Front
Hiver
| Feature | Front | Hiver |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $19/mo | Free / from $19/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | customer-facing-teams, operations-teams, logistics-companies, professional-services | small-teams, gmail-users, support-teams, startups |
| Founded | 2013 | 2011 |
| Shared Inboxes | ✓ | ✓ |
| Workflow Automation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sla Management | ✓ | ✓ |
| Integrations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Internal Comments | ✓ | ✗ |
| Omnichannel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Email Assignment | ✗ | ✓ |
| Collision Detection | ✗ | ✓ |
| Automations | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Hiver Pros
- Works inside Gmail
- Easy adoption
- Shared inboxes
- Good for email teams
✗ Hiver Cons
- Gmail-only
- Limited outside email
- Fewer features than full helpdesks
The Verdict
Front is built for customer facing teams and operations teams, with a focus on shared-inboxes and workflow-automation. Hiver targets small teams and gmail users and leads with shared-inboxes and email-assignment.
Both tools come in at similar price points ($19/mo for Front, $19/mo for Hiver), so pricing won't make the decision for you.
Hiver 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.
Feature-wise, Front offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Hiver takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
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.