Verdict · Help Desk

Hiver

A help desk that lives right inside Gmail, built for small teams that already run on Google Workspace.

Hiver layers shared inboxes, assignments, notes and light automation directly onto Gmail, so agents never leave the inbox they already know. For small teams on Google Workspace that want order without a heavy platform, it is one of the easiest desks to adopt. The tradeoff is depth: omnichannel, analytics and AI are improving but still trail the dedicated platforms, and the per user price is fair rather than cheap once you pass the free tier.

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Reviewed by M. HALLORAN·Updated JUNE 2026·How we vet
In one line
Hiver is the easy answer when a small team wants order without ever leaving Gmail.
What we found

In its favour

+ Runs inside Gmail, so adoption is almost immediate
+ Clean shared inboxes with assignment and collision alerts
+ Free forever tier to test the workflow
+ Good fit for small Google Workspace teams
+ Adds chat, knowledge base and voice on higher tiers

Held against it

Less deep than dedicated platforms on automation
Reporting and analytics trail the leaders
AI features are a paid add on per user
Best suited to Gmail, less so to other mail systems
The scorecard

The simplest path from a busy inbox to a real desk

Hiver wins on ease of use and onboarding because it never leaves Gmail. It scores lower on raw feature depth and analytics, the deliberate cost of staying light and inbox first.

Scored against the same five weighted criteria we use across help desk software. See the rubric →

Ease of use 92
Features and depth 78
Value for money 84
Integrations 80
Support and onboarding 86
Buy it if you’re…

a small team on Google Workspace that wants shared inboxes and light support workflows without learning a separate platform.

Skip it if you’re…

a larger or omnichannel operation that needs deep automation, voice and advanced analytics out of the box.

What it costs

Per user / month, billed annually

Pricing as of June 2026 · check the vendor for current pricing. Figures are per user per month billed annually; monthly billing costs more. Paid plans carry a two seat minimum, and the Hiver AI features are sold as a separate add on near twenty dollars per user per month.

Free
$0
A starter shared inbox for the smallest teams.
+Shared inboxes in Gmail
+Email assignment and notes
+Limited messages a month
+Core collaboration tools
★ Our pick
Growth
$25
The core plan for growing support teams.
+Unlimited shared inbox email
+Automations and SLA basics
+Analytics and reporting
+Two seat minimum applies
Pro
$45
More channels and depth for busier teams.
+Everything in Growth
+Live chat and knowledge base
+Advanced analytics
+Round robin assignment
Elite
$75
Scale and controls for larger teams.
+Everything in Pro
+Unlimited automations
+Custom reporting and roles
+Priority onboarding and support