10 Best Shared Inbox Software for Support Teams

Key takeaways

A shared inbox is one mailbox, or one queue of conversations, that a whole team works from, with every message owned by one person. Without one, support email lives in personal inboxes. Two agents answer the same customer, a request waits three days because the person who got it was on holiday, and nobody can say what is still open.

The tools below fix that in different ways. We looked at 10 shared inbox tools, read their pricing pages and G2 pages in October 2026, and compared how each handles assignment, internal notes, automation, channels and AI. You get the price of each plan, what is free, who each tool suits and where it runs out of room.

Tidio is listed first because this list is ordered for small support teams and e-commerce stores. Every tool, ours included, gets the same criteria and its real drawbacks.

The best shared inbox software at a glance

Three picks cover most teams. Tidio suits small teams that answer customers over chat and email and want an AI agent on top. Help Scout is the cleanest email-first shared inbox. Front fits larger teams that live in email and need routing rules and assignment at scale.

Tool	Best for	Starting price	Free plan or trial	G2 rating
Tidio	Chat, email and AI for small teams and e-commerce	Free; paid from $29/mo (monthly billing)	Free plan, 7-day trial of paid plans	4.6/5
Front	Large email-heavy support and ops teams	$25 per seat/mo (annual)	14-day trial	4.7/5
Help Scout	Simple email-first support	$25 per user/mo (annual)	Free plan for 5 users	4.4/5
Hiver	Teams that work inside Gmail	$25 per user/mo (annual)	Free plan listed, 7-day trial	4.6/5
Missive	Shared inbox plus team chat on a budget	$14 per user/mo (annual)	30-day trial	4.7/5
Freshdesk	Teams that will grow into a full help desk	$19 per agent/mo (annual)	14-day trial	4.4/5
HubSpot Service Hub	Teams already on HubSpot CRM	Free for 2 users; paid seats from $7	Free plan	4.4/5
Helpwise	Gmail-style team inbox with collision alerts	$12 per user/mo (annual)	7-day trial	4.6/5
Intercom	AI-first support teams that accept usage billing	$39 per seat/mo	14-day trial	4.5/5
Zoho TeamInbox	Very low per-seat price and Zoho users	$5 per user/mo (annual)	14-day trial	4.2/5 (13 reviews)

How we chose and tested these tools

We started from 14 tools that appear in the top Google results for shared inbox software and kept 10. We dropped tools that are full help desks first and inboxes second, and tools that only fit one stack, such as a WordPress plugin.

Each tool was scored on six criteria:

• Ownership. Can you assign a conversation to one person, and see who has it?
• Collaboration. Are there internal notes, mentions or shared drafts?
• Automation. Can rules route and tag messages without manual work?
• Channels. Does it handle chat, social and WhatsApp as well as email?
• AI. Does it draft or resolve replies, and how does it charge for that?
• Price. What does the plan cost per person, what is free, and what changes the bill?

Data comes from each vendor’s pricing page and G2 page, fetched in October 2026 from a US location. We list the tools in an order that fits small support teams and e-commerce stores, not by G2 rating. We did not run hands-on tests of every tool, so where a vendor’s page does not confirm a feature we say so rather than assume it.

The 10 best shared inbox software in 2026

The best shared inbox software for most support teams is Tidio for chat and email with AI, Help Scout for email-first teams, and Front for larger email-heavy teams. Entry prices run from $5 to $39 per user a month. All 10 tools follow, with prices checked in October 2026.

1. Tidio

Best for: Small support teams and e-commerce stores that handle chat and email together.

Tidio puts live chat, email, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp conversations in one inbox, so a team answers customers from one place instead of five. Its AI agent, Lyro, takes the repetitive questions first, and Tidio says Lyro can resolve up to 75% of support requests. Humans pick up what Lyro hands off.

Tidio is built around a website chat widget first, which suits stores and small teams that talk to visitors before they become tickets.

Tidio fits these teams best:

• E-commerce businesses, especially Shopify stores, thanks to native integrations such as live shopping-cart preview and order history.
• Small and medium-sized businesses that want to streamline customer support without large teams, through automation and AI.
• Businesses with high support volume that want to automate repetitive inquiries and reduce ticket load.
• Companies across industries (retail, SaaS, services) that talk to website visitors and want faster responses and higher conversion rates.
• Teams that manage multi-channel communication: live chat, email, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp in one place.

Key features:

• One inbox for every channel. Live chat, email, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp in one dashboard, with individual inboxes for each operator and search across all messages.
• Customer sidebar. Contact details, previous conversations, location and custom properties next to each chat, plus a live preview of the visitor’s shopping cart.
• Faster replies. Macros for recurring answers, live typing preview, and automatic chat assignment on the Growth plan.
• AI and automation. Lyro for AI replies and Flows for automated conversation paths, both sold as add-ons.

Pros

• A free plan with 50 billable conversations a month and up to 10 seats, so you can test it with real customers.
• Chat, email and social in one inbox, with an AI agent in the same tool.
• Plans are priced by billable conversations, not per agent seat.

Cons

• Lyro and Flows are priced separately, so you only pay for what you use, but there are quotas to keep an eye on as volume grows.
• The inbox is built around chat and tickets first. Teams that work in long email threads with shared drafts may prefer an email-first tool such as Front or Help Scout.
• Larger deployments (Plus and above) get a quote from Tidio’s sales team.

Skip Tidio if your support is almost entirely long internal email threads and you rarely talk to website visitors.

Pricing: Free plan with 50 billable conversations. Starter is $29 a month with monthly billing, or $24.17 a month billed annually, for 100 billable conversations. Growth starts at $59 a month ($49.17 billed annually) for 250. Plus starts at $300 a month plus usage. Paid plans have a 7-day free trial and the account drops to Free if you do not upgrade. Lyro starts at $32.50 a month billed annually. Billable conversations count live conversations and tickets handled by your team (Tidio pricing, checked October 2026).

Rating: G2 4.6/5 (1,962 reviews).

2. Front

Best for: Larger email-heavy support and operations teams.

Front is the most complete email-first shared inbox here. It gives each conversation an owner, lets teammates comment and draft together, and routes work with rules. The price rises quickly as you add channels and AI.

Key features:

• Assignment. Assign a message to one teammate so ownership is clear.
• Comments and drafts. Teammates discuss a thread and draft replies together behind the scenes.
• Rules and AI. Up to 10 rules on Starter and 20 on Professional, with a Copilot add-on at $20 per seat a month.

Pros

• Assignment, comments and shared drafts are built in, so teammates stop forwarding emails.
• Omnichannel on Professional and above: email, SMS, social and WhatsApp.

Cons

• Professional is $65 per seat a month on annual billing, the priciest mid tier in this list.
• Starter handles a single channel type.

Pricing: Starter $25 per seat a month billed annually, up to 10 seats. Professional $65 and Enterprise $105 per seat a month, billed annually. 14-day free trial, no free plan. Autopilot AI starts at $0.05 per conversation. Source: Front pricing page, October 2026.

Rating: G2 4.7/5 (2,514 reviews).

Read more: Front review · Front alternatives

3. Help Scout

Best for: Small and mid-size teams that want a simple, email-first inbox.

Help Scout keeps the inbox clean. Conversations sort, tag and assign automatically, and teammates leave internal notes and mentions. It is the only tool here with a free plan that includes a real shared inbox for a team of five.

Key features:

• Sorting and assignment. Emails are labeled and assigned automatically.
• Notes and mentions. Internal notes keep everyone in the loop without a forward.
• Workflows. Basic on Standard, advanced on Plus.

Pros

• Free plan: 5 users and 1 inbox.
• Live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger on paid plans.

Cons

• Standard is capped at 2 inboxes, and extra inboxes cost $10 a month each on annual billing.
• AI Answers cost $0.75 per resolution on top of seats.

Pricing: Free for 5 users. Standard $25, Plus $45 and Pro $75 per user a month on annual billing. 15-day trial of paid plans. Source: Help Scout pricing page, October 2026.

Rating: G2 4.4/5 (431 reviews).

Read more: Help Scout review

4. Hiver

Best for: Teams that want a shared inbox inside Gmail.

Hiver started as a Gmail add-on and now also runs as a standalone inbox that works with Gmail, Outlook and other providers. Its page confirms real-time alerts that stop two people replying to the same email, which not every tool here documents.

Key features:

• Collision alerts. Real-time alerts prevent duplicate or conflicting replies.
• Notes and shared drafts. Internal notes and drafts live next to the thread.
• Automation and AI. Rule-based automations and an AI Copilot on the entry plan.

Pros

• Lives inside your existing Gmail.
• Entry-level plan includes automation and AI.

Cons

• SLAs, CSAT and the Slack channel start on Pro at $55 per user a month, and skill-based routing starts on Elite.
• Voice is a paid add-on at $30 per seat a month, and two product versions make plans harder to compare.

Pricing: Growth $25, Pro $55 and Elite $85 per user a month billed annually ($35, $65 and $95 billed monthly). A free plan is listed, but its limits are not shown on the pricing page. 7-day trial of Elite. Source: Hiver pricing page, October 2026.

Rating: G2 4.6/5 (1,288 reviews).

Read more: Hiver alternatives

5. Missive

Best for: Small teams that want a shared inbox plus team chat and tasks on a budget.

Missive blends shared email with internal chat and tasks, so a team can discuss a customer message without leaving the tool. It connects to Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and IMAP accounts.

Key features:

• Multiple assignees. More than one teammate can own a conversation.
• Internal threads and drafting. Collaborative drafts and internal chat sit beside the email.
• Channels and AI. WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram and SMS, plus AI drafts and summaries.

Pros

• Low per-seat price: $14 on annual billing.
• 30-day free trial, the longest on this list.

Cons

• Rules and the AI assistant are not on Starter, and Starter is capped at 5 users.
• AI runs on credits or your own API key, and the page does not state the credit price.

Pricing: Starter $14, Productive $24 and Business $36 per user a month billed annually ($18, $30 and $45 billed monthly). 30-day trial of Productive, no free plan. Source: Missive pricing page, October 2026.

Rating: G2 4.7/5 (860 reviews).

6. Freshdesk

Best for: Teams that expect to grow into a full help desk.

Freshdesk is ticketing first, with a shared inbox as one feature. It costs little to start and gives you a growth path, but it is heavier than a pure shared inbox.

Key features:

• Shared inbox on every plan. One inbox for the support team, with threads and tasks for internal talk.
• Routing. Round-robin and load-balanced assignment on Pro, skill-based on Enterprise.
• AI. Freddy AI Agent with 500 sessions included.

Pros

• A low $19 entry price per agent.
• Automations on every plan.

Cons

• AI Agent beyond 500 sessions is $49 per 100, and Copilot is another $29 per agent.
• Round robin and multiple SLAs need Pro at $55.

Pricing: Growth $19, Pro $55 and Enterprise $89 per agent a month billed annually. 14-day trial of Enterprise. Source: Freshdesk pricing page, October 2026.

Rating: G2 4.4/5 (3,773 reviews).

Read more: Freshdesk review · Freshdesk alternatives

7. HubSpot Service Hub

Best for: Teams already on HubSpot CRM that want a free inbox tied to customer records.

HubSpot gives you a free shared inbox for up to two users, connected to its CRM. It scales well if the rest of your team lives in HubSpot, and gets expensive fast if it does not.

Key features:

• Free shared inbox. Connect your messaging tools in one inbox, free.
• Ticketing and routing. Essential ticketing is free, and automation rules start on Starter.
• AI. A Customer Agent on Professional and above, which HubSpot says resolves 65% or more of conversations.

Pros

• Free for up to 2 users, no card needed.
• Inbox sits on top of the CRM.

Cons

• Professional is $90 per seat a month and needs a one-time $1,500 onboarding fee.
• AI usage runs on HubSpot Credits on top of seats, and the credit price is not on the page.

Pricing: Free for up to 2 users. Starter seats list at $7 and $20 a month and the page does not label which is the annual rate. Professional is $90 per seat a month annually ($100 monthly). Enterprise starts at $150 per seat a month. Source: HubSpot pricing page, October 2026.

Rating: G2 4.4/5 (3,017 reviews).

Read more: HubSpot alternatives

8. Helpwise

Best for: Small teams that want a Gmail-style team inbox with collision detection.

Helpwise looks like an email client and behaves like a shared inbox. It documents notes, mentions, shared drafts and collision detection that alerts both people writing to the same thread, even on its cheapest plan.

Key features:

• Collision detection. Alerts both people writing a reply to the same thread.
• Assignment. Manual assignment, plus round-robin and load-balanced Smart Assign.
• Automation rules. 25 rules on Premium, unlimited on Advanced.

Pros

• Notes, mentions, collision detection and shared drafts from Standard.
• Low entry price of $12 per user a month, billed annually.

Cons

• Minimum of 2 users, and Standard caps at 10 users and 3 shared inboxes.
• No free plan, and extra inboxes cost $42 for 3.

Pricing: Standard $12, Premium $23 and Advanced $39 per user a month billed annually ($15, $29 and $49 billed monthly). 7-day trial, no card. Source: Helpwise pricing page, October 2026.

Rating: G2 4.6/5 (181 reviews).

9. Intercom

Best for: Support teams that want AI to resolve most conversations and accept usage billing.

Intercom’s shared inbox and ticketing start on its entry plan, and its AI agent, Fin, is the main reason to pick it. That is also where the bill grows.

Key features:

• Shared inbox and tickets. Included from Essential.
• Team inboxes and round robin. Multiple team inboxes and round-robin assignment on Advanced.
• Workflows and notes. A no-code workflow builder and private internal notes on back-office tickets.

Pros

• Strong AI, with Fin and a Copilot add-on.
• 350+ integrations, including Slack, Jira and Salesforce.

Cons

• Seats start at $39, well above most shared-inbox tools here.
• Fin costs $0.99 per outcome and Copilot is a further $29 per agent a month billed annually.

Pricing: Essential $39, Advanced $99 and Expert $139 per seat a month. 14-day trial, no free plan. Source: Intercom pricing page, October 2026.

Rating: G2 4.5/5.

Read more: Intercom review

10. Zoho TeamInbox

Best for: Small teams on a tight budget and Zoho users.

Zoho TeamInbox is the cheapest per-seat tool here. It covers assignment, internal discussions and shared drafts, and connects group email with WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Telegram.

Key features:

• Assignment and auto-assignment. Pick up or assign messages, and assign by rule.
• Internal discussions and shared drafts. Chat on the thread and edit drafts together.
• Channels. Group email, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Telegram.

Pros

• Starts at $5 per user a month, billed annually.
• Part of Zoho One if you already use it.

Cons

• No free plan and no AI feature found on its pages.
• Starter caps at 3 shared incoming channels and 25 rules.

Pricing: Starter $5 and Professional $7.50 per user a month, billed annually. 14-day trial. Source: Zoho TeamInbox pricing page, October 2026.

Rating: G2 4.2/5 (13 reviews, a small sample).

How to choose shared inbox software

Choose shared inbox software by your channels, your headcount and the real monthly bill, then test it on a week of your own mail. Email-first teams should compare Help Scout, Front and Hiver. Teams that also chat with website visitors should compare Tidio and Intercom. A tool that looks right on the pricing page can fail on day three of a trial.

Match the tool to your channels

If most requests arrive by email, choose Help Scout, Front, Hiver or Missive. If visitors talk to you on your site and in social apps, choose a tool with chat built in, such as Tidio or Intercom.

Check ownership and collisions

Assign a test email, then open it as a second agent. Confirm you can see who owns it. Only Hiver and Helpwise document collision alerts on their pages; for the rest, test it.

Count the real price

List price is never total cost. Multiply the per-seat price by your headcount, then add the AI line: per resolution at Help Scout and Intercom, per session at Freshdesk, per conversation at Front, or in credits at HubSpot and Missive. Tidio prices by billable conversations instead of seats.

Run it on your own tickets

Import a week of real mail. Check how rules route it and how quickly an agent finds the right thread.

Shared inbox or help desk?

A shared inbox is enough when your team answers mostly email and chat, without SLAs or complex ticket states. Add a help desk when you need ticket priorities, SLAs, escalation paths and reports. Tidio and Freshdesk sit in the middle, with a shared inbox and ticketing in the same tool. For the distinction in detail, read our guide to a distribution list vs a shared mailbox, or our guide to help desk software for small business.

Which shared inbox software should you pick?

Each tool here is strong for a specific job, and the right pick depends on your channels, your team size and how you want AI to be billed. These are the picks by scenario.

• You run a Shopify store and want chat, email and AI in one inbox: Tidio on a paid plan. Growth adds automatic chat assignment, macros and a live typing preview, and Lyro can take repetitive order questions. Start from Tidio’s Shopify integration.
• You are a small support team that wants to scale with AI: Tidio Growth, then add Lyro. Move to Plus when you need departments and ticketing automations.
• You live in email and want the cleanest inbox: Help Scout, or Front if you have more than 10 agents.
• You work inside Gmail: Hiver.
• You want inbox plus chat on a small budget: Missive.
• You are already on HubSpot CRM: HubSpot Service Hub.
• You want AI-first resolution and accept usage fees: Intercom.
• You want the lowest per-seat price: Zoho TeamInbox.

Frequently asked questions