Front
Collaborative shared inbox platform that unifies email, SMS, social media, and chat into one workspace with powerful automation and analytics.
Customer-facing teams managing shared inboxes across multiple communication channels
Our Verdict
Collaborative shared inbox platform that unifies email, SMS, social media, and chat into one workspace with powerful automation and analytics.
Rating Breakdown
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Pros & Cons
Pros
- Best-in-class shared inbox with real-time collision detection prevents duplicate replies
- Full omnichannel support covering email, SMS, social media, WhatsApp, and live chat
- Powerful automation engine with up to unlimited rules on Enterprise plan
- Comprehensive analytics for response times, resolution rates, and team performance
- Over 100 integrations including Salesforce, HubSpot, Jira, and Slack
Cons
- Expensive pricing starting at twenty-five dollars per seat with AI add-ons costing extra
- Steep learning curve compared to simpler email-native tools like Hiver
- Minimum seat requirements make it impractical for very small teams
- Requires leaving your familiar email client for a separate application
Full Review
Overview
Front is a customer communication platform built around the concept of the shared inbox. Founded in 2013 by Mathilde Collin in San Francisco, Front has raised over $204 million in funding and serves teams of all sizes. Unlike traditional email clients, Front pulls conversations from email, SMS, social media, WhatsApp, and live chat into a single collaborative interface. With over 400 employees, Front has established itself as the go-to platform for customer-facing teams that need to manage high volumes of communication.
Key Strengths
Front's shared inbox eliminates the chaos of team email. Conversation assignment, real-time collision detection (preventing duplicate replies), internal comments, and shared drafts make team collaboration seamless. The automation engine supports up to unlimited rules on higher plans, enabling sophisticated routing, tagging, and SLA tracking. Analytics provide visibility into response times, resolution rates, and team performance. AI features include autopilot responses and AI-suggested drafts. The platform integrates with 100+ tools including Salesforce, HubSpot, and Slack.
Pricing Analysis
Front's pricing starts at $25/seat/month for the Starter plan (up to 10 users, single channel). The Professional plan at $65/seat/month adds full omnichannel support, advanced automation, and analytics for up to 50 users. Enterprise at $105/seat/month offers unlimited users, unlimited rules, and dedicated support. AI features like Copilot and Autopilot are available as add-ons. The pricing scales quickly for larger teams, making total cost of ownership an important consideration.
Who Is It Best For?
Front is ideal for customer support, success, and operations teams that handle shared email accounts (support@, info@, sales@) and need collaboration tools beyond what Gmail or Outlook offer. Account management teams benefit from the CRM integrations and analytics. It is less suitable for individual email productivity — Front is designed for teams, not solo users. The minimum seat requirements and pricing make it impractical for very small teams.
The Bottom Line
Front is the most powerful shared inbox platform available, excelling at team collaboration, automation, and omnichannel communication. For customer-facing teams managing high volumes across multiple channels, Front delivers clear ROI through faster response times and better accountability. The premium pricing and complexity make it overkill for simple email productivity needs, but for its intended use case, Front is best-in-class.
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Written by
Marcus has spent over a decade in SaaS integration and business automation. He specializes in evaluating API architectures, workflow automation tools, and sales funnel platforms. His reviews focus on implementation details, technical depth, and real-world integration scenarios.
Co-written by
Emily brings 7 years of data-driven marketing expertise, specializing in market analysis, email optimization, and AI-powered marketing tools. She combines quantitative research with practical recommendations, focusing on ROI benchmarks and emerging trends across the SaaS landscape.
Final Verdict
Front scores 8.6/10
With a score of 8.6 out of 10, Front is a strong performer that delivers great value. It's particularly well-suited for those looking for customer-facing teams managing shared inboxes across multiple communication channels.