Your Gmail inbox is overflowing with customer questions, sales leads, and team assignments. Meanwhile, you’re jumping back and forth between your email program and a project management tool like Trello. Drag wants to put an end to that by transforming Gmail itself into a visual workspace with Kanban boards, shared inboxes, and task management.
Who is behind Drag?
Drag was founded in 2017 by Nicholas Timms and Eduarda Bardavid from Stevenage in the United Kingdom. The original idea was simple but powerful: why should you have to switch between different apps when you can just manage your emails and tasks in Gmail itself? They wanted to transform the familiar inbox into a Trello-like environment where teams can collaborate directly without leaving their email program.
The company, officially DragApp.com Limited, raised $ 120.000 through Techstars, one of the most renowned startup accelerators in the world. That backing has clearly helped: over 200.000 people worldwide now use the tool. Drag has also earned a position as Momentum Leader on G2, which means that users consistently leave positive reviews and the tool is growing in popularity.
The company has not been acquired and continues to operate independently. The focus is still on the same core problem that Timms and Bardavid wanted to solve in 2017: helping teams become more productive without having to leave their familiar Gmail environment.
Who is Drag for?
Drag is primarily aimed at small to medium-sized teams and startups that use Gmail as their primary email platform. If your team struggles daily with an overflowing inbox and constantly switches between Gmail and a separate project management tool, then Drag is a logical choice. The tool is particularly suitable for customer service teams, sales teams, and marketing departments that want to treat emails as tasks on a visual board.
But Drag isn’t for everyone. Do you use Outlook instead of Gmail? Then you can cross this tool off your list right away. Drag works exclusively with Gmail and Google Workspace. Large enterprises with complex on-premise requirements or strict compliance requirements probably won’t find what they’re looking for either. The tool is built for teams that value flexibility and speed over extensive enterprise features.
What can Drag do?
The free version of Drag offers access to the basic Kanban boards and shared inbox functionality for up to three users. For advanced automations, extensive reporting, and unlimited users, you need a paid plan. Here are the key features that Drag has to offer:
- Shared Inbox: Multiple team members can access the same inbox, such as info@ or support@. Everyone sees who is working on which email and what the status is. No more duplicate work because two colleagues answer the same question.
- Kanban boards in Gmail: This is what Drag is really all about. Your emails appear as cards on a visual board with columns like “To do”, “In progress” and “Done”. Drag an email from one column to another and you instantly have an overview of your team’s progress.
- Email tracking: See when someone opens your email. Useful for sales teams who want to know if a prospect has read their proposal, or for support teams who want to check if a customer has seen their solution.
- Email templates: Save frequently used responses as templates and send them with a few clicks. Ideal for standard customer questions or recurring sales pitches.
- Internal team chat: Talk to your colleagues about a specific email without endless CC chains. The chat stays linked to the email, so context is never lost.
- Automations: Set up rules that automatically perform repetitive tasks. For example: automatically move all emails from a specific customer to a specific column, or assign emails with certain keywords to a team member.
- Collision detection: If two team members work on the same email at the same time, they get a warning. This prevents you from getting in each other’s way or doing duplicate work.
Drag works on all major platforms: you can use it through the browser, but there are also apps for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. The mobile apps are useful for teams that need access to their shared inboxes on the go, although they are somewhat more limited in functionality than the desktop version.
What does Drag cost?
Drag offers a free plan for up to three users. This is suitable for trying out the tool, but for serious team use, you’ll quickly run into limitations. You’ll then miss out on advanced reporting and extensive automations.
The paid plans come in three flavors. The Starter plan costs $ 16 per user per month, or $ 12 per month if you pay annually (total $ 144 per year). This plan gives you access to more users and basic automations. The Plus plan is in between at $ 22 per month ($ 18 with annual payment, total $ 216 per year) and offers additional features like advanced email templates and priority support.
The Pro plan is the most comprehensive and costs $ 30 per user per month, or $ 24 with annual payment (total $ 288 per year). This gives you access to all features, including extensive reports, unlimited automations, and premium support. For all plans, you get a free trial period of 7 days to test if Drag fits your team.
The prices aren’t very cheap as your team grows. With ten users on the Pro plan, you’re already paying $ 2.880 per year. That’s a serious investment, so calculate carefully whether the time savings and productivity gains justify those costs.
What should you watch out for?
Despite the positive reviews, there are also complaints. A frequently heard frustration is that Drag can become slow with large inboxes. If you’re managing thousands of emails, loading boards and moving cards can noticeably slow down. That’s annoying when you’re specifically looking for speed and efficiency.
Synchronization problems also regularly appear in reviews. Sometimes emails don’t immediately appear on the right board, or updates you just made disappear. This can lead to confusion in the team and extra work to get everything back in order.
Customer service is another pain point. Multiple users complain that the support team responds slowly or that problems aren’t adequately resolved. If you encounter a critical bug during a busy workday, you want to be helped quickly. That doesn’t always succeed.
Billing and cancellation are also not always clear. Some users report unexpected charges or difficulty canceling their subscription. Read the terms carefully and set reminders in your calendar if you start a trial period.
Finally, the mobile apps are more limited than the desktop version. Some features don’t work or don’t work well on iOS and Android. If your team works on the go a lot, that can be a problem.
Drag alternatives
Drag isn’t the only tool that wants to transform Gmail into a productivity hub. Here are three alternatives you can consider:
- Hiver: Choose Hiver if you’re looking for a traditional helpdesk without the visual Kanban focus. Hiver focuses more on ticket management and SLAs, which is useful for larger support teams that consider structure and reporting more important than visual boards.
- Sortd: Go for Sortd if you want more focus on sales pipelines. Sortd is built for individual productivity and sales tracking, with features specifically aimed at managing deals and prospects. Less suitable for teams working together on customer service.
- Gmelius: Choose Gmelius if you need more extensive project management tools. Gmelius offers more features than Drag, such as integrations with external tools and advanced workflow automations. It is often more expensive though, so consider whether you really need that extra functionality.
Frequently asked questions
Here are answers to questions that often come up with people considering Drag:
Does Drag work with Outlook?
No, Drag is specifically built as an extension for Gmail and Google Workspace. If your team uses Outlook, you can’t use this tool. You’ll then have to look at alternatives that do support Outlook.
Do customers see that I use Drag?
No, emails sent via Drag look like normal emails. The tool works completely on the back end, so your customers don’t notice anything about the Kanban boards and internal chats you’re using.
Is there a mobile app?
Yes, Drag has mobile apps for iOS and Android that give you access to your shared inboxes and boards. Keep in mind, though, that the mobile apps are more limited in functionality than the desktop version. Some features don’t work or don’t work optimally on mobile.
Conclusion
Drag is a handy tool for small to medium-sized teams that use Gmail and want visual overview of their emails and tasks. The Kanban boards and shared inboxes can really help reduce chaos and improve collaboration. But the tool also has clear limitations: performance issues with large inboxes, synchronization bugs, and slow customer service are real concerns. If your team runs entirely on Gmail and the visual approach of Trello appeals to you, Drag is worth trying. Do you use Outlook or have a large team with complex requirements? Then you’re better off looking at alternatives.
