Hiver vs Respond.io
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Hiver | Respond.io |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $35/seat/mo | From $199/mo |
| Best For | Organizations heavily invested in Gmail who primarily handle email support | Medium to large enterprises needing advanced automation and AI-powered customer engagement across multiple channels |
| Standout Feature | Native Gmail integration and shared mailbox management | Sophisticated AI agents that can handle complex customer conversations and automatically qualify leads through intelligent workflows |
| Free Plan | ✓ | ✗ |
| G2 Rating | 4.6 | 4.8/5 |
Hiver and Respond.io serve different segments of the customer support market. Hiver transforms Gmail into a collaborative helpdesk, perfect for teams already using Google Workspace, while Respond.io specializes in conversational commerce across messaging channels.
The pricing reflects their different approaches: Hiver's $15-59 per user monthly plans compete directly with traditional helpdesks, while Respond.io's $79-299 team-based pricing targets businesses prioritizing messaging automation.
Feature Comparison
Hiver's strength lies in its Gmail integration, turning your inbox into a shared helpdesk with collision detection, assignment rules, and SLA tracking. It includes live chat, knowledge base, and basic automation while maintaining the familiar Gmail interface.
Respond.io focuses on messaging channels with native WhatsApp Business API, Instagram DM, and Telegram support. Its workflow builder creates sophisticated chatbots and automated sequences that Hiver cannot match. The platform excels in broadcast messaging and contact segmentation.
For analytics, Hiver provides standard helpdesk metrics within Gmail's context, while Respond.io offers detailed conversation analytics, funnel tracking, and ROI measurement for messaging campaigns.
Pricing Comparison
Hiver charges per user: $15/month for Lite, $39 for Pro, and $59 for Elite. The pricing includes core features but advanced automation and integrations require higher tiers.
Respond.io uses team-based pricing: $79/month (5 users), $165 (10 users), and $299 (25 users). While more expensive initially, it includes advanced features that would cost extra in Hiver's ecosystem.
For a 5-person team, Hiver costs $75-295/month while Respond.io costs $79/month, making Respond.io surprisingly competitive for teams needing its messaging-focused features.
Hiver
Pros
- ✓ Seamless Gmail integration
- ✓ Easy setup for Gmail users
- ✓ Good email management features
Cons
- ✗ Limited to Gmail ecosystem
- ✗ No modern messaging channels
- ✗ Expensive per-user pricing
Respond.io
Pros
- ✓ Comprehensive omnichannel support with deep integrations
- ✓ Advanced AI capabilities for automated customer interactions
- ✓ Powerful workflow automation with visual builder
Cons
- ✗ Complex setup and learning curve for advanced features
- ✗ Higher cost structure with per-agent pricing model
- ✗ WhatsApp API charges add significant ongoing costs
Verdict
Choose Hiver if your team lives in Gmail and needs seamless Google Workspace integration with traditional helpdesk features. Choose Respond.io if messaging channels like WhatsApp and Instagram are central to your customer engagement strategy.
Choose Hiver if: Your team is deeply integrated with Google Workspace, you prefer working within Gmail, and need traditional helpdesk functionality without complex messaging automation.
Choose Respond.io if: Messaging channels are crucial to your business, you need advanced chatbot capabilities, or you want comprehensive omnichannel customer engagement tools.
Consider Converge at $49/month flat rate if you want the simplicity of predictable pricing without per-user fees, offering essential features without the complexity of either specialized platform.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Hiver comparisons and all Respond.io comparisons.