The short answer
Gmail delegation gives specific people access to one mailbox and suits an executive and an assistant. A Google Groups collaborative inbox lets group members assign and resolve conversations sent to a group address and suits low-volume teams. A shared inbox app such as Tutti unifies many Gmail accounts, adds ownership, AI labeling and drafting, and approvals, and suits teams whose email is real, shared work.
On this page
The three options side by side
Gmail delegation
Delegation gives chosen people access to read, send, and delete in one mailbox, without the password. It is ideal when one person's inbox needs one or two helpers, like an executive and an assistant. Personal accounts support up to 10 delegates and work accounts up to 1,000, and Workspace admins must enable it. It does not help a team coordinate: there is no assignment, no shared status, and no review. Steps are in how to share a Gmail account without sharing the password.
Google Groups collaborative inbox
A collaborative inbox is a Google Group whose members share the conversations sent to its address, like press@. Members can assign conversations and mark them complete, no action needed, or duplicate. It costs nothing extra on Google Workspace and suits a team address with a handful of messages a day. It lives in the Groups interface, covers one address per group, and has no AI or approvals.
Shared inbox apps
A shared inbox app connects your existing mail accounts and adds a team layer: one view, ownership, filters, and often AI. Apps differ in what they emphasize. Help desks such as Help Scout and Zendesk turn email into tickets for customer support. Team inboxes such as Front and Missive add channels and chat. Tutti is built for communications teams on Gmail: it labels every conversation, drafts every reply from the full thread with unknowns left as [placeholders], and requires approval before anything sends.
How to decide
- One inbox, one or two helpers: delegation.
- One team address, low volume, no budget: collaborative inbox.
- Several addresses, real volume, or replies that need review: a shared inbox app. For relationship email in Gmail, Tutti; for customer support, a help desk.
Many teams move through all three as they grow. See how to set up a shared inbox in Gmail for setup steps.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Gmail delegation and a collaborative inbox?
Delegation shares one person's mailbox with specific delegates. A collaborative inbox is a Google Group whose members share conversations sent to the group's address, with assignment and resolution tracking.
When should a team move from Google Groups to a shared inbox app?
When mail is spread across several addresses, when replies start slipping, or when you need approvals and AI drafting.