Google Workspace vs Inbox Works

Three ways to share an inbox in Google Workspace

Google Workspace has three ways for a team to share one address: a Google Group’s collaborative inbox, Gmail delegation, and Google’s own shared inbox on the plans that have it. A dedicated shared inbox adds who is replying, private comments, and follow-ups.

Which fits

Google Group, collaborative inboxYou want to assign and mark emails complete, and don’t mind working in the Groups page.

Gmail delegationA few people share one mailbox and rarely answer the same email at once.

Google’s shared inboxYour plan has it (rolling out to Business Starter, Standard and Plus) and an admin sets up who can use it.

Inbox WorksSeveral of you answer at once and need to see who is replying. Try it in the demo now; early access is open to teams on Google Workspace, by approval.

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Google’s three ways and Inbox Works, side by side

	Group (collaborative inbox)	Gmail delegation	Google’s shared inbox (built on delegation)	Inbox Works
Where you work	The Groups page¹	Gmail, switching to the shared mailbox²	Gmail, as a delegate³	One inbox in the browser
On a phone	In a phone’s browser: search and view conversations; for other tasks, the desktop version⁶	Gmail app, with some features unavailable²	As delegation, if your plan has it²³. Check in your account	Phone browser
Replying as the address	An owner can set the group address as the default sender⁴	Sends as the mailbox, “sent by” the delegate²	From the address, with “Sent by” the delegate (can be hidden)³	From the shared address
Who is replying now	Google’s help pages 1–3 don’t describe showing who is replying			Shown while they write; Send warns you without sending
Team comments	Google’s help pages 1–3 don’t describe notes the customer can’t see			Beside the email; the customer never sees them
Giving an email to someone	Assign, Take¹⁵	No assigning described²	No assigning described³	Chosen by hand, with Hand off (an Add-on)
Marking it finished	Complete, Duplicate, No action needed¹	Gmail’s own archive and labels	As delegation: Gmail’s archive and labels	Done
When they don’t reply	In Gmail, by hand: snooze the email until a day you pick⁷; with Nudges on, Gmail may suggest sent emails to follow up on⁸			Follow up brings the email back to the Inbox
Cost	Included in Workspace	Nothing extra to share a mailbox you already pay for; one more seat for a new shared mailbox	Licensing isn’t stated³. Check with your admin	Planned Free for a team of up to three; Team, US$29 a month for the whole team (pricing). Early access is free
Moving to or from it	Google’s help pages don’t describe moving a group’s mail into a mailbox. Check before you rely on it	Uses the mailbox you already have	An existing account, delegated ones included, can be converted³	Your own mailbox today; aliases and Google Groups after a two-week check. A copy of your email on request; everything deleted within 31 days when you leave

In the app for early-access teams on Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, and in the demo for everyone.

Sources and how this was read

Google’s columns are from Google’s own help pages, read 2026-10-12 (sources 5 and 6 on 2026-10-30, 7 and 8 on 2026-11-04). “Check in your account” marks what Google’s help pages don’t answer. Check how it works in your own account.

Sources

Make a group a Collaborative Inbox — Google Workspace Learning Center
Set up mail delegation — Gmail Help
Create a shared inbox — Google Workspace Admin Help
Update a group’s settings (Default sender) — Google Workspace Learning Center
Use a group as a Collaborative Inbox — Google Workspace Learning Center
What’s new in Groups (Using new Groups on mobile) — Google Groups Help
Snooze emails until later — Gmail Help
Reply to messages in Gmail (Nudges) — Gmail Help

What Inbox Works does differently

See who’s replying, before a second answer.

While a teammate writes a reply, the email shows who is replying. Press Send as well, and Inbox Works warns you without sending; Send anyway sends it. Google’s help pages on its three ways don’t describe showing who is replying.

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Sources

Google’s help pages on its three ways: Make a group a Collaborative Inbox, Set up mail delegation and Create a shared inbox, read 12 October 2026 (sources 1–3 under the table).

The day you write is the reminder.

Write “I’ll send the plan on Friday.” and send it. On Friday the email is back in the Inbox with that sentence. In Gmail you snooze an email until a day you pick, or Nudges may suggest it; neither reads the day you wrote. Inbox Works won’t catch every promise.

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Sources

Gmail Help: Snooze emails until later and Reply to messages in Gmail (Nudges), read 4 November 2026 (sources 7 and 8 under the table).

How to set up Google’s three ways

Group, collaborative inbox.

A group owner or manager turns on conversation history, then Collaborative Inbox in the group’s settings, and gives members permission to take and assign conversations.

Gmail delegation.

The mailbox owner adds each teammate in Gmail’s settings on a computer, and each teammate accepts the emailed invitation. Access can take up to 24 hours, and only people in your organisation can be added.

Google’s shared inbox.

In the Admin console’s Users section, an admin sets up the address and adds its delegates. It’s being released in phases; if you don’t see it, use Gmail delegation.

Sources

Group, collaborative inbox. Google Workspace help · How to assign conversations
Gmail delegation. Gmail Help
Google’s shared inbox. Google Workspace Admin Help

Steps from Google’s help pages, read 30 October 2026.

Questions

Can we try Inbox Works with our Google address?

Yes, by approval: early access is open to teams on Google Workspace. Ask for early access and we write when your team can start; an Admin then forwards your shared address to Inbox Works, and replies go out from your own Google account.

See who’s replying.

A sample team on one shared address.

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