
Exhibition management ✓ (best) Not published
Rights tracking ✓ (best) Not published
Public collections access ✓ (best) Not published
Specs
Deployment Cloud Not published
Our review
Pros
  • Catalogues varied object types with configurable field sets and media attachments
  • Tracks acquisitions, conservation, rights, loans, and exhibition history
  • Publishes searchable public profiles and offers REST API and OAI-PMH access
  • Configurable metadata models, batch cataloguing and multiple export formats
  • Handles images, video, audio, PDFs and 3D scans, with derivatives and migration
  • Combines access controls with fixity checks and BagIt preservation integration
Cons
  • Cloud-only deployment may not suit museums needing another hosting model
  • Support is documentation-based rather than through other listed channels
  • Visitor analytics are listed only on Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans
  • Public publishing requires the optional Pawtucket2 application
  • Self-hosting calls for organizations able to manage their own deployment
  • No specific loan or exhibition workflows are described
Our verdict

eHive is a web-based collection cataloguing and management system for museums and collections, including archaeology, archives, art, history, libraries, natural science, and photography and multimedia. It suits small institutions that want…

Read the review →

CollectiveAccess is open-source software for cataloguing and publishing cultural collections, aimed at museums, archives, libraries and other organizations managing varied materials. Its Providence application supports configurable…

Read the review →
  1. eHiveMuseum Software 7.7Free plan
  2. CollectiveAccessMuseum Software 6.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • eHive — where it wins

    • Catalogues varied object types with configurable field sets and media attachments
    • Tracks acquisitions, conservation, rights, loans, and exhibition history
    • Publishes searchable public profiles and offers REST API and OAI-PMH access

    Where it doesn't

    • Cloud-only deployment may not suit museums needing another hosting model
    • Support is documentation-based rather than through other listed channels
    • Visitor analytics are listed only on Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans

  • CollectiveAccess — where it wins

    • Configurable metadata models, batch cataloguing and multiple export formats
    • Handles images, video, audio, PDFs and 3D scans, with derivatives and migration
    • Combines access controls with fixity checks and BagIt preservation integration

    Where it doesn't

    • Public publishing requires the optional Pawtucket2 application
    • Self-hosting calls for organizations able to manage their own deployment
    • No specific loan or exhibition workflows are described

More comparisons

All museum software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026

Last updated · How we research and update