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Hiver alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Hiver: built around Google Workspace, and less routing depth than full help desks. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Hiver, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Front currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Front logoFrontPaidNoWeb, macOS, Windows +24 of 466.5
2Help Scout logoHelp ScoutFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 462.6
3Helpwise logoHelpwisePaidNoWeb3 of 359.6
4Helply (formerly Groove) logoHelply (formerly Groove)PaidNoWeb4 of 457.2
5Zendesk logoZendeskPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 455.3
  1. Front logo

    1. FrontTop pick

    Best for: Customer-facing teams that collaborate on long email threads as well as support

    PaidWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hiver

    Standalone shared inbox that works with any email provider.

    Pros

    • Feels like email, so teams adopt it quickly
    • Strong collaboration with comments, mentions and shared drafts
    • Handles email, chat, SMS and WhatsApp in one place

    Cons

    • Lower tiers cap the number of seats
    • Less built for high-volume ticket queues than Zendesk
    • AI copilot is a paid add-on on most plans
    Visit Front Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Front a good Hiver alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Starting price
    $25 per seat/month, billed annually
    Checked Oct 25, 2026front.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Professional plan
    $65 per seat/month, up to 50 seats
    Checked Oct 25, 2026front.com(opens source in a new tab)
    AI copilot
    $20 per seat/month add-on
    Checked Oct 25, 2026front.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Customers
    9,300+ businesses
    Checked Oct 25, 2026front.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Help Scout logo

    2. Help Scout

    Best for: Small and mid-sized teams that want email-style support that feels personal

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hiver

    Email-style help desk with a free plan, not tied to Gmail.

    Pros

    • Clean, email-like interface that's quick to learn
    • Free plan for up to five users
    • Knowledge base and chat widget built in

    Cons

    • No native phone channel
    • Less routing and reporting depth than Zendesk
    • Free plan limited to one inbox and one Docs site
    Visit Help Scout Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Help Scout a good Hiver alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs site
    Checked Oct 25, 2026helpscout.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Standard plan
    $25 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026helpscout.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Plus plan
    $45 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026helpscout.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Integrations
    100+ tools
    Checked Oct 25, 2026helpscout.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Helpwise logo

    3. Helpwise

    Best for: Small teams that want an affordable shared inbox with help desk basics

    PaidWeb

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hiver

    Cheaper shared inbox for small teams.

    Pros

    • Low per-user price
    • Email, chat, SMS and social in one inbox
    • Works with Gmail and Microsoft 365 inboxes

    Cons

    • Inbox limits per plan, with paid add-ons
    • Less mature than Front or Help Scout
    • Smaller integration list
    Visit Helpwise Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Helpwise a good Hiver alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Starting price
    $15 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026helpwise.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    7 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026helpwise.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Premium plan
    $29 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026helpwise.io(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Helply (formerly Groove) logo

    4. Helply (formerly Groove)

    Best for: Teams that want AI agents handling much of support without per-seat fees

    PaidWeb

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hiver

    Shared inbox with no per-user fees.

    Pros

    • No per-user fees; invite the whole team
    • AI agents that resolve tickets and take actions
    • Many channels, including Slack, Teams and WhatsApp

    Cons

    • Credit-based AI pricing is harder to predict
    • A big change for teams used to classic Groove
    • Younger product with a smaller ecosystem than Zendesk
    Visit Helply (formerly Groove) Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Helply (formerly Groove) a good Hiver alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Pricing model
    No per-user fees; pay for AI credits
    Checked Oct 25, 2026helply.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $49/month credit block
    Checked Oct 25, 2026helply.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Users
    Unlimited
    Checked Oct 25, 2026helply.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Origin
    Built by the team behind Groove
    Checked Oct 25, 2026helply.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Zendesk logo

    5. Zendesk

    Best for: Mid-sized and large support teams that need a configurable, proven help desk

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hiver

    Full help desk for when support outgrows a shared inbox.

    Pros

    • Mature ticket routing, SLAs, macros and triggers
    • Very large marketplace of apps and integrations
    • Covers email, chat, voice, help centre and AI in one suite

    Cons

    • Costs climb quickly with Suite tiers and AI add-ons
    • Admin setup and upkeep take real effort
    • Entry plan is thin compared with the Suite
    Visit Zendesk Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Zendesk a good Hiver alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Starting price
    $19 per agent/month, billed yearly
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zendesk.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Suite Team
    $55 per agent/month, billed yearly
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zendesk.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days, no card required
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zendesk.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Marketplace
    1,800+ apps, partners and integrations
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zendesk.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Hiver alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Front logo

Best Hiver alternative for most people

Front

Standalone shared inbox that works with any email provider.

Help Scout logo

Best Hiver alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Help Scout

Email-style help desk with a free plan, not tied to Gmail.

Front logo

Best Hiver alternative for Mac

Front

Standalone shared inbox that works with any email provider.

Front logo

Best Hiver alternative for Windows

Front

Standalone shared inbox that works with any email provider.

Zendesk logo

Best Hiver alternative for iPhone and Android

Zendesk

Full help desk for when support outgrows a shared inbox.

Helpwise logo

Best Hiver alternative for working in the browser

Helpwise

Cheaper shared inbox for small teams.

Hiver alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Hiver?

Front ranks first right now. Standalone shared inbox that works with any email provider. Help Scout and Helpwise follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Hiver?

Yes. Help Scout (free plan + paid) has a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Hiver?

None of the 5 alternatives in this list is open source.

Why do people switch from Hiver?

The complaints we hear most: built around Google Workspace; less routing depth than full help desks; per-user pricing adds up for large teams.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Hiver, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.