How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Why teams look for a Hiver alternative
Hiver turns Gmail into a shared inbox. A team can share support@ or sales@, assign emails, add notes and track who replied, all without leaving Gmail. It works well for small teams that live in Google Workspace. Teams look elsewhere for a few clear reasons. The first is price. Hiver Growth starts at $25 per user per month, and the Pro tier at $55 is where the fuller feature set sits, so a team of ten pays a real monthly bill. The second is the seat model. Hiver sells seats in blocks of five above five users, and Growth caps at ten users, so the eleventh user forces a move to Pro. The third is scope. Hiver is Gmail only, and teams that also handle chat, social messages or a help centre often want a tool that covers more channels.
How we picked these 8 alternatives
We picked tools that do the same job as Hiver, which is letting a team share an inbox, assign conversations and reply together. Every tool here has a published starting price checked on 15 Nov 2026 and a working vendor website. We included Gmail-native tools and multi-channel tools, so a team can compare a like-for-like swap with a broader move. Prices below are per user per month on annual billing unless stated otherwise.
Hiver alternatives at a glance
| Tool |
Best for |
Starting price |
Free plan |
| Front |
Multi-channel team inboxes |
$25 per seat per month |
No, 14-day trial |
| Missive |
Small teams sharing email and chat |
$14 per user per month |
No, 30-day trial |
| Gmelius |
Gmail teams that want automation |
$19 per user per month |
No, 7-day trial |
| Drag |
Gmail teams on a budget |
$12 per user per month |
No, 7-day trial |
| Help Scout |
Support teams that need a help centre |
$25 per user per month |
Yes, up to 5 users |
| Keeping |
Small Gmail support teams |
$14 per user per month |
No, 14-day trial |
| Zoho TeamInbox |
Zoho users and tiny budgets |
$5 per user per month |
Limited mobile-only free plan |
| Spark |
Individuals and teams that want a better mail app |
$8.25 per user per month |
Yes |
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Front | Teams that share email, chat and social messages in one inbox | $25 per seat per month, billed annually (Starter) | No, 14-day trial only |
 Missive | Small teams that want shared email plus team chat | $14 per user per month, billed annually (Starter) | No, 30-day trial only |
 Gmelius | Gmail teams that want shared inboxes plus automation | $19 per user per month, billed annually (Meli) | No, 7-day trial only |
 Drag | Gmail teams that want the cheapest shared inbox | $12 per user per month, billed annually (Starter) | No, 7-day trial only |
 Help Scout | Support teams that want a shared inbox plus a help centre | $25 per user per month, billed annually (Standard) | Yes, up to 5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs site, 100 contacts per month |
 Keeping | Small Gmail teams that need simple shared support | $14 per user per month, billed annually (Essentials) | No, 14-day trial only |
 Zoho TeamInbox | Zoho users and teams on the tightest budget | $5 per user per month, billed annually (Starter) | No free desktop plan, 14-day trial only. A separate mobile-only free plan exists for up to 3 users and 30 conversations per month. |
 Spark | Teams that want a better mail app with light sharing | $8.25 per user per month, billed annually (Plus, $99 per year) | Yes, with Smart Inbox, unlimited accounts, snooze, send later and calendar |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The 8 best Hiver alternatives
#1Front
Best for: Teams that share email, chat and social messages in one inbox4.7/5 on
G2 (2,511 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit front.com
Starting price$25 per seat per month, billed annually (Starter)
Free planNo, 14-day trial only
Front is the most complete shared inbox in this list. A team can run support@, sales@, chat and social DMs from one queue, assign conversations, comment internally and set up rules that route messages to the right person. It is the natural step up from Hiver for a team whose inbox has grown beyond email alone. The cost is the catch. Starter at $25 per seat per month looks close to Hiver Growth, but the caps are tight, and Professional at $65 per seat per month is a big jump. AI Copilot costs $20 per seat extra below Enterprise. Front suits a team that has outgrown Gmail-only support and is ready to pay for a real helpdesk. A small Gmail-only team will find it more than it needs.
What we like- It handles email, SMS, chat and social messages in one place, collision detection stops two people replying to the same message, and the rules engine routes work without manual triage.
Watch out for- Starter is capped at 10 seats and a single channel type, so an 11th seat or a second channel forces the whole team to Professional at $65 per seat per month.
#2Missive
Best for: Small teams that want shared email plus team chat4.7/5 on
G2 (861 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit missiveapp.com
Starting price$14 per user per month, billed annually (Starter)
Free planNo, 30-day trial only
Missive is the closest like-for-like Hiver replacement for a small team. It covers shared inboxes with assignment, internal comments and collision detection, and it adds team chat and tasks so a conversation can become a to-do without leaving the app. The Starter price of $14 per user per month is fair, but the user caps are the thing to plan around. A team of five pays $70 a month, and hiring a sixth person doubles the per-seat price for everyone. That cliff is worth knowing before you commit. For a team of five or fewer that wants a shared inbox and a chat tool in one place, Missive is the best value here.
What we like- Shared inboxes, team chat and tasks sit in one app, the interface is fast and calm, and the price undercuts Front and Help Scout for small teams.
Watch out for- Starter caps at 5 users and Productive at 50, so the 6th user moves the whole team from $14 to $24 per user per month, and AI runs on credits billed at the model provider price plus 25 percent unless you bring your own API key.
#3Gmelius
Best for: Gmail teams that want shared inboxes plus automation4.4/5 on
G2 (776 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit gmelius.com
Starting price$19 per user per month, billed annually (Meli)
Free planNo, 7-day trial only
Gmelius is the Gmail-native alternative that stays inside the inbox. It adds shared inboxes, shared labels, email sequences and Kanban boards to Gmail, so a team can manage a pipeline or a support queue without a separate app. The pricing needs a careful read. Meli at $19 per user per month sounds like the entry point, but it has no shared inbox, which is the feature most Hiver buyers need. The real starting price for a shared inbox is Growth at $25. Conversation caps also apply below Enterprise, so a high-volume team should check its monthly volume against the limit. For a Gmail team that wants automation as well as sharing, Gmelius is a strong pick once the true tier is priced.
What we like- It works inside Gmail, so the team keeps the interface it knows, and the automation rules, sequences and templates are strong for sales and support follow-up.
Watch out for- The $19 Meli plan has no shared inbox, so shared inboxes only start on Growth at $25 per user per month, and every plan below Enterprise caps monthly conversations.
#4Drag
Best for: Gmail teams that want the cheapest shared inbox4.5/5 on
G2 (261 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit dragapp.com
Starting price$12 per user per month, billed annually (Starter)
Free planNo, 7-day trial only
Drag is the budget answer to Hiver. It adds shared inboxes, Kanban boards, assignments and internal notes to Gmail, and the Starter plan at $12 per user per month is less than half the price of Hiver Growth. The trade-off is scope. There is no Outlook support and no standalone app, so the whole team has to live in Gmail. The AI features also sit outside the Starter plan. For a small Google Workspace team that wants the core shared inbox job done cheaply, Drag is the pick. For a team that needs Outlook, a help centre or phone support, it is too narrow.
What we like- It turns Gmail into a shared workspace with boards and assignments, the price is the lowest of the Gmail-native tools here, and setup takes minutes.
Watch out for- Gmail and Google Workspace only, with no Outlook or IMAP support, and the AI assistant is not included on Starter and must be bought with AI credits there.
#5Help Scout
Best for: Support teams that want a shared inbox plus a help centre4.4/5 on
G2 (431 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit helpscout.com
Starting price$25 per user per month, billed annually (Standard)
Free planYes, up to 5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs site, 100 contacts per month
Help Scout is a proper helpdesk that still feels like email. Support@ becomes a shared inbox with assignment, collision detection and saved replies, and the Docs feature lets a team publish a help centre from the same system. The free plan for up to 5 users is the most generous in this list, and it is a genuine way to test the tool on real support volume. The Standard price of $25 per user per month matches Hiver Growth, but the feature set is wider. The jump to Pro is the one to watch, since it carries a 10-user minimum and a $750 monthly floor. For a team that is turning support into a real function with a knowledge base, Help Scout is the right step up from Hiver.
What we like- The free plan is a real starting point for a tiny team, the Docs knowledge base is included, and the reporting is better than any Gmail-native tool here.
Watch out for- The free plan is capped at 100 contacts a month, and SSO and SAML and HIPAA are Pro-only, with Pro carrying a 10-user minimum at $750 per month.
#6Keeping
Best for: Small Gmail teams that need simple shared support4.5/5 on
G2 (71 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit keeping.com
Starting price$14 per user per month, billed annually (Essentials)
Free planNo, 14-day trial only
Keeping is the simplest Hiver replacement here. It turns Gmail labels into shared mailboxes, adds assignment, status tracking and collision detection, and stays out of the way. There is no new interface to learn, which is why small teams adopt it fast. The limits are clear. Essentials at $14 per user per month covers only 2 shared mailboxes and 10 agents, so a team with several inboxes moves to Advanced at $24. There is no Outlook support and no help centre. For a team of under ten people handling one or two shared Gmail inboxes, Keeping is the easiest swap. For anything bigger, Missive or Help Scout fits better.
What we like- It is the simplest tool in this list to set up, it works inside Gmail, and the price is low for what it covers.
Watch out for- Gmail only, it requires a Gmail or Google Workspace account, Essentials allows only 2 shared mailboxes and a maximum of 10 agents, and every plan has a 2-user minimum.
#7
Zoho TeamInbox
Best for: Zoho users and teams on the tightest budget
Visit zoho.com
Starting price$5 per user per month, billed annually (Starter)
Free planNo free desktop plan, 14-day trial only. A separate mobile-only free plan exists for up to 3 users and 30 conversations per month.
Zoho TeamInbox is the budget pick. At $5 per user per month on annual billing, it undercuts every other paid tool here by a wide margin, and it covers the core job of sharing an inbox, assigning mail and tracking replies. The trade-off is depth. Starter allows only 3 incoming channels and 25 automation rules, and analytics wait for Professional. Teams that already use Zoho products get the most from it, since contacts and records flow across the suite. Note the price figures here are third-party reported, because the vendor pricing page did not render its figures in a text fetch on 15 Nov 2026. For a tiny team or a Zoho shop, TeamInbox is the cheapest workable Hiver replacement.
What we like- It is the cheapest paid shared inbox in this list, it fits the wider Zoho suite, and the interface is clean and simple.
Watch out for- Starter is limited to 3 shared incoming channels and 25 rules, and analytics require Professional at $7.50 per user per month, with extra channels costing $4 each per month.
Starting price$8.25 per user per month, billed annually (Plus, $99 per year)
Free planYes, with Smart Inbox, unlimited accounts, snooze, send later and calendar
Spark is a different kind of alternative. It is first a mail app, and second a sharing tool. Individuals get a smart inbox, snooze, send later and a calendar on the free plan, and teams can add shared inboxes on Pro. The catch is the price step. Plus at $8.25 per user per month is cheap, but shared inboxes need Pro at $16.58, so the sharing feature costs double the headline price. Spark suits a team where most people just need a better mail client and a few need a shared inbox. It does not suit a team that needs a full helpdesk with routing, reporting and a knowledge base. For that job, Help Scout or Front fits better.
What we like- The free plan is generous for individuals, the smart inbox and snooze features are polished, and it works across Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo and IMAP.
Watch out for- Shared inboxes are gated to the Pro plan at $16.58 per user per month, double the Plus price, and there is no web or Linux version.
How to choose the right Hiver alternative
Start with your mailbox. If the team lives in Gmail and wants the smallest change, Drag at $12 or Keeping at $14 are the cheapest swaps, and Missive at $14 is the best value for a team of five or fewer. If the team also handles chat, social messages or a help centre, Front or Help Scout are the step up, with Help Scout the better pick when a knowledge base matters. If budget is the main driver, Zoho TeamInbox at $5 is the cheapest paid option, but check the channel and rule limits first. Run the trial on your busiest inbox, not a quiet one. Shared inbox tools fail on volume, collision handling and search, and only a real week of mail shows whether the replacement holds up.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hiver free?
No. Hiver has no free plan. Growth starts at $25 per user per month billed annually, with a 7-day trial of the Elite tier. Teams that want a free shared inbox can look at the Help Scout free plan for up to 5 users, or the Spark free plan for individual use.
Which Hiver alternative is cheapest?
Zoho TeamInbox at $5 per user per month billed annually is the cheapest paid option. Among Gmail-native tools, Drag at $12 per user per month is the cheapest. Help Scout has a free plan for up to 5 users, which is the cheapest way to start a tiny support inbox.
Which alternative is best for a small Gmail team?
Missive is the best fit for a team of five or fewer, with shared inboxes, chat and tasks for $14 per user per month. Drag is the best fit for a team that wants the lowest price and the simplest Gmail setup. Keeping is the best fit for a team that wants the easiest setup of all and only needs one or two shared mailboxes.
Can I use a Hiver alternative with Outlook?
Yes, but not the Gmail-native ones. Front, Missive, Help Scout, Zoho TeamInbox and Spark all work with Outlook and other providers. Drag, Gmelius and Keeping are Gmail only, so an Outlook team should rule them out first.
How do I migrate from Hiver to another shared inbox?
Shared inboxes migrate by moving the mailbox, not by exporting from Hiver. Connect the replacement tool to the same Gmail or Outlook mailbox, recreate the shared labels and assignment rules, and move any saved replies or templates across by hand. Run both tools side by side for a week so nothing is lost in the switch, then remove Hiver once the new tool has handled a full week of mail.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://front.com/pricing
- https://missiveapp.com/pricing
- https://gmelius.com/pricing
- https://www.dragapp.com/pricing
- https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/
- https://www.keeping.com/pricing/
- https://www.zoho.com/teaminbox/pricing.html
- https://sparkmailapp.com/pricing
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.