Intercom vs Hiver (2024 Comparison)
Intercom offers a comprehensive suite of tools for customer engagement, marketing, and support. Its advanced automation and robust integrations make it a versatile choice for growing businesses.
- Comprehensive communication platform
- Advanced automation features
- Robust integrations
- Steep learning curve
- Higher cost for small teams
Free plan?
YesStarting price
$29 per seat/mo
Hiver transforms Gmail into a powerful helpdesk, offering seamless integration and easy-to-use features. It's an affordable solution for small teams focused on email management.
- Seamless Gmail integration
- Affordable for small teams
- Easy to use
- Limited advanced features
- Focus on email management
Free plan?
YesStarting price
$19 per month per userWhat is Intercom?
Intercom is a comprehensive customer communication platform that helps businesses engage with their customers through live chat, email, and in-app messaging. It offers a suite of tools for customer support, marketing, and sales, enabling teams to provide personalized experiences at scale. With Intercom, you can automate repetitive tasks, segment your audience, and track customer interactions, making it easier to build strong relationships and drive growth.
What is Hiver?
Hiver is a Gmail-based customer service solution that transforms your inbox into a powerful helpdesk. It allows teams to manage customer support emails efficiently without leaving Gmail. Hiver offers features like email delegation, shared inboxes, and collaboration tools, making it easy for teams to work together and provide timely responses. By streamlining email management, Hiver helps businesses improve customer satisfaction and team productivity.
Pros and Cons of Intercom vs Hiver
Pros & Cons of Intercom
- Intercom offers a wide range of tools for customer engagement, marketing, and support, making it a versatile choice for businesses looking to enhance their communication efforts.
- With Intercom, businesses can automate repetitive tasks and streamline customer interactions, improving efficiency and allowing teams to focus on more strategic activities.
- Intercom integrates with a vast array of tools, making it easy to connect with your existing tech stack and enhance your customer communication capabilities.
- Intercom's extensive features can be overwhelming for new users, requiring time and effort to fully understand and utilize the platform's capabilities.
- Intercom's pricing may be prohibitive for smaller teams or businesses with limited budgets, making it less accessible for those looking for a cost-effective solution.
Pros & Cons of Hiver
- Hiver integrates directly with Gmail, allowing teams to manage customer support emails without leaving their inbox, streamlining workflows and improving efficiency.
- Hiver offers a cost-effective solution for small teams or businesses looking to enhance their email management capabilities without breaking the bank.
- Hiver's user-friendly interface and seamless integration with Gmail make it easy for teams to adopt and start using the platform quickly.
- Hiver's focus on email management means it lacks some of the advanced features offered by more comprehensive communication platforms like Intercom.
- While Hiver excels in email management, it may not be the best choice for businesses looking for a broader range of customer communication tools.
Intercom vs Hiver: At A Glance
Value to Price
Intercom offers a robust set of features that justify its pricing, especially for businesses looking to scale their customer communication efforts. Hiver, on the other hand, provides a more budget-friendly option for smaller teams or those already using Gmail. If you're looking for a cost-effective solution with essential features, Hiver might be the better choice.
Ease of Use
Hiver shines in ease of use, especially for teams already familiar with Gmail. Its integration is seamless, making it easy to adopt. Intercom, while feature-rich, may require a bit more time to master due to its extensive capabilities. If simplicity and quick onboarding are your priorities, Hiver is the way to go.
Functionality
Intercom excels in functionality, offering a wide range of tools for customer engagement, marketing, and support. Hiver, while more limited, focuses on enhancing email management within Gmail. For businesses needing comprehensive communication tools, Intercom is the superior option.
Scalability
Intercom is designed to scale with your business, offering advanced features and integrations as you grow. Hiver is more suited for smaller teams or businesses that primarily rely on email communication. If scalability is a key concern, Intercom is the better fit.
Integrations
Intercom offers a vast array of integrations with other tools, making it a versatile choice for businesses with diverse tech stacks. Hiver's integrations are more limited but sufficient for teams focused on email management. For those needing extensive integrations, Intercom is the preferred choice.
Customer Support
Both Intercom and Hiver provide solid customer support, but Hiver's support is often praised for its responsiveness and helpfulness. Intercom offers comprehensive resources and support options, making it suitable for larger teams. If top-notch support is crucial, Hiver might have the edge.
Security
Intercom and Hiver both prioritize security, but Intercom's advanced security features make it a more robust choice for larger enterprises. Hiver offers adequate security for small to medium-sized businesses. For those with stringent security requirements, Intercom is the safer bet.
Overall Rating
Intercom scores higher overall due to its comprehensive features and scalability, making it ideal for growing businesses. Hiver, while slightly lower in overall rating, is a strong contender for smaller teams or those seeking a Gmail-centric solution.
Intercom vs Hiver: A Detailed Breakdown of Key Features
Live Chat
Intercom's live chat feature is robust, offering real-time communication with customers and prospects. It integrates seamlessly with other tools, providing a comprehensive view of customer interactions. Hiver, while offering basic live chat capabilities, focuses more on email management. If live chat is a priority for your business, Intercom is the better choice.
Email Management
Hiver excels in email management, transforming Gmail into a powerful helpdesk. It allows for easy email delegation and collaboration, making it ideal for teams heavily reliant on email. Intercom offers email management as part of its broader suite of tools, but Hiver's focus on this feature makes it the superior option for email-centric teams.
In-App Messaging
Intercom's in-app messaging is a standout feature, allowing businesses to engage users directly within their app. This feature is particularly useful for SaaS companies looking to improve user engagement. Hiver does not offer in-app messaging, making Intercom the clear choice for businesses needing this capability.
Automation
Intercom offers advanced automation features, enabling businesses to streamline customer interactions and reduce manual tasks. Hiver provides basic automation for email management, but Intercom's capabilities are more extensive. For businesses looking to leverage automation for customer engagement, Intercom is the preferred option.
Team Collaboration
Hiver's team collaboration features are designed to enhance email management, allowing teams to work together seamlessly within Gmail. Intercom offers collaboration tools as part of its broader platform, but Hiver's focus on email makes it the better choice for teams prioritizing email collaboration.
Reporting and Analytics
Intercom provides comprehensive reporting and analytics, offering insights into customer interactions and team performance. Hiver offers basic reporting features, but Intercom's advanced analytics make it the superior choice for businesses looking to gain deeper insights into their customer communication efforts.
Pricing Comparison of Intercom and Hiver
We’ve compiled the pricing tables and highlighted the key features of both Intercom and Hiver to aid in your decision-making process. Let’s explore what each platform has to offer.
Intercom Pricing Plans
- Fin AI Agent to resolve customer queries efficiently.
- Ticketing system to manage and track customer issues.
- Fin AI Copilot for enhanced agent productivity.
- Public help center with unlimited articles for customer self-service.
- AI Autofill and AI Summarize for faster response times.
- Private help center for internal knowledge sharing.
- Multilingual help center to support global customers.
- Workflows for advanced automation to streamline processes.
- Workload management to optimize team efficiency.
- Multibrand messenger for brand-specific communication.
- Single sign-on for secure and easy access.
- Real-time dashboard for performance monitoring.
Hiver Pricing Plans
- Organize and track emails as tasks with visibility into workload.
- Support customers on their preferred channel like WhatsApp.
- Empower customers to self-serve with a centralized library.
- Collaborate as a team with notes, @mentions, and permalinks.
- Build rule-based automation with triggers and conditions.
- Auto-assign emails in a round-robin fashion among team.
- Ensure contracts and goals are met with defined resolution times.
- Add custom data points to conversations for reporting.
- Customize reports to meet business reporting needs.
- Enhance workflow by integrating with thousands of apps.
- Access advanced analytics for team performance.
- Use Zapier to automate daily tasks with favorite apps.
- Measure and boost customer satisfaction with CSAT surveys.
- Set business hours to track SLAs during operating hours.
- Leverage AI capabilities for email template suggestions.
- Access advanced analytics with custom dashboards.
- Create and assign tailored roles with specific permissions.
- Ensure confidentiality and security of healthcare information.
- Simplify access management with single sign-on functionality.
- Get a customer success manager for maximizing platform value.
Our Rating Methodology
We thoroughly evaluate each customer communication tool, focusing on key factors like functionality, ease of use, and scalability. By analyzing user reviews and conducting in-depth testing, we ensure our recommendations fit your needs. Each factor is weighted by importance to provide an accurate final rating, helping you make informed decisions.
Intercom or Hiver: Which One Matches Your Business Needs?
Choose Intercom If You Need ...
- Comprehensive communication platform
If you need a comprehensive communication platform that offers advanced features for customer engagement, marketing, and support, Intercom is the ideal choice. Its robust capabilities make it suitable for growing businesses.
- Advanced automation capabilities
If your business requires advanced automation capabilities to streamline customer interactions and reduce manual tasks, Intercom is the better option. Its automation features enhance efficiency and productivity.
Choose Hiver If You Need ...
- Seamless Gmail integration
If your team relies heavily on Gmail for email management and collaboration, Hiver is the perfect fit. Its seamless integration with Gmail makes it easy to manage customer support emails efficiently.
- Affordable for small teams
If you're a small team or business looking for an affordable solution to enhance email management, Hiver is the better choice. Its cost-effective pricing makes it accessible for budget-conscious teams.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which tool is better for email management?
Does Intercom offer in-app messaging?
Which tool is more affordable for small teams?
Can Intercom handle large-scale customer communication?
What are the key differences between Intercom and Hiver?
Which tool offers better customer support?
Anastasia Belyh
Anastasia Belyh is a senior tech writer with over 15 years of experience in marketing, sales, and business software. Having worked in investment banking, management consulting, and founded multiple companies, her in-depth knowledge and hands-on expertise make her software reviews authoritative, trustworthy, and highly practical for business decision-makers.
