Hiver is a Gmail-native customer support platform founded in 2011 in the United States, providing shared inboxes, SLA management, and AI support. The free plan has unlimited users with 3 channels, and Pro starts at $55/user/month, serving 10,000+ teams worldwide.

Strengths and Features

✅ Founded in 2011 and operated by the US entity Hiver Inc., serving 10,000+ teams worldwide with $30M+ raised
✅ Free plan is free forever with unlimited users, including shared inbox, ticketing, 3 channel types (email/chat/help center), and 24*7 support
✅ Growth plan at $25/user/month with AI Agents, AI Copilot, and rule-based automations for small teams
✅ Pro plan at $55/user/month adds SLA timers, CSAT surveys, customer portal, and API access
✅ Voice add-on at $30/seat/month with 1,000 minutes of calls, recordings, transcripts, and AI call summaries per seat/month
✅ Deeply integrated with Google Workspace through 1 Chrome extension so agents collaborate on email without leaving Gmail
⚠️ The Gmail-native product depends on the Google ecosystem; organizations not using Google Workspace cannot use it directly, and switching costs are high
⚠️ Billed per seat, with AI and advanced features concentrated in pricier tiers (Elite at $85/user/month), which is costly for small teams
⚠️ Some Elite-tier AI features (AI QA, AI Insights, Customer Intelligence) are still labeled "coming soon," so actual delivery is unverified
⚠️ Reporting depth is limited; complex multi-dimensional analytics require third-party BI tools

Product Information

Category Communication

Tags Help Desk Customer Service Ticketing Shared Inbox SLA Management Omnichannel Support AI Support Hiver Gmail Support Support Collaboration Hiver Omni

Company hiver

Service Region United States

Official Website https://hiverhq.com/

Recommendation Score 4 pts

Published 2026-08-09

Detailed Notes

Overview

Hiver was founded in 2011 by Niraj Ranjan Rout and Nitesh Nandy and is operated by the US entity Hiver Inc. Its core idea is to embed shared inboxes, task assignment, SLA timing, and team collaboration directly into Gmail, so support agents can claim, reply to, annotate, and escalate customer email without toggling between a mailbox and a help desk - a classic Gmail-native customer support platform. The later omnichannel product Hiver Omni brings email, live chat, Slack, and voice into one workspace. As of 2026, Hiver serves more than 10,000 teams worldwide, has raised over $30 million, and holds 2,000+ reviews averaging 4.6/5 on platforms such as G2.

Hiver's AI spans the full ticket lifecycle: AI Agents pull customer context from every system, follow your internal SOPs, and resolve requests end to end, handing off full context when a human is needed; AI Copilot assists agents by drafting replies and suggesting next steps. For teams already using a ticketing system, Hiver offers a low-migration path to upgrade without moving platforms.

Key Strengths

Gmail-native with zero migration: 1 Chrome extension layers directly onto Gmail, embedding shared inboxes, notes, task assignment, and SLA timers in the mail interface; Google Workspace teams get up and running with almost no learning curve and no agent retraining.
Unlimited users on the free plan: The free plan is free forever with unlimited users, including shared inbox, ticketing, and 3 channel types (email/chat/help center), so small teams can use the core features long term at no cost.
AI across the full ticket lifecycle: AI Agents resolve simple requests that match your SOPs end to end and AI Copilot assists on complex tickets; Hiver says "the hundredth request is handled better than the first." See the AI customer service bot guide.
Omnichannel with Hiver Omni: Email, live chat, Slack, and voice aggregate in one workspace, and the Voice add-on includes 1,000 minutes per seat/month with recordings and AI call summaries.
Quantified service with SLA and CSAT: Pro includes SLA timers and CSAT surveys, with response/resolution deadlines (such as a 24-hour response) and automatic reminders that turn service-time commitments into measurable team metrics.

Product Ecosystem

Hiver in Gmail

A Chrome-extension-based Gmail-native support product offering shared inboxes, email notes, task assignment, SLA tracking, and collaboration inside Gmail - ideal for email-centric support teams. See email list management best practices.

Hiver Omni

A standalone browser-based omnichannel support platform that aggregates email, live chat, Slack, and voice, with AI Agents working at every stage of the ticket lifecycle - suited to teams that need unified multi-channel handling.

Hiver AI Suite

Includes AI Agents, AI Copilot, AI QA, AI Insights, and AI Help Center, covering auto-resolution, human assistance, quality checks, and help-center content generation.

Hiver Voice

A voice add-on at $30 per seat/month with 1,000 minutes of calls, recording transcripts, AI call summaries, and call notes.

Limitations

Heavy reliance on the Google ecosystem: All the value of the Gmail-native product depends on Google Workspace; organizations not using Google email cannot use it directly, and migrating from other support platforms is costly.
Per-seat billing with advanced features in pricier tiers: AI and advanced management features sit in Pro ($55/user/month) and Elite ($85/user/month), so budget-constrained small teams only get basic automation.
Some premium AI features are not yet live: The Elite tier markets AI QA, AI Insights, and Customer Intelligence as "coming soon," so actual delivery is limited today.
Limited reporting depth: Built-in analytics focus on operational metrics; deep pivoting and custom reporting are weaker than general platforms such as Zendesk, requiring third-party BI.

Use Cases

Google Workspace support teams (recommended ★★★★★): Gmail-native experience with zero migration; see the customer service platform guide.
Email-first support scenarios (recommended ★★★★★): Shared inboxes and SLA management work out of the box.
Growing teams needing multiple channels (recommended ★★★★): Hiver Omni aggregates email, chat, Slack, and voice.
Teams pursuing AI automation (recommended ★★★★): AI Agents and Copilot reduce repetitive ticket handling.
Non-Google-ecosystem teams (recommended ★★): Consider general platforms such as Freshdesk and Intercom.

Pricing

Plan	Price (per user/month)	Key features
Free	$0	Shared inbox, ticketing, email/chat/help center, 24*7 support
Growth	$25	AI Agents, AI Copilot, rule-based automations, pre-built reports
Pro	$55	SLA, CSAT, customer portal, Slack channel, API access
Elite	$85	Skill-based routing, custom objects, SSO/HIPAA, custom roles
Voice (add-on)	$30/seat	1,000 minutes/month, recordings, transcripts, AI summaries

Note: Prices are from Hiver's website (fetched August 2026, annual billing); actual quotes depend on the current offers. A 7-day free trial is available, and nonprofits can request discounts.

FAQ

How is Hiver different from a regular shared mailbox? A regular shared mailbox lacks task assignment, notes, and SLA; Hiver adds full collaboration and accountability inside Gmail. See the ticketing system comparison.
Does Hiver require Gmail? The Gmail-native product depends on Google Workspace; if your team does not use Google email, choose Hiver Omni or evaluate platforms such as Zendesk.
How much support volume can Hiver AI handle? AI Agents resolve simple requests that match your internal SOPs end to end; the actual automation ratio depends on knowledge-base and workflow configuration. See AI support automation.
Is there a free trial? Yes, a 7-day free trial is available; the free plan has unlimited users and requires no credit card, and more options are covered in the customer service platform guide.
Is Hiver suitable for large teams outside the Google ecosystem? You can use Hiver Omni, but per-seat billing and ecosystem dependence remain constraints; large teams should first evaluate Intercom and Salesforce Service.

Visit Hiver Website →