ezeep vs PaperCut Hive: Cloud Print Management Compared
Looking for a PaperCut alternative or evaluating ezeep alongside PaperCut Hive? This is a current, side-by-side comparison of how each platform handles cloud-native printing, pricing, channel availability, and platform support. (Updated as of August 2026)
Quick Comparison
Do Users Need Print Drivers? ezeep vs. PaperCut Hive
ezeep - renders in the cloud
Every job is rendered in the cloud against 6,000+ drivers, then sent finished to the printer.
- User machines stay driver-free; finishing still comes through
- Secure Pull Printing on any printer; no embedded app on the device
- Ready for Windows Protected Print Mode
- Printers connect via ezeep Hub or a Windows Software Connector; outbound-only and encrypted
- On user machines, the ezeep app adds ezeep as a printer for File -> Print, deployed through Intune or similar
- Print Now handles most documents from a browser with nothing installed.
PaperCut Hive - renders on user computers
Jobs render on each user's computer, then travel across the local network.
- Driverless only for PDF-capable printers; finishing needs manufacturer drivers
- Secure release needs an embedded MFD app, licensed separately
- The Hive client runs on users' Windows and Mac computers, together forming Edge Mesh
- Direct cloud pull is in beta, not on all brands
- Chromebooks and mobile devices can submit jobs, but can't act as edge nodes
- At least one Windows or Mac machine has to stay on site
Which Devices and Environments are Supported?
ezeep supports Windows, macOS, ChromeOS & Chrome browser, iOS & iPadOS, Android, and web-based printing - plus virtual desktop environments including Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Citrix, Parallels, and Omnissa Horizon.
Print jobs can also come from other systems - ERP, CRM, EHR, and similar business applications - through the ezeep REST API.
PaperCut Hive supports Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, iOS & iPadOS, and Android.
Desktop and mobile coverage is comparable. The difference shows up in virtual desktop environments and in printing your own software can trigger.
How Each Platform is Priced
ezeep
ezeep is priced per user, billed monthly or annually. Plans run from a free tier for up to 10 users through small-business and enterprise deployments, with dedicated plans for coworking spaces and education. Pricing is published.
The free tier is free indefinitely - not a time-limited trial. The 14-day free trial gives full-feature access without a credit card, and when it ends, the account moves to the free plan rather than switching off.
ezeep is sold direct, with a partner option.
PaperCut Hive
PaperCut Hive is priced per printer as an annual subscription. The base subscription covers core printing; the embedded app that enables release at the device and Cloud OCR are purchased separately. Subscriptions require a 12-month minimum commitment.
PaperCut Hive is sold exclusively through certified resellers, so pricing isn't published on PaperCut's website - quotes come through the reseller. A free trial is available.
Hive requires a reseller conversation before you can buy.
Quotas & Reporting
ezeep
ezeep includes a print monitoring dashboard with print volume, cost estimates, and per-user, per-group, and per-printer breakdowns on Pro plans and above. CSV export is available on Business and Enterprise plans. There is no native print quote enforcement.
PaperCut Hive
PaperCut Hive includes Print Quotas and Copy Control with "zero-stop" enforcement - jobs are blocked from starting (or halted mid-job) when budgets are exhausted. The MFD interface estimates remaining pages from current balance to prevent surprise stops.
How is Print Data Protected?
ezeep is GDPR compliant and publishes a Data Processing Addendum. It runs on Microsoft Azure (ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certified), with ezeep's own ISO 27001 certification in progress. Print data is encrypted in transit with TLS 1.3 and at rest with AES-256; jobs held for secure release stay encrypted and are deleted after 72 hours if nobody collects them. The Hub connects outbound only, so printers can sit on an isolated network segment.
PaperCut holds ISO 27001 certification and publishes a Trust Center, and Hive offers SAML single sign-on with MFA. One structural difference worth nothing: Hive replicates each job in encrypted form across other users' computers for redundancy, and its recommended RAW/9100 delivery sends jobs in plain text, while printers supporting IPPS can be encrypted end to end.
Which One Fits Your Environment?
ezeep is The Better Fit For:
- Teams that want self-service onboarding, transparent pricing, and a free tier that doesn't expire
- Organizations with diverse endpoints - virtual desktops, mixed mobile, browser-based BYOD
- Coworking, education, and shared-printing environments billed per user
- Environments where a small hardware connector is preferred over running software on a Windows host
- Organizations preparing for Windows Protected Print Mode
- Printing driven by other systems - ERP, CRM, EHR and similar applications - through the ezeep REST API or the ezeep MCP server
PaperCut Hive May Be The Better Fit For:
- Organizations already working with a PaperCut reseller
- Use cases that require hard print quotas with enforcement at the device
- Organizations that need to track copy, scan, and fax activity at the MFD, not just printing
- Sites that want scan-to-email and scan-to-cloud workflows run from the printer's touchscreen
Frequently Asked Questions
How does ezeep compare to PaperCut MF, PaperCut's on-premises product?
PaperCut MF is PaperCut's server-based product — you host and maintain it yourself, which makes it a different evaluation from Hive. This page covers Hive, PaperCut's cloud product. For the server-based comparison, see our ezeep vs PaperCut MF page.
Can I migrate from PaperCut to ezeep?
Yes, and nothing in an ezeep setup depends on your existing one. Printers connect through the ezeep Hub or the Windows Software Connector, and users sync from Microsoft Entra ID or Google Workspace. The ezeep app for Windows and Mac deploys through Intune or similar device management tools, so nobody has to visit machines individually, and Print Now handles most documents straight from a browser.
Because ezeep renders print jobs in the cloud, manufacturer print drivers on user machines are no longer needed and can be removed during the transition.
Since ezeep runs on its own infrastructure, you can set it up and test with a small group before committing to anything.
Does ezeep work with my existing printers?
Yes. ezeep renders print jobs in the cloud against a library of more than 6,000 printer drivers, so no specific printer brand or model is required.
Do I still need a print server?
No. The ezeep Hub connects printers to the cloud without a server or a dedicated PC at the site. If you'd rather keep an existing Windows machine in the picture, the Software Connector runs on it instead.
Do users have to install anything?
The ezeep app runs on Windows and Mac for printing from File → Print, and deploys through Intune or similar tools rather than machine by machine. Print Now covers most documents from a web browser with nothing installed. PaperCut Hive also requires its client on Windows and Mac - those machines are what process and store print jobs for the organization.
Is there a free version of either product?
ezeep has a free tier for up to 10 users, with driverless printing, unlimited print jobs, and one connector. It doesn't expire. PaperCut Hive has no free tier - it requires a 12-month subscription, though a free trial is available.
Which costs less, ezeep or PaperCut Hive?
That can't be answered from public information. ezeep's pricing is published; PaperCut Hive's comes through a reseller quote. The two also count different things - ezeep per user, Hive per printer - so which works out lower depends on your own environment. What you can compare before buying is how much each platform lets you evaluate on your own: ezeep's free tier and 14-day trial need no conversation and no commitment.
See ezeep Running in Your Environment
Full-feature access for 14 days. No credit card required. If you decide ezeep isn't the right fit, your account simply moves to the Free plan, and your printer setup and user invitations are preserved.
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