Zendesk vs Front Comparison 2024: Which Is Better?

Deciding between Zendesk and Front? You're in for a tough call!

Both are giants in the customer support arena, each offering its own blend of unique features and advantages.

In this Zendesk vs Front comparison, we'll dissect their offerings, weighing up everything from cost to capabilities.

Whether your priority is budget, functionality, or a bit of both, we're here to help you decide which tool is your ideal match.

Ready to dig deeper? Let's dive into the Zendesk vs Front showdown and discover which one stands out!

What is the difference between Zendesk and Front?

The main difference between Front and Zendesk is their primary focus and approach to customer support. While Zendesk is primarily known as a helpdesk solution that centralizes customer support requests from various communication channels, Front emphasizes collaborative email and shared inboxes that allow teams to work together on incoming communications.

Our help desk ticketing system comparison has found that both platforms offer a suite of tools designed to improve and streamline customer communication. 

Zendesk is a powerful help desk solution that excels in offering omnichannel support, ticketing systems, and automation for customer service operations. 

Its features, such as ticket management and the self-service portal, are geared towards ensuring organized and efficient customer service. What’s more, Zendesk has other solutions such as Zendesk Sell, which covers more basic sales and CRM business needs.

Front, on the other hand, focuses on transforming email into a powerful collaboration tool. It allows multiple team members to work on a single email thread to ensure timely and coordinated responses. 

In a nutshell, both solutions are great for improving customer satisfaction and streamlining your support processes.

For a more in-depth understanding of each platform, please refer to our Zendesk review and Front review pages.

Zendesk vs Front comparison chart

The table below presents the conclusive scores from our comparative analysis of these two popular customer support tools.

Zendesk vs Front pricing

When you compare the pricing of Zendesk and Front, several details stand out. Zendesk offers a diverse range of pricing options, including both basic and suite plans. Their basic plans come at $19, $55, and $115 per user per month when billed annually for the Team, Professional, and Enterprise packages. 

In comparison, Zendesk Suite plans are priced at $55, $89, and $115 per user per month on an annual billing cycle for the Teams, Growth, and Professional tiers. 

While Zendesk does have a Suite Enterprise plan, you'd need to get in touch directly with them for info on the pricing. They do offer a free trial, but there's no ongoing free plan. As a unique incentive, startups can enjoy Zendesk at no cost for six months.

Front also offers different plans tailored to varied business needs. Their Starter plan, suitable for smaller teams, is priced at $19 per seat per month. The Growth and Scale plans are available at $59 and $99 per seat per month, respectively, if billed annually. For those seeking premium features, Front's Premier plan is at $229 per seat per month. 

You also have the option to test Front with a 7-day free trial, but, like Zendesk, there's no permanent free plan.

Winner: 

If you're a startup or small team, both tools have starter plans at $19 per user each month. While their premium plans are similarly priced, Front's top-tier is $229 per user monthly. Zendesk doesn't show its Enterprise plan's cost.

Front vs Zendesk customer support and knowledge base

With Zendesk, every plan provides digital support during regular business hours. You also get an added layer of support, including a dedicated help center, community forum, and resources for onboarding and training. 

For those seeking even more hands-on assistance, Zendesk extends premium support options as add-ons. These include around-the-clock proactive support and a special tool known as Zendesk Assist.

Front, on the other hand, ensures email support for all its users. But if you're a subscriber to their higher-tier plans, you'll also have access to video and live chat support. Premium subscribers further benefit from personalized onboarding, a dedicated account team, and even early access to pre-release and beta features. 

Front also prides itself on its comprehensive help center, which is brimming with resources to guide users on software functionalities. Add to that an active community forum, a regularly updated blog, guides, webinars, and the unique Front Academy. Through the academy, you can even obtain a Front Administrator Certification.

Winner:

Taking everything into account, while both platforms offer robust support features, Front takes a slight edge with its comprehensive resources and learning modules, such as the Front Academy. In this category, Front has the lead.

Zendesk or Front for ease of use?

Zendesk places a strong emphasis on ensuring a seamless experience. The platform is quick to set up and use. It’s designed in such a way that even newcomers can quickly familiarize themselves with its tools. Particularly for regular users, the learning curve is minimal. 

Using Front is also straightforward; you can get started quickly. The system is designed to be an intuitive platform, especially for teams transitioning from traditional email systems. It boasts a user-friendly interface that organizes conversations, teammates, and apps in one location, which makes team collaboration smoother. 

The powerful help desk solution is often praised for its simplicity when it comes to onboarding new team members. The drag-and-drop feature for organizing customer conversations, the shared visibility into who's handling what, and the ability to comment directly on emails make it easier for teams to collaborate without extensive training.

Winner: 

This round is a tie. Front is undoubtedly an easy-to-use platform, great for beginners who need an intuitive UI. Like Front, Zendesk is also intuitive and quick to learn. None of the tools have a steep learning curve so you don’t have to worry about time-consuming onboarding. 

Front vs Zendesk features & functionality

Having discussed the essentials like pricing, support, and user-friendliness, let's now dive into the actual tools. We'll be exploring these functionalities today:

• Online versions

• Desktop versions

• Mobile apps

• Ticketing

• Voice and phone tools

• Rules and workflow automation

• Live chat and chatbots

• Self-service tools

• Analytics and reporting

• Integrations and API

Front vs Zendesk online versions

Both Zendesk and Front provide online versions. This comes with several benefits, including cloud data storage and backups, along with the convenience of accessing all the platform's tools and features from any device effortlessly with an internet connection.

Winner: 

This round is a tie. 

Zendesk vs Front desktop versions

When it comes to desktop apps, Front takes the lead. It has desktop versions for both Mac and Windows, whereas Zendesk doesn't provide any desktop apps.

Winner: 

Front wins this round as it’s the only one with desktop apps. 

Mobile apps

Both Zendesk and Front have mobile apps for iPhone and Android. While the mobile apps are handy for getting urgent alerts, they don't always perform as smoothly as their desktop versions. Sometimes they can be a bit slow or buggy. 

That said, they're useful for quick access to customer information and monitoring tickets. 

Winner: 

There’s no clear winner in this round as both tools have mobile apps that could use some improvement. 

Ticketing

When you dive into Zendesk's help desk and ticketing features, you're greeted with a fully integrated ticketing system. This not only tracks ticket productivity but also promotes collaboration throughout the entire customer journey. 

You can easily connect with your customers via multiple support channels, including messaging, live chat, voice, and even social media. When handling these communications, you'll appreciate the unified built-in dashboards Zendesk offers that provide a clear overview of customer issues and facilitating smoother team collaboration. 

Additionally, Zendesk's intelligent routing and escalation protocols ensure that customer queries are handled efficiently.

On the other hand, Front presents itself as a more personal alternative to traditional help desk software. Instead of the conventional ticketing systems that might feel impersonal to some customers, Front prioritizes direct, ticket-number-free interactions. This means every customer interaction feels more like a one-on-one conversation. 

You can enable and manage support requests across multiple channels, including email, SMS text, live chat, and more, all from a shared inbox. This single view of each customer, combined with built-in message assignments, keeps everyone on the same page and makes responsibilities clear.

Winner:

So, who comes out on top in this round? It's a challenging call. Zendesk has a robust, integrated solution for offering personalized support, while Front emphasizes personalization and streamlined communication. 

Your choice might boil down to whether you value an all-encompassing platform or a more individualized customer approach.

Voice and phone tools

Zendesk Support truly stands out in this category. You'll get a comprehensive package with features like voicemail, text messages, and embedded voice. The platform also displays phone numbers directly on its widget. You can enjoy perks like caller ID, customizable greetings, and advanced call routing. 

Plus, managing calls is a breeze with capabilities like call recording, conference calling, and call blocking. Zendesk even offers extras like callback requests and real-time call quality notifications. 

On the other hand, with Front, you'll need a bit of setup. To get voice and phone features, you have to integrate with third-party apps like Dialpad and Aircall. But once integrated, handling calls within Front becomes straightforward. 

You can dial directly from Front and receive returned calls with a single click. And, with the Aircall integration, logging and monitoring calls directly from your inbox becomes possible. But, the dependency on third-party tools does mean an added layer of work for you.

Winner:

Weighing both sides, Zendesk is the winner in this category. With its native, all-inclusive voice and phone tools, it surpasses Front's reliance on external integrations. 

Rules & workflow automation

You'll find deep-rooted automation in Zendesk. You can easily set up triggers, route conversations based on agent workload, and select from predefined macros or create custom rules. 

The advanced AI aids in triage to provide valuable insights for you and your admins. Plus, predefined workflows for tasks like ticket sharing and SLAs reminders make your job smoother.

In Front, every message is routed to the right person so that nothing falls through the cracks. The software helps you streamline responses with its SLA feature, and a step-by-step approach ensures organized communications. 

You can customize workflows, balance workloads, and integrate business data, all tailored to make your tasks more efficient.

Winner:

Weighing the capabilities of both, Zendesk takes the lead this round with its holistic and deeply integrated automation features, although Front makes a strong case with its emphasis on communication streamlining.

Live chat & chatbots

With Zendesk, every plan equips you with standard bots for live chat, emails, messaging, and ticket forms. There's a bot builder that follows a straightforward tree-branch logic. For those looking to level up, advanced AI-driven bots are available in premium packages.

In contrast, Front offers a user-friendly live chat experience. Not only can you support and reply to customers instantaneously, but you can also streamline inquiries with chatbots. Their chatbot builder allows you to tailor interactions to triage and resolve conversations efficiently. 

Plus, Front's omnichannel rules engine ensures you’re always on top of chats and follow-ups.

Winner:

Given the comprehensive offerings, it's a tight race, but Zendesk slightly edges out with its holistic bot capabilities, especially the AI-driven options in premium plans. However, if a seamless chat experience is your priority, you’ll find Front a great fit for your needs.

Self-service tools

Zendesk offers a versatile knowledge base software. It lets you create multiple knowledge bases, like internal, external, and agent-only. You can fill these with countless help articles in over 40 languages. On top of that, you can also create community forums where customers can discuss and find solutions.

Front’s knowledge base software is designed for easy access around the clock, and it can be linked directly to their Front Chat for rapid resolutions. Organizing your information is smooth, and you can cater to different audiences by creating multiple knowledge bases. 

It also boasts customizable designs, a rich content editor, quick search, and seamless permissions management. Plus, you can monitor visitor activity with Google Analytics.

Winner: 

Front's integrated approach and user-friendly features seem to give it a slight edge in this category. However, Zendesk's vast language support and community forums are strong contenders. Opt for the tool that meets your unique needs.

Analytics and reporting

With Zendesk reporting, you get a ready-to-use analytics dashboard that's both visually appealing and straightforward. You can monitor team performance metrics and identify areas of development for your team. 

With the built-in reports, you can learn how customers interact with you so you can improve the overall experience. You’ll get access to powerful reporting to understand past trends and take action on what’s happening at the moment. 

The software can even integrate with Google Analytics for a wider view. In terms of customization, Zendesk gives you the ability to create your own dashboards and easily share insights with the team. 

On the other hand, Front emphasizes actionable insights. You can monitor your team's performance, and see where they shine and where they might need coaching. You can measure response times, resolution times, CSAT scores, and review customer feedback all in one place.

You can also track message flows and gauge team workload to ensure everyone is working efficiently. 

Winner:

So, which one of the two wins this round? Zendesk excels with its simplicity and integrations. Front shines with its depth and customization. It really depends on your specific needs to determine the winner in this round.

Integrations and API

With Zendesk, their Marketplace is your go-to for native integrations. You can connect it with popular apps like Mailchimp, Google apps, and Salesforce. If you need something that's not on their list, tools like Zapier can bridge the gap. 

Plus, with Zendesk’s API, you can create your custom solutions. Once you've made something cool, you can even share it on their Marketplace for other Zendesk users.

On the other hand, Front offers over 100 integrations, and their open API means you can mold workflows to fit your business needs. Whether you're using Salesforce, HubSpot, Asana, or Jira, Front makes sure you have all the data at your fingertips. 

Their open API also lets you sync custom channels and draw customer data from nearly any system.

Winner: 

So, who takes the crown? In terms of sheer numbers and flexibility, Front seems to have a slight edge. But remember, the best choice always depends on your specific needs and preferences.

A note on Zendesk Front integration

Unfortunately, there’s no native Front Zendesk integration. However, the two apps can be connected via a connector app like Zapier. With Zapier, you can create Zaps (automated workflows) that connect your apps and automate tasks. 

Is Zendesk better than Front? Key takeaways

This side-by-side comparison was tight. Based on the final result, Zendesk has a slight lead to Front with 55 points to 53.

We recommend testing the free trials both platforms offer. This hands-on approach will help you test which suits your business best. After all, the ideal help desk for you should seamlessly align with your operations and cater to your unique needs.

If this review convinced you that neither tool is right for you, check out our post on Zendesk alternatives. It lists similar tools that might suit your needs better.

And, in case you’re looking for the best help desk software for IT support teams, take a look at our roundup of the best RMM software. You’ll find great tools on the list that can help IT support professionals stay on top of their client’s hardware, software, and network infrastructure remotely.

Good luck!