Pick / avoid summary (fast)
Skim these triggers to pick a default, then validate with the quick checks and constraints below.
- ✓ Chat drives resolution; AI deflection reduces agent load
- ✓ Proactive engagement and product tours matter
- ✓ Support and engagement blend in one tool
- ✓ High-context conversations span email, SMS, social
- ✓ Internal commenting and shared drafts are critical
- ✓ Agency or B2B multi-touch workflows
- × Fin resolutions add up: 1,000/mo = $990; 5,000 = $4,950 on top of seats
- × Proactive Support Plus: $99/mo + overage for messages beyond 500
- × Starter: single channel only; omnichannel requires Growth $59/seat
- × Growth $59 vs Help Scout Plus $50; Scale $99 vs Zendesk Suite Professional $115
-
Context mattersagencies and ops teams often need Front; chat-led teams need Intercom.
-
The trade-offAI and proactive engagement vs collaborative inbox and thread semantics.
At-a-glance comparison
Intercom
Conversational customer platform with live chat, AI agent (Fin $0.99/resolution), product tours, and proactive messaging. Essential $39/seat, Advanced $99, Expert $139; Fin add-on drives cost at scale.
- ✓ Fin AI Agent: $0.99 per resolution; pay only when AI resolves—vs flat per-seat AI add-ons
- ✓ Essential $39/seat/mo (annual) vs Zendesk $55; cheaper entry for chat-first teams
- ✓ Messenger, shared inbox, and ticketing unified; no separate chat vs email silos
Front
Collaborative inbox platform merging email, SMS, social, and chat into shared team inboxes. Starter $19/seat, Growth $59, Scale $99, Premier $229/seat. Built for multi-touch conversations, not ticket queues.
- ✓ Starter $19/seat/mo for single-channel; Growth $59 adds omnichannel and analytics
- ✓ Scale $99/seat for enterprise rules; Premier $229 for advanced governance
- ✓ Collaborative inbox: internal comments, shared drafts, assignments—built for team conversations
What breaks first (decision checks)
These checks reflect the common constraints that decide between Intercom and Front in this category.
If you only read one section, read this — these are the checks that force redesigns or budget surprises.
- Real trade-off: Both are conversation-centric, but Intercom is chat-first with AI automation; Front is collaborative inbox for high-context, multi-touch threads across email/SMS/social.
- Ticket queue vs conversational support model: Is email/chat resolution threaded or formal tickets?
- Per-agent vs per-ticket pricing model: What is your projected ticket volume vs agent count?
- Enterprise depth vs simplicity and adoption: How many integrations and workflow automations do you need?
- General-purpose vs vertical-specific (e-commerce): Does order lookup and refund-in-ticket dominate your support queue?
Implementation gotchas
These are the practical downsides teams tend to discover during setup, rollout, or scaling.
Where Intercom surprises teams
- Fin resolutions add up: 1,000/mo = $990; 5,000 = $4,950 on top of seats
- Proactive Support Plus: $99/mo + overage for messages beyond 500
- Essential lacks multi-team inboxes; Advanced $99/seat required for round-robin
Where Front surprises teams
- Starter: single channel only; omnichannel requires Growth $59/seat
- Growth $59 vs Help Scout Plus $50; Scale $99 vs Zendesk Suite Professional $115
- AI add-ons: Copilot $20/seat, Smart QA $20/seat, Smart CSAT $10/seat—add 50%+ to bill
Where each product pulls ahead
These are the distinctive advantages that matter most in this comparison.
Intercom advantages
- ✓ Chat-first UX and Fin AI deflection
- ✓ Proactive engagement and product tours
- ✓ Support and engagement in one platform
Front advantages
- ✓ Collaborative inbox for multi-touch threads
- ✓ Internal comments and shared drafts
- ✓ Email/SMS/social in one inbox
Pros and cons
Intercom
Pros
- + Chat drives resolution; AI deflection reduces agent load
- + Proactive engagement and product tours matter
- + Support and engagement blend in one tool
- + Real-time messaging is the primary channel
- + Fin AI and add-on budget available
Cons
- − Fin resolutions add up: 1,000/mo = $990; 5,000 = $4,950 on top of seats
- − Proactive Support Plus: $99/mo + overage for messages beyond 500
- − Essential lacks multi-team inboxes; Advanced $99/seat required for round-robin
- − Ticketing workflows less mature than Zendesk/Freshdesk; built for chat, not queues
- − SLA policies and breach tracking only on Expert ($139/seat)
- − No native e-commerce order lookup; Gorgias wins for Shopify
- − Usage-based channels (SMS, WhatsApp, phone) add variable cost
- − Expert tier for SSO, HIPAA, multibrand; enterprise pricing opaque
Front
Pros
- + High-context conversations span email, SMS, social
- + Internal commenting and shared drafts are critical
- + Agency or B2B multi-touch workflows
- + Collaborative inbox semantics over ticket queues
- + Omnichannel without formal ticket routing
Cons
- − Starter: single channel only; omnichannel requires Growth $59/seat
- − Growth $59 vs Help Scout Plus $50; Scale $99 vs Zendesk Suite Professional $115
- − AI add-ons: Copilot $20/seat, Smart QA $20/seat, Smart CSAT $10/seat—add 50%+ to bill
- − Ticketing and SLA workflows secondary; queue-centric teams prefer Zendesk/Freshdesk
- − WhatsApp add-on: Meta billing + 20% admin fee
- − API rate limit increase: $200 per 100 requests/min add-on
- − No native e-commerce order lookup; Gorgias for Shopify
- − Onboarding package required for contracts over $25K
Keep exploring this category
If you’re close to a decision, the fastest next step is to read 1–2 more head-to-head briefs, then confirm pricing limits in the product detail pages.
FAQ
How do you choose between Intercom and Front?
Choose Intercom when chat drives resolution and you want AI deflection, proactive engagement, and product tours. Choose Front when high-context conversations span email, SMS, and social in collaborative inboxes and thread workflows matter more than chat-first UX. Intercom breaks when conversations are multi-touch and email-centric; Front breaks when you need AI deflection and proactive messaging.
When should you pick Intercom?
Pick Intercom when: Chat drives resolution; AI deflection reduces agent load; Proactive engagement and product tours matter; Support and engagement blend in one tool; Real-time messaging is the primary channel.
When should you pick Front?
Pick Front when: High-context conversations span email, SMS, social; Internal commenting and shared drafts are critical; Agency or B2B multi-touch workflows; Collaborative inbox semantics over ticket queues.
What’s the real trade-off between Intercom and Front?
Both are conversation-centric, but Intercom is chat-first with AI automation; Front is collaborative inbox for high-context, multi-touch threads across email/SMS/social.
What’s the most common mistake buyers make in this comparison?
Choosing Intercom for chat when the real need is thread-based collaboration across channels, or choosing Front when AI deflection and proactive engagement matter more.
What’s the fastest elimination rule?
Pick Intercom if chat-first support and AI deflection are the constraint.
What breaks first with Intercom?
Fin resolution cost at scale: 5,000+/mo adds $5K+ to seat costs. Proactive messaging overage when Tours/Surveys/Posts scale. Essential → Advanced jump ($39 → $99) for multi-team and automation.
What are the hidden constraints of Intercom?
Fin $0.99/resolution has no per-seat cap by default; 10K resolutions = $9,900/mo. Proactive Support Plus 500 messages included; Product Tours, Surveys, Posts count. SMS, WhatsApp, phone usage-based; costs vary by region and volume.
Share this comparison
Sources & verification
We prefer to link primary references (official pricing, documentation, and public product pages). If links are missing, treat this as a seeded brief until verification is completed.