Quick Overview
- 1#1: Front - Front unifies team email, live chat, SMS, and social media into a shared inbox with powerful automation and analytics.
- 2#2: Help Scout - Help Scout provides a shared inbox for customer support teams with conversational email tools and knowledge base integration.
- 3#3: Missive - Missive enables teams to collaborate on emails, chats, and tasks in a unified inbox with real-time collaboration features.
- 4#4: Hiver - Hiver transforms Gmail into a collaborative shared inbox for teams without changing email providers.
- 5#5: Zendesk - Zendesk offers comprehensive email ticketing and shared inbox management within a full customer service platform.
- 6#6: Freshdesk - Freshdesk delivers shared inboxes, automated workflows, and omnichannel support for team email management.
- 7#7: Gorgias - Gorgias provides an AI-powered helpdesk for e-commerce teams with deep email integration into Shopify and other platforms.
- 8#8: Gmelius - Gmelius converts Gmail into a team workspace with shared inboxes, automation, and CRM features.
- 9#9: Streak - Streak integrates CRM and pipeline management directly into Gmail for team email workflows.
- 10#10: Drag - Drag turns Gmail into a visual shared inbox and Kanban-style task manager for teams.
We ranked these tools by evaluating key factors including feature depth (integration, automation), user experience (ease of use), reliability, and overall value to ensure they deliver exceptional performance across varied workflows.
Comparison Table
Efficient team email management software streamlines communication, organizes workflows, and enhances collaboration, making it a key tool for modern teams. Explore a comparison of Front, Help Scout, Missive, Hiver, Zendesk, and more to discover features, strengths, and best-fit use cases for your team's unique needs.
| # | Tool | Category | Overall | Features | Ease of Use | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Front Front unifies team email, live chat, SMS, and social media into a shared inbox with powerful automation and analytics. | specialized | 9.5/10 | 9.7/10 | 9.2/10 | 8.9/10 |
| 2 | Help Scout Help Scout provides a shared inbox for customer support teams with conversational email tools and knowledge base integration. | specialized | 9.1/10 | 8.9/10 | 9.4/10 | 8.6/10 |
| 3 | Missive Missive enables teams to collaborate on emails, chats, and tasks in a unified inbox with real-time collaboration features. | specialized | 9.2/10 | 9.5/10 | 9.0/10 | 8.7/10 |
| 4 | Hiver Hiver transforms Gmail into a collaborative shared inbox for teams without changing email providers. | specialized | 8.8/10 | 8.7/10 | 9.4/10 | 8.5/10 |
| 5 | Zendesk Zendesk offers comprehensive email ticketing and shared inbox management within a full customer service platform. | enterprise | 8.4/10 | 9.1/10 | 7.7/10 | 7.6/10 |
| 6 | Freshdesk Freshdesk delivers shared inboxes, automated workflows, and omnichannel support for team email management. | enterprise | 8.7/10 | 9.2/10 | 8.4/10 | 8.1/10 |
| 7 | Gorgias Gorgias provides an AI-powered helpdesk for e-commerce teams with deep email integration into Shopify and other platforms. | specialized | 8.4/10 | 9.2/10 | 7.8/10 | 7.5/10 |
| 8 | Gmelius Gmelius converts Gmail into a team workspace with shared inboxes, automation, and CRM features. | specialized | 8.4/10 | 8.7/10 | 8.9/10 | 7.9/10 |
| 9 | Streak Streak integrates CRM and pipeline management directly into Gmail for team email workflows. | specialized | 8.1/10 | 8.4/10 | 9.2/10 | 7.9/10 |
| 10 | Drag Drag turns Gmail into a visual shared inbox and Kanban-style task manager for teams. | specialized | 7.8/10 | 8.0/10 | 9.0/10 | 7.5/10 |
Front unifies team email, live chat, SMS, and social media into a shared inbox with powerful automation and analytics.
Help Scout provides a shared inbox for customer support teams with conversational email tools and knowledge base integration.
Missive enables teams to collaborate on emails, chats, and tasks in a unified inbox with real-time collaboration features.
Hiver transforms Gmail into a collaborative shared inbox for teams without changing email providers.
Zendesk offers comprehensive email ticketing and shared inbox management within a full customer service platform.
Freshdesk delivers shared inboxes, automated workflows, and omnichannel support for team email management.
Gorgias provides an AI-powered helpdesk for e-commerce teams with deep email integration into Shopify and other platforms.
Gmelius converts Gmail into a team workspace with shared inboxes, automation, and CRM features.
Streak integrates CRM and pipeline management directly into Gmail for team email workflows.
Drag turns Gmail into a visual shared inbox and Kanban-style task manager for teams.
Front
specializedFront unifies team email, live chat, SMS, and social media into a shared inbox with powerful automation and analytics.
Collision detection that instantly alerts teammates if a conversation is already being handled, ensuring no duplicate responses.
Front is a leading team email management platform that unifies emails, live chats, SMS, and social media into shared inboxes for seamless collaboration. It empowers teams with powerful rules, automations, AI-driven insights, and analytics to handle high-volume customer conversations efficiently. Designed for support, sales, and operations teams, Front scales effortlessly while reducing response times and errors through features like collision detection and macros.
Pros
- Exceptional real-time collaboration and collision detection to prevent duplicate work
- Robust automation rules, AI insights, and 100+ integrations for streamlined workflows
- Comprehensive multi-channel support including email, chat, SMS, and social media
Cons
- Higher pricing tiers may strain smaller budgets
- Advanced features have a moderate learning curve
- Limited customization in reporting compared to enterprise alternatives
Best For
Scaling customer support, sales, and operations teams managing high-volume, multi-channel communications collaboratively.
Pricing
Starts at $19/user/month (Basic), $49 (Plus), $99 (Pro); Enterprise custom; billed annually with 7-day free trial.
Help Scout
specializedHelp Scout provides a shared inbox for customer support teams with conversational email tools and knowledge base integration.
Shared Inbox that blends traditional email workflow with team collaboration features like real-time assignments and internal threading
Help Scout is a customer support platform that transforms team email inboxes into a collaborative shared space, allowing multiple users to manage conversations without losing the familiar email interface. It offers tools like conversation assignment, internal notes, saved replies, automation workflows, and performance reporting to streamline team email management. Ideal for support teams seeking a balance between simplicity and powerful collaboration features.
Pros
- Intuitive email-like interface that's easy for teams to adopt quickly
- Robust collaboration tools including assignments, notes, and @mentions
- Powerful automation with workflows and macros for efficiency
Cons
- Advanced reporting and custom fields limited to higher tiers
- No built-in telephony or live chat in base plans
- Pricing can become expensive for larger teams with many users
Best For
Small to mid-sized customer support teams needing a user-friendly shared inbox for email collaboration without heavy ticketing complexity.
Pricing
Standard ($20/user/mo), Plus ($40/user/mo), Pro ($65/user/mo), billed annually; 15-day free trial.
Missive
specializedMissive enables teams to collaborate on emails, chats, and tasks in a unified inbox with real-time collaboration features.
Real-time collaborative drafting and editing of emails and messages
Missive is a collaborative team inbox platform that unifies email, chat, SMS, voice, and social media messaging into a single, shared interface for seamless team communication. It enables real-time collaboration on drafts, assignments, labels, rules, and automation to streamline workflows. Perfect for teams handling customer support, sales, or internal communications, it boosts productivity by turning emails into actionable conversations.
Pros
- Real-time collaborative editing like Google Docs for emails and responses
- Multi-channel support including SMS, WhatsApp, Twitter, and more in one inbox
- Powerful automation rules, assignments, and integrations with 50+ apps
Cons
- Higher pricing tiers required for advanced features like unlimited rules
- Steeper learning curve for complex automations and custom integrations
- Free plan limited to basic use, not suitable for full teams
Best For
Customer support, sales, and marketing teams needing collaborative, multi-channel inbox management.
Pricing
Free for individuals; Starter $14/user/mo, Productive $28/user/mo, Advanced $48/user/mo (billed annually).
Hiver
specializedHiver transforms Gmail into a collaborative shared inbox for teams without changing email providers.
Native Gmail collaboration with collision detection that prevents multiple team members from replying to the same email
Hiver is a Gmail-native tool that transforms shared inboxes into collaborative workspaces for teams. It enables assigning emails, adding internal notes, applying shared labels, and automating workflows directly within the Gmail interface without forwarding or leaving the inbox. Ideal for support, sales, and ops teams, it includes collision detection to prevent duplicate replies and basic analytics for performance tracking.
Pros
- Seamless native integration with Gmail—no extensions, forwarding, or training required
- Robust collaboration tools like assignments, internal notes, and collision alerts
- Quick setup and reliable performance for Google Workspace teams
Cons
- Limited to Gmail/Google Workspace only—no Outlook or other email support
- Advanced automation and reporting features require higher-tier plans
- Pricing scales per user, which can be costly for large teams
Best For
Small to mid-sized teams using Google Workspace who need simple, intuitive shared inbox management without disrupting their Gmail workflow.
Pricing
Free for up to 3 users/basic features; Starter at $19/user/month, Professional at $49/user/month (billed annually).
Zendesk
enterpriseZendesk offers comprehensive email ticketing and shared inbox management within a full customer service platform.
AI-powered email categorization and auto-routing that intelligently assigns tickets based on content and agent skills
Zendesk is a robust customer support platform that transforms shared email inboxes into collaborative ticketing systems, enabling teams to assign, track, and resolve customer inquiries efficiently. It offers advanced automation through triggers, macros, and AI-powered routing to streamline workflows and prevent email overload. With strong reporting and integrations, it's designed for scaling team email management beyond basic shared inboxes.
Pros
- Powerful automation with triggers, SLAs, and AI routing for emails
- Seamless collaboration via internal notes, assignments, and @mentions
- Comprehensive analytics and reporting on email volume and response times
Cons
- Steep learning curve for setup and customization
- Pricing can be high for small teams focused only on email
- Overkill for simple shared inbox needs without full ticketing
Best For
Mid-sized support teams needing scalable, automated email ticketing with multi-channel expansion potential.
Pricing
Starts at $55/agent/month (billed annually) for Suite Team plan; scales to $115/agent/month for Growth and $215 for Enterprise.
Freshdesk
enterpriseFreshdesk delivers shared inboxes, automated workflows, and omnichannel support for team email management.
Collision Detection, which alerts agents in real-time if another team member is already replying to an email.
Freshdesk is a robust customer support platform that converts incoming emails into structured tickets, enabling teams to collaborate on responses, assign tasks, and automate workflows for efficient email management. It supports shared inboxes, collision detection to avoid duplicate replies, and SLA tracking to ensure timely resolutions. While versatile across multiple channels like chat and phone, its email-to-ticket system excels at scaling team email handling for support operations.
Pros
- Powerful automation rules and ticket routing for streamlined email handling
- Collision detection prevents duplicate responses in team inboxes
- Comprehensive reporting and analytics for email performance insights
Cons
- Higher-tier plans required for advanced features like custom objects
- Interface can feel cluttered for users focused solely on email
- Pricing scales quickly with agent count and add-ons
Best For
Mid-sized support teams handling high-volume emails who need ticketing automation and multi-channel expansion.
Pricing
Free plan for up to 10 agents; paid plans start at $15/agent/month (Sprout), up to $99/agent/month (Forest), billed annually.
Gorgias
specializedGorgias provides an AI-powered helpdesk for e-commerce teams with deep email integration into Shopify and other platforms.
Automatic ticket enrichment with real-time customer data from e-commerce platforms like Shopify
Gorgias is a customer service platform designed for e-commerce teams, unifying email, live chat, SMS, and social media into a shared team inbox for efficient ticket management. It automates workflows with macros, AI-powered responses, and rules to streamline support operations. Ideal for scaling customer service without losing personalization, it integrates deeply with platforms like Shopify to enrich tickets with order data and customer history.
Pros
- Seamless multi-channel unification including email for collaborative team handling
- Powerful automation, macros, and AI for reducing response times
- Deep e-commerce integrations that auto-enrich tickets with customer data
Cons
- Pricing scales quickly and can be expensive for larger teams
- Steep learning curve for advanced automation setup
- More specialized for support tickets than general-purpose email management
Best For
E-commerce businesses with high-volume customer support needing integrated multi-channel email and ticket collaboration.
Pricing
Starts at $10/agent/month (Starter plan with limits), Basic at $60/month (up to 5 agents), Pro at $360/month (up to 15 agents), plus custom enterprise options.
Gmelius
specializedGmelius converts Gmail into a team workspace with shared inboxes, automation, and CRM features.
Label-based shared inboxes that transform Gmail into a collaborative workspace without forwarding or third-party apps
Gmelius is a Gmail-centric team email management platform that converts standard Gmail labels into fully shared inboxes, enabling seamless collaboration without email forwarding. It offers powerful automation workflows, AI-driven email processing, internal notes, @mentions, and helpdesk ticketing features directly within the Gmail interface. Ideal for teams using Google Workspace, it supports sales sequences, customer support, and internal communications with integrations like Slack and HubSpot.
Pros
- Native Gmail integration with no setup hassle
- Advanced automation and AI for email workflows
- Strong collaboration tools like @mentions and internal notes
Cons
- Limited to Gmail/Google Workspace users
- Pricing scales quickly for larger teams
- Advanced features locked behind higher plans
Best For
Small to medium teams using Gmail for customer support, sales, or shared inboxes who want native collaboration without switching apps.
Pricing
Starts at $24/user/month (billed annually) for Pro; Business at $34/user/month; custom Enterprise pricing.
Streak
specializedStreak integrates CRM and pipeline management directly into Gmail for team email workflows.
Visual Pipelines that turn Gmail threads into draggable Kanban-style boards for team workflow management
Streak is a CRM and workflow tool that integrates directly into Gmail, transforming inboxes into shared pipelines for team email management, sales tracking, and customer support. It enables teams to organize emails into customizable 'Boxes' and 'Pipelines,' collaborate via @mentions, snippets, and shared views, and automate tasks like mail merge and reminders. While powerful for Gmail users, it's primarily CRM-focused rather than a full shared inbox solution like dedicated helpdesk tools.
Pros
- Seamless Gmail integration with no app-switching required
- Customizable pipelines for sales, support, and recruiting workflows
- Real-time team collaboration with @mentions and shared records
Cons
- Limited to Gmail ecosystem, no native Outlook or other email support
- Reporting and analytics are basic without exports or advanced dashboards
- Pricing scales per user and can add up for larger teams
Best For
Sales and customer success teams already using Gmail as their primary inbox who need lightweight CRM and pipeline management.
Pricing
Free plan for solo users; Pro at $15/user/month (billed annually) or $49/month; Enterprise custom pricing.
Drag
specializedDrag turns Gmail into a visual shared inbox and Kanban-style task manager for teams.
Transforms Gmail emails into fully customizable, collaborative Kanban boards
Drag is a Gmail-focused email management tool that converts inboxes into customizable Kanban boards, enabling teams to drag and drop emails as cards across stages like To Do, In Progress, and Done. It supports real-time collaboration, task assignments, deadlines, notes, and reminders directly within Gmail. Ideal for shared inboxes, it enhances productivity by visualizing email workflows without needing to switch apps.
Pros
- Seamless Gmail integration with no data export needed
- Intuitive drag-and-drop Kanban interface for visual workflow management
- Real-time team collaboration and notifications
Cons
- Limited to Gmail; no support for Outlook or other providers
- Fewer advanced automations and integrations than competitors
- Higher tiers required for full team features
Best For
Small to medium teams relying on Gmail shared inboxes who prefer a visual Kanban-style email workflow.
Pricing
Free plan for basics; Pro at $8/user/month; Business at $18/user/month (billed annually).
Conclusion
In the landscape of team email management software, Front emerges as the top choice, unifying email, chat, SMS, and social media into a shared inbox with powerful automation and analytics. While Help Scout excels for customer support teams with its conversational tools and knowledge base integration, and Missive stands out for real-time collaboration features in team workflows, Front’s holistic approach makes it the leading solution. The variety of tools ensures there’s an option for nearly every need, but Front leads as the most versatile.
Explore Front today to streamline your team’s communication—its unified platform turns chaos into clarity, whether handling customer inquiries, internal tasks, or cross-channel engagement.
Tools Reviewed
All tools were independently evaluated for this comparison
