Bouts / Front vs Zendesk
Front vs Zendesk
Red cornerFront
$25 per seat a month, billed annually (Starter, up to 10 seats, one channel type)
Blue cornerZendesk
$19 per agent a month, billed annually (Support Team)
Zendesk: Zendesk retires AI agents - Essential, the legacy bot builder and autoreplies with articles on December 10, 2026, so older bots must move to the current AI agents.
Front wins 3–2 at 10 agents (close call). Front takes the bill, security and user verdict; Zendesk takes AI and desk basics; one round is even.
The judges' card
| Round | Front | What happened | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1The bill | W | At 10 agents with AI on: Front $1,295, Zendesk $2,250 a month. Front is 42% cheaper and takes the round. | |
| Round 2Price tags | = | Both offer AI prices in public, but with a minimum, annual-only terms or vague limits. Even. | = |
| Round 3AI | Zendesk offers an action-taking AI agent on chat, email and phone, with test runs and reporting; Front offers an AI agent that also takes actions in other systems. Zendesk takes the round. | W | |
| Round 4Desk basics | Zendesk offers every channel natively, skills-based routing and 300+ integrations; Front offers all that plus phone and messaging apps. Zendesk takes the round. | W | |
| Round 5Security | W | Front offers SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, EU hosting, a HIPAA BAA and a no-training promise; Zendesk offers SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, plus EU hosting, a HIPAA BAA or a no-training promise. Front takes the round. | |
| Round 6User verdict | W | On G2: Front 4.7 from 2,515 reviews, Zendesk 4.3 from 7,095 reviews. Front takes the round. | |
| Rounds won | 3 | Front wins, 1 even | 2 |
Does team size change it?
Only the bill round depends on team size. Here is the full result in each weight class.
Small team
- Front
- $389
- Zendesk
- $675
3 agents, 750 conversations a month. Front wins 3–2.
Mid-size team
- Front
- $1,295
- Zendesk
- $2,250
10 agents, 2,500 conversations a month. Front wins 3–2.
Large team
- Front
- $3,238
- Zendesk
- $5,625
25 agents, 6,250 conversations a month. Front wins 3–2.
Monthly bills from USD list prices, annual billing where offered, with the AI agent resolving 20% of conversations and agent assist for every agent. Plans: Front Professional; Zendesk Suite Professional.
Tale of the tape
| FrontApp, Inc. | Made by | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| per agent | Pricing | per agent |
| $25 per seat a month, billed annually (Starter, up to 10 seats, one channel type) | Paid plans from | $19 per agent a month, billed annually (Support Team) |
| Professional | Plan we priced | Suite Professional |
| $389 | 3 agents, AI on | $675 |
| $1,295 | 10 agents, AI on | $2,250 |
| $3,238 | 25 agents, AI on | $5,625 |
| $0.89 per resolution, $0.39 per handoff, $0.05 per triage | AI agent price | $1.50 per automated resolution committed, $2.00 pay as you go |
| Email, Live chat, WhatsApp, Social | Channels | Email, Live chat, Phone, WhatsApp, Social, SMS |
| No | Free plan | No |
| 14 days | Free trial | 14 days |
| Yes | Monthly billing | Yes |
| SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 | Audit reports | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27018, ISO 42001, FedRAMP Low, HDS |
| US or EU hosting on AWS | Data hosting | US, EEA and Asia Pacific data centers, with region choice through the Data Center Location add-on |
| 4.7 (2,515) | G2 rating | 4.3 (7,095) |
| 4.5 (292) | Capterra rating | 4.4 (4,094) |
Questions
Which is better, Front or Zendesk?
Front wins 3–2 at 10 agents (close call). Front takes the bill, security and user verdict; Zendesk takes AI and desk basics; one round is even.
Is Front cheaper than Zendesk?
At 10 agents with the AI agent and agent assist on, Front comes to $1,295 a month and Zendesk to $2,250, from list prices. Front takes the bill round.
Which has the better AI, Front or Zendesk?
Zendesk offers an action-taking AI agent on chat, email and phone, with test runs and reporting; Front offers an AI agent that also takes actions in other systems. Zendesk takes the round.
