Front vs Kayako: Complete Comparison (2026)
Choosing between Front and Kayako is a common decision for customer support buyers in 2026. Kayako has been in the market since 2001, giving it a 12-year head start over Front (founded 2013). Front serves 9K+ orgs users while Kayako has 35K+ orgs users globally. Front differentiates with shared inbox and sequences, while Kayako leads with unified customer view and live chat. In this head-to-head comparison, Front earns a higher hiltonsoftware.co score of 90/100 — but the right choice depends on your specific needs, budget, and team size.
Quick Comparison
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Pros & Cons at a Glance
After comparing Front and Kayako across features, pricing, and user satisfaction, Front takes the lead with a score of 90/100 versus Kayako's 82/100. Front's key advantages include "feels like regular email" and "great for high-volume team email". That said, Kayako has its own strengths — particularly "good unified customer journey view" — making it a viable alternative for specific use cases.
Neither Front nor Kayako offers a free plan. Front starts at $19/user/mo and Kayako at $30/agent/mo. For the investment, Front delivers shared inbox and sequences, while Kayako provides unified customer view and live chat.
Bottom line: Choose Front if you need operations teams managing high-volume shared email with collaboration. Go with Kayako if your priority is smbs wanting affordable help desk with a unified customer interaction view. Both are strong customer support tools — we recommend trying a trial of each before committing.
Operations teams managing high-volume shared email with collaboration.
SMBs wanting affordable help desk with a unified customer interaction view.