Front
Zeplin
| Feature | Front | Zeplin |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $19/mo | Free / from $12/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | customer-facing-teams, operations-teams, logistics-companies, professional-services | design-teams, developers, agencies, product-teams |
| Founded | 2013 | 2014 |
| Shared Inboxes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Workflow Automation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Analytics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sla Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Integrations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Internal Comments | ✓ | ✗ |
| Omnichannel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Design Handoff | ✗ | ✓ |
| Style Guide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Components | ✗ | ✓ |
| Code Snippets | ✗ | ✓ |
| Measurements | ✗ | ✓ |
| Version History | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Zeplin Pros
- Great handoff tool
- Developer-friendly
- Design system support
- Multi-platform
✗ Zeplin Cons
- Figma reducing need
- Limited design editing
- Fewer updates
The Verdict
Front is built for customer facing teams and operations teams, with a focus on shared-inboxes and workflow-automation. Zeplin targets design teams and developers and leads with design-handoff and style-guide.
On pricing, Zeplin is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $12/mo compared to $19/mo for Front. That $7/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Zeplin 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 Zeplin takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Front has a slight overall edge — but if great handoff tool matters most to you, Zeplin may still be the right call.