Stop running support
out of your inbox.
Move beyond the chaos of star systems and accidental 'reply-alls'. HelpSpot gives your team the structure, accountability, and reporting that Gmail can't provide.
Why teams outgrow Gmail
The same frustrations we hear from every Gmail-based support team
The 'Collaborative' Disconnect
Google Groups separates your inbox from your team workflow. You have to switch between Gmail and the Groups interface to assign tasks, meaning emails constantly slip through the cracks.
Unified Team Inbox
HelpSpot brings everything into one view. Assignments, status updates, and customer replies happen in the same place, so your team never has to toggle between apps to do their job.
Invisible Metrics
How long are customers waiting for a reply? Who is your busiest agent? Gmail has absolutely no reporting tools to tell you how your support operation is running.
Actionable Analytics
Built-in reports track volume, response speed, and resolution times automatically. Know exactly how your team is performing.
The Collision Hazard
Without real-time collision detection, two agents can draft replies to the same customer simultaneously. You look unorganized, and your team wastes double the effort.
Real-Time Awareness
HelpSpot shows you exactly who is viewing and typing in a ticket in real-time. You'll never double-reply or step on a teammate's toes again.
Gmail vs HelpSpot
Why teams outgrow Google Groups
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Label-based workflow
Workflow relies on manual labels and stars. If an agent forgets to apply a label, the email is effectively lost to the rest of the team.
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Performance caps
Google recommends a maximum of ~40 concurrent users for a delegated inbox. Beyond that, you risk account lockouts and connection failures.
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Disconnected internal chat
To discuss a ticket, you have to forward it or open a separate Google Chat. Context gets scattered across different apps and is hard to piece back together later.
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AI costs extra
To get AI drafting or summarization, you must pay an additional ~$14/user/month for a 'Gemini for Google Workspace' add-on license.
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Automated workflow
Automatically route tickets, assign them to the right agents, and escalate issues that haven't been answered on time.
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Unlimited Scale
Whether you have 5 agents or 500, HelpSpot grows with your team. No user caps, no storage limits, no performance degradation as you scale.
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Centralized History
Every interaction is logged centrally. You always see the full conversation, internal notes, and customer history in one view.
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AI included for free
We don't charge a 'tax' on technology. Smart features like summarization, translation, and intelligent triage are included for every user at no extra cost.
Ready to simplify your support?
Feature-by-feature comparison
Comparing Gmail / Google Groups vs HelpSpot
HelpSpot
|
Gmail
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Feature | All Inclusive | Free (Included with Google Workspace) |
|
Core Ticketing
|
||
| Centralized shared inbox | ||
| Single assignment | Groups UI Only (Clunky) | |
| Collision detection (who is viewing) | ||
| Status tracking (Open/Pending/Closed) | Manual Labels | |
| Internal private notes | ||
| Unified customer history | ||
|
Portal & Knowledge Base
|
||
| Customer self-service portal | ||
| Public knowledge base | Google Sites (Manual) | |
| Contact forms with custom fields | Google Forms (Disconnected) | |
| Multi-brand support | Complex Aliases | |
|
Automation & AI
|
||
| Real-time trigger actions | Basic Filters Only | |
| SLA (Service Level Agreements) | ||
| Time-based automation triggers | ||
| AI Ticket Summarization | Included | Gemini ($14/user/mo) |
| AI Response Generation | Included | Gemini ($14/user/mo) |
| Round-robin assignment | ||
|
Reporting & Analytics
|
||
| Response time tracking | ||
| Ticket volume trends | ||
| Agent performance metrics | ||
| Custom report builder | ||
| Scheduled report exports | ||
|
Technical & Limits
|
||
| Storage Limit | Unlimited | Pooled (30GB - 5TB) |
| Recommended Max Users | Unlimited | ~40 (Delegated Access) |
| Search capability | Full text, instant | Good, but siloed |
| API Access | Full REST API | Gmail API (Complex) |
| Self-hosted option | ||
"Free" Gmail is costing you time
While the workspace license is standard, using it for support creates hidden inefficiencies. You pay in lost time, missed emails, and the need for expensive third-party add-ons.
Wasted Agent Hours
Searching for context, duplicate replies, manual sorting. Minutes per email add up to hours per week, per agent.
Lost Customers
Slow responses and dropped requests drive customers away. One lost customer costs more than a year of proper tooling.
Reputation Damage
Duplicate replies, conflicting answers, and missed follow-ups make your team look unprofessional. Trust is hard to rebuild.
Flying Blind
No response time data. No volume trends. No agent metrics. You can't improve what you can't measure.
Migration made easy
Switch from Gmail in minutes, not days
Forward Your Group
Simply set up auto-forwarding from your Google Group or Gmail address to HelpSpot. No DNS changes required initially.
Import Users
Add your team members and set their permissions. We can help you replicate your Gmail labels as HelpSpot categories.
Gain Visibility
Immediately start seeing the reporting and metrics that Gmail never provided.
Built for teams who live in email
Most help desk software tries to replace email with something entirely different. Enterprise tools are built for organizations with dedicated implementation teams and months of training.
HelpSpot takes a different approach. Our workspace mirrors the email experience your team already understands: a clean inbox view, threaded conversations, and a rich text editor that works exactly like Outlook or Gmail.
"After switching to HelpSpot our ~18 person support team feels like it gained an invisible full time employee."
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about switching from Gmail
Google Workspace is a productivity suite, not a help desk. HelpSpot adds the layer of accountability, reporting, and workflow that Gmail lacks. It prevents the 'bystander effect' where everyone assumes someone else is handling an email.
Absolutely. You will set up a forward from your existing Gmail address to HelpSpot. You can also configure HelpSpot to send email using your Google Workspace servers (SMTP/OAuth) so replies look exactly like they came from your official address.
Yes. We fully support Google's Modern Authentication (OAuth) standards. You can connect your support mailboxes securely without enabling 'less secure apps'.
HelpSpot keeps ticket discussions inside the ticket so context isn't lost. However, you can easily link tickets in Google Chat, and we offer webhooks if you want to build custom notifications into your chat rooms.
Trusted by teams who made the switch
Trusted by industry leaders
Ready to switch?
We'll help you move.
Start your free trial and our team will help migrate your data, train your agents, and get you up and running. No risk, no commitment.
