AcornReply vs Missive
Two products with opposite opinions about where AI belongs in a shared inbox. This page scores both, including the collaboration rows Missive wins outright.
The short answer.
Pick Missive if your team works together inside threads, with real-time comments and shared-cursor drafts, or if you want a single tool for team and personal mail. Pick AcornReply if you want every inbound message to arrive with a draft already written and cited, plus a hosted contact form and live chat in the box. Missive has the better collaboration model. AcornReply has the stronger draft layer. Choose on which of those you do more often.
Which one fits you.
Choose Missive if
- Your team collaborates in-thread more than it replies to customers.
- Shared-cursor draft editing is part of how you work.
- You want one tool for both team and personal email.
- You prefer a light-touch AI sidebar to a draft-first inbox.
- You need broader inbound channels such as social or IM apps.
Choose AcornReply if
- You want a written, cited draft waiting on every inbound message.
- You need a hosted contact form and live chat without building them.
- You have more than five teammates and want to stay off per-seat pricing.
- You want the inbox to learn your team voice as you send.
- Support is a job you do, not a room you live in.
Scored side by side.
| Feature | Missive | AcornReply | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
AI drafts A deliberate product opinion on both sides, not an oversight by Missive. | Light-touch sidebar | Built in, FAQ-grounded, cited | AcornReply |
In-thread collaboration | Comments plus shared-cursor drafts | Internal notes and @mentions | Missive |
Real-time co-editing of a draft | Yes | No, one editor per draft | Missive |
Hosted contact form | Not included | Included on every tier, even Free | AcornReply |
Live chat widget | Not included | Included | AcornReply |
Pricing model Closer than it looks at one to three users, where Missive Starter is generous. | Per seat above five users | Flat per workspace | AcornReply |
Personal email | Supported | Not supported, support inbox only | Missive |
Mobile | Native plus web | PWA only | Missive |
What each one costs.
Missive publishes plans on missiveapp.com/pricing. At time of writing the Starter tier covers up to five users at a low monthly rate, and the Productive and Business tiers move to per-seat pricing. AcornReply Pro is $20 per workspace per month flat. At nine teammates AcornReply is materially cheaper. At three on Missive Starter the numbers are close enough that price should not decide it, so choose on the collaboration and draft trade-off instead.
Frequently asked questions
Which has better AI, AcornReply or Missive?
They are aiming at different targets. Missive markets itself as not another AI sidebar and keeps the AI light so the inbox stays unobtrusive. AcornReply makes the draft the primary surface, with every reply citing the articles it used. If you want AI out of the way, Missive is right. If you want it doing the first pass, we are.
Does AcornReply support real-time collaboration on a draft?
No, and this row goes to Missive. Each AcornReply draft has one editor, the assignee. Assignment is the source of truth: sending a reply claims an unassigned conversation, and only the assignee is notified about new messages on it.
Is Missive cheaper for a small team?
At one or two users it can be, since Missive Starter is free for small usage. AcornReply Free covers your first AI drafts and a monthly outbound cap. From about three to nine teammates, AcornReply Pro is typically the lower number because it does not scale per seat. Check both current pages before you decide.
Can I use AcornReply for personal email like Missive?
No. AcornReply is a customer support inbox and the workspace model assumes inbound traffic is customers, not personal mail. If one tool for both is the requirement, Missive is the right choice.
Already decided to leave Missive?
This page is for choosing. If you have chosen, the Missive alternative page covers what changes when you move, including what to do with your existing archive.