Master Inbox vs Hiver: Which Should You Choose? (2026)
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Start your free 7-day POC. For Hiver's plans in detail, read our Hiver pricing guide, or see the Hiver vs Master Inbox page and the Hiver alternative page.
Why trust this comparison?
This comparison is written by the Master Inbox team and reviewed by our founder, Abdul Mukati. Every Hiver fact comes from Hiver's own pages, read on 28 October 2026, and the sources are listed at the bottom. Master Inbox is one of the two products here, so we state only what is published, we describe Hiver as its own pages do, and we leave out anything we could not confirm. Hiver is an established Gmail-based tool, and we describe it as its own pages do. For more options, see our list of seven Hiver alternatives.
What Hiver is
Hiver describes itself as an agentic omnichannel customer service platform. It brings email, live chat, Slack, voice, SMS and WhatsApp into one workspace with shared inboxes, ticketing, automations and AI. It comes in two forms: Hiver Omni, a standalone platform that works with Gmail, Outlook and other email providers, and Hiver in Gmail, a Chrome extension that works on top of Gmail or Google Workspace.
Hiver is built for customer support, customer success and other service teams that handle inbound requests. Its pages cite support, customer success, inbound sales, finance and HR teams. Shared inboxes such as support@ come with assignment, routing, tags, custom views, notes with @mentions, shared drafts, collision detection and email templates. Higher tiers add SLAs, CSAT surveys, a customer portal and analytics. It publishes GDPR, SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, CCPA and HIPAA attestations. This is a good description of a strong support tool.
What Master Inbox is
Master Inbox is the reply management platform for outbound teams and agencies: one unified inbox for every sequencer, LinkedIn tool and inbound form, with AI labeling and AI reply agents that range from human-in-the-loop to fully autonomous. It reads the mailboxes themselves, so it also threads forwards, CC replies and new-address replies that a sequencer's own inbox does not show.
It works alongside the stack you already run: Smartlead, Instantly, EmailBison, HeyReach, your CRM and your support desk. Keep your sequencer for sending; Master Inbox is where the replies get worked. Users are unlimited on every plan, hosting is in the EU (Finland and Germany), it is GDPR-ready with DPAs on file, and onboarding is done with you.
Hiver vs Master Inbox side by side
1. Reply capture
Hiver captures email from the inboxes you connect to it. Hiver Omni connects inboxes from Google, Microsoft, Zoho and more, and Hiver in Gmail works on the Gmail or Google Workspace account your team already uses. That suits a shared address that receives inbound requests, where the question is who owns each conversation.
Master Inbox captures replies across every sending mailbox and LinkedIn account your outbound runs on, from every sequencer in one place. Because it reads the mailboxes themselves, it also threads forwards, CC replies and new-address replies. Master Inbox internal data shows roughly 12% more replies captured than a sequencer reports.
Fit: Hiver for inbound requests to a shared address; Master Inbox for replies from outbound campaigns.
2. Labeling and AI
Hiver has AI across its plans: AI Agents that resolve requests and act across connected systems with human approval for sensitive actions, AI Copilot with summaries, compose and suggested responses, AI tagging and sentiment analysis, and AI QA and AI Insights on Elite. On 30 September 2026 it also introduced Hiver MCP, which connects shared inboxes to an AI assistant.
Master Inbox labels every email and LinkedIn reply by intent as it lands. It ships thirteen default labels or your own taxonomy, running on your own OpenAI, Anthropic or OpenRouter key. Labels then trigger workflows, and Reply Agents can answer, follow up and book meetings on your real calendar, human-in-the-loop first and autonomous when you are ready.
Fit: Hiver's AI is aimed at resolving support requests; Master Inbox's AI is aimed at sorting and answering outbound replies.
3. Integrations
Hiver names native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, NetSuite, Shopify, Asana and Jira, plus Linear, Okta, QuickBooks, WhatsApp, Slack and Zapier. It has a REST API with API access listed from the Pro plan. Its pages quote different integration counts, so check the integrations page for the current list.
Master Inbox connects sequencers (Smartlead, Instantly, EmailBison, Reply.io, Lemlist and more), LinkedIn tools (HeyReach, Aimfox, Expandi), CRMs (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Attio, GoHighLevel, Salesforce), booking tools, Slack, Zapier, n8n and Clay. It includes a REST API with 150+ endpoints and webhooks for every event on every plan.
Fit: Hiver for support-stack integrations; Master Inbox for outbound-stack integrations.
4. Time to set up
Hiver in Gmail is a Chrome extension, so a Gmail team can start from the inbox it already uses. Hiver's FAQ says sign-up gives 7 days of Elite access with no credit card required. Plans start at 2 seats.
Master Inbox starts with a free 7-day POC. You connect your sequencers and mailboxes, and onboarding is done with you, so your replies land in one labeled inbox from the start of the trial. Client workspaces can be cloned in one click, which helps agencies add a new client quickly.
Fit: Hiver for a Gmail team that wants a help desk this week; Master Inbox for an outbound team that wants every reply in one queue this week.
5. Interface and team work
Hiver brings team work into Gmail or the Omni workspace: assignment, tags, notes with @mentions, collaborators, shared drafts and collision detection so two people do not answer the same email. Pro adds Slack channel management, and Shifts, added on 30 September 2026, supports team working-hours planning.
Master Inbox is a Unibox with a single thread per prospect across email and LinkedIn, and AI labels on every reply. Every client workspace has its own mailboxes, labels, members and limits, and client logins can be scoped to their own inbox only. Unlimited users on every plan means the whole team and every client manager can be in.
Fit: Hiver for support agents sharing tickets; Master Inbox for reps and client managers sharing outbound replies.
6. Pricing
Hiver is priced per user per month. As of 28 October 2026 the annual-billing prices are Growth $25, Pro $55 and Elite $85, with monthly billing at $35, $65 and $95. Voice is a $30 add-on per voice seat. Plans start at 2 seats. The full breakdown is in our Hiver pricing guide.
Master Inbox is never priced per seat. Plans scale with connected mailboxes and client workspaces: Agency at $599 (up to 3,000 mailboxes and 15 client workspaces) and Team at $799 (up to 2,000 mailboxes). Larger plans are on the pricing page, and every plan starts with a free 7-day POC.
Fit: per-user pricing for a stable support headcount; mailbox pricing for outbound volume with a changing team.
7. Support and security
Hiver lists 24x7 support on its Growth plan and publishes GDPR, SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, CCPA and HIPAA attestations, with SSO, HIPAA and custom roles on Elite. For a regulated support team, that published list is useful.
Master Inbox is hosted in the EU, in Finland and Germany, is GDPR-ready with DPAs on file, and gives every customer white-glove onboarding. Unlimited users on every plan and an included API mean access control is a matter of workspaces and logins, not seats.
Fit: Hiver for support teams that need its published attestations; Master Inbox for EU-hosted outbound reply handling with onboarding included.
Comparison table
| Criterion | Hiver | Master Inbox |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Support, customer success and service teams | Outbound teams and lead generation agencies |
| Reply capture | Connected shared inboxes (Google, Microsoft, Zoho and more) | Every sending mailbox and LinkedIn account, across sequencers |
| AI | AI Agents, AI Copilot, tagging, sentiment, AI QA | Intent labels on every reply, Reply Agents |
| Integrations | Salesforce, HubSpot, NetSuite, Shopify, Asana, Jira, Slack, Zapier | Sequencers, LinkedIn tools, CRMs, booking tools, Slack, Zapier, n8n, Clay |
| Setup | Chrome extension or Omni platform, 7-day Elite trial | Free 7-day POC with onboarding done with you |
| Team work | Assignment, notes, shared drafts, collision detection | One thread per prospect, client workspaces, unlimited users |
| Pricing model | Per user, $25 to $85 a month on annual billing (28 Oct 2026) | Mailboxes and client workspaces, from $599 a month |
| Security | GDPR, SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, CCPA, HIPAA | EU-hosted, GDPR-ready, DPAs on file |
Who Hiver suits
Hiver suits support, customer success and operations teams that live in Gmail, Outlook or another mailbox and share one company address. If you need ticketing, SLAs, CSAT surveys, a customer portal and omnichannel support with voice and WhatsApp, it is built for that. Its Gmail extension keeps the learning curve short for teams that already work in Gmail.
Who Master Inbox suits
Master Inbox suits outbound sales teams and lead generation agencies that send from many mailboxes and LinkedIn accounts. It fits teams who want every reply labeled by intent, hot replies routed to Slack, meetings booked on a real calendar and the CRM kept in sync. If you run client work, client workspaces and client reporting are part of every agency plan. Start your free 7-day POC with your own replies.
How teams use both
The two tools connect to different parts of the stack, so they sit side by side without overlap. A common setup looks like this:
- Hiver handles the shared support address, with ticketing and SLAs for customers.
- Your sequencer (Smartlead, Instantly or EmailBison) keeps sending.
- Master Inbox collects every outbound reply in one queue, labels it and routes hot replies to the right person.
- Meetings and deals sync to your CRM, so a customer who closes can move from the outbound inbox to the support desk.
This is the same pattern we describe in our Front pricing guide and on the compare page. Learn more about the building blocks in our guides to a shared inbox and reply management.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hiver a good fit for customer support teams?
Yes. Hiver is a Gmail-based shared inbox and help desk with assignment, routing, notes, shared drafts, SLAs and CSAT surveys, which is the job it was built for.
What does Hiver cost compared with Master Inbox?
As of 28 October 2026, Hiver lists $25, $55 and $85 per user per month on annual billing for Growth, Pro and Elite. Master Inbox is priced on mailboxes and client workspaces from $599 a month, with unlimited users and a free 7-day POC.
Can Master Inbox replace Hiver?
For working the replies cold outbound produces, yes: it is built for that. For a support desk with ticketing and a customer portal, keep Hiver. Many teams run both.
Does Hiver work with Gmail only?
No. Hiver in Gmail is a Chrome extension for Gmail and Google Workspace, and Hiver Omni is a standalone platform that works with Gmail, Outlook and other email providers.
Does Hiver connect to LinkedIn?
The Hiver pricing, integrations, home and Slack pages read on 28 October 2026 did not list a LinkedIn integration. Master Inbox shows LinkedIn conversations from HeyReach, Expandi and Aimfox next to email in one thread per prospect.
How is Master Inbox priced compared with Hiver?
Hiver is priced per user. Master Inbox plans are based on connected mailboxes and client workspaces, and every plan includes unlimited users.
How do I try Master Inbox?
Every plan starts with a free 7-day POC. You connect your sequencers, see your replies labeled in one inbox, and onboarding is done with you.
Sources
Hiver prices and features checked on 28 October 2026 from Hiver's own pages:
Master Inbox pricing comes from our pricing page. Hiver is a trademark of its owner. Master Inbox is an independent product and is not affiliated with Hiver.