Help Scout vs Front

Help Scout7.9Visit Front7.5Visit

Higher score Help Scout #3 in Customer Service - Midmarket Software 7.9/10 Free plan · paid from $25/user/mo · 15-day trial Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Help Scout

vs

Front #5 in Customer Service - Midmarket Software 7.5/10 From $25/user/mo (annual) · 14-day trial ✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Front

• Help Scout fits best

  Midmarket teams prioritizing collaborative support

• Front fits best

  Teams centered on collaborative shared inbox workflows

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Side by side

Feature	Help Scout 7.9/10 Visit ↗	Front 7.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	7.9	7.5
Ranking	#3 in Customer Service - Midmarket Software	#5 in Customer Service - Midmarket Software
Best for	Midmarket teams prioritizing collaborative support	Teams centered on collaborative shared inbox workflows
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$25/user/mo	$25/user/mo
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	—
Free trial length	15 days · no card needed	14 days · no card needed
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Docs	Email, Live chat, Tickets, Community, Docs
Compliance	HIPAA, SSO/SAML, 2FA	SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, SSO/SAML, 2FA
Integrations	100+ integrations	130+ integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Help Scout 2/5 · Front 2/5
Knowledge base	Not published	Not published
Workflow automation	Not published	Not published
SLA management	✓	✓
AI service agent	Not published	Not published
Customer portal	✓	✓
Specs
Support channels	Not published	Not published
Our review
Pros	Free plan includes 5 users, 1 Inbox, and 1 Docs site Shared inboxes pair with SLA tracking and workflow automation Plus and Pro add customer portal, routing, SSO/SAML, and HIPAA compliance	Shared inboxes combine team-managed conversations with ticketing and routing. Omnichannel support covers email, chat, SMS, social, Slack, and WhatsApp. API access, 130 integrations, portals, analytics, and AI support broad workflows.
Cons	Free plan is limited to 1 Inbox and 1 Docs site Pro trial access is handled through sales Published fit is for small and mid-market teams, not enterprise	Starter supports only one channel and up to 10 automation rules. Advanced AI Copilot, QA, and CSAT are included only with Enterprise. Published pricing is annual-billed and charged per seat per month.
Our verdict	Help Scout brings customer conversations, help content, workflows, and support history into a cloud platform for growing businesses and customer-facing teams. Its shared inbox supports internal notes and collision detection, while… Read the review →	Front is a customer operations and help desk platform for B2B support, operations, inbound sales, account management, and customer success teams. It brings email, chat, SMS, social, Slack, and WhatsApp conversations into shared inboxes,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Help Scout — where it wins

  • Free plan includes 5 users, 1 Inbox, and 1 Docs site
  • Shared inboxes pair with SLA tracking and workflow automation
  • Plus and Pro add customer portal, routing, SSO/SAML, and HIPAA compliance

  Where it doesn't

  • Free plan is limited to 1 Inbox and 1 Docs site
  • Pro trial access is handled through sales
  • Published fit is for small and mid-market teams, not enterprise

• Front — where it wins

  • Shared inboxes combine team-managed conversations with ticketing and routing.
  • Omnichannel support covers email, chat, SMS, social, Slack, and WhatsApp.
  • API access, 130 integrations, portals, analytics, and AI support broad workflows.

  Where it doesn't

  • Starter supports only one channel and up to 10 automation rules.
  • Advanced AI Copilot, QA, and CSAT are included only with Enterprise.
  • Published pricing is annual-billed and charged per seat per month.

• Help Scout7.9/10 · Free plan · paid from $25/user/mo · 15-day trial

  A flexible support workspace with a free entry point and clear paid tiers.

  Visit Help ScoutFull verdict →
• Front7.5/10 · From $25/user/mo (annual) · 14-day trial

  Front brings shared inboxes, omnichannel support, automation, and portals into one workspace.

  Visit FrontFull verdict →