Front vs Zendesk Chat
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Front | Zendesk Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $79/seat/mo | From $89/seat/mo |
| Best For | Medium to large technology companies ($10M+ revenue) with complex customer service operations requiring advanced collaboration and automation | Large support teams needing comprehensive ticketing integration |
| Standout Feature | AI-powered collaboration platform that transforms shared inboxes into intelligent team workspaces with real-time suggested responses and automated workflows | Deep integration with Zendesk Support platform |
| Free Plan | ✗ | ✗ |
| G2 Rating | 4.7/5 | 4.2 |
Front and Zendesk Chat represent two different philosophies in customer support. Front positions itself as a premium collaborative inbox solution, while Zendesk Chat focuses on live chat and messaging capabilities with broader accessibility.
With Front's G2 rating of 4.7/5 compared to Zendesk Chat's 4.2/5, users clearly favor Front's approach, though the pricing difference is substantial.
Feature Comparison
Front excels in team collaboration with shared inboxes, internal comments, and sophisticated workflow automation. Its strength lies in turning customer support into a team sport rather than individual agent work.
Zendesk Chat focuses on real-time customer engagement with live chat widgets, proactive messaging, and basic chatbot functionality. It integrates seamlessly with the broader Zendesk ecosystem.
Front's collaborative features make it ideal for teams that handle complex, multi-touch customer interactions, while Zendesk Chat works well for straightforward live support scenarios.
Pricing Comparison
The pricing gap is significant: Front ranges from $25-$105 per seat monthly, while Zendesk Chat offers a free tier and scales up to $59 per agent monthly.
For small teams, Zendesk Chat's free tier provides basic live chat functionality. Larger teams might find Front's per-seat model expensive, especially when factoring in the higher-tier features needed for full functionality.
Front
Pros
- ✓ Excellent team collaboration features with @mentions and internal comments
- ✓ Modern, intuitive interface familiar to email users
- ✓ Strong AI capabilities including real-time response suggestions
Cons
- ✗ Premium pricing that can be expensive for smaller teams
- ✗ Essential features locked behind higher-tier plans
- ✗ Single channel limitation on Starter plan
Zendesk Chat
Pros
- ✓ Strong brand recognition
- ✓ Comprehensive support suite
- ✓ Good integrations
Cons
- ✗ Per-agent pricing gets expensive
- ✗ Limited to web chat only
- ✗ No social media messaging
Verdict
Choose Front if you need advanced team collaboration features and can justify the premium pricing. Choose Zendesk Chat if you want a cost-effective live chat solution with solid fundamentals.
Choose Front if: You need sophisticated team collaboration, handle complex customer interactions, and have budget for premium features.
Choose Zendesk Chat if: You want cost-effective live chat, are starting small, or need basic messaging capabilities without premium pricing.
For teams seeking powerful customer communication without the premium price tag, Converge offers comprehensive features at $49/month flat rate, providing excellent value between these two options.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Front comparisons and all Zendesk Chat comparisons.