Is Missive App Good? Review + Best Alternative

You already know what you need: structure, automation, and fewer hours lost in your inbox. You want to streamline communication so your team can focus on real work, not just responding to emails.

Enter Missive, an app designed to turn emails into collaborative workflows. But does it hold up for teams scaling fast or managing high volumes of email daily?

In this review, we’ll break down what Missive gets right, where it struggles, and whether a native Gmail-based Missive alternative like Gmelius might be a smarter fit for your workflow.

What is Missive?

Missive is a team email app that combines shared inboxes, internal chat, and lightweight task management in one interface. Originally launched in 2015 as a minimalist Gmail wrapper, it has evolved into a cross-platform solution that lets teams collaborate around email threads, assign tasks, and streamline communication without switching tools.

Built for startups, agencies, and small support teams, Missive functions as part email client, part chat app, and part project board. It’s designed for teams that live in their inbox and need a more collaborative way to manage workflows and customer conversations.

Missive App Review: Key Features

The app's key features fall into three broad categories. 

Shared inboxes and team collaboration

Missive’s collaboration model centers around shared inboxes.

• You can assign email threads to teammates.
• Internal chat happens right inside each conversation—no need for Slack back-and-forth.
• Shared labels and canned responses help maintain consistency across the team.

Tasks and project management

While not a full project management suite, Missive adds basic task functionality.

• You can convert an email into a task or create a standalone one.
• There's a basic Kanban-like task view to track statuses.
• Shared to-do lists allow teams to collaborate beyond just email.

Integrations and Customization

Missive supports all major email providers (Gmail, Outlook, iCloud) and offers integration with tools like:

• Trello
• Asana
• Slack
• Zapier

You can also build custom workflows via its API or set rules that auto-archive, label, or assign messages.

Missive: Pros, Cons, and What to Know Before You Commit

Missive is often praised for blending email and team chat into one streamlined app. But before you jump in, it’s worth weighing its strengths and shortcomings—especially if you’re managing support, sales, or cross-functional communication.

✅ Pros: Where Missive gets it right

• Comprehensive features (on paid plans)
  Missive isn’t just email—it’s a collaboration hub. You can assign emails, comment internally, create shared labels, and manage team inboxes without endless forwarding. It’s particularly useful for teams who want to centralize communication in one place.
  
  
• Basic task management
  You can turn emails into tasks, assign them to teammates, and set deadlines. While it’s not a project management tool, it covers lightweight task workflows well.
  
  
• Functional AI tools
  Missive includes AI-powered drafting and summarization features. They're not perfect, but they do save time—especially when handling long threads or repetitive emails.
  
  
• Affordable mid-tier plans
  Pricing is reasonable for small teams. You get solid collaboration features without needing a large enterprise budget, especially if you stick with the mid-tier options.

❌ Cons: Where Missive falls short

• Not Gmail Native
  Missive runs as a standalone app, not inside Gmail. If your team lives in the Google ecosystem, this may cause extra friction and context switching.
  
  
• Unlimited users only on top plan
  While team collaboration is core to Missive, you only get unlimited users on the most expensive plan, making it less scalable for growing teams on a budget.
  
  
• AI Automation requires your own API key
  If you want to use AI for automation (like tagging or workflow triggers), you need to connect your own OpenAI key. That’s an extra step (and an extra cost). `
  
  
• No template library
  Missive doesn’t offer built-in email templates. You can create your own, but there’s no ready-to-use set, which slows down onboarding and response time.
  
  
• Task management is basic
  Missive handles tasks via checklists, but there’s no Kanban view or advanced tracking—limiting its usefulness for complex workflows.
  
  
• Limited entry-level plan
  The Starter plan omits key features like analytics, integrations, and rules—making it more of a teaser than a viable long-term option.

Pricing: Is Missive Worth the Cost?

Missive’s pricing starts with a free plan but quickly becomes a per-user paid service.

• Starter ($18/user/month): Basic team features.
  
  
• Productive ($30/user/month): Rules, integrations, and archiving.
  
  
• Enterprise ($45/user/month): SAML, audit logs, higher message retention.

Top Missive Alternatives

If you’re considering alternatives to Missive, you’re likely looking for something that’s less siloed, more intuitive, and ideally integrated with the tools you already use—especially Gmail or Google Workspace. Here are some top Missive alternatives:

Gmelius

Gmelius transforms Gmail into a collaborative workspace. It’s built within Gmail, meaning there’s no new interface to learn or context to switch. With features like AI-assisted email drafting, shared inboxes, workflow automation, Kanban boards, and real-time team collaboration—all embedded in Gmail—Gmelius helps teams stay productive without ever leaving their inbox. 

Pricing: From $24/user/month (if billed annually)

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Fyxer

Fyxer is an AI assistant that helps individuals manage their inbox and calendar by drafting replies, sorting emails by priority, and summarizing meetings. While Fyxer alternative offers solid solo productivity features, it lacks the team collaboration, shared workflows, and automation depth found in platforms like Gmelius. There's also limited customization for growing teams. It's a lightweight option for individuals, but not ideal for scaling operations.

Pricing: From $30/user/month (if billed annually)

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Superhuman

Superhuman is a fast, keyboard-first email client with built-in AI to help draft replies and manage workflows. It’s sleek and lightning-fast, but it requires switching from Gmail entirely. That might be a deal-breaker for teams who rely on the Gmail interface or need collaborative tools like shared inboxes and team-based assignments.

Pricing: From $23/user/month (if billed annually)

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Hiver

Hiver offers shared inboxes, ticketing, and internal notes—all integrated with Gmail. It’s designed for customer support teams and makes it easy to manage external conversations, but it lacks the automation depth and AI features Gmelius brings to the table. Hiver is great for basic shared inboxes, but less powerful when you need full-scale workflow automation.

Pricing: From $19/user/month (if billed annually)

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DragApp

DragApp turns your Gmail into a Kanban board, letting you manage tasks and email in a visual format. It’s simple and easy to use, but limited in terms of scalability. For teams that need AI, automation, or deep integration across projects and communication channels, Drag may feel like a stopgap more than a long-term solution.

Pricing: From $12/user/month (if billed annually)

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Why Gmelius is a Powerful Missive Alternative

If you like the collaborative aspect of Missive but want something that works with Gmail, Gmelius is a natural fit. Here’s why:

• Add as many users as you want on any plan:
  Gmelius grows with your team—without penalizing you for scaling. Unlike Missive, which prices by user, Gmelius offers plans that balance collaboration and cost-efficiency.
  
  
• Stay in Gmail:
  Everything happens inside your Gmail inbox. No switching tabs, no new interface to learn. This makes adoption easy and onboarding nearly frictionless.
  
  
• No extra AI key needed:
  All AI tools are fully integrated—no need to bring your own OpenAI API key or configure anything complex.
  
  
• Zero prompting skills required:
  Just click to generate a draft. Gmelius AI understands your email context, so you don’t need to craft clever prompts to get helpful results.
  
  
• Swiss-grade privacy and security:
  Headquartered in Switzerland, Gmelius follows strict data protection standards, making it a strong choice for privacy-conscious organizations.

Gmelius vs Missive: How Do We Compare?

Here is a quick look at what Gmelius brings to the table as a Missive alternative: 

Switching to a Missive Alternative: Key Considerations

If you’re leaving Missive, or just evaluating what else is out there, keep these factors in mind before making the switch:

1. Where do you live: Gmail or somewhere else?
   If your team already lives in Gmail, switching to an external platform like Missive creates unnecessary friction. Choose a tool that meets your team where they already are.
   
   
2. Do you need automation or just organization?
   Some tools stop at organizing emails; others help move work forward. Gmelius focuses on both—automating repetitive tasks, assigning emails as tickets or tasks, and even syncing them to tools like Trello or Google Calendar.
   
   
3. Will your team adopt it quickly?
   The best tool is the one your team actually uses. Gmelius’s native Gmail experience removes the learning curve that often slows down adoption for tools like Missive.
   
   
4. Are you scaling?
   Per-user pricing can add up fast. If your team is growing (or you expect it to) choose a tool that supports scale without scaling the cost disproportionately.

The Verdict: Is Missive App Good?

Yes, Missive is a strong collaborative email app for small teams who want to blend chat and email.

Its internal chat and co-editing features are particularly useful.

But it lacks the deeper Gmail integration, AI automation, and workflow flexibility that modern teams need. You’ll also have to adapt to a whole new interface, which can slow down adoption.

Missive is best for teams starting from scratch or those willing to move entirely off Gmail. For teams who want to scale their workflow inside Gmail without losing functionality—or sanity—there’s a better option.

Ready to Switch?

Start your free trial of Gmelius today. Let your inbox work the way your team does.

👉 Start Your Free Trial

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