What is a shared inbox?
A shared inbox is a single email address — like support@yourcompany.com or info@yourcompany.com — that multiple team members can access, read, and reply to simultaneously, without sharing a password.
The problem a shared inbox solves: when teams use a shared Gmail or Outlook account, everyone logs in with the same password. You can't revoke one person's access without changing it for everyone. You have no record of who replied to what. Emails get missed or double-replied to. It's a mess.
A proper shared inbox tool gives each team member their own login, shows who is working on which thread, tracks every reply, and often lets you assign conversations to specific people.
What to look for in a shared inbox tool
Not all shared inbox tools are the same. Depending on your team size and use case, the right tool might be a free lightweight option or a full helpdesk platform. Here's what matters most:
- Pricing model — Per-seat pricing can get expensive fast. Flat team pricing or a free plan is often better for small teams.
- IMAP compatibility — Does it work with your existing email provider (Gmail, Outlook, custom IMAP)?
- Thread assignment — Can you assign a conversation to a specific team member?
- Reply history and audit trail — Can you see who said what and when?
- Domain and DNS setup — Some tools help you manage your domain and verify SPF/DKIM/DMARC; others don't.
- Extra features you do (or don't) need — Live chat, knowledge bases, CRM integrations, SLA tracking: useful for customer support teams, overkill for an internal email-focused team.
uinbx — best free option for small teams
uinbx is a unified email workspace for small teams that need a shared inbox without helpdesk pricing. It connects to any IMAP mailbox (Gmail, Outlook, custom), supports thread assignment and reply tracking, and includes domain management and DMARC monitoring — all in one workspace. The free plan covers 2 users and 2 email accounts with no trial expiry.
Pros
- Free plan with no expiry
- Flat team pricing (not per-seat)
- DMARC monitoring built in
- Domain management included
- Works with any IMAP mailbox
Cons
- No live chat or beacon widget
- No knowledge base builder
- Smaller feature set than Front or Help Scout
Front — best for omnichannel teams
Front is a powerful collaborative inbox platform that handles email, SMS, social media, and live chat in one interface. It integrates deeply with Salesforce, HubSpot, Jira, and other tools. Great for teams that need omnichannel support and detailed analytics — but the per-seat pricing makes it expensive for small teams.
Pros
- Omnichannel (email, SMS, social)
- Deep CRM integrations
- Advanced workflow automation
- SLA tracking and analytics
Cons
- No free plan
- Per-seat pricing is expensive
- Complex for email-only teams
- No DMARC monitoring
Help Scout — best for customer support with live chat
Help Scout combines a shared inbox with a live chat beacon (Beacon) and a self-serve knowledge base (Docs). It's well-regarded for its clean design and strong customer profile management. Ideal for customer-facing teams that need email, chat, and a help center in one place — but no free plan and per-seat pricing add up quickly.
Pros
- Clean, intuitive design
- Live chat beacon widget
- Built-in knowledge base
- CSAT ratings
Cons
- No free plan
- Per-seat pricing
- Overkill for email-only use
- No DMARC monitoring
Missive — best for collaborative email power users
Missive is a real-time collaborative email client — multiple people can write a reply simultaneously, like Google Docs for email. It supports internal comments on threads and works across mobile and desktop. The free plan is limited to one shared account. A solid choice for creative or agency teams that heavily co-write responses.
Pros
- Real-time collaborative drafting
- Internal comments on threads
- Good mobile apps
- Limited free tier
Cons
- Per-seat on paid plans
- No DMARC monitoring
- No domain management
- Free plan is very restricted
Hiver — best for Gmail-native teams
Hiver is a Gmail extension that adds shared inbox features (assignments, notes, collision detection) directly inside Google Workspace. If your team already lives in Gmail and doesn't want to switch to a separate tool, Hiver is the least disruptive option. However, it only works with Gmail — you can't connect other IMAP providers.
Pros
- Lives inside Gmail — no context switch
- Collision detection
- Easy setup for Google Workspace teams
Cons
- Gmail only — no IMAP/Outlook
- Per-seat pricing
- No free plan
Quick comparison table
| Tool | Free plan | Starting price | DMARC | Domain mgmt | Per-seat? | Live chat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| uinbx | ✓ Yes | $0 → $29/mo flat | ✓ Built in | ✓ Yes | ✗ Flat plans | ✗ No |
| Front | ✗ No | $19/user/mo | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Help Scout | ✗ No | $20/user/mo | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Missive | ✓ Limited | $14/user/mo | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Hiver | ✗ Trial only | $15/user/mo | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
How to choose the right tool
The right shared inbox tool depends on what you actually need — and what you're willing to pay.
- You need a free shared inbox with no trial expiry: uinbx. The free plan covers small teams with no strings attached, and you can connect your own domain.
- You need to also monitor DMARC or manage DNS records: uinbx is the only tool here that bundles email authentication monitoring with the shared inbox. No separate subscriptions needed.
- You handle customer support across multiple channels (email, SMS, social): Front is built for this. The cost is justified at scale.
- You need live chat on your website plus shared inbox: Help Scout's Beacon + inbox combination is the cleanest implementation in this space.
- Your whole team already lives in Gmail: Hiver adds assignment and notes without a context switch — the lowest friction option for Google Workspace teams.
- Your team frequently co-writes or edits replies together: Missive's collaborative drafting is unmatched; no other tool does real-time joint editing of an email reply.
Get started with a free shared inbox
uinbx is free for small teams — 2 users, 2 email accounts, your own domain. No credit card, no trial expiry. Set up in under 10 minutes.
Create your shared inbox free →