Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Hiver vs Richpanel

Hiver logo

Hiver

Customer Support

Gmail-based help desk

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Richpanel logo

Richpanel

Customer Support

AI-native helpdesk for e-commerce customer support

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Richpanel primarily focused on e-commerce, not ideal for other industries
  • They diverge on capability: Hiver covers Shared inbox, Richpanel covers AI-native agent.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hiver and Richpanel actually diverge.

Attributes where Hiver and Richpanel differ
AttributeHiverRichpanel
Starting priceFree$99/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer-seat plus per-conversation for AI agents
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Chrome-extensionWeb, Mobile, API
Founded20112020

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Customer Support).

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 Richpanel

  • AI-native agent
  • Multi-channel inbox
  • E-commerce integrations
  • QA Agent
  • Social Media Agent
  • Self-Service Portal
  • AI Safety features
  • Copilot mode

What people use each for

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

Hiver

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

Richpanel

  • Automating e-commerce customer support with AInot Hiver
  • Resolving returns and exchanges automaticallynot Hiver
  • Responding to social media inquiries at scalenot Hiver
  • Providing full customer context across all support channelsnot Hiver
  • Reducing support costs while improving response timesnot 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

Richpanel

  • Primarily focused on e-commerce, not ideal for other industries
  • AI conversation pricing ($0.20 per conversation) requires monitoring to control costs
  • Minimum $200 monthly charge for AI agents may not suit small businesses
  • Heavy emphasis on e-commerce integrations (Shopify, Recharge) limits flexibility
  • No published pricing for enterprise or custom plans

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

Richpanel

$99/month
  • Helpdesk Seat$99/month
    • Unified inbox across all channels
    • Round-robin assignment
    • CSAT reporting
  • AI Agent$0.2/conversation
    • End-to-end conversation resolution
    • Multi-channel automation
    • Customer context from Shopify, Recharge, Loop, Yotpo
  • Returns & Exchanges$99/month
    • Automated returns and exchange policies
    • Exchange incentives
    • Fraud prevention

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.
Hiver review

Choose Richpanel if

  • You need ai-native agent.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, API.
  • You also want multi-channel inbox.
Richpanel review

Questions people ask

Is Hiver or Richpanel better?
Neither clearly leads. Hiver starts at Free and Richpanel at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hiver or Richpanel?
Hiver has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Hiver and $99/month for Richpanel.
Does Hiver or Richpanel run on more platforms?
Hiver runs on Web, Chrome-extension. Richpanel runs on Web, Mobile, API.
Can I use Hiver for free?
Yes. Hiver has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Richpanel starts at $99/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 Richpanel is typically brought in for.
What can Hiver do that Richpanel cannot?
Hiver covers Shared inbox, Email assignment, Collision detection, Email notes. Richpanel covers AI-native agent, Multi-channel inbox, E-commerce integrations, QA Agent.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Richpanel: What is the guarantee on AI automation?

Richpanel guarantees 50% automation within 30 days, or refunds every dollar back. The company also guarantees 30% lower bills compared to competitive AI and helpdesk stacks.

Source
Richpanel: How much does AI cost per conversation?

AI-handled conversations cost $0.20 each with a $200 minimum monthly charge. This covers all AI features including QA Agent, Social Media Agent, and Copilot functionality.

Source
Richpanel: Which e-commerce platforms does Richpanel integrate with?

Richpanel integrates with Shopify, Recharge, Loop, and Yotpo to provide full customer context during support interactions.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Hiver

More on Richpanel

Keep looking

Other head to heads