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Customer Support · head to head

Hiver vs Ontraport

Hiver logo

Hiver

Customer Support

Gmail-based help desk

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Ontraport logo

Ontraport

CRM

All-in-one CRM and marketing automation

From
$24/month
Free plan
No

The short version

  • Only Hiver has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Hiver hiver tiers as captured 28 December 2023: Lite at $15/user/month capped at 2 shared inboxes (up to 10 users each), Pro at $39/user/month capped at 5 shared inboxes and 50 shared labels, Elite at $59/user/month, all annual pricing with higher month-to-month rates of $19/$49/$69; Ontraport no plan name, monthly price, contact band, user count or email send limit is published on the pricing page
  • They diverge on capability: Hiver covers Shared inbox, Ontraport covers Contact management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hiver and Ontraport actually diverge.

Attributes where Hiver and Ontraport differ
AttributeHiverOntraport
Starting priceFree$24/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Chrome-extensionWeb
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM
Founded20112009

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Hiver

  • Shared inbox
  • Email assignment
  • Collision detection
  • Email notes
  • Templates
  • Analytics
  • Gmail
  • Google Workspace

Only in Ontraport

  • Contact management
  • Sales pipeline
  • Email marketing
  • Marketing automation
  • Automation
  • Reporting
  • Landing pages
  • Zapier

Both cover

  • Slack
  • GDPR
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Hiver

  • Shared inbox managementnot Ontraport
  • Customer support via Gmailnot Ontraport
  • Team email collaborationnot Ontraport

Ontraport

  • CRM with marketing automation and campaign buildingnot Hiver
  • Managing contacts, pages and email sequences in one platformnot Hiver

Where each one falls short

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

Hiver

  • Hiver tiers as captured 28 December 2023: Lite at $15/user/month capped at 2 shared inboxes (up to 10 users each), Pro at $39/user/month capped at 5 shared inboxes and 50 shared labels, Elite at $59/user/month, all annual pricing with higher month-to-month rates of $19/$49/$69

Ontraport

  • No plan name, monthly price, contact band, user count or email send limit is published on the pricing page
  • Reaching a figure requires a trial signup or a sales conversation
  • The two months free saving requires annual billing

Pricing, plan by plan

Hiver

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2 users
    • Email management
    • Basic analytics
  • Lite$19/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Email templates
    • Notes & @mentions
  • Pro$49/month
    • CSAT surveys
    • SLA management
    • Custom reports
  • Elite$69/month
    • Round-robin
    • Skill-based routing
    • Okta SSO

Ontraport

$24/month
  • Plus$24/month
    • Contact management
    • Email marketing
  • Pro$79/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Automation
    • CRM
  • Pro+$149/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Advanced features
    • API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Hiver if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Chrome-extension.
  • You also want email assignment.

Choose Ontraport if

  • You need contact management.
  • You also want sales pipeline.

Questions people ask

Is Hiver or Ontraport better?
Neither clearly leads. Hiver starts at Free and Ontraport at $24/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hiver or Ontraport?
Hiver has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Hiver and $24/month for Ontraport.
Does Hiver or Ontraport run on more platforms?
Hiver runs on Web, Chrome-extension. Ontraport runs on Web.
Can I use Hiver for free?
Yes. Hiver has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ontraport starts at $24/month.
What is Hiver best used for?
Hiver is most often used for shared inbox management, customer support via gmail, team email collaboration. Of those, shared inbox management and customer support via gmail are not what Ontraport is typically brought in for.
What can Hiver do that Ontraport cannot?
Hiver covers Shared inbox, Email assignment, Collision detection, Email notes. Ontraport covers Contact management, Sales pipeline, Email marketing, Marketing automation. Both handle Slack, GDPR, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ontraport: How much does Ontraport cost?

Ontraport does not publish specific pricing online. The company offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, and users must contact sales or start a trial to learn pricing details.

Source
Ontraport: What payment options does Ontraport offer?

Ontraport offers flexible subscription options with monthly or annual billing available. Annual subscriptions include two months free compared to monthly rates.

Source
Ontraport: Are there long-term contracts required?

Ontraport emphasizes month-to-month commitment availability with no long-term contracts required. Users can upgrade or downgrade plans as needed.

Source
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