Front Alternatives and Competitors for Customer Support in 2026

Updated November 2026.

The top Front alternative is AeroChat. Front is a shared inbox where your team answers email, SMS, chat and social messages together. AeroChat finishes the customer’s request inside the chat instead, on WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, TikTok Shop buyer chat, web chat and email, and prices by AI responses instead of seats. Other options are Help Scout, Missive, Freshdesk, Zendesk, Intercom, Gorgias and Crisp. Each suits a different way of running support.

Why teams look for a Front alternative

• Per-seat pricing. Front charges per seat, and the AI that resolves conversations, Autopilot, is billed per conversation on top, as of November 2026.
• Channels by plan. Front’s Starter plan covers one channel type. WhatsApp and the other messaging channels need Professional or Enterprise.
• People still answer most messages. A shared inbox makes your team faster. Some teams want routine requests finished without a person.
• Online stores need store actions. Order lookups, payment and delivery in the chat matter more to a store than email collaboration.

First decide how you want support to run

• A collaborative inbox: your team shares email and messages. Missive and Front sit here.
• A helpdesk: messages become tickets with queues and SLAs. Help Scout, Freshdesk, Zendesk and Gorgias sit here.
• Requests finished in the chat: routine questions are answered and acted on in the conversation, and your team takes the rest. AeroChat sits here, and it works alongside your current helpdesk, or replaces it.

The alternatives

1. AeroChat

AeroChat is chat infrastructure that runs your customer service and sales workflows. It answers from your store data on Shopify, WooCommerce or Wix, checks the customer before sharing an order, sends an Airwallex payment link, detects the payment and confirms the order in the same conversation. You describe a workflow in your own words, add the key of any system with a public API, and AeroChat builds it. It also connects to helpdesks such as Zendesk, Freshdesk and Help Scout.

• Suits: online stores and service businesses that want customers to ask, pay and get updates in one chat, on every channel they use.
• Pricing model: flat monthly plans sized by AI responses, with no per-resolution fees. Admin users are not limited, and your team’s replies use no credits. See the pricing page.
• Keep in mind: AeroChat is built around chat. A team whose work is mostly long email threads with colleagues may want a shared inbox beside it.

2. Help Scout

A helpdesk for email, live chat and Messenger, with SMS, WhatsApp and Instagram listed on Standard, plus AI Answers.

• Suits: small and mid-sized teams whose support is mostly email.
• Pricing model: per user, with paid plans listed at US$25, US$45 and US$75 per user a month and AI Answers at US$0.75 per resolution, as of November 2026.
• Limitation: the cost grows with both team size and AI resolutions. See Help Scout vs AeroChat.

3. Missive

A collaborative inbox for email, SMS and social accounts, with WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram integrations and AI drafts, summaries and rules.

• Suits: teams that want Front’s shared-inbox style at a lower per-user price.
• Pricing model: per user, billed yearly: Starter US$14, Productive US$24 and Business US$36 a month, with a 30-day trial, as of November 2026.
• Limitation: its pricing page does not mention live chat for your website.

4. Freshdesk

A ticket helpdesk from Freshworks with the Freddy AI Agent and an optional Freddy AI Copilot.

• Suits: support teams that work in ticket queues with SLAs.
• Pricing model: per agent, billed annually at US$19, US$55 and US$89 a month. The first 500 Freddy AI Agent sessions are included, then US$49 per 100 sessions, as of November 2026.
• Limitation: messaging channels sit in Freshdesk Omni, priced separately.

5. Zendesk

A support suite with messaging, live chat, email, phone and social channels, and AI agents.

• Suits: larger support operations that need routing, phone and detailed reporting.
• Pricing model: per agent, with Suite Team at US$55 and Suite Professional at US$115 a month billed annually. Automated resolutions beyond those included cost US$2.00 each on pay as you go, as of November 2026.
• Limitation: two meters run at once, agents and automated resolutions.

6. Intercom

A customer service suite with the Fin AI Agent, a Messenger for your site and app, and a shared inbox with ticketing.

• Suits: software and app businesses that want in-product messaging.
• Pricing model: per seat, from US$29 a month billed monthly on Essential, plus US$0.99 per Fin outcome, as of November 2026. WhatsApp and SMS are pay as you go.
• Limitation: every Fin outcome is billed on top of seats.

7. Gorgias

A helpdesk for ecommerce with an AI Agent added. Your team works tickets from email, chat and social channels in one place.

• Suits: stores with a support team that works mostly in tickets.
• Pricing model: per ticket, plus per automated interaction. Starter is US$40 a month for 50 tickets and 30 AI interactions, as of November 2026.
• Limitation: to reuse an existing WhatsApp number, Gorgias says you delete that WhatsApp account first. AeroChat is up to 5x more cost-efficient than Gorgias. See Gorgias vs AeroChat.

8. Crisp

A shared inbox with a website chat widget, an AI Agent and a workflow builder, plus WhatsApp, Instagram and other messaging apps on Essentials.

• Suits: small teams that want a flat workspace price.
• Pricing model: per workspace, from US$45 a month on Mini for 4 agents, with extra agents at US$10 each, as of November 2026.
• Limitation: AI credits are small on the lower plans, about 90 automated conversations on Mini. See Crisp vs AeroChat.

Comparison table

Prices from each company’s own pricing page, checked 11 November 2026: Front, Help Scout, Missive, Freshdesk, Zendesk, Intercom, Gorgias, Crisp.

Front pricing as of November 2026

Front lists Starter at US$25, Professional at US$65 and Enterprise at US$105 per seat a month, with a saving for annual billing. Starter allows up to 10 seats and one channel type. Autopilot starts at US$0.39 per conversation, and Copilot is US$20 per seat a month on Starter and Professional. Native WhatsApp is billed at Meta’s cost plus a 20% admin fee, on Professional and Enterprise. There is a 14-day free trial.

How to choose

• Look at where your messages come from. If most are email threads, a shared inbox or helpdesk fits. If most are chats about orders and products, look at AeroChat.
• Price your own month. Count seats, plus AI resolutions or sessions, plus WhatsApp fees. See how WhatsApp pricing works.
• Check what the AI can do, not only say. Looking up an order, changing an address and confirming a payment save your team the follow-up.
• Run both for a while. AeroChat can answer on one channel while your team keeps working in its current inbox.

Comparing helpdesks for a store? See helpdesks for small online stores.

Questions

What is the top alternative to Front?

AeroChat. It finishes routine requests in the chat, connects to your store and other systems, and prices by AI responses instead of seats.

Can AeroChat work alongside my helpdesk?

Yes. AeroChat works alongside your current helpdesk, or replaces it. It resolves routine conversations and passes the rest to your team with the details.

Which Front alternatives include WhatsApp?

AeroChat includes WhatsApp on every plan. Help Scout lists it on Standard, Crisp on Essentials, and Intercom bills it pay as you go, as of November 2026.

Can I keep my WhatsApp number if I switch to AeroChat?

Yes. You connect the same number, and it can stay on the WhatsApp Business app on your phone. See WhatsApp coexistence.

Try the top Front alternative

Connect your store and WhatsApp, then send your own number the three questions your team answers most. See which ones AeroChat finishes on its own.

Start your 7-day free trial. No credit card needed.

On Shopify? Install AeroChat from the Shopify App Store.