Top FrontApp Alternatives You Must Definitely Try in 2023

Front, a prominent customer support platform, has transformed customer interactions by offering a centralized hub for efficient query management and collaboration. Widely used across industries, Front’s seamless integration with email, live chat, and social media channels has made it invaluable to businesses.

However, as Front users encounter specific pain points, they are exploring alternative customer support platforms to address evolving needs more effectively. In this blog post, we’ll explore these FrontApp alternatives, highlighting their unique features and benefits. 

From multichannel communication to AI automation capabilities, discover the next generation of customer support platforms that can elevate your business’s customer service to new heights.

Why do you need to look for FrontApp alternatives?

While Front is undoubtedly a valuable tool, it does come with certain limitations. One notable drawback is the absence of a knowledge base feature, necessitating the purchase of an additional service for providing self-service support to users.

Furthermore, the cost can be a concern for some users. While Front’s base plan is competitively priced, it restricts the number of agents to 10. It also lacks essential features like analytics, which are only available in higher-priced plans. This cost disparity can hinder your business from gaining comprehensive insights into its support operations.

Consequently, teams may outgrow Front’s capabilities as they evolve. Migrating to FrontApp alternatives can be a complex process, but it becomes a viable long-term solution for many teams. 

By considering FrontApp alternatives, your business can find more suitable options that align with their evolving needs and provide sustainable customer support solution.

What do users say about Front? 

Our research found that not all the users love Front. Some of them also have issues. Here are those:

“Sometimes it can become a touch overcomplicated to do things. There are things that are usually simple, like setting a vacation responder or an email signature, that seem to glitch a bit more or be buried deep within menus. There are typically solutions, it just takes a bit of time and sometimes lateral thinking.”

“There is a learning curve coming from Outlook, mainly learning how to manage individual vs shared messages.”

“Sometimes it is hard to find older discussions and emails using the search box up top. I think this maybe could be better by allowing more filters for search options.”

“Our team hasn’t had much success with Front’s ability to automatically log emails to our logging system. We have a system where each user may have up to hundreds of accounts, but Front appears to be set up to consider each email address as one person, so with automatic logging turned on, it will sometimes log emails to the wrong account.” 

Top FrontApp Alternatives

01. Helpwise

Helpwise is a user-friendly customer service solution with impressive features. It streamlines customer query handling across multiple channels like email, live chat, calls, SMS, and social media, all from a single platform.

Agents can effectively manage incoming messages on both desktop and mobile apps (compatible with iOS and Android) through a user-friendly shared inbox and a real-time request queue.

Key features include:

• A shared inbox consolidating messages from various channels and syncing old conversations from Gmail and Outlook. 
• Tagging, assigning, and team chats facilitate efficient collaboration. 
• Security is prioritized with separate logins for users sharing the same email address.
• Automation features allow for creating customer satisfaction survey templates and automating review collection, enhancing the customer feedback process. 
• A customizable knowledge base with company branding makes sharing articles with customers via email, SMS, or WhatsApp seamless. 
• The rules, productivity features like mention, collision detection, saved replies and other AI features take the agent productivity up a notch. 

Helpwise integrates with popular tools like HubSpot, Shopify, Slack, Pipedrive, Zapier, Zoho CRM, and WhatsApp. Moreover, Helpwise caters to multiple industries including healthcare because it is HIPAA-complaint. 

Pricing starts from $12 to $40 per user per month (billed annually), with a free trial available for teams of up to 3 users. This is where Helpwise shines! Excellent pricing for SMBs

For enterprise pricing, direct communication with their team is required.

02. Gmelius

Gmelius is a specialized customer support tool tailor-made for Gmail, providing an efficient shared inbox that streamlines customer emails into actionable tickets. These tickets can be easily assigned, tagged, and updated to manage tasks effectively.

The shared inbox has valuable features such as email tracking and auto-scheduling, ensuring users stay on top of their communications. Gmelius offers a Kanban board system for visual organization, converting emails into task cards with subtasks, priorities, and deadlines.

A standout feature of Gmelius is the ability to create and insert personalized email templates right from the compose window. The platform also fosters collaboration among team members, allowing shared drafts, delegation of conversations with @mentions, and notes on customer emails. 

Automation is a significant strength of Gmelius, with its if-then workflows empowering users to:

• Automatically assign emails based on agent availability
• Set up autoresponders, apply SLA policies
• Label conversations efficiently.

As for pricing, Gmelius offers a range of monthly plans from $7 to $49 per user.

03. HelpScout 

Help Scout combines a feature-rich shared inbox with a knowledge base and live chat capabilities, catering to diverse industries like SaaS, e-commerce, education, finance, and healthcare (HIPAA-compliant). With an easy-to-use shared inbox and real-time request queue, agents can efficiently handle inbound messages on desktop and mobile apps (iOS and Android).

The platform simplifies customer support with a searchable answers library, quick tag-based categorization for detailed reports, and workflow automation. Its conversation-oriented design conveniently showcases customer contact details, past interactions, and app data in the sidebar.

Help Scout’s knowledge base allows users to create and categorize articles, while the live chat can be seamlessly integrated with help articles for a step-by-step support process. Integrations with numerous tools like Freshbooks, Google Suite, HubSpot, Salesforce, and more enhance its versatility.

Pricing ranges from $20 to $60 per user per month.

04. Trengo

Trengo is a versatile platform that combines customer messages from email, social media, voice, and SMS into a central inbox. Its key features include:

• Group and private chat options
• Along with “no-code” chatbot creation using drag-and-drop blocks 

These chatbots can be deployed on popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and WeChat.

With Trengo, users can distribute customer satisfaction surveys through various channels, including email, WhatsApp, and Instagram, enabling multichannel CSAT collection capabilities. Templated push notifications are also available to connect with customers on WhatsApp conveniently.

The platform offers self-service help centers that automatically direct customers to relevant information when they type questions in the search bar, supporting multiple languages for better accessibility.

Trengo integrates with numerous platforms like Gmail, HubSpot, Salesforce, Shopify, Slack, WhatsApp, and more. Pricing starts from $18 to $40 per agent per month.

05. Kayako

Kayako provides a comprehensive support platform encompassing email, live chat, social media, and self-service channels. It offers features like internal notes, collision detection, macros, automatic workflows, and detailed reporting.

One standout feature is Kayako’s unique cloud-based and on-premise solutions offering. This allows IT teams and organizations with specific data storage needs to maintain their data on local servers.

Key advantages of Kayako include:

• Simplicity and easy adoption for businesses of all sizes. 
• Moving tickets between departments is seamless. 
• Facilitating collaboration and efficient ticket routing. 

However, Kayako may have limitations in extensive reporting capabilities and infrequent updates for new features. Kayako offers two pricing plans: Growth ($30 per agent per month) and Scale ($60 per agent per month), catering to different business needs. However, this is not friendly for SMBs.

06. DragApp

Drag is the perfect solution if you’ve ever desired a shared inbox with the convenience of a Kanban board. It seamlessly integrates with Gmail, but its user-friendly interface enables you to easily sort emails on a Kanban board, ensuring smooth organization and team transparency.

In addition to automation and team collaboration features, Drag offers some project management capabilities, making it a versatile tool for various team needs. However, it’s essential to note that it lacks live, proactive, and self-service communication features.

With a free plan available and paid plans starting at just $5 per user per month, Drag offers an affordable and efficient option for streamlining your inbox and boosting team productivity.

07. Hiver

Hiver, one of the FrontApp alternatives is an email collaboration tool designed specifically for Gmail accounts. Its primary focus is assisting teams in effectively managing support@ or info@ email addresses with multiple support staff members. While Hiver requires a modest monthly fee, it provides valuable features in return. 

• Email tracking and assignment to ensure all customer requests are promptly addressed 
• Shared drafts for enhanced productivity and customer support 
• Easily configurable service level agreements (SLAs) to guarantee consistent, high-quality service from your service providers. 

The pricing for Hiver starts at $15 per user per month.

08. Kustomer

Kustomer is a top-notch customer service software designed to assist ecommerce stores in efficiently managing customer conversations. This customer service platform is perfect for handling high support volumes and has various features suitable for diverse industries. 

From live chat, messenger, and emails to social media, Kustomer allows you and your team to monitor all conversations conveniently on a single screen.

Collaboration is made easy with notes and mentions, enabling agents to invite others to participate in customer queries seamlessly. Kustomer IQ, their AI-powered tool, also automates rules, conversation routing, and responses to frequently asked questions.

The platform boasts various top business software integrations, streamlining your day-to-day operations. While their standard plan starts from $39 per user per month, it’s worth noting that the minimum requirement of 8 seats might make the cost prohibitive for some teams.

09. Freshdesk

As a FrontApp alternative, Freshdesk is a feature-packed solution with an omnichannel help desk that consolidates customer communication across email, live chat, and social media into a single inbox. It streamlines workflows with canned responses, bulk actions, and localization for multi-lingual teams.

Freshdesk’s sophisticated ticketing system utilizes automation for auto-assignment and prioritization based on keywords and requesters. Tickets can be divided into smaller tasks, enabling efficient collaboration between teams. The “thank you detector” prevents ticket reopening when customers express gratitude to agents.

AI-powered chatbots provide step-by-step guidance and detect frustration, seamlessly transitioning to live agent support when needed. Customizable knowledge bases with approval workflows and community forums enhance self-service options for customers.

With integrations with over 600 tools, including BigCommerce, Google Suite, Hootsuite, Infusionsoft, and Jira, Freshdesk offers a comprehensive and versatile customer support solution. Pricing starts from $15 to $69 per user per month (billed annually) and includes a “free forever” basic plan.

10. Zendesk

Zendesk is one of the FrontApp alternatives renowned for its exceptional customer support software. With a comprehensive array of features and seamless integrations with various apps, Zendesk caters to organizations across all industries. 

Their live chat tool is particularly notable, offering advanced functionalities like behavioral triggers, live visitor tracking, chat ratings, and file sharing. The platform includes a robust FAQ-building feature, allowing businesses to store frequently asked questions and relevant information for their businesses. 

Zendesk’s unified communications interface also enables native responses to customer queries, supporting platforms such as WhatsApp, WeChat, and Facebook.

Zendesk offers different pricing plans, including Suite Team ($49/agent/month), Suite Growth ($79/agent/month), and Suite Professional ($99/agent/month).

Comparison of FrontApp Alternatives

We’ve talked about a range of FrontApp alternatives you can choose from. The decision is now yours to make! If you take our word, Helpwise combines all features needed for customer service-led growth.

Helpwise is the ideal solution for SMBs looking to set up and scale their customer service. Its user-friendly interface and wide range of features allow for efficient management of customer queries from multiple channels. The shared inbox and collaboration feature further promote teamwork, while the automation features streamline assigning queries and the feedback collection process.

Moreover, Helpwise’s customizable knowledge base with branding options enhances customer engagement and support. The platform’s seamless integration with various business tools further enhances its versatility.

With affordable pricing plans for small teams, Helpwise offers great value for SMBs seeking to establish and grow their customer service operations sustainably. Try Helpwise for FREE right now.

FAQs

What are some alternative apps to Front for managing customer communication?

Alternative apps to Front for managing customer communication include Helpwise, Help Scout, Zendesk, and Freshdesk.

How do these alternative apps compare to Front regarding features and functionality?

These alternative apps offer comparable features to Front, such as team collaboration, ticket management, and customer insights, but may differ in pricing and specific functionalities.

Are there any free alternatives to Front that offer similar capabilities?

Some free alternatives to Front are Hiver Free and Zoho Desk Free Plan, though they may have limitations on the number of users or features compared to Front’s paid plans.

Can these alternative apps integrate with other tools and platforms that my business uses?

Yes, most alternative apps can integrate with other tools and platforms, providing seamless workflows for businesses.

Are there any specific industries or businesses for which these alternative apps are better suited?

Helpwise and Zendesk are well-suited for customer support-centric industries, while Freshdesk caters to a broader range of businesses with customizable features.