Best software · Customer support
9 Best Shared Inbox Software of 2026
This list is for teams that answer shared addresses such as support@, sales@ or billing@ and want to stop forwarding emails to each other or sharing one login. A shared inbox gives each conversation an owner, a status and an internal comment thread. We compared documented features and published prices for 9 tools. Front, Help Scout, Missive and Hiver are the broadest options, Drag, Keeping and Gmelius work inside Gmail, HubSpot Service Hub ties email to a CRM, and Trengo leads on WhatsApp.
By the Mojolin research desk · Updated November 9, 2026 · 9 tools compared · Prices checked on vendor pages, latest November 9, 2026
Questions or corrections: editorial@mojolin.com
Mojolin is self-funded How we score
Front is our top pick for mixed support and sales teams: assignments, internal comments, shared drafts and separate workspaces let several teams share one account, from $25 per seat per month billed annually. Help Scout is the easiest to roll out for support teams and starts free for 5 users. Missive gives small teams the most for the money at $14 per user, and Drag is the lowest paid price for Google Workspace teams at $12.
Top picks
Best overall
Front
8.5 / 10
Teams of 5 to 50 that share support@, sales@ and account inboxes and want clear ownership without forwarding.
Read the review →Runner-up
Help Scout
8.4 / 10
Support-first teams that want a simple shared inbox with chat and help docs, starting free.
Read the review →Also great
Missive
8.3 / 10
Small teams and agencies that want shared and personal email, internal chat and tasks in one app at a low price.
Read the review →Comparison table
| # | Tool | Pricing | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Front | Teams of 5 to 50 that share support@, sales@ and account inboxes and want clear ownership without forwarding. | Starter $25 per seat per month billed annually (up to 10 seats); Professional $65 (up to 50 seats); Enterprise $105 | 8.5 |
| 2 | Help Scout | Support-first teams that want a simple shared inbox with chat and help docs, starting free. | Free plan for 5 users and 1 inbox; Standard $25 per user per month billed annually; Plus $45; Pro $75 | 8.4 |
| 3 | Missive | Small teams and agencies that want shared and personal email, internal chat and tasks in one app at a low price. | Starter $14 per user per month billed yearly (up to 5 users); Productive $24 (up to 50 users); Business $36 | 8.3 |
| 4 |  Hiver | Gmail-centric teams in support, finance, HR or inbound sales that want help desk features without leaving their inbox. | Hiver Omni Growth $25 per user per month billed annually ($35 monthly); Pro $55; Elite $85; Voice add-on $30 per voice seat | 8.2 |
| 5 |  Drag | Small teams on Google Workspace that want a low-cost shared inbox and Kanban boards without leaving Gmail. | Starter $12 per user per month billed yearly ($16 monthly); Plus $18; Pro $24 | 8.1 |
| 6 |  HubSpot Service Hub | Companies already on HubSpot CRM that want support and sales emails tied to contact and deal records. | Free plan at $0; Starter $20 per seat per month ($10 offer for new customers); Professional from $100; Enterprise from $175 | 8.0 |
| 7 |  Keeping | Small Gmail teams that want a simple, low-cost shared mailbox with collision detection and basic reporting. | Essentials $14 per user per month billed annually ($19 monthly), 2-user minimum; Advanced $24; HIPAA $49 | 7.9 |
| 8 |  Gmelius | Google Workspace teams that want shared inboxes plus AI sorting and drafting inside Gmail. | Meli personal assistant $19 per user per month; Growth with shared inboxes $25 per user per month billed yearly ($33 monthly); Pro $40 | 7.8 |
| 9 |  Trengo | Teams that handle as much WhatsApp and chat as email and prefer a flat plan price. | See vendor pricing (USD check pending) | 7.4 |
Scoring weights
Every tool gets three editorial scores out of 10, from vendor documentation, product pages and the published price. The overall score is the weighted average below, the same method on every list. Full method
The full ranking
Rank 1 · Best overall
Front
A shared inbox and ticketing platform where teams assign, comment on and track email alongside chat, SMS and social messages.
front.com8.5
out of 10
Best for: Teams of 5 to 50 that share support@, sales@ and account inboxes and want clear ownership without forwarding.
Front is built around the idea that a shared address such as support@ or sales@ should behave like a team queue rather than a mailbox everyone watches. Messages can be assigned to one owner, tagged, snoozed and discussed in internal comments, and teammates can write shared drafts before a reply goes out. Workspaces divide inboxes into separate spaces with their own workflows, analytics and templates, which is how a company keeps support and inbound sales apart while still handing conversations across. Starter at $25 per seat per month billed annually includes the shared inbox, ticketing, up to 10 automation rules and a basic knowledge base, but only one channel type and 10 seats. Professional at $65 adds email, SMS, social and WhatsApp in one place, macros, advanced analytics, up to 5 workspaces and SSO. AI is sold on top: Copilot at $20 per seat and the Autopilot agent from $0.39 per conversation. It is the most complete option here, and also one of the pricier ones once a team grows.
Standout feature
Workspaces let several teams run their own shared inboxes, rules and analytics inside one Front account.
Use cases
Support and sales teams sharing one account
Run support@ and sales@ in separate workspaces
Outcome: Each team keeps its own rules and reports while handing threads across
Account managers
Discuss a client email in internal comments before replying
Outcome: No forwarded copies or side threads
Teams adding chat and SMS
Move to Professional for omnichannel
Outcome: Email, SMS and social messages in one queue
Key features
- Shared inboxes with assignments, tags and real-time views
- Internal comments and shared drafts on any message
- Workspaces that split inboxes into separate spaces with their own rules and analytics
- Omnichannel email, SMS, social and WhatsApp on Professional
- Copilot add-on for drafting replies, and Autopilot AI agent priced per conversation
Pros
- Comments and shared drafts keep internal discussion out of the customer thread
- Workspaces let support and sales run separate inboxes in one account
- The 14-day trial opens the Professional plan without a credit card
Cons
- Starter covers a single channel type and caps out at 10 seats
- Omnichannel and SSO start on Professional at $65 per seat
- Copilot costs $20 per seat per month on Starter and Professional
Rank 2 · Runner-up
Help Scout
A support-focused shared inbox with live chat, a knowledge base and AI drafting, plus a free plan for small teams.
helpscout.com8.4
out of 10
Best for: Support-first teams that want a simple shared inbox with chat and help docs, starting free.
Help Scout is the easiest tool here to hand to a team that has only ever used a shared Gmail or Outlook login. Conversations arrive in shared inboxes where agents can tag, assign and reply with saved replies, and the AI inbox assistant is part of Standard. The free plan covers 5 users, 1 inbox and 1 Docs site, which is enough for a small support@ address. Standard at $25 per user per month billed annually adds multiple inboxes, live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, more knowledge bases and a basic SLA policy, though only 2 inboxes are included before the $10 monthly add-on applies. Plus at $45 brings round robin routing, advanced workflows, a customer portal and integrations with Salesforce, Jira and HubSpot, plus 5 light users who can collaborate without a full seat. The AI Answers agent is billed per resolution at $0.75. Help Scout is less suited to sales@ work, since it has no deal tracking of its own, but for support teams it is quick to learn.
Standout feature
A permanent free plan with 5 users, so a small team can replace a shared login before paying anything.
Use cases
Small support teams
Move support@ off a shared login onto the free plan
Outcome: Assigned conversations for up to 5 users at no cost
Growing support teams
Add chat and WhatsApp on Standard
Outcome: Email and messaging handled in one inbox
Teams with occasional helpers
Give engineers light user seats on Plus
Outcome: Experts comment on threads without a full license
Key features
- Shared inboxes with tags, saved replies and an AI inbox assistant
- Live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger from Standard
- Knowledge bases (Docs) for self-service
- SLA policies and workflows, with round robin routing on Plus
- AI Answers agent billed at $0.75 per resolution
Pros
- Free plan covers 5 users, 1 inbox and 1 Docs site
- 15-day trial of Standard or Plus with no credit card
- Light users on Plus and Pro can view and collaborate without a full seat
Cons
- Standard includes 2 inboxes; extra inboxes cost $10 a month
- Round robin routing and HubSpot or Salesforce integrations need Plus at $45
- Built for support, so sales pipelines live in a separate CRM
Rank 3 · Also great
Missive
A collaborative email client that puts team inboxes, internal chat and tasks next to personal email for Gmail, Outlook and IMAP accounts.
missiveapp.com8.3
out of 10
Best for: Small teams and agencies that want shared and personal email, internal chat and tasks in one app at a low price.
Missive sits between an email client and a help desk. Each person keeps a personal inbox, team inboxes such as sales@ or hello@ sit next to it, and any conversation can carry an internal thread, a collaborative draft or an assignment, so nobody forwards an email just to ask a colleague a question. Tasks with due dates and a calendar view live in the same app, and team spaces add internal chat. It connects to Gmail, Outlook and IMAP accounts and brings in WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram and SMS through Twilio, Quo or Dialpad. Starter at $14 per user per month billed yearly covers the core inbox for up to 5 users. Productive at $24 adds rules and automations, integrations such as HubSpot and Salesforce, basic analytics and API and MCP access for up to 50 users, and Business at $36 adds SAML SSO and advanced analytics. The 30-day trial is the longest here. There is no help center or SLA tooling beyond reports, so larger support desks will outgrow it.
Standout feature
Personal inboxes, team inboxes, internal chat and tasks share one app, starting at $14 per user.
Use cases
Agencies
Share a client inbox and discuss emails in internal threads
Outcome: Replies drafted together without forwarding chains
Founders and small sales teams
Keep personal and sales@ email in one app
Outcome: Leads and personal threads visible in one place
Operations teams
Turn emails into tasks with due dates
Outcome: Requests tracked to completion on a calendar view
Key features
- Team inboxes and personal inboxes side by side
- Internal threads, collaborative drafting and internal chat
- Tasks with due dates, multiple assignees and a calendar view
- Rules and automations, up to 1,000 rules on Productive and Business
- AI drafts, summaries and translation with Missive credits or your own API key
Pros
- 30-day free trial with no credit card
- Starter at $14 per user is one of the lowest paid prices here
- Works with Gmail, Outlook and IMAP, plus WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram and SMS
Cons
- Starter is limited to 5 users and has no rules or integrations
- Integrations, rules and analytics start on Productive at $24
- No help center or customer portal, so it is not a full help desk
Rank 4
Hiver
A shared inbox and help desk that runs either inside Gmail or as a standalone omnichannel workspace for Gmail and Outlook users.
hiverhq.com8.2
out of 10
Best for: Gmail-centric teams in support, finance, HR or inbound sales that want help desk features without leaving their inbox.
Hiver started as a shared inbox inside Gmail and now sells two products: Hiver in Gmail, which keeps the team working in the Gmail interface, and Hiver Omni, a standalone workspace that works with Gmail, Outlook and other providers and adds live chat, Slack, voice, WhatsApp and social. On Omni, Growth at $25 per user per month billed annually ($35 monthly) includes shared inbox ticketing with clear ownership and history, rule-based automations, prebuilt analytics and Hiver's AI agents and Copilot. Pro at $55 adds SLAs, CSAT surveys, a customer portal, custom reports, API access and premium integrations with CRMs, Asana and Shopify. Elite at $85 adds skill-based routing, AI QA and rules that move relevant mail from personal inboxes into shared ones, a direct fix for the forwarding habit. The trial is only 7 days, on the Elite plan, and voice costs another $30 per voice seat. Hiver suits teams that want help desk depth while staying close to Gmail.
Standout feature
Two ways to run it: inside Gmail, or as a standalone workspace that also supports Outlook.
Use cases
Finance and HR teams
Manage billing@ or hr@ inside Gmail
Outcome: Every request has an owner and a status
Inbound sales teams
Route leads from personal inboxes into a shared one on Elite
Outcome: Fewer leads lost in individual mailboxes
Support teams on Outlook
Use Hiver Omni with chat and WhatsApp
Outcome: One queue for email and messaging
Key features
- Shared inbox and ticketing for team addresses such as support@
- Hiver in Gmail option that works from inside the Gmail interface
- AI agents and AI Copilot included from the Growth plan
- SLAs, CSAT surveys and a customer portal on Pro
- Skill-based routing and rules that move personal email into shared inboxes on Elite
Pros
- AI agents and Copilot are part of Growth rather than a separate add-on
- Gmail teams can keep working in Gmail with Hiver in Gmail
- Free migration help from another help desk
Cons
- SLAs, CSAT and premium CRM integrations need Pro at $55
- The free trial is only 7 days
- Voice is a separate $30 per seat add-on
Rank 5
Drag
A Gmail extension that turns shared inboxes into boards with assignments, notes and live chat, with unlimited users on every plan.
dragapp.com8.1
out of 10
Best for: Small teams on Google Workspace that want a low-cost shared inbox and Kanban boards without leaving Gmail.
Drag turns Gmail into a team workspace. Shared inboxes appear inside Gmail as boards with card, list and preview views, so a sales@ or support@ address can be worked like a Kanban pipeline, with each email a card that can be assigned, tagged, given a due date or split into subtasks. Assignments, notes and @mentions are on Starter, collision detection is on every plan, and emails never leave Gmail, which keeps setup short. Starter at $12 per user per month billed yearly ($16 monthly) also includes a help center, live chat and 10 automation rules with a 3-month reporting window. Plus at $18 adds Drag's Varley AI across the inbox, help center and chat, unlimited automation rules and email sequences. Pro at $24 brings WhatsApp, SLA rules, round robin assignment, custom fields, API and MCP access and 12-month reporting. The trade-off is scope: it only works with Gmail and Google Workspace, and routing depth sits on the top plan.
Standout feature
Shared inboxes appear as Kanban boards inside Gmail, starting at $12 per user.
Use cases
Small sales teams on Gmail
Track sales@ leads as cards on a board
Outcome: A visible pipeline without a separate CRM
Support teams on a budget
Add live chat and a help center on Starter
Outcome: Email, chat and docs for $12 per user
Operations teams
Assign requests and split them into subtasks
Outcome: Clear ownership of each request in Gmail
Key features
- Shared inboxes inside Gmail with board, list and preview views
- Assignments, @mentions, email notes and subtasks
- Collision detection on every plan, plus shared email drafts
- Help center and live chat included from Starter
- Varley AI drafts, summaries and classification on Plus and Pro
Pros
- $12 per user per month billed yearly is the lowest paid start here
- Emails stay in Gmail, so there is no migration
- No seat minimums on any plan
Cons
- Gmail and Google Workspace only
- Starter allows 10 automation rules and a 3-month reporting window
- SLA rules, round robin and WhatsApp require Pro at $24
Rank 6
HubSpot Service Hub
HubSpot's customer service software, with ticketing and team email on a free plan connected to the same CRM as sales and marketing.
hubspot.com8.0
out of 10
Best for: Companies already on HubSpot CRM that want support and sales emails tied to contact and deal records.
HubSpot Service Hub is the natural choice when your sales team already works in HubSpot CRM. The free plan includes ticketing, team email and the Breeze Assistant, so a support@ or sales@ address can be connected on the same platform that runs HubSpot's sales and marketing software. That shared CRM is the main reason to choose it: support and sales work from the same customer data instead of forwarding mail between teams. Starter lists at $20 per seat per month, with a $10 price for new customers for a limited time, and adds simple ticket automation, multiple ticket pipelines and live chat. Professional starts at $100 per seat and adds the help desk workspace, a knowledge base, custom objects and the customer agent, and Enterprise at $175 adds skill-based routing. For teams not on HubSpot, it is more software to set up than a pure shared inbox, and the jump from Starter to Professional is steep.
Standout feature
Team email and ticketing on a free plan, on the same platform as HubSpot's sales tools.
Use cases
HubSpot CRM customers
Connect sales@ and support@ as team email
Outcome: Support and sales email on one CRM
Small teams
Start on the free plan with ticketing
Outcome: Shared email tracking at no cost
Growing support teams
Move to Professional for a help desk workspace and knowledge base
Outcome: Support and sales on one CRM
Key features
- Team email and ticketing on the free plan
- Breeze Assistant AI on the free plan
- Live chat and multiple ticket pipelines on Starter
- Help desk workspace, knowledge base and customer agent on Professional
- Skill-based routing on Enterprise
Pros
- A permanent free plan with team email and ticketing
- Service, sales and marketing software share one HubSpot platform
- 14-day free trial of the premium editions
Cons
- The $10 Starter price is a limited-time offer for new customers
- The help desk workspace and knowledge base start on Professional at $100 per seat
- More setup than an inbox-first tool if you do not already use HubSpot
Rank 7
Keeping
A lightweight shared inbox for Gmail that adds assignments, notes and ticket statuses while replies look like normal email.
keeping.com7.9
out of 10
Best for: Small Gmail teams that want a simple, low-cost shared mailbox with collision detection and basic reporting.
Keeping keeps the shared inbox idea small. It works with Gmail, turns each incoming email in a shared mailbox such as help@ into a ticket with an open, pending or closed status, and lets teammates assign it, leave notes with @mentions and see who is already replying through collision detection. Replies go out looking like normal email, so customers never see a help desk portal. Essentials costs $14 per user per month billed annually ($19 monthly) with a 2-user minimum, and covers 2 shared mailboxes, up to 10 agents, an autoresponder, 2 workflows, shared templates and standard reporting. Advanced at $24 removes the mailbox and agent limits and adds round robin assignment, shared drafts, SLAs, CSAT surveys, custom fields and all integrations. A HIPAA plan at $49 adds a signed BAA for healthcare teams. There is no chat, SMS or social channel, so Keeping fits teams whose work is email and who value simplicity over breadth.
Standout feature
A dedicated HIPAA plan with an executed BAA, which few Gmail shared inbox tools offer.
Use cases
Small Gmail teams
Replace a shared help@ login
Outcome: Each email has an owner and a status
Healthcare practices
Run patient email on the HIPAA plan
Outcome: Shared inbox covered by a signed BAA
Teams with uneven volume
Turn on round robin assignment on Advanced
Outcome: Incoming email spread evenly across agents
Key features
- Shared mailboxes such as help@ with open, pending and closed statuses
- Teammate assignment, shared notes with @mentions and collision detection
- Autoresponder and shareable permalinks
- Round robin assignment, SLAs and CSAT surveys on Advanced
- Signed BAA and full HIPAA compliance on the HIPAA plan
Pros
- 14-day trial on every plan, no credit card
- Replies from Keeping look like normal email to customers
- A dedicated HIPAA plan with an executed BAA
Cons
- Essentials allows 2 shared mailboxes and up to 10 agents
- Two-user minimum on every plan
- Email only, with no chat or messaging channels
Rank 8
Gmelius
A Gmail and Google Workspace add-on that combines shared inboxes and shared labels with AI assistants for sorting, drafting and dispatching email.
gmelius.com7.8
out of 10
Best for: Google Workspace teams that want shared inboxes plus AI sorting and drafting inside Gmail.
Gmelius adds team features to Gmail and leans heavily on AI. The entry Meli plan at $19 per user is a personal AI assistant that drafts replies, sorts email and schedules meetings, so teams that need shared inboxes start on Growth at $25 per user per month billed yearly ($33 monthly). Growth includes unlimited shared inboxes and shared Gmail labels, shared drafts, notes with @mentions, collision detection, Kanban board views, automation rules with auto-assignments, shared templates and SLA and email analytics with a 3-month window. Pro at $40 adds an AI dispatching assistant, HubSpot and Salesforce integrations, webhooks, custom permissions, team units, Gmail and Drive backups and a 12-month reporting window. It is SOC 2 Type II certified. The plan naming takes a minute to understand, CRM integrations sit on Pro, and like Drag and Keeping it only serves Google Workspace teams.
Standout feature
Unlimited shared inboxes and shared Gmail labels on its first team plan.
Use cases
Client service teams on Google Workspace
Share an inbox and label set across the team
Outcome: Everyone sees the same labels and assignments in Gmail
Sales teams on Pro
Sync shared inbox activity with HubSpot or Salesforce
Outcome: Email history on CRM records
Busy inboxes
Use AI sorting and dispatching
Outcome: Emails routed to the right person automatically
Key features
- Unlimited shared inboxes and shared Gmail labels on Growth
- Shared drafts, notes, @mentions and collision detection
- Kanban board views and custom views
- Automation rules with auto-assignments, plus round robin and load balanced assignment options
- AI assistants for drafting, sorting and dispatching email
Pros
- Unlimited shared inboxes from the first team plan
- Works inside Gmail with Google Workspace sign-in
- SOC 2 Type II certified
Cons
- Shared inboxes start on Growth at $25; the $19 Meli plan is a personal assistant
- HubSpot and Salesforce integrations need Pro at $40
- Gmail and Google Workspace only
Rank 9
Trengo
A unified inbox for email, WhatsApp Business API and website chat, priced per workspace with users and conversations included.
trengo.com7.4
out of 10
Best for: Teams that handle as much WhatsApp and chat as email and prefer a flat plan price.
Trengo is a shared inbox for teams whose customers write on WhatsApp as often as they email. Every plan brings email, the WhatsApp Business API and a website chat widget into one inbox, where conversations can be assigned or forwarded, labeled and discussed with internal comments and @mentions. Role-based permissions, contact profiles, custom fields and saved views are standard, and auto replies and quick replies cover routine questions. Pricing works differently from per-seat tools: plans are a flat monthly price that includes a set number of users and conversations. Base includes 3 users, up to a maximum of 5, and 1,200 conversations a year, while Boost includes 10 users, up to 100, and 6,000 conversations, with AI agent features and automation. The page we could reach showed prices in euros, so we have not quoted a USD figure. Voice calling, broadcasting and extra users are add-ons, and the conversation caps mean busy teams should check their annual volume before choosing a plan.
Standout feature
WhatsApp Business API is part of every plan, next to email and chat.
Use cases
Ecommerce and hospitality teams
Answer email and WhatsApp in one inbox
Outcome: No switching between phone apps and email
Small teams
Start on Base with 3 users
Outcome: Shared inbox and WhatsApp under one flat price
Growing teams
Move to Boost for automation and AI
Outcome: Routine questions answered automatically
Key features
- Unified shared inbox for email, messaging and website chat
- WhatsApp Business API on every plan
- Assignments, role-based permissions, labels and internal comments
- Auto replies, quick replies and saved views
- AI agent and AI Journeys automation, with broadcasting as an add-on
Pros
- WhatsApp Business API is included rather than sold separately
- Plans include a set number of users and yearly conversations
- Internal comments and @mentions inside each thread
Cons
- The pricing page shows EUR by default, so USD prices could not be confirmed here
- The Base plan caps at 5 users and 1,200 conversations a year
- Voice calling and extra users are add-ons
Frequently asked questions
+What is shared inbox software?
Shared inbox software lets a team work a common email address such as support@ or sales@ together. Each email can be assigned to one person, given a status and discussed in internal comments, so nobody forwards messages or shares a password. Many tools also add live chat, SMS or WhatsApp to the same inbox.
+What is the best shared inbox for small teams?
Help Scout has a free plan for 5 users and 1 inbox, and Missive starts at $14 per user per month billed yearly for up to 5 users with a 30-day trial. Gmail teams can start with Drag at $12 per user per month billed yearly or Keeping at $14.
+Is there a free shared inbox?
Yes. Help Scout's free plan includes 5 users, 1 inbox and 1 Docs site, and HubSpot Service Hub's free plan includes ticketing and team email connected to the HubSpot CRM. The other tools on this list offer free trials of 7 to 30 days instead.
+Can a shared inbox handle support and sales email together?
Yes. Front lets you split support and sales into separate workspaces with their own rules and reports, Missive keeps team inboxes next to personal ones, and HubSpot Service Hub keeps both on the HubSpot CRM. Hiver's Elite plan can also move relevant emails from personal inboxes into shared ones automatically.
+Which shared inbox tools work inside Gmail?
Drag, Keeping and Gmelius run inside Gmail and Google Workspace, and Hiver offers a Hiver in Gmail product alongside its standalone Hiver Omni platform. Front, Help Scout, Missive and Trengo are separate apps that connect Gmail, Outlook or other email accounts.
About this list
Updated November 9, 2026 by the Mojolin research desk. Mojolin is self-funded
Questions or corrections: editorial@mojolin.com
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