Microsoft 365 gives you three main ways to share one email address between several people: a Microsoft 365 group, a distribution list and a shared mailbox. They behave very differently. This guide explains each one in plain English and helps you pick the right one for addresses like info@, sales@ or all-staff@.
The short answer
| You want... | Use |
|---|---|
| A team to read and answer customer email from one address (info@, support@, accounts@), with replies coming from that address | Shared mailbox |
| Email to one address copied into several people's own inboxes (all-staff@, directors@) | Distribution list |
| A project or team space with a group inbox, shared calendar, shared files, Planner and, optionally, Microsoft Teams | Microsoft 365 group |
| One person to receive mail at an extra address | An email alias, not a group |
Shared mailbox
A single mailbox that several people open alongside their own. Everyone sees the same messages and folders, so when one person replies or files an email, the others can see it's been dealt with.
- Best for: info@, sales@, support@, a reception desk, or keeping a leaver's mailbox.
- Replies: come from the shared address, so customers never see a personal address.
- Cost: free (no licence) up to 50 GB.
- Includes: its own calendar and contacts.
How to set one up: Create a shared mailbox or convert a user mailbox.
Distribution list
An address that forwards a copy of each message to every member's own inbox. Nothing is stored in the list itself.
- Best for: announcements and "everyone in this department" addresses.
- Replies: come from each person's own address, unless you give them Send As permission.
- Watch out: people outside your organisation can't email it until you allow them (see Allow external senders). Because everyone gets a copy, it's easy for two people to answer the same customer, or for nobody to.
- Cost: free.
Microsoft 365 group
A collaboration package for a team. Creating one gives the members a group inbox and calendar in Outlook, a SharePoint site for files, a shared OneNote notebook and a Planner board. You can also turn it into a Microsoft Teams team.
- Best for: internal teams and projects that share files and meetings as well as email.
- Email: messages are stored in the group inbox. By default members must open the group to read them; you can choose to send copies to everyone's inbox too.
- Watch out: external senders are blocked by default, and replying as the group needs Send As permission.
- Cost: free, but members need a licence that includes the apps they use.
Security groups (for completeness)
You'll also see Security and Mail-enabled security groups in the admin centre. These control access to things like SharePoint sites. Small businesses rarely need them for email; a mail-enabled security group behaves like a distribution list that can also grant access.
Side-by-side comparison
| Shared mailbox | Distribution list | Microsoft 365 group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where mail is kept | One shared mailbox | Each member's inbox | Group inbox (copies optional) |
| Shared calendar | Yes | No | Yes |
| Shared files | No | No | Yes (SharePoint) |
| Can external people email it? | Yes | Only if allowed | Only if allowed |
| Reply as the shared address | Yes, for members | Needs Send As | Needs Send As |
| Can become a Teams team | No | No | Yes |
Troubleshooting
Customers say their emails to our group bounce
Distribution lists and Microsoft 365 groups reject outside senders by default. Follow Allow external senders to email a group.
Members of our group never see the emails
Microsoft 365 groups keep mail in the group inbox. Either ask members to open the group in Outlook, or turn on the setting to send copies of group conversations to members (see Create a Microsoft 365 group or distribution list).
Two people answered the same customer
That's a sign you need a shared mailbox rather than a distribution list, so everyone works from the same copy of each message.
Last reviewed: October 2026
