Front vs Help Scout: Shared Inbox Help Desks Compared (2026)
Front and Help Scout are two shared-inbox help desks for customer-facing teams.
- Verified 27 Oct 2026Sources are dated on this page
- 7 sourcesLinked, typed and dated
- No winner declaredFit depends on your criteria
- Not tested by Stack18Editorial summary of documented facts
Front vs Help Scout: the short answer
Front and Help Scout are two shared-inbox help desks for customer-facing teams. Front is a collaboration-first shared inbox and customer operations platform sold per seat in Starter, Professional and Enterprise plans. Help Scout is an email-first shared inbox with Docs, Beacon chat and AI Answers, sold per user in Free, Standard, Plus and Pro plans.
The sources reviewed describe two different buyers. Front is described as built for operations-heavy B2B teams with multichannel routing, collaboration features and higher seat prices. Help Scout is described as the simpler, cheaper option with a free plan, a built-in knowledge base and AI billed per resolution. Help Scout's own comparison page notes Front's Starter plan is closer to Help Scout's free plan than to its paid plans.
We compare what independent 2026 sources and Help Scout's own page support and mark the rest Unknown. Help Scout's page is vendor-authored, and Drag sells a competing tool. Front's plan details come from third-party guides. No winner is declared.
Choose Front if you- Operations-heavy B2B teams that collaborate on replies across channels
- Teams that need routing, rules and analytics at scale
- Teams that value a collaboration-first inbox over a ticket queue
Choose Help Scout if you- Small and growing email-first support teams
- Teams that want a free plan and a built-in knowledge base
- Teams that want AI billed only when it resolves
Front and Help Scout at a glance.
One card per product, drawn from each full profile. Open a profile for features, pricing plans, limits and sources.
Front
Front · Customer Support Software
Front is a collaborative shared inbox and customer service platform that brings email, SMS, chat and messaging channels into one workspace where teams assign, comment on and draft replies together.
- Pricing
- Reported at $25 (Starter), $65 (Professional) and $105 (Enterprise) per seat per month billed annually.
- Best for
- Teams that run customer communication from shared inboxes
Help Scout
Help Scout PBC · Customer Support Software
Help Scout is a customer support platform built around a shared inbox that feels like email, with a Docs knowledge base, Beacon live chat and widget, workflows and reporting, sold per user in Free, Standard, Plus and Pro plans.
- Pricing
- Free plan for up to 5 users; Standard reported at $25 per user per month billed annually.
- Best for
- Small email-first support teams
Front vs Help Scout: feature-by-feature comparison.
Every row is drawn from the sources listed below. Rows that differ are marked, and you can filter the table to show only those.
- YesDocumented
- PartialAvailable with limits or on some plans
- NoDocumented as unavailable
- UnknownNot documented in the sources reviewed
| Dimension |  Front |  Help Scout |
|---|---|---|
| Product | ||
| Core approach | YesCollaborative shared inbox and customer operations platform with routing and analytics. | YesEmail-first shared inbox that feels like regular email, with Docs, Beacon chat and AI Answers. |
| Pricing | ||
| Free planDiffers | NoNo free plan; a 14-day trial is reported. | YesFree for up to five users, with one inbox, one Docs site and 100 contacts a month. |
| Entry price per seat (annual) | YesStarter at $25 per seat per month billed annually; guides show $29 in some places; reported cap of 10 seats and one channel type. | YesStandard at $25 per user per month, up to 25 users. |
| Mid-tier price (annual) | YesProfessional at $65 per seat per month; reported cap of 50 seats. | YesPlus at $45 per user per month; one guide shows $50. |
| Top tier (annual) | YesEnterprise at $105 per seat per month, billed annually. | YesPro at $75 per user per month; one guide shows $65. |
| Seat minimum | PartialOne guide reports a two-seat minimum. | PartialPro has a reported 10-user minimum. |
| AI | ||
| AI billingDiffers | PartialAI features are sold as per-seat or per-conversation add-ons; one guide says AI is an extra cost. | YesAI Answers at $0.75 per resolution after a three-month free trial, with optional monthly spending caps. |
| Agent assistDiffers | PartialAI tagging, routing and Copilot reported; availability by plan was not itemised. | YesAI Assist included on paid plans; Summarize and Drafts on Plus and Pro. |
| Channels | ||
| Channel coverageDiffers | YesEmail, SMS, social and chat in one inbox, with more channels on higher plans. | PartialEmail and live chat via Beacon; guides describe limited other channels. |
| Knowledge base | ||
| Built-in help centreDiffers | UnknownA built-in knowledge base was not documented in the sources reviewed. | YesDocs knowledge base included. |
| Collaboration | ||
| Internal teamworkDiffers | YesDescribed as a strength, with shared drafts, comments and collision detection. | PartialNotes and assignments; described as simpler. |
| Integrations | ||
| Integration breadth | PartialGuides report 100+ integrations. | PartialAround 100 integrations reported. |
Front vs Help Scout pricing.
Front pricing
Per seat per month by plan, billed annually or monthly. Enterprise is reported as annual only. AI features are sold as per-seat or per-conversation add-ons.
- Starter$25 per seat per month billed annually; about $35 billed monthly
- Professional$65 per seat per month billed annually; about $85 billed monthly
- Enterprise$105 per seat per month billed annually
Figures reported consistently by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly. Checked 17 Oct 2026.
All Front plans and sources
Help Scout pricing
Per user per month by plan, billed annually for the lowest rates, with unlimited contacts on paid plans, plus usage-based AI Answers and add-ons.
- Free$0
- Standard$25 per user per month billed annually
- Plus$45 per user per month billed annually
- Pro$75 per user per month billed annually
- AI Answers (add-on)$0.75 per resolution
Figures reported consistently by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
All Help Scout plans and sourcesHelp Scout is cheaper at comparable tiers. Our arithmetic on reported annual prices for 10 users gives about $3,000 a year on Front Starter ($25 x 10 x 12) and about $7,800 on Professional ($65 x 10 x 12), against $3,000 on Help Scout Standard ($25 x 10 x 12) and $5,400 on Plus ($45 x 10 x 12). For 25 users, Front Starter no longer applies (reported cap of 10 seats), so the comparison is Front Professional at about $19,500 a year ($65 x 25 x 12) against Help Scout Standard at about $7,500 or Plus at about $13,500.
Features, not price, explain Front's premium: multichannel routing, collaboration and analytics sit on Professional. Help Scout's free plan for five users and its included knowledge base give small teams a lower-cost start. Front Starter is limited to one channel type.
AI changes the totals. Help Scout's AI Answers at $0.75 per resolution can become a real line item as it succeeds, and Front's AI is sold as per-seat or per-conversation add-ons. Prices are reported from third-party guides for Front, so confirm current terms with both vendors.
Prices and plans change. Confirm current terms with each vendor before you decide.
Front vs Help Scout: implementation, ecosystem, AI and security.
Ease of implementation and usability
We did not test setup or migration for either product. Guides describe Help Scout as very quick for email-first teams and Front as needing more configuration for routing and rules. Pilot one real shared inbox in each.
Integrations and ecosystem
Guides report both products have around 100 or more integrations. Front is described as stronger on multichannel routing, and Help Scout lists Slack, Shopify, Salesforce and Jira connections on its paid plans. Counts were not verified, so check the specific tools you use.
AI capabilities
Help Scout bills AI Answers per resolution, with AI Assist for agents included on paid plans. Front sells AI as add-ons per seat or per conversation, with Copilot features reported. Both vendors describe AI as improving, and we did not test resolution rates or output quality.
Security, deployment and administration
Front lists advanced permissions and custom roles on Enterprise. Help Scout lists advanced permissions on Plus and, per one guide, SOC 2 and HIPAA on Pro. We did not review certifications or data residency, so request current security documentation.
Front and Help Scout: each option, in balance.
Front
Strengths and limitations from the profile
- Collaboration features such as shared drafts and internal comments keep conversations inside one system.
- Every plan includes shared inbox and ticketing, and the structure is now three clear tiers.
- Front handles an omnichannel inbox well, according to independent reviewers.
- Clear per-seat prices are published for each plan on annual billing.
- Starter is capped at 10 seats and one channel type, and Professional at 50 seats, which forces upgrades as teams grow.
- AI features, WhatsApp and other extras are paid add-ons on top of seat prices.
- Per-seat pricing is higher than many helpdesk tools, and higher tiers may carry seat minimums.
- Mobile apps are rated lower than the web product in app stores.
- Older pricing from before 2025 is still widely quoted, which can mislead buyers.
Help Scout
Strengths and limitations from the profile
- A real free plan for up to five users, with a Docs site and 100 contacts a month.
- Paid plans have unlimited contacts and transparent per-user pricing, which makes budgeting predictable.
- The email-like inbox is simple for small teams that find ticketing tools heavy.
- AI Answers charges only when the bot resolves a conversation, with a free trial period.
- Per-inbox and per-Docs-site metering adds cost for teams with many brands or departments.
- AI Answers is a separate per-resolution meter on top of seats.
- The free plan is capped at 100 contacts a month, 10 saved replies and 10 tags, and has no workflows.
- The Pro plan carries a reported 10-user minimum, and pricing models have changed repeatedly.
Front or Help Scout: which fits which situation?
No overall winner is declared. The better choice depends on the criteria that matter most to you, so test both against your own requirements.
Choose Front if you…
- Operations-heavy B2B teams that collaborate on replies across channels
- Teams that need routing, rules and analytics at scale
- Teams that value a collaboration-first inbox over a ticket queue
Choose Help Scout if you…
- Small and growing email-first support teams
- Teams that want a free plan and a built-in knowledge base
- Teams that want AI billed only when it resolves
Switching between Front and Help Scout.
Moving between Front and Help Scout means exporting conversations, tags and rules, rebuilding routing and automations, and reconnecting channels. Check that Help Scout covers the channels you use, since it lists fewer than Front. Run both on one inbox in parallel before cutting over.
- Export a sample of your data and test an import into the other product.
- List the automations, integrations and permissions you would need to rebuild.
- Pilot with one team before a full cut-over.
- Check contract terms and notice periods with both vendors.
General guidance, not specific to either vendor. Confirm migration options with the vendors.
Front vs Help Scout: questions and answers
Is Front or Help Scout cheaper?
Help Scout is cheaper at comparable tiers: Standard is $25 per user per month against $65 for Front Professional, billed annually. Front Starter is also $25 but is capped at 10 seats and one channel type.
Does Help Scout have a free plan?
Yes, for up to five users with one inbox, one Docs site and 100 contacts a month. Front has no free plan.
How does AI pricing compare?
Help Scout AI Answers is $0.75 per resolution after a three-month free trial. Front sells AI as per-seat or per-conversation add-ons.
Which has more channels?
Front covers email, SMS, social and chat in one inbox. Help Scout covers email and live chat through Beacon.
Which has a knowledge base?
Help Scout includes Docs. A built-in knowledge base for Front was not documented in the sources reviewed.
Which is better for collaboration?
Guides describe Front as the more collaboration-first inbox, with shared drafts and comments.
Which is better for a small team?
Guides favour Help Scout for small email-first teams on a budget and Front for operations-heavy teams that need multichannel routing.
Where this comparison comes from.
- Help Scout vs Front: features, AI, pricing, and how to choose (2026) eesel AI Third-party Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- Help Scout vs Front (2026) Macha Third-party Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- Help Scout vs. Front (vendor comparison page) Help Scout Official Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- 6 Best Help Scout Alternatives in 2026 (Drag sells a competing tool) Drag Third-party Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- Front Pricing 2026: What Does the Shared Inbox Cost for E-Commerce? Chatarmin Third-party Accessed 17 Oct 2026
- Front Pricing Explained (2026): Plans and Real Costs Macha Third-party Accessed 17 Oct 2026
- Help Scout Pricing in 2026: Plans, AI Answers and Per-User Billing Carly Third-party Accessed 15 Oct 2026
Comparison rows summarise the sources listed and the two profiles. Confirm current details with each vendor. Stack18 has not tested either product. One or both profiles are secondary-source profiles: vendor pages were not reviewed directly, so verify figures with the vendors.
Ready to test Front and Help Scout?
Check each vendor's current pricing and terms, run both against a real scenario from your business, or talk to Stack18 if off-the-shelf software is not the answer.
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