Front vs Shortwave

Front

• Support and operations teams working shared addresses at volume
• Companies that want email, chat, SMS and WhatsApp in one team inbox
• Teams that need ticketing, rules and reporting on top of email

Shortwave

• Gmail and Google Workspace users who want AI to triage and draft email
• Teams that want to comment on and assign email threads internally
• People who want Google Inbox-style bundles on top of Gmail

Front

• There is no free plan; the 14-day trial is the only way to use Front without paying.
• Starter is capped at 10 seats and one channel type, and Professional at 50 seats.
• Copilot, Smart QA and Smart CSAT cost extra per seat on Starter and Professional.
• Enterprise is sold on annual billing only, and contracts over $25k must include a paid onboarding package.

Shortwave

• Sign-in requires Gmail or Google Workspace. Microsoft 365 and Exchange are not supported, and other providers only work by forwarding mail to Gmail.
• Paid plans start at $18 per seat a month for individuals and $30 on the business plans, and AI usage on every plan is capped by a daily quota.
• The Business plan limits AI search to 5 years of history and allows 3 AI filters.
• Native apps cover Mac, Windows, iOS and Android; other platforms rely on the web app.

Front

Shared inboxes

Team inboxes where incoming messages can be assigned and handled together, so everyone can see who is working on which conversation.

Omnichannel inbox

Professional and Enterprise combine email, SMS, Front Chat, WhatsApp and other channels in one place. Starter is limited to a single channel type.

Ticketing and automation rules

Ticketing for complex requests plus multi-step rules: up to 10 rules on Starter, 20 on Professional and unlimited on Enterprise.

Front AI

Autopilot resolves conversations from $0.05 each. Copilot ($20 per seat a month), Smart QA ($20) and Smart CSAT ($10) are add-ons that Enterprise includes.

Analytics

Reporting on team workload and support quality: basic analytics on Starter and advanced analytics from Professional.

Knowledge base and live chat

A no-code knowledge base and Front Chat let customers help themselves. Multi-language knowledge bases need Enterprise.

Shortwave

AI assistant

Prompt the assistant to organize the inbox, write in your own voice, search mail or schedule a meeting. It can also browse the web and analyze attachments.

AI filters

Describe a rule in plain English and it labels, stars or archives incoming mail. Business includes 3 AI filters, Premier 10 and Max 50.

Split inbox and bundles

Divide the inbox into tabs by sender, label or custom query, and triage promotions, newsletters and updates in bulk as bundles.

AI search

Ask questions across your mail instead of keyword searching. Business reaches back 5 years and reads up to 50 threads per search; Premier removes the history limit.

Team collaboration

Share a live thread with teammates, discuss it in private comments, assign emails with a done status, and keep shared labels, snippets and saved prompts.

Scheduling and follow-ups

The assistant checks availability, creates calendar events and writes scheduling emails. Snooze, delivery schedules and no-reply reminders are also included.

Front

• Starter$25

  per seat / month, billed annually

  Up to 10 seats. One channel type (email, Front Chat or SMS), shared inbox, ticketing, up to 10 automation rules and basic analytics.

• Professional$65

  per seat / month, billed annually

  Up to 50 seats. Adds omnichannel support, macros, up to 20 rules, advanced analytics, up to 5 workspaces, SSO and SCIM.

• Enterprise$105

  per seat / month, annual billing only

  Unlimited seats, rules and macros, smart rules, custom roles, and Copilot, Smart QA and Smart CSAT included.

Shortwave

• Free$0

  Basic AI with a limited usage quota, 90 days of standard and AI search history, and up to 15 threads per AI search.

• Pro$18

  per seat / month

  For individuals: standard AI, full standard search history, 3 years of AI search history, AI web browsing and personalized AI writing.

• Business$30

  per seat / month

  Standard AI with a daily usage quota, 5 years of AI search history, up to 50 threads per AI search and 3 AI filters.

• Premier$45

  per seat / month

  Advanced AI with twice the Business usage, unlimited AI search history, up to 100 threads per AI search and 10 AI filters.

• Max$120

  per seat / month

  Expert AI with six times the Business usage, up to 150 threads per AI search and 50 AI filters.

Front

• Annual discount

  Save 24% with annual billing

  Front's pricing page states a 24% saving for annual billing. The prices it lists for Starter ($25) and Professional ($65) are the annually billed rates per seat a month.

Shortwave

No public discounts listed.