No print servers?
No problem.

PaperCut Hive is a cloud-native platform that gives you total control over your printing without needing any print servers. The cloud and your user computers work together as a team to manage, secure, and report on your entire printing environment.

The journey starts with PaperCut Hive automatically installing the right print queues on the right user computers. Then, when users print, direct print jobs go straight to the printer, while secure jobs are held securely on user computers or in the cloud until they are released and delivered by user computers working together or pulled from the cloud by the MFD.

No, you do not need any local print servers or dedicated infrastructure. PaperCut Hive is entirely cloud-native and serverless.

The cloud handles all administrative tasks, queue management, and reporting, as well as securely rendering and holding print jobs when needed. Depending on your setup, print jobs are processed locally across your network or pulled directly from the cloud by supported MFDs. This removes the cost, maintenance, and single point of failure of traditional print servers.

While both are cloud-native, serverless print management solutions built on the same modern platform, they serve different requirements:

PaperCut Pocket is designed for print enablement and visibility. It automates print queue deployment and driver management across user devices for both direct printing and Find-Me Printing, allowing users to securely release jobs using their mobile phone without needing software installed directly on the printer.

PaperCut Hive includes everything in PaperCut Pocket, plus complete control over your Multi-Function Devices (MFDs). It installs embedded software directly on the printer’s touchscreen, unlocking advanced capabilities:

• Secure on-screen print release: Users authenticate at the MFD using a badge or access code to release jobs.

• Integrated Scanning: Scan to email or cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, etc.) directly from the MFD touchscreen.)

• Full device control and tracking: Track and control copy, fax, and scan activity, not just print.

• Partner supported: Deployed and supported by trained PaperCut Partners to fit your unique needs.

If you only need to automate print queue deployment and offer mobile print release, PaperCut Pocket is a great fit. If you need MFD touchscreen integration, copy tracking, or scanning workflows, PaperCut Hive is the right choice.

The key difference comes down to your infrastructure preferences and deployment model:

PaperCut Hive is a fully cloud-native, serverless SaaS platform. It is designed for organizations that want to modernize their print environment by eliminating on-premises print servers entirely, delivering secure print release, queue management, and Integrated Scanning straight from the cloud.

PaperCut MF is a self-hosted print management platform that can be installed on-premises or in a private cloud environment. It is built for organizations that require local server infrastructure or have specific data sovereignty requirements.

Both products provide secure printing, device control, and usage tracking across your print fleet.

Not sure which architecture best fits your environment? Reach out to our team or a PaperCut Partner to discuss your technical requirements.

Yes. PaperCut Hive supports virtually every major printer and MFD manufacturer on the market.

• Standard and single-function printers: Works with practically any networked printer to provide secure print release and print tracking.

• Multifunctionality printers: On touchscreen MFDs from leading brands, including Canon, HP, Ricoh, Xerox, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Sharp, Toshiba, Lexmark, Epson, and Fujifilm, our embedded application unlocks full device control.

  • Authenticate users directly at the device screen via ID card or access code.

  • Monitor, restrict, and report on all device activity, not just printing.

  • Scan documents directly from the touchscreen to email or cloud storage destinations like Google Drive, OneDrive and SharePoint.

For embedded MFD applications, check our Supported Printers page to review supported manufacturer platforms, or speak with your PaperCut Partner to confirm compatibility.

PaperCut Hive supports all major desktop and mobile operating systems, including Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Android.

For desktop environments, PaperCut Hive automatically deploys the right print queues and drivers directly to Windows and macOS devices. Regardless of whether your team prints from a corporate workstation, a Chromebook, or a personal mobile device, every user gets the exact same consistent, effortless printing experience.

More information can be found in our System Requirements.

Yes. PaperCut Hive is used by education institutions of all sizes, from K-12 schools to colleges and universities, who want simple, secure print management without the cost and complexity of on-premises print servers.

PaperCut Hive is ideal for education environments looking to:

• Go serverless: Eliminate local print servers, saving on hardware costs.

• Simplify Print Queue Deployment: Automatically push the right print queues and drivers to staff and students.

• Protect student and staff data: Secure Print Release ensures sensitive documents (like student records or exam papers) aren’t left sitting unattended on printer trays.

• Enable easy scanning: Integrated Scanning lets staff and students scan documents directly from the MFD touchscreen to email or cloud storage like Google Drive and OneDrive.

• Control usage: Built-in features like user groups, quotas, and tracking help manage printing costs and prevent waste across departments.

We know that every educational institution has unique requirements. Reach out to our team or a PaperCut Partner to discuss your specific environment and see if PaperCut Hive is the right fit for your school.

Yes. PaperCut Hive is engineered for enterprise scalability, multi-site deployments, and modern network security, allowing large organizations to eliminate traditional print servers entirely.

Why enterprise IT teams choose PaperCut Hive:

• Zero print servers: Eliminate on-premises print servers entirely.

• Cloud Identity integration: Natively supports multi-tenant Cloud Identity Providers (IdPs) such as Microsoft Entra ID and Google Workspace for automated user sync and secure single sign-on across multiple domains.

• Flexible and secure job delivery: Depending on your hardware and network setup, PaperCut Hive supports multiple delivery pathways, including secure cloud pull release (via HTTPS Port 443) and local direct-push printing (via standard protocols like IPP and Port 9100).

• Zero-Trust & segmented network ready: Built to work across complex enterprise environments, branch offices, and segmented VLANs without requiring complex infrastructure overhauls.

• Centralized cloud management: Easily deploy, configure, and monitor your entire global print fleet, security policies, and user access from a single cloud console.

Enterprise networks each have unique security requirements and hardware mixes. Reach out to our team to discuss your specific infrastructure and explore how PaperCut Hive fits into your roadmap.

Yes, PaperCut Hive, through it's Print Queue Deployment feature, completely automates the distribution of print queues and drivers across your organization, eliminating manual setup for IT teams and users alike.

Once the PaperCut Hive client is running on a user's Mac or Windows device, it automatically discovers and configures the correct print queues based on who they are, the network they are connected to, and the computer they are using. When a user connects logs on, the appropriate printers appear on their machine automatically without requiring admin credentials, manual driver installations, or assistance from the helpdesk.

PaperCut Hive offers several flexible, touch-free, and on-device release options so users can collect their documents at any printer:

• Users can log in directly at the printer's screen using their existing ID card or fob, or by entering a access code to select and release their print jobs.

• Using the PaperCut Hive mobile app, users can release jobs instantly by scanning a QR code on the printer, tapping an NFC tag, or selecting the printer from a list.

Because documents stay securely held until the user is standing right at the device, sensitive pages are never left sitting unattended on an open tray.

Yes. PaperCut Hive is built from the ground up with enterprise-grade security to protect both your administrative data and your actual print and scan content.

Depending on your organization's workflow, document data can travel through your local network or be processed and stored in the cloud. Wherever your documents go, they are fully encrypted in transit and at rest using bank-grade security protocols. Cloud-stored print jobs and digital scans are automatically deleted as soon as they are delivered to your destination or printer.

Beyond the encryption of data in transit and at rest, PaperCut Hive protects your physical privacy at the device. The option of Secure Print Release paired with options such as our mobile app, swipe cards, and access codes, ensure that sensitive documents are never printed until you are standing at the machine to collect them.

Yes. PaperCut Hive includes a lightweight client application that runs on user workstations (Windows and macOS).

What the client application does:

• Automatically installs and configures the correct print queues and drivers as configured by an admin.

• Manages local print job processing and delivery.

• Can be silently deployed across your entire organization in minutes using standard MDM or IT management tools (such as Microsoft Intune, Jamf, or Kandji).

You can be up and running in a matter of hours - not days or weeks. Because PaperCut Hive is cloud-native, there are no physical servers to procure or configure, making deployment exceptionally fast.

PaperCut Hive is delivered through our network of certified PaperCut Partners. Whether you want your partner to handle the entire setup or you prefer a hands-on approach with guided support, they ensure a smooth, tailored rollout for your environment:

• Effortless directory integration: Easily sync with Microsoft Entra ID or Google Workspace to import users and group memberships.

• One-click MFD apps: Remotely deploy embedded applications directly to your multifunctional printers with minimal downtime.

• Zero-touch user setup: Simply push the PaperCut Hive client to your user devices using your existing MDM/RMM tools (like Microsoft Intune or Jamf).

• Automated print queue and driver management: Automatically deploy the right print queues and drivers to your users based on who they are, their group membership, the device they are using, or the network they are connected to.

PaperCut Hive is sold as an annual subscription licensed per printer. Pricing scales with the size of your fleet and the feature set you need, from standard print queue deployment and tracking to full touchscreen control and Integrated Scanning on your MFDs.

PaperCut Hive is sold and supported exclusively through our global network of certified partners who will guide you to the right licensing for your environment and help you achieve a smooth rollout. To purchase PaperCut Hive, reach out to our team, and we will connect you with a certified partner in your region to get started.

Yes, you can start a fully functional free trial to test PaperCut Hive in your own environment.

Because PaperCut Hive is distributed through accredited PaperCut partners, your reseller can set up your trial tenant in just a few minutes. Everything you configure during your trial, including user sync, print queues, and printer settings, carries over seamlessly if you choose to subscribe, so you won't need to rebuild anything.

Reach out to the PaperCut team to start your journey.