Hiver Review 2025: Pricing, Features, Pros & Cons, Ratings & More

Imed Bouchrika, Phd

by Imed Bouchrika, Phd

Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist

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Hiver: Top Help Desk Software

4.65 / 5


What is Hiver

Hiver operates within Gmail to transform traditional inboxes into collaborative workspaces, ideal for teams managing shared email accounts. Its core features include shared inboxes that enable multiple users to handle emails sent to addresses like support@company.com, improving transparency and organization. This setup allows users to assign emails to specific team members, ensuring clear responsibility and preventing duplicated efforts. Such functionality is central to how Hiver works for teams aiming to streamline communication and accountability.

The platform also tracks the status of emails—open, pending, or closed—giving teams an overview of ongoing tasks and priorities. Internal notes within email threads allow private discussions among team members without involving external recipients. Automation rules further enhance efficiency by routing incoming emails based on keywords or sender details, reducing manual sorting in busy environments. These features, combined with analytics on response times and workload, empower managers to monitor performance and optimize processes.

Security remains paramount since Hiver leverages Google Workspace’s infrastructure, including role-based access controls to safeguard sensitive information. This makes it suitable for organizations with strict privacy requirements or regulated data. Additionally, the user interface mimics Gmail’s familiar environment, minimizing training time and easing adoption across various company sizes. For those assessing options, exploring top help desk softwares can provide further insight into comparable tools and their capabilities.

Integrating shared drafts and SLA tracking, Hiver supports collaborative email responses and ensures timely handling of customer queries. Its design addresses common challenges faced by teams using shared inboxes, enhancing productivity without disrupting existing email workflows. This approach highlights why many consider Hiver shared inbox software for improving team email management.

What is Hiver

How much does Hiver cost

Hiver: Top Help Desk Software

4.65 / 5

Growth Plan

  • Price: $15 per user per month, billed annually
  • Shared inboxes and email delegation
  • Collision detection and email templates
  • Basic automation and reporting features

Plus Plan

  • Price: $30 per user per month, billed annually
  • Includes all Growth Plan features
  • Advanced automation and workflow rules
  • Service level agreement (SLA) management
  • Enhanced analytics and custom reports

Enterprise Plan

  • Custom pricing available on request
  • All Plus Plan features included
  • Dedicated customer success manager
  • Custom integrations and advanced security controls

Hiver provides a free 14-day trial, allowing users to test the platform before selecting a paid plan.

How much does Hiver cost

What are the pros of Hiver

  • Direct integration with Gmail for managing shared inboxes within a familiar interface
  • Collaborative email management with shared inboxes to prevent duplicate replies and missed messages
  • Email delegation system assigning messages to specific team members for accountability
  • Internal comments and notes feature enabling team communication without external tools
  • Automation rules for automatic email assignment, labeling, and prioritization

What are the cons of Hiver

  • Limited report customization and analysis capabilities hinder detailed performance tracking
  • Integration mainly supports Gmail and Google Workspace, restricting use with other email platforms and CRMs
  • Basic automation features without advanced workflow customization or conditional logic
  • Shared inbox management lacks detailed permission controls for user access
  • Search function is not highly precise, sometimes yielding irrelevant results
  • Minimal real-time collaboration tools, missing live editing and instant notifications

What are the core features of Hiver

Hiver: Top Help Desk Software

4.65 / 5

Hiver is designed to enhance team collaboration and streamline email management directly within Gmail. Its robust set of tools transforms shared inboxes into efficient, actionable workflows, helping teams stay organized and responsive.

  • Notes: Add internal annotations to emails for sharing insights and context without involving external recipients.
  • Internal Discussion: Facilitate private team conversations inside the email interface to enable quick, collaborative decision-making.
  • Assignments and Tasks: Convert emails into tasks by assigning them to team members with deadlines and priorities, boosting accountability.
  • Workflows: Automate repetitive email processes through customizable workflows to standardize responses and reduce manual effort.
  • Templates: Create and use email templates to maintain consistency and accelerate communication.
  • Integrations: Seamlessly integrate with Gmail and other Google Workspace apps to manage shared inboxes without leaving familiar tools.
  • Tagging System: Organize and categorize emails using tags for easier retrieval and efficient sorting.
  • Performance Tracking: Monitor individual and team response times and resolution rates to gain insights into email handling efficiency.
  • Email Tracking: Track when emails are opened and engaged with, improving follow-up timing and visibility into recipient interactions.
  • Predefined Rules: Set automated rules to categorize, assign, or tag incoming emails based on specific criteria, minimizing manual sorting.
  • Unified Inbox: Consolidate multiple shared email accounts into a single view for simplified team management.
  • Email Automation: Utilize auto-assignment and auto-responders to speed up response times and reduce repetitive tasks.
  • Collision Detection: Avoid duplicated efforts by receiving alerts when multiple team members attempt to reply to the same email.
  • Shared Labels: Use consistent shared labels across team members to improve visibility and coordination.
  • Shared Drafts: Collaborate on composing and editing email drafts within the platform before sending.
  • Response SLAs: Configure service level agreements to track and enforce timely responses, helping meet customer expectations.
  • Multi-level Access Control: Apply role-based permissions to control who can view, assign, or manage specific emails or mailboxes.
  • Mobile Access: Extend Gmail integration to mobile devices, enabling collaboration and responses on the go.
  • Audit Logs: Maintain comprehensive logs of all actions taken on emails for transparency and accountability.
  • Customizable Dashboard: Tailor dashboards to monitor key metrics related to team email performance and workload.
  • Follow-up Reminders: Set reminders on emails to ensure timely follow-ups and prevent important messages from being missed.
  • Collaborative Email Templates: Maintain a shared library of email templates to ensure response consistency and save time across teams.

Benefits of using Hiver

Hiver offers a range of powerful benefits designed to boost team efficiency and simplify email collaboration within Gmail. The following overview highlights key features and advantages, helping prospective customers understand how Hiver supports streamlined communication, accountability, and security in various business environments.

  • Direct Gmail Integration: Hiver operates entirely within Gmail, allowing users to handle shared inboxes like support@ or sales@ without switching platforms. This seamless integration maintains users’ familiar workflow while enhancing team collaboration.
  • Centralized Shared Inbox Management: Teams can collectively access, assign, and monitor emails from a unified inbox. This reduces confusion by preventing overlapping efforts and ensures transparent communication across departments.
  • Clear Email Ownership and Tracking: With the ability to assign emails to specific team members, Hiver promotes accountability and clear responsibility. Status labels such as “Open,” “Pending,” or “Closed” help teams prioritize and track progress efficiently.
  • Collision Prevention and Real-Time Updates: Hiver detects when multiple users are viewing or replying to the same email, preventing duplicated responses. This feature streamlines workflows and preserves professionalism in customer interactions.
  • Automation of Routine Tasks: By setting rules based on keywords or senders, teams can automate email assignments, saving time and ensuring consistent handling of incoming queries.
  • Internal Collaboration via Notes: Users can add private notes within email threads, facilitating internal discussions without forwarding messages or using external chat tools. This keeps all communication contextual and accessible.
  • Consistent Messaging with Shared Templates: Hiver offers shared email templates, enabling teams to respond faster with uniform messaging that upholds brand voice and professionalism.
  • Enhanced Security within Google Workspace: As a Google Workspace add-on, Hiver leverages Google’s security protocols, ensuring sensitive data remains protected while simplifying user management and permissions.
  • Mobile-Friendly Access: Since Hiver integrates with Gmail, users can manage shared inboxes from mobile devices, supporting remote and flexible work arrangements.

Our expert take on Hiver

When I first explored Hiver, its seamless integration with Gmail immediately stood out. Managing shared inboxes without leaving the familiar Gmail interface streamlines workflows significantly, especially for teams already embedded in Google Workspace. This direct integration enhances team collaboration by allowing email delegation, shared labels, and collision detection—features that prevent duplicate responses and improve efficiency. In my experience, these capabilities are essential for customer service teams aiming to speed up response times and reduce redundant efforts, a key aspect of any strong hiver shared inbox features review.

One aspect I find particularly useful is how Hiver converts emails into assignable tasks within the inbox. This turns an ordinary email client into a collaborative workspace where accountability and transparency are built in. Tracking progress on emails as tasks helps me and my team stay organized without needing additional project management tools. This task-focused approach is a core reason I consider hiver email collaboration tool benefits so valuable for streamlining communication and workflow.

However, I noticed that Hiver’s reporting and customization options are somewhat basic. For organizations with complex workflows or those requiring detailed analytics, it may fall short. While it covers essential activity tracking, advanced customization or robust reports might need supplementing with other platforms. Security-wise, Hiver maintains standard protocols suitable for common email management needs, but if your business operates in highly regulated industries, you might want to evaluate whether its security certifications meet your specific compliance requirements.

Although Hiver keeps the interface clean and intuitive, which supports quick onboarding, it’s worth noting that it prioritizes simplicity over extensive customization. This suits teams that prefer minimal disruption to existing Gmail workflows. The vendor’s customer support has been responsive in my experience, easing the implementation process and ongoing use. For those wanting to explore alternatives or complement Hiver’s offerings, I recommend consulting the list of the top knowledge management systems, which provides insights into other tools that might fit varied organizational needs.

Our expert take on Hiver

What business types use Hiver

Small to Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs) and Efficient Email Collaboration: Hiver is ideal for SMBs that need streamlined team communication without investing in complex helpdesk solutions. Its seamless Gmail integration enables employees to handle shared inboxes like support@ or info@ directly within their familiar email environment, reducing training time and boosting response efficiency. This approach suits companies seeking the best collaboration tools for small businesses.

Technology Sector and SaaS Companies: Startups and SaaS firms leverage Hiver to organize customer support and sales inquiries, using features such as email assignment and collision detection to prevent duplicated efforts. These tools help maintain accountability across teams and improve customer satisfaction during rapid growth phases.

Educational Institutions and Coordinated Communication: Schools and universities manage large volumes of admissions, financial aid, and course-related emails effectively with Hiver. Shared inboxes allow multiple staff members to collaborate on responses, speeding up communication workflows and enhancing coordination.

Healthcare Providers and Sensitive Patient Communication: Clinics and small healthcare organizations benefit from clear visibility into email assignments and status tracking, which minimizes errors and ensures timely patient follow-ups. Hiver’s Gmail-based interface avoids additional software burdens, supporting smooth operational workflows.

Retail and E-commerce Businesses: Hiver supports retail teams in managing fluctuating customer inquiries related to orders, returns, and product questions, especially during busy sales periods. Its collaborative features help balance team workloads and maintain quick response times, essential for customer retention in competitive markets.

Nonprofits and Transparent Donor Relations: Nonprofit organizations with limited staff use Hiver to keep multiple team members informed and responsive to donor and volunteer communications. This shared inbox method promotes professional and transparent correspondence, strengthening supporter relationships.

Legal Firms and Confidential Client Communication: Law firms and consultancies rely on Hiver’s email notes and tracking functionalities to foster internal collaboration while safeguarding client confidentiality. This ensures timely, accountable responses critical in legal practices.

Marketing Agencies and Campaign Coordination: Agencies managing several clients find value in Hiver’s ability to assign emails and monitor their status, preventing missed opportunities and streamlining communication between account managers and creative teams.

Real Estate Agencies and Lead Management: Real estate professionals use Hiver to track inquiries, appointments, and follow-ups efficiently. The shared inbox system helps agents stay organized and respond promptly to potential buyers and renters, ensuring no leads are overlooked.

Across these sectors, Hiver’s integration within Gmail facilitates efficient team collaboration for customer support, sales, and internal coordination. Companies exploring customer support software for teams may also benefit from reviewing popular help desk ticketing systems to compare features and find the best fit.


Best 5 alternatives to Hiver

1

4.55 / 5

Zoho Desk emerges as a tailored solution within the realm of help desk software, designed to streamline how customer support teams address and resolve issues. Its multifaceted interface and integrated approach offer a cohesive environment for businesses seeking efficiency and clarity in their support workflows. The platform's structure aims to seamlessly blend intuitive usability with the demands of modern customer engagement, ensuring that teams can focus on effective service delivery. Overall, Zoho Desk presents itself as a compelling option for organizations dedicated to elevating their help desk operations.

2

Freshservice emerges as an IT service management solution designed to streamline and support essential IT operations. It positions itself as a tool that promises to simplify complex IT workflows while aiming to boost overall organizational efficiency. The platform’s approach appears to focus on delivering adaptable functionalities that can be aligned with the dynamic needs of modern IT environments. In essence, Freshservice offers prospective customers a broad-ranging solution tailored to address critical IT management challenges.

3

Salesforce Service Cloud positions itself as a dynamic help desk solution designed to enhance how companies manage customer support, offering an ecosystem that streamlines interactions and resolution processes. Its architecture emphasizes an integrated framework aimed at improving response efficiency while accommodating the varied needs of modern service teams. The platform is built to be scalable and adaptable, making it a compelling option for businesses seeking a comprehensive tool that consolidates support functions into one cohesive system. Prospective customers interested in help desk software will find that its design promises to simplify service management, helping to transform customer challenges into opportunities for lasting engagement.

4

Freshdesk

4.35 / 5

Freshdesk is presented as a help desk software solution intended to empower customer support operations. Its framework is designed to assist businesses in managing customer interactions more efficiently, providing a centralized platform for service management. Though specific features aren’t detailed here, Freshdesk is positioned as a potential choice for companies seeking to optimize their support infrastructure while addressing diverse customer service needs. This overview serves as a starting point for prospective users evaluating help desk software options on the market.

5

5 / 5

Zendesk offers a powerful, all-in-one solution for organizations aiming to enhance their customer support through an integrated omnichannel platform that consolidates interactions from email, chat, social media, and phone into a single interface. Its robust customization options allow businesses to modify ticket fields, automate their workflows, and build tailored dashboards, ensuring the software aligns perfectly with unique operational demands. Additionally, AI-driven automation boosts efficiency by managing routine tasks and prioritizing tickets, which helps increase both agent productivity and customer satisfaction. Designed for scalability and ease of use, Zendesk supports companies ranging from startups to large corporations while maintaining strong security and compliance standards suitable for diverse industries.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hiver

How does Hiver integrate with Gmail?

Hiver functions as a native extension within Gmail, embedding collaboration tools like shared inboxes, email assignments, and tracking directly into the Gmail interface. This approach eliminates the need to toggle between different applications, streamlining team workflows.

What types of shared inboxes does Hiver support?

Hiver accommodates a variety of shared inboxes such as support@, sales@, info@, and other email addresses tailored to specific teams. This setup allows multiple users to collectively access, manage, and respond to incoming emails.

Is Hiver suitable For customer support teams?

Absolutely. Hiver enhances customer support by enabling teams to allocate emails to specific members, monitor response progress, and maintain clear oversight of customer interactions. These features help improve response efficiency and accountability.

Can Hiver be used For sales teams?

Yes, sales teams benefit from Hiver by managing inbound leads through shared inboxes, tracking the status of emails, and collaborating internally to ensure timely follow-ups and stronger customer engagement.

How does Hiver handle email assignment and tracking?

Hiver provides clear ownership by allowing emails to be assigned to individual team members while tracking their status. This prevents duplicated efforts and fosters responsibility within the team.

Does Hiver provide automation capabilities?

Hiver incorporates automation features including email reminders, collision alerts to avoid multiple team replies, and workflow automations that decrease manual email management tasks, enhancing overall efficiency.

What platforms and devices does Hiver support?

Since it is a Gmail add-on, Hiver supports any device or platform capable of accessing Gmail, such as desktop and mobile web browsers, without requiring separate installations.

Is Hiver compliant with data security standards?

Hiver adheres to industry-standard security measures to safeguard email data, leveraging secure transmission and storage through Google’s infrastructure. Users should verify compliance requirements relevant to their sector.

What kind of customer support does Hiver offer?

Customer assistance is available via email, chat, and a comprehensive knowledge base, helping users with onboarding, troubleshooting, and feature guidance.

Does Hiver offer a free trial or demo?

New users generally have access to a free trial period to explore Hiver’s features before committing to a subscription plan.