# Front vs Help Scout (2026) - Verdict

**Verdict:** both live and price-verified as of Jul 21, 2026. Choose Front if you lean toward the more recent build, from 2013. Choose Help Scout if you want a permanent free tier, not just a trial.

Category: AI Customer Support · Verified: Jul 21, 2026

## Choose Front if

- you lean toward the more recent build, from 2013.
- it is built for SMB & enterprise teams.

Link: https://verdict.tools/go/front (rel="sponsored nofollow")

## Choose Help Scout if

- you want a permanent free tier, not just a trial.
- a longer track record matters to you; it has run since 2011.
- it is built for solo & SMB teams.

Link: https://verdict.tools/go/help-scout (rel="sponsored nofollow")

## What each one is

**Front.** Built around shared inboxes, Front routes email, chat, SMS, and social messages into one workspace where agents assign, comment on, and reply to customer conversations together. Its Copilot assistant drafts replies from a team's past conversations and help content, then hands them to an agent for review before sending; a separate Autopilot tier automates responses once a team chooses to trust them. Pricing is per seat, running from a $25/month Starter plan capped at ten seats to a $105/month Enterprise plan, with most AI features sold as add-ons below the top tier. The product targets SMB and mid-market support and operations teams that want internal collaboration layered over customer messaging.
Sources: Front - homepage (product overview) (https://front.com/) · Front - Copilot AI Assistant product page (https://front.com/product/copilot-ai-assistant) · Front - Pricing (https://front.com/pricing) · Hiver - Front Pricing 2026 breakdown (https://hiverhq.com/blog/front-pricing)

**Help Scout.** Help Scout is customer service software built around a shared inbox that pulls email, live chat, and messages from social and Shopify into one queue, with assignments, private notes, and collision detection to keep agents from replying over each other. Its AI Answers add-on runs a chatbot that draws on the team's Docs knowledge base to respond to customer questions, and it is billed by usage at $0.75 per resolution instead of by seat. Core plans are priced per user, starting at $25 a month on the Standard tier, alongside a free plan for up to five users. The product fits small and midsize support teams that want a lighter setup than a full ticketing system.
Sources: Help Scout homepage (https://www.helpscout.com/) · Help Scout pricing page (https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/) · Help Scout shared inbox page (https://www.helpscout.com/inbox/) · Help Scout Free Plan docs (https://docs.helpscout.com/article/1597-free-plan)

## Side by side

| Metric | Front | Help Scout |
|---|---|---|
| From $/mo | $25 | $25 |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | 2013 | 2011 |
| Best for | SMB & enterprise | solo & SMB |
| Status | Live | Live |

All figures = lowest paid monthly plan · verified Jul 21, 2026.

## Where they differ

**Price.** Help Scout is the cheaper entry at $25/mo, versus $25/mo for Front.

**Free access.** Help Scout offers a permanent free tier; Front is trial-only.

**Track record.** Help Scout has been operating since 2011; Front since 2013. A longer survival record matters.

## FAQ

### Front or Help Scout - which is better in 2026?
Both are live and price-verified as of Jul 21, 2026. Choose Front if you lean toward the more recent build, from 2013. Choose Help Scout if you want a permanent free tier, not just a trial.

### Is Front cheaper than Help Scout?
Help Scout has the lower entry price - from $25/mo vs $25/mo (verified Jul 21, 2026).

### Does Front or Help Scout have a free tier?
Help Scout offers a permanent free tier; Front is trial-only.

### Are Front and Help Scout still maintained?
Yes - both are live as of Jul 21, 2026, with no official sunset announced for either.

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Canonical: https://verdict.tools/vs/front-vs-help-scout