After moving away from Google Analytics several months ago, I soon found myself also wanting to move out of Gmail. Like many free services out there, there’s a hidden cost–your privacy.

I’ve been a Gmail user since around 2004 or 2005. At the time, I remember it being an invite-only service. Gmail was a game-changer during a time when Yahoo and Hotmail dominated the free email world.

As you might imagine, having used Gmail dating back 16ish years, it wasn’t going to be an easy task to switch to something new. I also use their “Send Mail As” function to send emails via other accounts and have multiple email accounts forwarded into Gmail.

I tried out hey.com, a handful of IMAP clients, and couldn’t quite put my finger on the right set-up.

Ultimately, after loads of research, I landed on a familiar customer centric service that I use quite often: HelpScout

While HelpScout isn’t technically an email service like Gmail or Hey.com, it’s a fantastic way to get stuff done! HelpScout is the ultimate shared inbox system, but I don’t use it that way. My emails are now treated more like support tickets. I can make notes about certain threads and easily close conversations when tasks are completed leaving my inbox free and clear. It also comes with a live chat beacon and help doc system which will be helpful for PaywallProject.

While it’s not free, it’s totally helped with keeping track of conversations and getting stuff completed!

Here’s my referral code to receive a $50 credit if you want to give them a try.