Softwr

Productivity · head to head

HEY vs RowShare

HEY logo

HEY

Productivity

Flat annual subscription email service from 37signals, with its own hey.com domain and a distinctive Screener

From
$99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RowShare logo

RowShare

Productivity

Shared online table where each contributor sees only their own rows

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: HEY there is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.; RowShare it is a table rather than a spreadsheet, so the formula and analysis capability people expect from Excel is not there, and anything requiring modelling or charting has to be exported and finished elsewhere.
  • They diverge on capability: HEY covers The Screener, RowShare covers Row-level permissions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HEY and RowShare actually diverge.

Attributes where HEY and RowShare differ
AttributeHEYRowShare
Starting price$99/yearOn request
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
PlatformsMac, Windows, Web, iOS, AndroidWeb

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in HEY

  • The Screener
  • Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
  • Reply Later stack
  • Focus and Reply mode
  • Screen sharing style clips
  • No tracking pixels

Only in RowShare

  • Row-level permissions
  • Column-level permissions
  • Typed columns
  • Forms
  • Automatic reminders
  • Microsoft Teams integration
  • Zapier connections
  • Excel import and export

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

HEY

  • Someone who wants to replace Gmail or iCloud Mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inboxnot RowShare
  • A user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversationnot RowShare
  • A family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plannot RowShare
  • A small company wanting HEY for Work on its own domain with the Screener model for the whole teamnot RowShare

RowShare

  • Collecting a recurring return such as timesheets, budget lines or stock counts where contributors must not see each other's entries.not HEY
  • Replacing an emailed spreadsheet that one person consolidates by hand at the end of every month.not HEY
  • A shared list where some columns belong to the contributor and others are only for the administrator.not HEY
  • A structured departmental table inside Microsoft Teams that does not warrant a full database or a heavier platform licence.not HEY

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

HEY

  • There is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.
  • Adopting HEY means changing your actual email address, not just installing a new client, which is a bigger migration than switching apps on an existing address.
  • The Screener and categorisation model is a real departure from a standard inbox, and some users take time to adjust or find it gets in the way for high volume mail.
  • Short vanity addresses carry steep additional annual fees, up to 999 US dollars a year for a two character address.
  • It does not connect to or manage existing Gmail, Outlook or iCloud accounts, so it cannot be used as a general client the way Mimestream or Apple Mail can.

RowShare

  • It is a table rather than a spreadsheet, so the formula and analysis capability people expect from Excel is not there, and anything requiring modelling or charting has to be exported and finished elsewhere.
  • It is a small independent product, so putting a recurring business process on it means a single vendor decision can end that process, and unlike the larger alternatives there is no ecosystem or partner network to fall back on.
  • Integration is largely through Zapier rather than deep native connectors, which adds an intermediary service, another subscription and another place for a data flow to fail silently.
  • The niche it occupies is increasingly covered by list tools included in Microsoft 365, so the purchase has to be justified against something the organisation may already be paying for and already administers.
  • Licensing in this category is per user, so if contributors need accounts rather than form links, an occasional contributor costs the same per head as a daily one, and it is worth confirming which model applies before planning a rollout.

Pricing, plan by plan

HEY

$99/year
  • HEY for You$99/year
    • One hey.com email address
    • Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
    • Billed annually only, no monthly option
  • HEY for Families$179/year
    • Covers up to five family members
    • Same features as HEY for You per member
  • HEY for Work$12/month
    • Per user, for organisations on a company domain
    • Admin controls for a team

RowShare

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the RowShare review.

Which should you pick?

Choose HEY if

  • You need the screener.
  • You work on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want imbox, feed and paper trail.
HEY review

Choose RowShare if

  • You need row-level permissions.
  • You also want column-level permissions.
RowShare review

Questions people ask

Is HEY or RowShare better?
Neither clearly leads. HEY starts at $99/year and RowShare at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HEY or RowShare?
HEY starts at $99/year and RowShare at On request.
Does HEY or RowShare run on more platforms?
HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android. RowShare runs on Web.
What is HEY best used for?
HEY is most often used for someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox, a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation, a family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plan, a small company wanting hey for work on its own domain with the screener model for the whole team. Of those, someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox and a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation are not what RowShare is typically brought in for.
What can HEY do that RowShare cannot?
HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode. RowShare covers Row-level permissions, Column-level permissions, Typed columns, Forms.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HEY: Can I use HEY with my existing Gmail address?

No. HEY provides its own hey.com email address; it is not a client layered over an existing Gmail or other account.

RowShare: How is this different from a shared spreadsheet?

Sharing is per row rather than per file. Everyone works in one table, and each person sees only their own rows, which removes the consolidation step rather than speeding it up.

HEY: Is there a free plan?

No. HEY offers a trial but bills annually only, with no free tier and no month to month option for individuals.

RowShare: Can I get my data out?

Tables export to Excel and CSV, so the data itself moves. The permission structure, forms and reminders that made the process work do not, so an exit means rebuilding the workflow.

HEY: What is the Screener?

A feature that holds mail from any new sender until the user explicitly approves them, before it appears in the inbox at all.

RowShare: Is it a database?

No. It is a permissioned table with typed columns, not a relational store you can query, so it collects structured data rather than modelling it.

RowShare: Who is behind it?

A French vendor with named enterprise customers. It is a small company, so weigh continuity carefully before making it the home of a process you expect to run for years.

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Related pages

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