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Customer Support · head to head

Hiver vs Twilio

Hiver logo

Hiver

Customer Support

Gmail-based help desk

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Twilio logo

Twilio

Telecommunications

Cloud communications platform for SMS, voice, and video

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Twilio pricing becomes unpredictable with carrier fees and additional charges for compliance, recordings, and phone number rentals
  • They diverge on capability: Hiver covers Shared inbox, Twilio covers SMS messaging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hiver and Twilio actually diverge.

Attributes where Hiver and Twilio differ
AttributeHiverTwilio
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Chrome-extensionWeb, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Java, PHP, C#
CategoryCustomer SupportTelecommunications
Founded20112008

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Twilio

  • SMS messaging
  • Voice calls
  • Video conferencing
  • Programmable communication
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Zapier
  • Mobile support

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Hiver

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

Twilio

  • Customer engagementnot Hiver
  • Lead generationnot Hiver
  • Customer supportnot Hiver
  • Sales automationnot 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

Twilio

  • Pricing becomes unpredictable with carrier fees and additional charges for compliance, recordings, and phone number rentals
  • Phone number rentals are required for every number used, with carrier fees varying by region and billed separately
  • Dashboard is not optimized for mobile use and logs are difficult to access

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

Twilio

Free
  • Pay-as-You-Go$undefined/mo
    • Usage-based pricing
    • No monthly minimum
    • SMS, voice, video, messaging

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 Twilio if

  • You need sms messaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Java, PHP, C#.
  • You also want voice calls.
Twilio review

Questions people ask

Is Hiver or Twilio better?
Neither clearly leads. Hiver starts at Free and Twilio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hiver or Twilio?
Hiver starts at Free and Twilio at Free.
Does Hiver or Twilio run on more platforms?
Hiver runs on Web, Chrome-extension. Twilio runs on Web, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Java, PHP, C#.
Can I use Hiver for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Twilio is typically brought in for.
What can Hiver do that Twilio cannot?
Hiver covers Shared inbox, Email assignment, Collision detection, Email notes. Twilio covers SMS messaging, Voice calls, Video conferencing, Programmable communication. Both handle Slack, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Twilio: What is Twilio's pricing model?

Twilio uses pay-as-you-go usage-based pricing with no monthly minimums or contracts. SMS costs $0.0083 per US message, voice calls cost $0.014 per minute, phone numbers cost $1.15 per month.

Source
Twilio: Does Twilio offer a free tier?

Yes, Twilio offers a free trial indefinitely with no credit card required for limited usage, plus a 7-14 day free trial period on paid plans.

Source
Twilio: What communication channels does Twilio support?

Twilio supports SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, MMS for messaging; Voice API and SIP Trunking for voice; Email via Twilio SendGrid; Video API; and Chat via Conversations API.

Source
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