Tutti vs Google Groups collaborative inbox

The short answer

A Google Groups collaborative inbox is the free starting point for Google Workspace teams: members can assign conversations and mark them resolved, but there is no AI and no review step. Tutti keeps Gmail and adds what teams outgrow it for: one inbox across every account, AI labeling, a drafted reply on every thread, and approval before send. Stay on Groups for low volume; move to Tutti when replies start slipping.

On this page

Tutti vs Google Groups collaborative inbox at a glance

	Tutti	Google Groups collaborative inbox
Built for	Teams that need every important email answered well	Teams sharing one group address at low volume
Accounts	Many Gmail accounts in one inbox	One group address per inbox
Assignment and status	Labels, needs-reply filters, approval queue	Assign, mark complete, no action needed, or duplicate
AI labeling	Every conversation, into your own labels	Not described in Google's documentation
AI reply drafts	Every thread, from the full conversation	Not described in Google's documentation
Approval before send	Built in	No
Price	$250/month per workspace, up to 5 teammates	Included with Google Workspace where Groups is enabled

Details are from Google Workspace Admin Help for collaborative inboxes, checked in September 2026.

What the Google collaborative inbox does

A collaborative inbox is a Google Groups feature. When it is turned on for a group address such as support@ or press@, members can assign conversations to themselves or each other, mark them as complete, as needing no action, or as duplicates, and search by assignment. It costs nothing extra on Google Workspace, and it is where many teams start.

It works well at low volume. The limits appear as the team grows: the interface is Google Groups rather than Gmail, each group is its own silo, there is no AI to sort or draft, and nothing stops a reply from going out without a second pair of eyes.

What Tutti adds

Tutti keeps your Gmail accounts and adds the pieces teams outgrow Groups for:

One inbox for every account. press@, partners@, events@, and personal Gmail inboxes, together in one view.
Automatic labeling. AI files every conversation under the labels your team defines, with filters for what still needs a reply.
A draft on every thread. AI writes the reply from the full conversation and leaves anything it does not know as a [placeholder].
Approvals. Members submit drafts, reviewers approve, and admins can approve and send in one click.
Templates, contacts, and search across every thread the team has handled.

When to switch

Stay on the collaborative inbox if a few messages a day arrive at one address and assignment is all you need. Move to Tutti when replies start slipping, when mail is spread across several accounts, or when you want a senior teammate to approve what goes out. Most teams notice the difference on day one: the unread backlog is labeled and drafted within the first hour, and nothing is sent until someone approves it.

Pricing

The collaborative inbox is included with Google Workspace. Tutti is $250 per month per workspace for up to 5 teammates, with every feature included and a 14-day free trial with no credit card. Because Tutti works on top of Gmail, you keep paying for Google Workspace as you do today; Tutti replaces the time your team spends triaging and writing.

Privacy and data handling

Tutti imports only threads that match one of your labels; the rest stays in Gmail. AI runs on zero-data-retention providers, credentials are encrypted with AES-256-GCM, sign-in is Google OAuth only, and you can disconnect a mailbox and revoke access at any time.

The bottom line

The Google Groups collaborative inbox is a fine free starting point. Tutti is the upgrade for teams that want AI to sort and draft every conversation, many accounts in one place, and a person approving every send.

Which should you choose?

Choose Tutti if

Replies are slipping and you want a draft waiting on every thread

You manage several separate Gmail accounts, not one group address

You want automatic labeling instead of manual triage

You need approvals before messages go out

Choose Google Groups collaborative inbox if

Volume is low and assignment plus resolved status is enough

You need a zero-cost option included with Google Workspace

Your team is comfortable with the Google Groups interface

Frequently asked questions

What is a Google Groups collaborative inbox?

It is a Google Groups feature that lets members of a group address assign conversations to each other and mark them as complete, duplicate, or needing no action. It is included with Google Workspace where Groups is enabled.

Does the Google collaborative inbox have AI?

Google's collaborative inbox documentation does not describe AI drafting or classification. Tutti adds both: AI labels each conversation and drafts a reply from the full thread for a person to approve.

Can I keep my group address and use Tutti?

Yes. Tutti connects Gmail accounts through Google sign-in, so teams keep their addresses and Gmail history while working from Tutti's shared inbox.

Competitor details come from each vendor’s public website and pricing page as of September 2026. Products change, so check the vendor for current plans. Google Groups collaborative inbox is a trademark of its owner; this page is not affiliated with or endorsed by it.