Front
Shared inbox for customer-facing teams.
why this verdict
Keep paying — OpenAI has not replaced it
OpenAI's version overlaps, but does not finish the support job, so this one still earns its $19/mo.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- AI drafting and triage. OpenAI, March 14, 2024 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers not the job editorial call
- Parts of it. The job still needs the tool to get finished.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 1 of 3 listed replacements have a usable free tier: Missive.
- What the call is worth $228/yr
- $19/mo at the entry paid tier — $228 a year per seat.
- Threatened by
- OpenAI
- Since
- March 14, 2024
- List price
- $19/mo
- Per year
- $228
The backstory
Front is a shared inbox where customer-facing teams manage email, chat and social together, with assignments, internal comments and shared drafts. AI can triage and draft replies, and Front added those features, but the product itself is the collaboration around each conversation, who owns it, what was said internally, how it routes. A drafting model doesn't provide that. It survived because the team workflow layered on the inbox is the value, and AI is one more feature inside it.
Escape hatches
Shared inbox with team chat, free tier
missiveapp.com open_in_newShared inbox and help desk
helpscout.com open_in_newCollaborative inboxes with Gemini drafting
workspace.google.com open_in_new1 of 3 replacements have a usable free tier.