Hive Fabric vs ThinLinc
Hive Fabric
hiveio.comThinLinc
cendio.comSide by side
| Figure | Hive Fabric | ThinLinc |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $5.50/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 13 |
| Spec score · Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Software | 8.2 (#8) | 8.7 (#5) |
| Administration | The web UI is accessible from any host in a cluster and can manage multiple sites and clusters from one interface. | ThinLinc provides web-based administration and command-line administration tools. |
| Headquarters | Hoboken, New Jersey, United States | Linköping, Sweden |
| Security | Its access gateway supports MFA using RADIUS or token-based two-factor authentication based on Open Auth. | ThinLinc routes traffic through SSH tunnels and TLS, and sends encrypted pixels to clients. |
Plans
Hive Fabric
- Hive Fabric Community EditionFree
- Hive Fabric CorePriced on request
- Hive Fabric EnterprisePriced on request
ThinLinc
- FreeFree
- Standard$122 a year
- Premium$168 a year
- Community licenseFree
- FreeFree
- ThinLinc Standard (500+ users)$66 a year
- ThinLinc Premium (500+ users)$91 a year
- ThinLinc Standard (11–49 users)$103 a year
- ThinLinc Standard (1–10 users)$122 a year
- ThinLinc Premium (11–49 users)$142 a year
In their own words
Hive Fabric
Hive Fabric is a virtualization platform for Windows and Linux desktop and server workloads, designed for deployments from edge sites to multiple enterprise locations. Built on the open-source KVM hypervisor, it combines hyperconverged and RAM-based storage with support for network and cloud storage. A browser portal provides access to desktops, servers, and physical systems over RDP or an integrated HTML5 client. Administrators can manage multiple sites and clusters from one web interface, and desktop pools can span hosts without shared storage, with live migration between them. Access can use MFA through RADIUS or token-based two-factor authentication. Data Protection replicates VMs, User Volumes, and Templates to selected cloud or on-premises storage on daily, weekly, or monthly schedules. Hive Sense checks phone-home data hourly and may initiate support engagement when it detects anomalies. Installation uses a single ISO. Community Edition costs nothing and provides a perpetual license for one physical host and unlimited VMs; activation requires ClusterID registration.
ThinLinc
ThinLinc centrally hosts Linux applications and desktops in a data center or cloud, then makes them available for remote access from Windows, macOS, Linux, or a web browser. Its server feature list includes high availability, fail-over, clustering, load balancing, multiple sessions per user, and single-application publishing. Authentication options include passwords, one-time passwords, public keys, smart cards, and Kerberos tickets. Traffic passes through SSH tunnels and TLS, with encrypted pixels sent to clients. ThinLinc includes TigerVNC, noVNC, OpenSSH, CUPS, and PulseAudio. The maker describes the software as suitable for demanding EDA and CAD workloads, including access from different locations. The server allows three concurrent graphical sessions by default; a separate free license file raises this to ten concurrent users. ThinLinc offers free time-limited evaluation licenses. Its free plan is listed at free, for 10 concurrent users. Standard is $122 a year per user and Premium is $168 a year per user; both are billed in advance for 12 months and cover 1–10 users.