- Gmail-Native Shared Inbox: Manage team emails, assign ownership, and collaborate directly inside Gmail.
- Ticket Assignment & Status: Automatically assign conversations, track status, and avoid duplicate replies.
- Automation & Workflows: Set rules for routing, escalation, SLAs, and auto-responses.
- Multichannel Support: Handle email, live chat, voice, and knowledge base from one platform.
- Analytics & Reporting: Track response times, customer satisfaction, and team performance.
- Internal Notes & Collaboration: Add private notes and @mentions for contextual teamwork.
Hiver
Gmail-based customer support and shared inbox platform for teams
Updated February 27, 2026
Hiver Overview
Hiver is a customer service and shared inbox platform built directly inside Gmail. It helps teams manage customer support, internal collaboration, and service workflows without leaving their inbox.
With features like ticket assignment, automation, analytics, and multichannel support, Hiver is especially popular with Google Workspace–centric teams seeking simplicity and faster adoption.
Key Features
Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Price (per user) | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Free forever plan with basic shared inbox, email, live chat, knowledge base & collaboration tools. |
| Growth | $25 / user / month | Ideal for small teams; adds workflows, auto assignment, analytics and more. |
| Pro (Most Popular) | $65 / user / month | Adds voice, WhatsApp support, SLA & business hours, CSAT surveys, advanced analytics. |
| Elite | $105 / user / month | Advanced features including skill-based routing, custom objects, compliance, and dedicated success support. |
Pros
Competitor |
Pros |
|---|---|
| Zendesk | Compared to Zendesk, Hiver is significantly easier to use and faster to adopt because it works natively in Gmail. It has a lower learning curve, simpler setup, and more transparent pricing for small to mid-sized teams that do not need heavy enterprise customization. |
| Freshdesk | Hiver offers a more seamless Gmail-first experience than Freshdesk, reducing context switching for Google Workspace users. Teams that live in email often find Hiver quicker to deploy, simpler to manage, and less overwhelming in terms of features and configuration. |
| Help Scout | While Help Scout focuses on a standalone help desk, Hiver’s in-inbox workflow feels more natural for email-heavy teams. Hiver also provides stronger Gmail integration and collaboration features, making it easier for non-support teams to participate without extra training. |
| Front | Hiver is generally more affordable and simpler than Front, especially for smaller teams. Its pricing is easier to understand, and the Gmail-native interface reduces onboarding time while still covering essential shared inbox and automation needs. |
| Zoho Desk | Compared to Zoho Desk, Hiver prioritizes usability over breadth. Teams often prefer Hiver’s clean UI, faster setup, and Gmail-based workflow rather than navigating Zoho’s broader but more complex ecosystem. |
Cons
Competitor |
Cons |
|---|---|
| Zendesk | Compared to Zendesk, Hiver lacks deep enterprise-grade customization, advanced AI, and large-scale omnichannel tooling. Very large organizations with complex workflows, custom objects, or extensive integrations may outgrow Hiver’s simpler architecture. |
| Freshdesk | Freshdesk provides more advanced ticketing features, broader automation, and marketplace integrations. Hiver can feel limited for teams needing sophisticated ITSM features, extensive app integrations, or highly granular control over workflows. |
| Help Scout | Help Scout offers stronger customer-facing tools like embedded beacons and a more polished knowledge base. Hiver’s customer experience layer is more support-focused and may feel basic for teams prioritizing self-service content. |
| Front | Front supports more complex multichannel collaboration and external communication use cases. Hiver is more support-centric and Gmail-dependent, which can be limiting for teams that rely heavily on SMS, social, or custom channels. |
| Zoho Desk | Zoho Desk includes more native features like advanced AI, field service options, and CRM connectivity. Hiver’s narrower focus means fewer built-in capabilities outside core shared inbox and customer support workflows. |
Reviews
- Software Advice Review (Rating: 4.7/5): Hiver earns praise for its “easy ticketing” and strong shared inbox management, with one reviewer highlighting how it organizes, assigns, and tracks emails smoothly across teams. A training team noted that using Hiver let everyone share thoughts without speaking, which helped others follow internal discussions in real time. Some users reported incorrect AI Assignment results and occasional connectivity issues, and one mentioned serious errors that disrupted workflow for an extended period.
- Trustpilot Review (Rating: 2.1/5): One reviewer complained about daily spam emails and even phone calls after a single login, warning others not to share their information. Another detailed a frustrating cancellation experience that required repeated follow‑ups, multiple email exchanges, and a refused request to backdate the cancellation, ultimately advising others to steer clear of Hiver.
- TechRadar Review (Rating: 4/5): The reviewer found Hiver to be a solid Gmail-integrated help desk that fits naturally into a Google Workspace environment, though limited customization options restrict flexibility for more advanced setups.
- softwarereviews.com Review: A manager praised Hiver for making teamwork effortless through simple tagging, internal notes, and email assignment, which kept workflows smooth and reduced back-and-forth. Another user valued how easy it felt from day one and called customer service “fantastic,” though they criticized frequent plan changes and noted occasional slowdowns when many emails arrive at once.
