Crisp
Front
| Feature | Crisp | Front |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $25/mo | From $19/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | startups, small-businesses, saas-companies, e-commerce | customer-facing-teams, operations-teams, logistics-companies, professional-services |
| Founded | 2015 | 2013 |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✗ |
| Chatbot | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shared Inbox | ✓ | ✗ |
| Knowledge Base | ✓ | ✗ |
| Campaigns | ✓ | ✗ |
| Status Page | ✓ | ✗ |
| Video Chat | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shared Inboxes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Workflow Automation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Analytics | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sla Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Integrations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Internal Comments | ✗ | ✓ |
| Omnichannel | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Crisp Pros
- Very generous free tier (2 seats included)
- Per-workspace pricing instead of per-seat
- Built-in chatbot builder with no-code
- Clean and modern interface
✗ Crisp Cons
- Limited advanced automation compared to Intercom
- Chatbot AI less sophisticated than competitors
- Fewer integrations than larger platforms
✓ Front Pros
- Unified inbox combining email, chat, SMS, social
- Excellent team collaboration with internal comments
- Powerful automation rules and SLA management
- Familiar email-like interface (low learning curve)
✗ Front Cons
- Expensive per-seat pricing especially at scale
- No free plan for small teams to try
- Can be overwhelming with high email volumes
The Verdict
Crisp is built for startups and small businesses, with a focus on live-chat and chatbot. Front targets customer facing teams and operations teams and leads with shared-inboxes and workflow-automation.
On pricing, Front is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $19/mo compared to $25/mo for Crisp. That $6/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Crisp has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Front requires a paid subscription from day one.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.