Front vs Help Scout (2026)

What sets it apart A graduated automation path: Copilot drafts replies that agents approve before sending, and proven response patterns can be promoted to the Autopilot tier for hands-off resolution, keeping a human in the loop until the team opts out

Best for SMB and mid-market customer support and operations teams that want a collaborative shared inbox unifying email, chat, SMS, and social channels, with optional AI drafting on top · Pricing model Per-seat subscription billed annually. Three tiers: Starter $25/seat/mo (single channel, up to 10 seats), Professional $65/seat/mo (omnichannel, up to 50 seats), Enterprise $105/seat/mo (most AI features included except Autopilot). AI features such as Copilot, Smart QA, and Smart CSAT are paid add-ons on Starter and Professional. No free tier.

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) · Front - Copilot AI Assistant product page · Front - Pricing · Hiver - Front Pricing 2026 breakdown

What sets it apart AI Answers is priced by usage at $0.75 per resolved conversation, decoupled from per-seat plans, and answers from the team's own Docs knowledge base

Best for Small and midsize support teams that want a shared inbox across email, chat, and social without the overhead of a heavy ticketing platform · Pricing model Per-seat subscription: Standard $25/user/mo, Plus $45/user/mo, Pro $75/user/mo, with a free plan for up to 5 users (1 inbox, 1 Docs site) and a 15-day trial on Standard/Plus. AI Answers is a separate usage-based add-on at $0.75 per resolution, with 3 months free for new accounts.

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 · Help Scout pricing page · Help Scout shared inbox page · Help Scout Free Plan docs