Drag

Drag is a shared inbox for Gmail teams, available inside Gmail or through its web app. Teams can organize customer email with boards, assign messages, add notes and shared drafts, and use collision detection to coordinate work. Email, WhatsApp, live chat in early access and a help center can appear in one queue. Varley provides Copilot, Agents, Intelligence and email assists; AI features are included in Plus and Pro, while Starter can add AI credits. Drag connects with Google Workspace and WhatsApp, works with more than 5,000 apps through Zapier, and offers a REST API and MCP server. Plans permit unlimited users with no seat minimum. Starter allows up to 10 automation rules and a three-month reporting window; Plus and Pro have unlimited rules and longer reporting windows. Pricing starts at $12/user/mo billed annually. A seven-day free trial includes Pro features and requires no credit card. Drag describes its audience as teams of up to 200 people using Gmail and Google Workspace, including support, sales, operations, IT and HR teams.

Drag brings team email organization, assignments and multiple customer channels into a shared queue. The seven-day trial includes Pro features, while Starter has lower automation and reporting limits than Plus and Pro.

Drag suits teams working in Gmail or Google Workspace that need to share customer email across support, sales, operations, IT or HR. Its plans allow unlimited users without a seat minimum.

Drag is a shared Gmail inbox that adds boards and team workflows to customer email, with a web app for teams that prefer a separate workspace. It is best for Google Workspace teams coordinating shared queues across departments. Its appeal is broad collaboration and channel support, but some of its most distinctive capabilities require Pro.

Overview

Drag makes shared email a team queue rather than a mailbox everyone checks independently. Assignments, internal notes, shared drafts, and collision detection help clarify ownership and reduce overlapping replies. That structure is useful for teams handling a steady flow of customer conversations; teams seeking a lightweight shared address may find the additional workflow unnecessary.

Key features

Boards support Kanban, list, and preview views, with templates, notes, subtasks, and @mentions available on Starter. These tools make handoffs more visible than a conventional shared mailbox. Starter’s limit of 10 automation rules and three months of reporting, however, may be restrictive for teams with complex routing or a longer review horizon. Plus and Pro remove the rule cap and extend reporting to six and 12 months respectively.

Drag combines email, WhatsApp, live chat in early access, and a help center in one queue. WhatsApp is included only with Pro, so teams that need it should account for the higher tier; live chat’s early-access status may not suit teams looking for a mature channel. Varley AI includes six email assists, Copilot, and Intelligence on Plus, while Pro adds Drag Agent and AI knowledge drawn from links, FAQs, and files. Starter can add AI credits, but does not include the Plus AI bundle.

Native Google Workspace connections suit teams already using Google tools. Zapier opens connections to more than 5,000 apps, and Pro adds REST API and MCP access for custom integrations. Drag says it is GDPR compliant and CASA Tier 2 certified, encrypts communications with TLS 1.2 and stored data with AES-256, and does not store email content. It also says shared emails are not copied into teammates’ individual inboxes and access can be revoked when someone leaves—useful controls for teams managing shared customer correspondence.

All plans allow unlimited users without a seat minimum, which avoids a per-seat hurdle as a team grows. Support includes a help center and live chat on every plan; Plus adds onboarding and setup help, and Pro adds priority support.

Pricing

Drag has no free plan. Its seven-day trial includes every Pro feature and requires no credit card, giving teams a short opportunity to assess the full product before choosing a tier.

• Starter: $16 a month, billed monthly. Includes shared Gmail inboxes, three board views, assignments and @mentions, templates, notes, subtasks, desktop and mobile apps, Chrome extension, web access, and 10 automation rules. It fits teams that need shared-inbox coordination without the Plus AI package or Pro channels, but gives up longer reporting and uncapped automation.
• Plus: $22 a month, billed monthly. Adds six AI assists, Copilot and Intelligence, unlimited automation rules, email sequences, custom views, and AI-powered help-center search. It is the stronger fit for teams that want AI and more flexible workflows while keeping WhatsApp and Drag Agent out of scope.
• Pro: $30 a month, billed monthly. Adds WhatsApp, Drag Agent, REST API and MCP access, AI knowledge from links, FAQs, and files, and round-robin assignment. Choose it when those channels, integrations, or assignment tools justify the premium; teams needing only shared email may not benefit enough from the additions.

Drag’s pricing note also gives a starting rate of $12/user/mo (annual), distinct from the monthly-billed plan prices above. Teams should weigh the annual per-user starting rate against the monthly options and their required features.

Platforms

Drag supports Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, web, and a Chrome extension, alongside an API. This range gives teams desktop and mobile access, while the product remains centered on Gmail and Google Workspace workflows.

Who it's for

Drag is aimed at teams of up to 200 people working in Gmail and Google Workspace, including support, sales, operations, IT, and HR. It is most persuasive when several people share responsibility for incoming conversations and need assignments, internal context, or channel consolidation. It is less compelling for organizations outside the Google ecosystem or those that do not need a managed team queue.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Assignments, notes, shared drafts, and collision detection make shared email ownership more explicit.
• Pro: Unlimited users and no seat minimum avoid a fixed team-size threshold.
• Pro: A single queue can cover email, WhatsApp on Pro, early-access live chat, and a help center.
• Con: Starter limits automation to 10 rules and reporting to three months, which may hamper more involved operations.
• Con: WhatsApp, Drag Agent, and REST API/MCP access require Pro, so teams wanting them must pay for the top tier.
• Con: There is no free plan, and the trial lasts seven days.

Alternatives

Consider Zoho TeamInbox if a free plan matters: it has one, along with shared incoming channels, rules, and internal discussions with draft sharing on Starter. Coherence is another option for teams prioritizing a free tier, with up to three users and monthly AI credits on its Free plan.

Gmelius may suit teams comparing annual pricing and a defined monthly conversation allowance; its Meli plan is $19 a month billed annually, for up to 5,000 conversations and five users. Helpwise is worth considering for a smaller shared-inbox setup: Standard is $15 a month billed monthly, with a two-user minimum, up to 10 users, three inboxes, and email, live chat, and Facebook.

Shared Inbox by Canary offers a $10 a month monthly-billed Starter plan with a shared inbox, internal chat and mentions, and an AI chatbot limited to 100 training materials and 100 responses. Trengo is a higher-priced alternative, with Boost at €299 a month billed annually for 10 users and 6,000 conversations per year. Keeping starts at $14 a month billed annually per user on Essentials, with a two-user minimum; its monthly price is $19.

Loop Email is another paid alternative. For broader comparisons, see Shared Inbox Software, HR Workflow Automation Software, and AI Email Assistants.

Verdict

Drag is a strong choice for Gmail and Google Workspace teams that need shared ownership, structured handoffs, and a path to handling several customer channels in one queue. Its unlimited-user policy and collaboration tools make the core case; the main reason to look elsewhere is the lack of a free plan or the need to reach Pro for WhatsApp, Drag Agent, and API/MCP access.