Pick / avoid summary (fast)
Skim these triggers to pick a default, then validate with the quick checks and constraints below.
- ✓ High-context conversations span email, SMS, social
- ✓ Collaborative inbox workflows matter more than tickets
- ✓ Internal commenting and shared drafts are critical
- ✓ Formal ticket routing and SLA tracking required
- ✓ Queue-based workflows match how agents work
- ✓ Enterprise integration ecosystem needed
- × Starter: single channel only; omnichannel requires Growth $59/seat
- × Growth $59 vs Help Scout Plus $50; Scale $99 vs Zendesk Suite Professional $115
- × Costs jump from $55 to $89/agent/mo (Suite Growth) for automation; $115 for SLA policies and advanced routing
- × 10-agent team: $550/mo minimum vs Freshdesk Pro at $490 for same (Pro $49/agent)
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Workflow modelconversations vs tickets—match the tool to how agents actually work.
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The trade-offcollaborative inbox and thread semantics vs queue orchestration.
At-a-glance comparison
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
Zendesk
Enterprise customer service platform with deep ticketing workflows, SLA management, and 1,200+ marketplace integrations. Suite Team $55/agent/mo; costs escalate to $89–$115+ for automation and advanced features.
- ✓ 1,200+ marketplace integrations vs Freshdesk's 650+ and Help Scout's 100+
- ✓ Suite Team $55/agent/mo includes multi-channel support, macros, and basic automation
- ✓ Suite Growth $89/agent/mo unlocks automation; Suite Professional $115/agent for SLA policies and skills-based routing
What breaks first (decision checks)
These checks reflect the common constraints that decide between Front and Zendesk in this category.
If you only read one section, read this — these are the checks that force redesigns or budget surprises.
- Real trade-off: Front is collaborative shared inbox for high-context, multi-touch conversations; Zendesk is traditional ticket queue management. The constraint is whether conversations or tickets model the work better.
- 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 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 Zendesk surprises teams
- Costs jump from $55 to $89/agent/mo (Suite Growth) for automation; $115 for SLA policies and advanced routing
- 10-agent team: $550/mo minimum vs Freshdesk Pro at $490 for same (Pro $49/agent)
- Add-ons (Explore analytics, Answer Bot AI, Sunshine Conversations) increase bill 20–40%
Where each product pulls ahead
These are the distinctive advantages that matter most in this comparison.
Front advantages
- ✓ Collaborative inbox for multi-touch threads
- ✓ Internal comments and shared drafts
- ✓ Conversation-centric UX
Zendesk advantages
- ✓ Formal ticket routing and SLA depth
- ✓ 1,200+ integrations and queue orchestration
- ✓ Enterprise scale and governance
Pros and cons
Front
Pros
- + High-context conversations span email, SMS, social
- + Collaborative inbox workflows matter more than tickets
- + Internal commenting and shared drafts are critical
- + Agency or B2B multi-touch workflows
- + Conversation model fits better than queue model
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
Zendesk
Pros
- + Formal ticket routing and SLA tracking required
- + Queue-based workflows match how agents work
- + Enterprise integration ecosystem needed
- + Multi-channel orchestration at scale
- + Compliance and governance requirements
Cons
- − Costs jump from $55 to $89/agent/mo (Suite Growth) for automation; $115 for SLA policies and advanced routing
- − 10-agent team: $550/mo minimum vs Freshdesk Pro at $490 for same (Pro $49/agent)
- − Add-ons (Explore analytics, Answer Bot AI, Sunshine Conversations) increase bill 20–40%
- − Implementation and customization typically require 2–4 weeks; steep learning curve for power features
- − Agent Workspace can feel cluttered; simpler tools like Help Scout win on UX for small teams
- − Annual contracts lock you in; no meaningful monthly pricing for mid-tier
- − Suite Enterprise custom pricing opaque; quotes often 2–3x published Suite Professional
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 Front and Zendesk?
Choose Front when your team manages high-context, multi-touch conversations across email/SMS/social that don't fit a ticket queue model—agencies, ops, B2B. Choose Zendesk when formal ticket queues, routing, SLA tracking, and enterprise integration depth are the constraint. Front breaks when you need formal routing and SLA breach tracking; Zendesk breaks when collaborative inbox workflows matter more than ticket semantics.
When should you pick Front?
Pick Front when: High-context conversations span email, SMS, social; Collaborative inbox workflows matter more than tickets; Internal commenting and shared drafts are critical; Agency or B2B multi-touch workflows.
When should you pick Zendesk?
Pick Zendesk when: Formal ticket routing and SLA tracking required; Queue-based workflows match how agents work; Enterprise integration ecosystem needed; Multi-channel orchestration at scale.
What’s the real trade-off between Front and Zendesk?
Front is collaborative shared inbox for high-context, multi-touch conversations; Zendesk is traditional ticket queue management. The constraint is whether conversations or tickets model the work better.
What’s the most common mistake buyers make in this comparison?
Choosing Front for inbox UX when you need formal ticket routing and SLA breach tracking, or choosing Zendesk when conversations are high-context and thread-based workflows matter more.
What’s the fastest elimination rule?
Pick Front if collaborative inbox workflows for multi-touch conversations are the constraint.
What breaks first with Front?
Single-channel Starter limit; omnichannel forces Growth $59—210% jump. Automation rules: 10 (Starter) or 20 (Growth) exhaust quickly. AI add-ons (Copilot, QA, CSAT) add $50/seat; 20 agents = $1,000/mo extra.
What are the hidden constraints of Front?
Starter: single channel type only; email OR chat OR SMS—not multiple. Channel max varies by plan; verify limits for multi-channel setups. AI add-ons: Copilot $20, Smart QA $20, Smart CSAT $10/seat—Premier includes all.
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Sources & verification
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