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Hiver vs SupportBee

Hiver logo

Hiver

Software

Gmail-based help desk

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SupportBee logo

SupportBee

Software

Simple email ticketing for small teams

From
$13/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; SupportBee email-only ticketing, no live chat, phone support, chatbots, or AI features
  • They diverge on capability: Hiver covers Email assignment, SupportBee covers Email ticketing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hiver and SupportBee actually diverge.

Attributes where Hiver and SupportBee differ
AttributeHiverSupportBee
Starting priceFree$13/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Chrome-extensionWeb, Mobile Browser
Founded20112010

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

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

  • Email assignment
  • Collision detection
  • Email notes
  • Templates
  • Analytics
  • Gmail
  • Google Workspace
  • Jira

Only in SupportBee

  • Email ticketing
  • Snippets
  • Customer portal
  • Knowledge base
  • Reports
  • Trello
  • Pipedrive
  • Zapier

Both cover

  • Shared inbox
  • Slack
  • Asana
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Hiver

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

SupportBee

  • Email supportnot Hiver
  • Ticket managementnot Hiver
  • Team collaborationnot 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

SupportBee

  • Email-only ticketing, no live chat, phone support, chatbots, or AI features
  • Basic reporting and analytics, lacking advanced dashboards and customizable metrics
  • No SLA management capabilities
  • Limited workflow customization compared to enterprise platforms
  • No dedicated mobile app (web interface only)
  • Confusing navigation and UI issues reported by some users
  • Cannot select and snooze multiple emails at once
  • Occasional performance delays

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

SupportBee

$13/month
  • Startup$13/month
    • Unlimited tickets and inboxes
    • Team inbox with ticket assignment
    • Knowledge base integration (KBee)
  • Enterprise$17/month
    • All Startup features
    • Advanced integrations
    • Custom roles and permissions

Which should you pick?

Choose Hiver if

  • You need email assignment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Chrome-extension.
  • You also want collision detection.
Hiver review

Choose SupportBee if

  • You need email ticketing.
  • You work on Web, Mobile Browser.
  • You also want snippets.
SupportBee review

Questions people ask

Is Hiver or SupportBee better?
Neither clearly leads. Hiver starts at Free and SupportBee at $13/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hiver or SupportBee?
Hiver has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Hiver and $13/month for SupportBee.
Does Hiver or SupportBee run on more platforms?
Hiver runs on Web, Chrome-extension. SupportBee runs on Web, Mobile Browser.
Can I use Hiver for free?
Yes. Hiver has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SupportBee starts at $13/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 SupportBee is typically brought in for.
What can Hiver do that SupportBee cannot?
Hiver covers Email assignment, Collision detection, Email notes, Templates. SupportBee covers Email ticketing, Snippets, Customer portal, Knowledge base. Both handle Shared inbox, Slack, Asana, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SupportBee: How much does SupportBee cost?

SupportBee offers Startup plan at $13/user/month and Enterprise at $17/user/month, both with unlimited tickets and inboxes. No per-ticket charges. A 14-day free trial is available with no credit card required.

Source
SupportBee: Does SupportBee offer live chat or phone support?

No. SupportBee focuses on email ticketing and does not include native live chat, phone support, chatbots, or AI features. It is designed for email-based customer support.

Source
SupportBee: What platforms can SupportBee run on?

SupportBee is a web-based platform accessible on desktop and mobile browsers. It does not offer a dedicated desktop or mobile app, but the web interface is responsive and works on phones. Integration with email clients is available.

Source
SupportBee: Does SupportBee integrate with Slack?

Yes. SupportBee integrates with Slack to send real-time notifications for new tickets, replies, assignments, and internal comments. Teams can configure which events trigger alerts and organize notifications into dedicated channels.

Source
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Related pages

More on Hiver

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