The difference between forwarding mail to everyone and working from one shared inbox, and when to use each.
When a team starts handling support@ or sales@ together, there are two common setups: a distribution list (also called a group or alias) and a shared inbox. They look similar from the outside, but they work very differently.
Distribution list: copies for everyone
A distribution list forwards every message sent to support@ to each member’s personal inbox.
Pros
- Simple and usually free.
- Good for announcements, notifications and small groups that just need visibility.
Cons
- Nobody owns the email. Everyone sees it; often nobody answers, or two people do.
- Replies come from personal addresses, so customers end up with a different contact each time.
- No shared history. When someone is out, their conversations are stuck in their personal inbox.
- Internal discussion happens elsewhere, by forwarding or in chat, and gets lost.
Shared inbox: one inbox, many people
A shared inbox is a single mailbox that several people can work in, each with their own login.
Pros
- Clear ownership. Conversations can be assigned to a person.
- Consistent replies come from
support@, not personal addresses. - Full history in one place, for whoever picks it up next.
- Internal notes let the team discuss a conversation without emailing the customer.
- Collision detection shows when someone is already replying.
Cons
- Usually a paid feature.
- Needs a little process: who checks the inbox, how assignments work.
Which should you choose?
| If you need… | Choose |
|---|---|
| Everyone to be informed (alerts, announcements) | Distribution list |
| Customer conversations that need one clear answer | Shared inbox |
| A consistent sender address for replies | Shared inbox |
| Handover when someone is away | Shared inbox |
| Zero setup for a two-person team | Either, but a shared inbox scales better |
A useful rule: if a message needs a reply, it belongs in a shared inbox. If it only needs to be read, a list is fine.
Avoid the shared password trap
Some teams “share” an inbox by sharing its password. It works until it doesn’t: no way to see who replied, no way to remove access when someone leaves, and a real security risk. A proper shared inbox gives every teammate their own login.
How VoraMail’s team inbox works
- Invite teammates to any inbox by email; they sign in with their own VoraMail account.
- Assign a conversation to a teammate (they’re notified).
- Add internal notes that are never emailed.
- See “Alex is replying…” when a teammate opens the reply composer, to prevent double answers.
- Remove a teammate in one click; access ends immediately.
Team seats are $2.99 per teammate per month. Learn more on the team inbox page.