Hiver
Hiver is a multi-channel customer service platform that transforms your Gmail interface into a collaborative help desk for managing shared inboxes, live chat, and voice support without leaving your email.
Slack
Slack is a central communication hub that connects your team with real-time messaging, file sharing, and integrated tools to streamline workflows and improve collaboration across your entire organization.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Hiver | Slack |
|---|---|---|
| Website | hiverhq.com | slack.com |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Freemium |
| Starting Price | $15/month | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 7 days free trial | ✓ 30 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2011 | 2009 |
| Headquarters | San Jose, USA | San Francisco, USA |
Overview
Hiver
Hiver transforms your existing Gmail interface into a powerful customer service hub. Instead of jumping between different tools, you can manage shared inboxes like support@ or info@ directly from the email environment you already know. You can assign emails to team members with one click, track status in real-time, and write internal notes on email threads to collaborate behind the scenes without forwarding messages to colleagues.
Beyond just email, you can handle live chat, WhatsApp messages, and even voice calls from the same sidebar. It eliminates the need for complex help desk training because it lives right inside Gmail. You can also automate repetitive tasks, build custom reports to track team performance, and ensure no customer query ever falls through the cracks. It is ideal for teams that want professional support capabilities without the steep learning curve of traditional software.
Slack
Slack is a productivity platform that transforms how you communicate with your team by moving conversations out of scattered email threads and into organized channels. You can create dedicated spaces for specific projects, departments, or office locations, ensuring everyone has access to the right information at the right time. It serves everyone from small startups to global enterprises, helping you stay connected whether you are working in the office or remotely.
You can share files, start huddles for quick voice chats, and use clips to record video updates for your teammates to watch later. By centralizing your tools and communication, you reduce context switching and keep your projects moving forward. The platform offers a robust free version for small teams and scales into advanced enterprise tiers with sophisticated security and compliance features.
Overview
Hiver Features
- Shared Inboxes Manage group aliases like support and sales directly from Gmail while keeping track of who is working on what.
- Email Notes Collaborate with your teammates through private notes on email threads instead of using messy forwards or external chat apps.
- Collision Detection See in real-time when another team member is replying to an email so you never send duplicate responses.
- Automated Workflows Set up rules to automatically assign emails based on keywords or sender, saving you hours of manual sorting every week.
- Multi-Channel Support Handle live chat, WhatsApp, and voice calls from a single sidebar without ever leaving your Gmail browser tab.
- Visual Analytics Track key metrics like first response time and resolution rate with built-in dashboards to improve your team performance.
- Email Templates Create and share canned responses with your team to answer common customer questions instantly and maintain a consistent voice.
- Customer Surveys Insert feedback surveys directly into your email signatures to measure customer satisfaction immediately after you resolve an issue.
Slack Features
- Organized Channels. Create dedicated spaces for every project or topic so you can keep your conversations focused and searchable.
- Slack Huddles. Start quick audio or video calls directly in any channel to resolve issues faster without scheduling formal meetings.
- Workflow Builder. Automate your routine tasks and approvals with a simple drag-and-drop tool that requires no coding knowledge.
- Slack Canvas. Create and curate essential information directly within your workspace to keep your team aligned on goals and documents.
- File Sharing. Drag and drop files directly into your conversations so your team always has the latest version of your work.
- Slack Connect. Collaborate securely with external partners, vendors, or clients in shared channels without leaving your own Slack workspace.
Pricing Comparison
Hiver Pricing
- Up to 10 users
- 2 Shared Inboxes
- Shared Labels
- Email Notes
- Collision Detection
- Slack Integration
- Everything in Lite, plus:
- Unlimited users
- Unlimited Shared Inboxes
- WhatsApp & Chat channels
- Automations
- Detailed Analytics
- CSAT Surveys
Slack Pricing
- 90 days of message history
- 10 integrations with other apps
- 1-on-1 audio and video huddles
- Single-workspace collaboration
- Standard security features
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Unlimited message history
- Unlimited app integrations
- Group huddles with up to 50 people
- Slack Connect for external partners
- Custom user groups
Pros & Cons
Hiver
Pros
- Zero learning curve since it works entirely inside Gmail
- Eliminates duplicate replies with effective collision detection
- Internal notes keep team communication organized and private
- Setup is extremely fast compared to traditional help desks
Cons
- Requires a Google Workspace account to function
- Mobile app experience is more limited than desktop
- Can feel cluttered if managing many shared inboxes
- No forever-free tier for very small startups
Slack
Pros
- Extensive library of third-party app integrations
- Powerful search functionality for finding old messages
- Intuitive interface that is easy to adopt
- Excellent mobile app for staying connected anywhere
- Huddles make spontaneous collaboration very simple
Cons
- Notification fatigue can occur without careful settings
- Message history is restricted on the free plan
- Can become expensive for very large teams
- High memory usage on some desktop computers