Customerly vs Front: AI customer service vs shared inbox in 2026
Front is a shared inbox built around email collaboration. Customerly is an AI-first customer service platform built for SaaS support at scale.
Overview
Front is the leading shared-inbox platform — built around collaborative email workflows for sales, support, ops, and account management teams. Its strength is making external email feel like a team Slack channel: assignments, internal comments, SLA workflows, and shared drafts.
Customerly is the AI-first customer service platform for SaaS. It combines live chat, email marketing campaigns, CRM, NPS/CSAT surveys, video calls, and a help center per seat with Aura, an autonomous AI agent available on every plan at a flat $0.45 per AI conversation.
Pricing comparison
| Plan | Front | Customerly |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Starter — $19/seat/mo | Core — €19/seat/mo, Aura at $0.45 per conversation |
| Mid-tier | Growth — $59/seat/mo | Growth — €69/seat/mo, Surveys + Video + Automation |
| Top-tier | Premier — $99/seat/mo + Front AI add-on | Ultimate — €99/seat/mo, Multi-locale + Advanced analytics |
Feature comparison
| Feature | Front | Customerly |
|---|---|---|
| Autonomous AI agent | Agent assist only | Aura — $0.45 per conversation |
| AI languages | Fixed list of supported languages | Any language in the world |
| Shared inbox | Best-in-class | Yes |
| Live chat | Limited (Chat add-on) | Native, full-featured |
| Email marketing campaigns | No | Included on Growth+ |
| NPS / CSAT surveys | No | Included on Growth+ |
| Help center | Limited (Knowledge Base) | Full multilingual on Ultimate |
| ICP fit | Email-heavy ops, sales, support | SaaS support |
When to choose Front
- Your team is email-first and the priority is collaborative email workflows across multiple departments (sales, support, ops).
- You don't need a full autonomous AI agent today — agent assist features are enough.
- You're using Front across teams beyond support and need its multi-team inbox model.
When to choose Customerly
- You're a SaaS support team that wants autonomous AI resolution at a flat $0.45 per conversation.
- You want to bundle live chat, email marketing, surveys, and help center with your support inbox.
- You want a platform purpose-built for customer support rather than general team email.
Migration
Customerly imports Front conversations, contacts, tags, and team structure. Migration takes 1-3 weeks. SaaS-specific workflows (onboarding emails, NPS surveys, in-app messaging) move to Customerly's native features instead of staying in Front.
Verdict
Front is the right pick for multi-team email collaboration. Customerly is the right pick for SaaS support teams that want an AI-first platform with email marketing and surveys included.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Customerly and Front?
Front is a collaborative inbox with strong email-thread workflows and team assignment. Customerly is an AI-first customer service platform with Aura (an autonomous AI agent, billed at a flat $0.45 per AI conversation), live chat, email marketing, NPS/CSAT surveys, and a help center in one platform.
Does Front have an AI agent like Aura?
Front offers Front AI features (smart replies, summarization, agent assist) but no fully autonomous AI agent that resolves tickets end-to-end. Aura resolves up to 60% of conversations autonomously without an agent in the loop.
How does pricing compare?
Front starts at $19/seat/mo (Starter) and ranges to $99/seat/mo (Premier). Customerly starts at €19/seat/mo, with Aura available on every plan at a flat $0.45 per AI conversation; Premier-equivalent features sit at €99/seat/mo. Total cost is similar at low volume; Customerly is typically cheaper at scale because Aura is a flat per-conversation fee rather than a per-seat AI add-on.
Can Customerly replace Front for email collaboration?
Yes for SaaS support workflows. Customerly's shared inbox covers email, live chat, and in-app conversations with team assignment, internal notes, and conversation routing. If Front's shared inbox is primarily used for sales/ops/legal email (not support), Front may remain the better fit for those teams.
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