What is shared inbox software?
Shared inbox software lets a team work one address, such as support@ or sales@, together: every email is visible to the team, each one has an owner, and teammates discuss it in internal notes instead of forwarding it around. It replaces password-shared mailboxes and Google Groups, where nobody knows who replied or whether anyone did.
The core features are the same in every serious tool:
- Assignment: manual, rules-based or round-robin, so each email has one owner.
- Internal notes and @mentions: discuss a reply next to the email, not in a separate chat.
- Collision detection: see when a teammate is already viewing or replying.
- Statuses and views: open, pending, closed, and saved views per queue or person.
- Rules and SLAs: auto-tag, auto-assign and alert when a reply is overdue.
- Reporting: volume, first reply time and workload by teammate.
Where tools differ is where the work happens (inside Gmail or in a separate app), which channels sit beside email, and how much AI does. If you mostly need to triage a busy personal inbox rather than a team address, see our email management software list instead.
How do the best shared inbox tools compare?
| Tool | Where you work | Channels beside email | AI | Starting price (annual) | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aftersales | Own app | Chat, WhatsApp, SMS, phone, social DMs, Slack Connect | Agent resolves and acts, $0.99 per resolution; Copilot drafts | $24/seat/mo | Yes, 1 seat |
| Front | Own app | Multiple messaging channels | Autopilot from $0.05/conversation; Copilot $20/seat | $25/seat/mo (up to 10 seats) | No |
| Help Scout | Own app | Beacon chat, Docs help center | AI Answers $0.75 per resolution | $25/user/mo | Yes, 5 users, 1 inbox |
| Hiver | Gmail (or Hiver Omni app) | Omnichannel on Hiver Omni | AI Agents and Copilot on every plan | $25/user/mo | No, 7-day trial |
| Missive | Own app | SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram | Drafting, summaries, translation; bring your own key | $14/user/mo (up to 5 users) | No, 30-day trial |
| Gmelius | Gmail | Email-focused | Meli AI assistant on every plan | $19/user/mo | No, 7-day trial |
| Drag | Gmail | Email-focused | Varley AI, credits or included by plan | $12/user/mo | No, 7-day trial |
| Keeping | Gmail | Email only | "Thank you" detection on Advanced | $14/user/mo | No, 14-day trial |
| Zoho TeamInbox | Own app | WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram DM | Not listed on pricing page | Per user, varies by region | No, 14-day trial |
Checked October 2026 on each vendor's own pricing page. Prices are per user or seat per month on annual billing where shown. Confirm current prices on each vendor's site.
How did we compare these shared inbox tools?
We looked at each tool from the point of view of a team answering a shared address together, and checked prices on each vendor's own pricing page in October 2026. Where a vendor does not publish a number we describe the model instead.
- Collaboration basics: assignment, internal notes and @mentions, collision detection, statuses.
- Routing and SLAs: rules, round-robin, response-time alerts, and which plan unlocks them.
- Where the team works: inside Gmail, or a separate app that connects to Gmail and Outlook.
- Room to grow: other channels, help center, reporting and API.
- AI: drafting help only, or an agent that can resolve emails and take actions.
- Pricing model: per seat, seat caps on lower plans, and how AI is billed.
Aftersales is our product and we list it first. Several tools here are better than Aftersales for parts of this niche, and we say so in each card and in the use-case section.
The 9 best shared inbox software tools for teams
1. Aftersales: best for teams that want AI to resolve routine email, not just share it
Aftersales' Inbox is a shared helpdesk for AI and humans: email, web and in-app chat, WhatsApp, SMS, phone, social DMs and Slack Connect land in one queue with tickets, views and SLAs. Workflows assign, tag, set SLAs, post to Slack or create a Jira issue, with round-robin assignment on Growth and up. Side conversations go into Slack, so you can ask engineering or finance a question without leaving the thread.
The difference from a pure shared inbox is Agent. It reads each incoming email, resolves what it can end to end in 31 languages, and takes actions such as verifying a Shopify order, creating a replacement or issuing a Stripe refund within spend limits you set. When it hands off, the teammate gets the conversation, the data Agent looked up and what it already tried. Copilot drafts replies that cite their sources. Median resolution by Agent is 71% after 90 days.
Where it is weaker: if your team lives in Gmail and does not want a separate app, Hiver, Gmelius, Drag or Keeping fit better. If the inbox is mostly for sales, account management or ops email rather than customer support, Front or Missive are closer to how those teams work. Aftersales is built for support teams.
- Best for
- Support teams that answer a shared address together and want an AI agent to resolve and act on routine emails
- Pricing
- Free plan (1 seat, live chat + email inbox, first 50 Agent resolutions free). Starter $24, Growth $69, Scale $109 per seat/month billed annually (monthly is 20% more). Agent $0.99 per resolution, counted once per conversation; conversations Agent can't help with are free. Lite seats free (20 on Growth, 50 on Scale). See pricing.
- Strengths
- Agent resolves emails and takes actions in Shopify and Stripe with guardrails; escalation on sentiment, keywords, tier or legal language; one queue for email and every other channel; Slack side conversations; free Lite seats for teammates who only comment or approve; GDPR DPA, US-hosted.
- Watch out for
- Separate app, not a Gmail extension. Built for customer support rather than sales or internal ops email. Free plan is one seat. Confirm niche integrations on a call.
2. Front: best for client-facing teams beyond support
Front is a shared inbox built for teams that handle customer email across support, account management, sales and operations. Every plan includes assignments and internal comments; rules scale from 10 on Starter to 20 on Professional and unlimited on Enterprise, and analytics grow from basic to custom reports. AI is billed separately: Autopilot from $0.05 per conversation, Copilot at $20 per seat, and Smart QA at $20 per seat, with Copilot and Smart QA included on Enterprise.
Front is a better fit than Aftersales when the shared inbox serves several departments, not just support, and email is where deals and accounts are managed. Starter is capped at 10 seats and Professional at 50, so check where your team will land as it grows. Compare the two in our Front alternative page.
- Best for
- Account management, operations and multi-department teams that run client relationships over email
- Pricing
- Starter $25 (up to 10 seats), Professional $65 (up to 50 seats), Enterprise $105 per seat/month billed annually. Autopilot from $0.05 per conversation; Copilot $20/seat/month; Smart QA $20/seat/month (both included on Enterprise).
- Strengths
- Mature collaboration model (assign, comment, share drafts); rules and analytics that scale by plan; works for teams outside support.
- Watch out for
- Seat caps on Starter and Professional; AI and QA are add-ons below Enterprise; rule limits on lower plans.
3. Help Scout: best for small, email-first support teams that want it simple
Help Scout has been an email-first help desk from the start. It keeps the inbox feeling like email to customers while giving the team assignment, notes, saved replies and workflows, plus Beacon chat and a Docs help center. The free plan covers 5 users, 1 inbox and 1 Docs site. Standard includes 2 inboxes, Plus 5 and Pro 10, with extra inboxes at $10/month on annual billing. Routing supports round-robin and load-balanced assignment, and workflows scale from 150 basic on Standard to unlimited advanced on Pro.
Help Scout is a strong pick when a small team wants a calm, low-setup tool and AI that answers questions. Its AI Answers is $0.75 per resolution, with a monthly cap you can set. Aftersales is the better fit if you need AI that takes actions such as refunds and order changes, or phone and WhatsApp in the same queue. See Help Scout alternative.
- Best for
- Small and mid-size support teams that are email-first and want a simple, customer-friendly inbox
- Pricing
- Free (5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs site). Standard $25, Plus $45, Pro $75 per user/month on annual billing (about 16% less than monthly). Extra inboxes $10/month. AI Answers $0.75 per resolution, with a 3-month free trial.
- Strengths
- Generous free plan; email that reads like a personal reply; round-robin and load-balanced routing; Docs and Beacon included.
- Watch out for
- Inbox counts are capped per plan; AI Answers answers questions but is not built to take order or refund actions; fewer channels than an omnichannel helpdesk.
4. Hiver: best for support teams that want to stay inside Gmail
Hiver started as a shared inbox inside Gmail and now sells two versions at the same price: Hiver in Gmail, and Hiver Omni, a separate omnichannel app. Growth includes the shared inbox and ticketing, rule-based automations, pre-built analytics and a help center, and Hiver lists AI Agents, AI Copilot, Skills and an AI Knowledge Builder on every plan. SLAs, CSAT surveys, advanced analytics and API access arrive on Pro; skill-based routing, AI QA, SSO and HIPAA support on Elite. Voice is an add-on at $30 per voice seat on Hiver Omni.
If your team refuses to leave Gmail, Hiver is a better fit than Aftersales, and it is one of the few Gmail tools with real help desk depth. Note that SLAs need Pro. See Hiver alternative.
- Best for
- Google Workspace teams that want help desk features without leaving Gmail
- Pricing
- Growth $25, Pro $55, Elite $85 per user/month billed annually; same prices for Hiver in Gmail and Hiver Omni. Voice add-on $30 per voice seat/month (Hiver Omni). 7-day free trial.
- Strengths
- Works inside Gmail; AI Agents and Copilot on every plan; clear upgrade path to an omnichannel app.
- Watch out for
- SLAs and API access need Pro; SSO and skill-based routing need Elite; Gmail version depends on Google Workspace.
5. Missive: best for small teams that collaborate on email like a chat app
Missive blends a shared inbox with team chat. Teammates comment on emails with @mentions, draft replies together, chat inside team spaces and see internal read status, while personal inboxes stay private. Beyond email it handles SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram, plus video chat via Twilio. Rules (up to 1,000 on Productive and Business) cover auto-assignment and auto follow-ups.
Its AI is flexible: drafting, summaries and translation through Missive AI credits or your own Anthropic, OpenAI or Gemini key. It is a better fit than Aftersales for agencies, ops and small founding teams who share email as part of their day rather than running a support desk. Starter caps at 5 users and Productive at 50.
- Best for
- Small teams, agencies and ops teams that co-write email and want chat beside it
- Pricing
- Starter $14 (up to 5 users), Productive $24 (up to 50 users), Business $36 per user/month billed annually (20% off monthly). 30-day free trial of Productive, no card needed.
- Strengths
- Collaborative drafting and internal chat; several messaging channels; bring-your-own AI key; low price.
- Watch out for
- Not a help desk: lighter SLA and reporting tools than support-focused products; user caps on lower plans.
6. Gmelius: best for Gmail teams that want boards and SLAs
Gmelius runs as a Gmail extension and adds unlimited shared inboxes on Growth and above, assignment with round-robin and load-balanced options, email notes and @mentions, team read statuses, SLA tracking and Kanban boards built from email. Every plan includes Meli, an AI assistant for drafting, sorting, scheduling and follow-ups; Growth adds automation rules and sentiment analysis.
It suits teams that track email as work items on a board, such as onboarding or ops teams, and want that view without leaving Gmail. Aftersales is the better fit for a customer support desk that needs phone, chat and an agent that resolves.
- Best for
- Google Workspace teams that manage email as projects on boards, with SLAs
- Pricing
- Meli $19, Growth $25, Pro $40 per user/month billed annually ($21, $33, $50 monthly). Enterprise custom. 7-day trial of Growth; no free plan.
- Strengths
- Lives in Gmail; Kanban boards from email; SLA tracking and round-robin on Growth.
- Watch out for
- Shared inboxes and automation start on Growth, not the entry plan; Gmail-only.
7. Drag: best low-cost shared inbox inside Gmail
Drag turns Gmail into a shared workspace: shared inboxes, assignment, @mentions, email notes and templates on every plan, with custom views, sequences and unlimited rules from Plus. Round-robin assignment, SLA rules and business hours are on Pro. Its Varley AI handles drafts, summaries, classification and sentiment, paid by credits on Starter and included on Plus and Pro.
Drag is the cheapest way here to get a working shared inbox for a small Gmail team. It is a better fit than Aftersales when price and staying in Gmail matter more than channels or automation depth.
- Best for
- Small Google Workspace teams that want a shared inbox at the lowest price
- Pricing
- Starter $12, Plus $18, Pro $24 per user/month billed annually ($16, $22, $30 monthly). 7-day trial with Pro access, no card needed.
- Strengths
- Low price; emails stay in Gmail; boards and views; AI included on Plus and Pro.
- Watch out for
- Round-robin and SLAs need Pro; Gmail-only; limited reporting compared with help desks.
8. Keeping: best simple Gmail help desk, with a HIPAA plan
Keeping turns a Gmail or Google Workspace address into a ticketing inbox through a Chrome extension. Every plan has assignment, shared notes with @mentions and collision detection that shows who is already working on a ticket. Advanced adds round-robin, SLA alerts on response or resolution time, expanded reporting with CSV export and "thank you" detection that skips replies that don't need an answer.
It is a focused, no-frills option for small support teams in Gmail, and its dedicated HIPAA plan makes it worth a look for small healthcare teams on Google Workspace. It is email only, so teams adding chat or phone will outgrow it.
- Best for
- Small support teams on Google Workspace that want simple ticketing in Gmail
- Pricing
- Essentials $14, Advanced $24, HIPAA $49 per user/month billed annually ($19, $29, $59 monthly). 14-day free trial, no card needed.
- Strengths
- Collision detection on every plan; simple setup; HIPAA plan.
- Watch out for
- Gmail only and email only; SLAs and round-robin need Advanced; very light AI.
9. Zoho TeamInbox: best for teams already on Zoho
Zoho TeamInbox gives teams shared channels for email, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Instagram DM, with assignments, internal discussions, shared drafts, tags, templates and an activity log. Rules are capped at 25 on Starter and unlimited on Professional. It also offers mobile-only plans for very small teams, covering one channel each for email, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram.
It is a sensible choice if your company already runs on Zoho apps. Prices are shown per user by region on Zoho's site, so check the calculator for your currency.
- Best for
- Teams already using Zoho apps that want a shared inbox in the same family
- Pricing
- Starter and Professional plans per user/month, monthly or yearly; prices vary by region. Mobile-only Solo, Team and Team Plus plans. 14-day free trial.
- Strengths
- Email plus WhatsApp and Meta messaging; shared drafts and internal discussions; mobile-only plans.
- Watch out for
- Rule cap on Starter; AI features not listed on the pricing page; less help desk depth than support-focused tools.
How much does shared inbox software cost for a 5-person team?
For a five-person team on annual billing, shared inbox seats range from about $60 to several hundred dollars a month before AI. Example, using list prices and excluding AI usage, add-ons and taxes:
- Drag Pro (round-robin and SLAs): 5 x $24 = $120/month.
- Keeping Advanced: 5 x $24 = $120/month.
- Help Scout Standard: 5 x $25 = $125/month.
- Front Starter: 5 x $25 = $125/month.
- Gmelius Growth: 5 x $25 = $125/month.
- Aftersales Starter: 5 x $24 = $120/month. Agent adds $0.99 per resolution.
- Hiver Pro (needed for SLAs): 5 x $55 = $275/month.
- Aftersales Growth (round-robin, workflows, phone): 5 x $69 = $345/month.
Seat price is rarely the deciding number. If a team answers 2,000 emails a month and an AI agent resolves 40% of them, that is 800 conversations at $0.99 each, or $792, which only makes sense if it replaces human time that costs more. Our resolution rate guide shows how to measure that before you commit. The 40% here is an assumption for the example, not a forecast.
Share the inbox, then let Agent take the routine emails.Start free with one seat and your first 50 Agent resolutions included.
Which shared inbox software is best for your team?
- Support team that wants AI to resolve and act on routine email (orders, refunds, account questions): Aftersales.
- Several departments sharing client email (sales, account management, ops): Front.
- Small email-first support team wanting the simplest setup and a free start: Help Scout.
- Team that won't leave Gmail but needs help desk features: Hiver.
- Agencies and small teams that co-write email and want chat beside it: Missive.
- Gmail team managing email as tasks on boards: Gmelius.
- Lowest price for a Gmail shared inbox: Drag.
- Small healthcare team on Google Workspace: Keeping (HIPAA plan). Check our HIPAA-compliant live chat list too.
- Company already on Zoho: Zoho TeamInbox.
Outgrowing a shared inbox and need full ticketing? See the best ticketing systems and best help desk software for small business, compare Help Scout vs Front, or browse more on the blog.
How do you move from a shared Gmail login to a shared inbox?
Moving from a shared Gmail login or Google Group to shared inbox software usually takes a day for a small team. A practical order:
- List your addresses (support@, billing@, hello@) and decide which become separate inboxes or views.
- Write assignment rules before go-live: who owns what by topic, customer tier or keyword, and when round-robin applies.
- Set SLA targets for first reply, and agree what "pending" and "closed" mean.
- Move saved replies into the new tool's templates and tidy them as you go.
- Forward or connect the addresses and send a test email to each.
- Run both for a week, then remove shared passwords from the old mailbox.
On Aftersales, most teams finish migration in an afternoon, and we run the migration with you on Growth and Scale. Once the queue is stable, turn on Agent for one email type first, such as order status, and widen it as the resolution rate holds.