Shared Mailboxes: Google Groups vs Delegated Access

December 3, 2025

There are so many businesses that still aren’t familiar with the full potential of shared mailboxes. While it may seem simple enough - multiple people logging into the same email address - Google offers so much more that can meet and exceed your expectations.

Managing incoming mail across multiple inboxes can be challenging, whether you need to quickly respond to queries to meet target SLAs or you’re working with several team members who need to stay up to date on email chains. Both Google Groups and Delegated Access are very powerful tools; they just have very different use cases. The best option for your business depends on your specific requirements.

Understanding the differences between Google Groups and Delegated Access for shared mailboxes can help you decide which option is right for your business.

Quick Comparison of Shared Mailboxes - Pros & Cons

Google Groups

Pros

Free and easy to set up for Google Workspace accounts.
Ideal for group email addresses like info@ and support@.
No additional licenses required, so it’s scalable for growing teams.

Cons

Limited Gmail-like functionality, acts more like a message board.
Manual assignment of emails and basic search features only.
Less intuitive for handling complex workflows or follow-ups.

Delegated Access

Pros

Provides the full Gmail experience, including search, labels, filters, and more.
Suitable for personal assistants or when direct inbox management is required.
Seamless integration within your existing Gmail environment.

Cons

Each shared mailbox uses a paid Google Workspace license.
It can get expensive when multiple shared mailboxes are involved.
Not ideal for team-wide shared or public email addresses.

Third-Party Tools

Pros

Advanced collaboration, such as assignment automation and mobile access.
Designed for multi-user shared inbox management.
Useful for departments that need tracking, analytics, or reporting.

Cons

Extra cost for add-on services, subscription fees apply.
Set up time and learning curves for new users.
Reliant on third-party vendor integrations and support.

Which Teams Can Benefit From Gmail Shared Inboxes?

Shared mailboxes aren’t just for IT teams; they improve visibility, accountability and collaboration for a wide range of departments. Some of the main teams that can benefit from implementing shared inbox solutions within Google Workspace include:

Customer Support Teams

Handle high volumes of emails, ensuring every query is assigned, tracked, and answered.
Avoid duplicate replies and missed follow-ups with clear ownership and automated assignment.
Benefit from collaborative features, such as internal notes.

Finance Departments

Streamline communications like invoice queries and payment confirmations, all within a single inbox.
Use tags to categorise requests, like “Payment received” or “Overdue”, improving speed and transparency.

Sales Teams

Centralise tasks such as demo requests and lead follow-ups, distributing conversations fairly, and tracking status.
Integrate with CRM software and use shared tags for segmentation, ensuring sales teams don’t miss a lead.

HR Departments

Manage confidential and time-sensitive communications collaboratively, including applications, onboarding, and internal queries.
Assign emails and keep private comments in one secure place.

Logistics Teams

Coordinate urgent delivery issues in real time, tracking assignments and resolution timelines without email confusion.
Enable end-to-end visibility for dispatch and warehouse teams, improving overall response and service levels.

No matter the department, shared mailboxes enable teams to manage group email addresses much more efficiently. Not only does this prevent email isolation and improve transparency, but it can also ensure accountability for both customer-facing and internal tasks.

What is Google Groups?

Google Groups is a free distribution list system that allows colleagues to share a common email address. These are typically used for email addresses like ‘info@’ or ‘hello@’. Businesses also use them internally for ‘team@’ to forward to everyone in certain teams, or even to the whole company. In Google Groups, you can forward emails to as many people as you like.

You can also use them to manage permissions, as they are tied to the group rather than individual members. When a user joins a Google Group, they automatically receive permission to view all items the group has access to (in this instance, emails). If they leave the group, the permissions are automatically revoked.

For example, you could create a ‘marketing@’ email address and add it to a Google Calendar, Shared Drive, or Google Doc, which would subsequently add everyone on the marketing team.

Google Collaborative Inbox

Collaborative Inbox is another functionality within Google Groups. If you have ever used a message board, then you will be familiar with this interface. It’s essentially a cut-down version of a Gmail account that lets you send and track messages with ease.

What is Delegated Access?

Delegated Access is another way to access a shared mailbox in Google. It’s often used by personal assistants who need access to an executive’s mailbox, or by a support team or accounts department, such as ‘support@’ or ‘accounts@’. With Delegated Access, you will have a full Gmail mailbox; however, it requires a full license.

Google Groups Vs Delegated Access

google groups vs delegated access screen share

The key difference between Google Groups and Delegated Access is that Delegated Access provides a full Google inbox, whereas Google Groups is a message board system with limitations. Google Groups is free, whereas Delegated Access requires a full license. Most businesses will trial Google Groups to see if it meets their requirements. If it turns out there is a specific reason the business needs access to a full mailbox, they will probably migrate to or set up Delegated Access.

Here’s a closer look at Google Groups vs Delegated Access.

How do Delegated Accounts Work for Shared Mailboxes?

difference between google groups and delegated access screen share

To access a Delegated Account, go to the top right-hand corner, where you can manage/switch your Google account, which should show your initial or picture.

Below this, a drop-down menu will appear. This lists all the accounts you have access to. Next to the name and email address, it should state that it is ‘Delegated’. Simply click on the account; there is no need to sign in or remember another password.

Once you’re in the account, it looks like a full Gmail account, where you can use all the usual features, such as search, filters, and labels. The labels are Google’s equivalent of folders, which can help categorise emails more effectively. For example, you can section off emails that are linked to ‘support’, or you can create manual labels like ‘responded’ to keep a better track of emails that have already been answered.

How do Google Groups Work for Shared Mailboxes?

Google Groups, however, has a different access route. It’s its own app within Google Workspace, so the easiest way you can find it is via your apps list. The Google Groups interface looks different from any other you may be used to. It will list all your groups in one place, so you can select the specific one you want to check.

In Google Groups, you don’t have as many features and filters as in other systems, since it is mainly a message board. While it may be a bit more limited, you can still apply labels manually, but they’re not coloured like the way they are in Delegated Access, which makes them less distinguishable. You can still star emails to highlight their importance and also assign different emails to specific people to respond to.

For features such as Collaborative Inbox and labels, they must be enabled first. To use Collaborative Inbox, you can find this in ‘Group settings’ under ‘Enable additional Google Groups features’. Here you can also switch on ‘Shared labels’.

When looking at it broadly, Google Groups is a simpler version of Delegated Access. But this may be more than enough to meet your business’s needs.

Third-Party Solutions

hiver for gmail screen share

There’s also another option you can use: a third-party solution. One we recommend is Hiver, which augments your Gmail environment but gives you lots of handy additional features.

Users can benefit from extra items listed down the left-hand side of their Gmail navigation bar, including: ‘Assigned to Me’, ‘Customers’, ‘Fulfilment’, ‘Support’, ‘Analytics’ and ‘Email Templates’. Within these items, you can further customise and categorise the workflow. For example, you can create sub-items which include: ‘Unassigned’, ‘Pending’, ‘Closed’, and ‘Viewed’. This makes it easier than ever to keep your Gmail inbox organised and ensure no emails go unanswered. You can even write internal notes to your teammates about customer issues, ensuring all queries are answered correctly.

Another helpful benefit is that you have access to built-in reports. You can learn how quickly your team responds to emails, how long it takes to resolve issues, and the workload balance among team members. Not only can you accurately monitor your team’s productivity, but you can also identify bottlenecks and make improvements.

Third-party solutions are generally much more in-depth. If your team requires access to multiple shared mailboxes, then an add-on like Hiver is very valuable. However, these extensive features, convenience and accessibility come at an inevitable cost.

When to Use Each Shared Mailbox Solution

Google Groups - Best For Simple Distribution

Use Google Groups if your main goal is to distribute emails sent to a group address to multiple recipients.
Ideal for simple team notifications, internal communications, and environments where everyone in the group should see incoming emails.
Limitations - Not suited to complex workflows or tracking individual responses, as features are basic and message assignment is manual. Users may find managing follow-ups confusing if accountability is essential.

Delegated Access - Best For Full Inbox Control

Use Delegated Access when a team member needs direct access to a full Gmail inbox, enabling them to view messages, organise with labels, search email history, or send replies as the mailbox owner.
Ideal for direct management of individual mailboxes, like accounts@, when complete Gmail functionality is required.
Limitations - Every shared mailbox requires its own Google Workspace license, which can quickly get expensive for growing teams or multiple departments. Not designed for large groups or collaborative assignments.

Third-Party Tools - Best For Advanced Collaboration and Analytics

Use third-party inbox tools if your organisation needs automatic assignment, real-time visibility, increased communication, or performance tracking.
Ideal for scaling customer service or operations teams who need robust features beyond standard Gmail or Groups.
Limitations - Involves additional costs and integrations, with reliance on third-party vendors, which means outsourced support and keeping up with product updates.

Choosing a Shared Mailbox Solution

Shared mailboxes are powerful tools that give you greater access and control over your business’s communications. It’s important to invest time in finding the option that's best for you, as it will help you better determine your needs and establish an efficient workflow.

At Damson Cloud, we can give you advice on which tool will benefit you the most. So please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about Google Groups, Delegated Access, or any other alternatives!

As a longstanding member of the Google Cloud Partner Program, Damson Cloud specialises in bringing people and ideas together through new ways of working. We champion change management and digital transformation using some of the internet’s most trusted solutions, including Google Workspace. To find out more about our services, check out our library of tutorial videos or our blog.