CRM Comparison

Hiver vs Richpanel (2026)

Hiver is a Gmail-native help desk for general teams on Google Workspace; Richpanel is an ecommerce-native support platform with a self-service order portal. Here's how to pick in 2026.

Hiver

Gmail-native customer service platform that layers shared inboxes, AI agents, and omnichannel support on top of Google Workspace without replacing it.

Pricing Free plan available; paid from $25/user/mo (Growth)
Our rating 4.4/5
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Richpanel

AI-powered customer service platform built specifically for ecommerce brands, combining a unified helpdesk with a self-service customer portal.

Pricing From $9/mo (3 users); conversation-volume-based tiers
Our rating 4.2/5
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TL;DR

  • Pick Hiver if your team runs on Google Workspace and you want a help desk inside Gmail that any department can use.
  • Pick Richpanel if you run an ecommerce store and want order context in every ticket plus a self-service portal that deflects returns and order-status queries.

The core difference: Gmail-native generalist vs ecommerce specialist

These two solve different problems. Hiver is a Gmail-native help desk for general teams. It turns shared inboxes like support@yourcompany.com into a full support system without leaving Gmail — ticket assignment, AI agents, live chat, WhatsApp, analytics — and because it lives in an interface everyone already knows, support, finance, IT, and HR all adopt it. It's a horizontal tool: not tied to any industry, strongest wherever Google Workspace is the backbone.

Richpanel is an ecommerce specialist. It's purpose-built for online stores, unifying email, chat, and social with deep Shopify and order-data integration so agents see full order context in the ticket. Its signature feature is a branded self-service portal where shoppers manage orders and start returns themselves, cutting inbound volume. It's a vertical tool: excellent for retail, with feature gaps outside it.

Pricing

Hiver prices per user — a real free plan with unlimited users to start, then paid tiers from $25/user/mo (Growth), with AI agents and Salesforce/HubSpot integrations on Pro at roughly $55–65/user/mo. Cost scales with headcount.

Richpanel prices by conversation volume — from $9/mo for 3 users — and keeps unlimited team seats on most plans, so you pay for tickets, not people. That suits a large agent pool handling manageable volume, but a high-traffic store can see costs climb. Richpanel also backs itself with a 30% cost-reduction-or-refund guarantee. Small steady teams lean Hiver; seat-heavy ecommerce teams lean Richpanel.

Self-service and deflection

Both chase deflection from different angles. Hiver's AI agents aim for autonomous resolution of repetitive requests (vendor-claimed up to 70%), operating inside Gmail. Richpanel's self-service portal plus its Sidekick AI lets customers resolve order questions without an agent at all, and Sidekick drafts replies and auto-translates across 80+ languages. For an ecommerce queue full of "where's my order," Richpanel's portal removes tickets before they're created; for general repetitive email, Hiver's AI agents deflect in the inbox.

Fit and ecosystem

Hiver's value is inseparable from Google Workspace — off Gmail, its core advantage evaporates. Richpanel's value is inseparable from ecommerce — off Shopify-style retail, its order-centric features go underused. Choose based on which of those two worlds you actually live in.

Who should pick what

  • Shopify or ecommerce store heavy on order tickets → Richpanel.
  • Google Workspace team wanting a help desk in Gmail → Hiver.
  • Multi-department use (support, finance, IT, HR) → Hiver.
  • Store wanting a self-service returns portal → Richpanel.
  • Small team wanting to start free → Hiver.
  • Large agent team with unlimited-seat needs → Richpanel.

Bottom line

If you're an ecommerce brand drowning in order-status and return tickets, Richpanel's order context and self-service portal can pay for themselves quickly. If you're a general team living in Google Workspace, Hiver's Gmail-native model and free plan make it the low-friction choice. This is a vertical-versus-horizontal decision — pick the one built for your actual business.

Try them yourself

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Frequently asked questions

Hiver vs Richpanel — which is better?
It depends on your business. Richpanel is better for ecommerce brands, especially on Shopify, because it brings order data into tickets and offers a self-service portal for returns and order status. Hiver is better for general teams on Google Workspace — support, finance, IT, HR — that want a help desk inside Gmail rather than an ecommerce-specific tool.
Is Hiver cheaper than Richpanel?
They price differently. Hiver has a genuine free plan with unlimited users and paid tiers from $25/user/mo, so cost scales with headcount. Richpanel starts at $9/mo for 3 users and prices by conversation volume with unlimited seats on most plans. A large team with low ticket volume may prefer Richpanel's model; a small team wanting to start free fits Hiver.
Which is better for a Shopify store?
Richpanel, clearly. It is ecommerce-native with deep Shopify and order-data integration, plus a self-service portal that lets customers handle returns and order-status queries themselves. Hiver is a general help desk and lacks that ecommerce depth, so a store heavy on order tickets gains far more from Richpanel.
Does Hiver have a self-service customer portal like Richpanel?
Not in the ecommerce sense. Richpanel's branded portal lets shoppers manage orders and initiate returns without contacting an agent, which materially cuts ticket volume. Hiver offers a knowledge base and customer portal on its plans, but it isn't wired into order management the way Richpanel's is.
Which pricing model is more predictable?
It depends on your shape. Hiver's per-user pricing is predictable if your headcount is stable, and it starts free. Richpanel's conversation-volume pricing keeps seats unlimited but can rise with a busy store, though it also offers a 30 percent cost-reduction-or-refund guarantee. Steady small teams favor Hiver; seat-heavy ecommerce teams with manageable volume favor Richpanel.