Missive vs Front

Missive vs. Front Comparison Guide: Pricing, Integrations, and Workflow for Support Teams

If you’re exploring new tools to support your customer-facing team, this Missive vs. Front comparison covers the essentials. Support managers, CX leads, and frontline agents often evaluate these platforms when they want an easy-to-manage shared inbox or a system that helps organize customer communication across channels.

Whether you’re reviewing Missive vs. Front pricing, looking at how the shared inbox in Missive and Front works, or checking whether Missive is a practical alternative to Front, the overview below explains the differences.

Overview: Missive vs Front

Our Missive vs. Front breakdown shows where each tool focuses its strengths: Missive centers on shared inbox work and real-time collaboration inside email threads, while Front combines shared inboxes with ticketing, a customer portal, a native knowledge base, and a deeper AI layer.

What is Missive?

Missive is a collaboration-first inbox designed for teams that work heavily in email, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, and live chat. Its users get one workspace for shared inboxes, internal discussions, task tracking, and simple automation.

Missives labels feature

More than 4,500 companies use Missive to coordinate replies, draft emails together, assign work, and manage conversations with fewer handoffs.

What is Front?

Front is a customer operations platform that blends shared inboxes with help desk features, including ticketing, a knowledge base, live chat, and AI-powered automation.

Front

Used by 9,000+ companies, Front allows teams to handle email, chat, SMS, and social channels while routing messages, tracking statuses, and analyzing performance.

Comparison table

Feature Missive Front
Primary focus Collaboration inside the inbox Customer operations, shared inbox, ticketing
Collaboration In-thread comments, co-drafting, tasks Shared drafts, comments, @mentions
Automation Rules, SLA-style nudges, workload balancing Rules, macros, AI routing (Topics), Autopilot
AI features Drafting, summaries, translation, AI rules Copilot, Autopilot, Topics, Smart QA, Smart CSAT
Channels Email, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, Live Chat Email, chat, SMS, WhatsApp, social, Slack, voice integrations
Knowledge base No native knowledge base Built-in knowledge base + customer portal
Integrations ~25 native integrations + Zapier/Make + REST API 100+ native integrations + open API
Security SOC 2 Type II, SSO/SAML, 2FA SOC 2, SSO/SCIM, enterprise controls
Analytics Basic to advanced analytics, depending on the plan Advanced analytics, SLA tracking, Smart QA/CSAT
Pricing $18–45/user/month $25–105/user/month

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Keep reading to see how each platform handles automation, collaboration, interface design, and integrations — the core areas most teams evaluate during a Missive vs. Front comparison.

Automation and AI Capabilities

Missive automates things inside the inbox itself, instead of making users learn a separate automation module or extra interface. Its rules can route, label, assign, or create tasks, so users don’t have to do it manually. On top of that, Missive’s built-in AI can draft replies, translate messages, and summarize long threads.

Additional features include:

  • AI triggers for task creation or escalation
  • SLA-style reminders for aging conversations

Front uses automation across both shared inboxes and ticketing, helping teams stay organized when messages move between different queues or groups. Its AI can sort incoming conversations, show helpful context, and draft replies. Front can also automatically score interactions with its quality tools, and the Autopilot add-on can respond to routine questions based on past conversations and help-center articles.

The app supports features like:

  • Rules and macros across inbox and ticket workflows
  • AI Topics for grouping and routing
  • Copilot, Smart QA, Smart CSAT

Inbox, Collaboration, and Workflow Management

Missive keeps collaboration in one place, so teams always work with the same context. Internal comments appear directly beside the message, and teammates can draft replies together in the same space. Tasks also come from the thread, with assignments showing who’s responsible and watcher roles letting others stay updated without stepping in.

In Missive, teams often rely on:

  • Task details like due dates and linked conversations
  • Tags and labels to keep related conversations grouped
  • A lightweight workflow that works without ticketing

But if several teams share the same inbox or when message volume gets high, Front offers a more structured approach. Internal comments and shared drafts make it easy for teammates to stay aligned, and @mentions help reach the person who should weigh in. When a conversation needs clearer tracking, ticket statuses show how far it has moved through the process. And collision detection warns users when someone else is already writing a reply.

User Experience and Interface

Missive gives you a workspace that feels easy to use from the start. The navigation is straightforward, and conversation details are easy to find. Teams can adjust layouts and shortcuts to fit their habits, which helps the app feel comfortable even when several shared inboxes are involved.

Front lays out information in a clear way, which helps teams manage high message volume or work that moves between several queues. Routing details, status updates, and channel indicators sit next to the message, so agents can check what’s happening at a glance. Even with more on the screen, the layout stays easy to use and keeps key tools (like channel views and AI summaries) within quick reach.

Security, Compliance, and Risk Management

Missive handles security through access controls and clear visibility into team actions. SSO/SAML manages authentication, and all data is encrypted both in transit and at rest. At the same time, audit logs record every action inside a conversation, which helps teams review activity when needed.

The platform supports SOC 2 Type II standards, offers two-factor authentication, provides IP restriction on higher tiers, and lets admins control access across shared inboxes.

Front also manages security through structured access controls and centralized identity management. SSO/SCIM handles user provisioning, and admins can set permissions at the workspace or role level so each team has the right amount of access. Automated QA reviews interactions without manual checks, adding another layer of oversight.

On top of that, Front meets SOC 2 standards and includes tools for managing users and permissions across the organization.

Integrations and Ecosystem

The Missive and Front integrations ecosystem includes many of the tools support teams rely on.

For instance, Missive’s CRM integrations show customer details inside the inbox so agents can respond with the right information on hand, and project management apps turn conversations into tasks.

Missive integrates well with:

  • CRMs: HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, Close, Daylite
  • Project management tools: Asana, Trello, ClickUp, Todoist
  • File storages: Google Drive, Dropbox
  • Automation platforms: Zapier, Make, Integrately
And when workflows need more customization, Missive can connect to internal systems through its API, webhooks, and custom channels.

Front also integrates with CRM and project-management tools and extends into messaging, voice, and operational systems. This broader ecosystem is a key point in many Missive vs. Front comparison breakdowns. Messaging and voice tools connect conversations, calls, and notifications to the workspace, while low-code connectors and the open API support deeper workflows.

Front’s integrations include:

  • CRMs: Salesforce, HubSpot, Dynamics 365
  • Project management: Asana, Jira, ClickUp
  • Communication and voice: Slack, Intercom, Dialpad, Aircall, WhatsApp
  • Automation: Zapier

Knowledge, Search, and Self-Service Tools

Missive handles knowledge work with built-in tools, not a separate knowledge base. Teams can keep replies consistent using templates and organized conversations, and they can quickly find past messages when handling follow-up questions. This approach works well for groups that prefer minimal setup and don’t need a public knowledge base.

You also get:

  • Labels and filters for organizing conversations
  • Multi-language spell check
  • Quick search across past threads

Front gives teams dedicated tools for creating and sharing help content. Its knowledge base organizes articles in categories, and the customer portal lets users submit and track requests. Plus, Front gives you metrics that show how customers use documentation and which articles need updates.

With Front, you get:

  • Multi-brand knowledge bases with versioning controls
  • A customer portal for submitting and tracking requests
  • Rich-text tools for building detailed guides or FAQs

Mobile Apps and Cross-Platform Usability

Missive’s mobile apps follow the same layout as the desktop version, so users don’t have to adjust to a different workflow on a smaller screen. Navigation stays simple, whether someone is moving between accounts or checking shared inboxes. Labels, filters, and search are easy to reach, and updates appear in real time across iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows.

Front’s mobile app is also designed for quick reactions during busy periods. New messages, status changes, and other updates are easy to spot, so agents can decide what needs attention right away. AI summaries help them catch up on long threads, and all active channels appear in one view. Routing and status updates can be handled with simple actions, which keeps response times steady when agents are working away from their desks.

Pricing

This is often the key factor in Front app vs. Missive evaluations. Missive offers three pricing tiers, each adding more workflow and security features as you move up:

  • Starter — $18/user/month: shared inboxes, SMS/social channels, team spaces
  • Productive — $30/user/month: integrations, rules, API access, basic analytics
  • Business — $45/user/month: SSO/SAML, IP restriction, advanced reporting, onboarding
  • 30-day free trial for all tiers

Front’s pricing increases as teams need more channels, workflow options, and administrative controls:

  • Starter — $25/seat/month: shared inbox + ticketing, basic analytics, single-channel support
  • Professional — $65/seat/month: omnichannel, macros, advanced analytics, SSO/SCIM
  • Enterprise — $105/seat/month: unlimited rules, custom roles, full AI suite
  • AI add-ons: Autopilot ($0.89 per resolution), Copilot ($20/user), Smart QA ($20/user), Smart CSAT ($10/user)
  • 14-day trial with Professional-level features

Pros and Cons

Feature Category Missive Front
Pros
  • Easy-to-use workspace for teams already working with email
  • Collaboration happens inside the message with shared drafts and comments
  • Custom channels and an API for teams that need tailored workflows
  • Straightforward pricing as the team grows
  • Mobile apps stay clear and organized even with multiple shared inboxes
  • Supports many channels with routing tools, statuses, and structured workflows
  • Includes a built-in knowledge base and customer portal
  • AI can categorize messages, draft replies, summarize threads, and review interactions
  • Permission and identity controls work well for larger or multi-team setups
  • Offers a wide range of integrations with data shown directly in the workspace
Cons
  • No built-in knowledge base or customer portal
  • Automation is more limited compared to ticketing-first platforms
  • Lower tiers offer fewer analytics options
  • Some channels depend on integrations instead of native connections
  • Higher overall cost, especially when adding AI features
  • Denser interface that may take longer to learn
  • Ticketing workflows can feel heavy for teams that want a simpler setup
  • Automation rules may grow complicated as processes evolve

Which Tool Is Best for You?

Missive is a good fit for teams that like to work inside the email thread itself. It keeps collaboration simple and helps groups stay organized without turning every message into a ticket or adding extra steps.

Front fits teams that deal with more channels, more volume, or more handoffs. Its workflow tools, knowledge base, and AI features give larger or fast-moving teams the structure they need to keep communication steady.

Your decision comes down to how your team prefers to work. Missive supports a focused, inbox-driven workflow, while Front offers a fuller customer-operations environment. And whichever direction you choose, Help Desk Migration keeps the transition manageable if you ever switch tools.

FAQs About Missive vs. Front

Missive focuses on collaboration inside the inbox, letting teams co-draft emails, comment in threads, and track tasks. Front combines shared inboxes with help-desk features like ticketing, a customer portal, and a native knowledge base.

Front tends to fit structured support teams handling multiple channels, SLAs, and higher volume. Missive suits teams that prefer an email-first workflow with lightweight organization and collaboration.

No. Missive uses thread-based collaboration and tasks instead of ticketing. Front includes full ticketing workflows, statuses, collision detection, and SLAs.

Front provides deeper automation, AI routing (Topics), Copilot, Autopilot, Smart QA, and Smart CSAT. Missive offers rules, AI drafting, translation, and summaries but stays inbox-focused.

No. Missive does not offer a native knowledge base or customer portal. Front includes both, with multi-brand support and analytics.

Front integrates with 100+ native tools, including CRM, voice, and chat platforms. Missive supports ~25 native integrations plus Zapier, Make, and a REST API for custom setups.

Missive costs $18 – 45/user/month across three tiers. Front costs $25 – 105/seat/month, with additional charges for AI features such as Autopilot and Smart QA.

Missive offers a simpler, cleaner workspace ideal for teams used to email. Front’s interface includes more features and data, which is helpful for larger teams but can take longer to learn.

Front supports email, chat, SMS, WhatsApp, social channels, and voice integrations. Missive supports email, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, and live chat.

Yes. If you decide to switch platforms, Help Desk Migration can securely transfer emails, contacts, conversations, and other data between Missive, Front, and hundreds of other systems.

Help Desk Migration

Automated service to migrate your data between help desk platforms without programming skills — just follow simple Migration Wizard.

Sign up