Front
Front is a customer operations platform that transforms your email inbox into a collaborative workspace where teams manage shared conversations, automate workflows, and deliver personalized service at scale.
Shortwave
Shortwave is an intelligent email client that uses AI to help you organize your inbox, summarize long threads, and draft professional responses to reach inbox zero faster.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Front | Shortwave |
|---|---|---|
| Website | front.com | shortwave.com |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Freemium |
| Starting Price | $59/month | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 7 days free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✘ No product demo |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2013 | 2020 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA | San Francisco, USA |
Overview
Front
Front transforms your traditional email inbox into a powerful customer operations platform. Instead of juggling disconnected tools, you can manage all your communication channels—email, SMS, live chat, and social media—in one collaborative space. You can assign messages to teammates, chat internally on customer threads without forwarding emails, and use shared drafts to ensure every response is perfect before it goes out.
The platform helps you eliminate the chaos of BCCs and forwarded threads while providing deep visibility into team performance. You can automate repetitive routing tasks and integrate your CRM data directly into your inbox so you always have context. It is designed for teams that need the efficiency of a help desk with the personal touch of a standard email client.
Shortwave
Shortwave is an AI-powered email client designed to transform your messy inbox into a structured workspace. It replaces the traditional list of emails with a focused view that automatically bundles related messages, such as newsletters and promotions, so you can handle them in bulk. You can snooze tasks for later, pin important conversations to the top, and use a built-in calendar to manage your schedule without leaving the app.
The platform integrates advanced AI to help you write better emails and find information instantly. You can ask the AI assistant to summarize long threads, draft replies in your unique voice, or search through your entire history using natural language. It works directly with your existing Gmail account, ensuring your data stays synced across all your devices while providing a much faster, more organized experience.
Overview
Front Features
- Shared Inboxes Manage group addresses like support@ or sales@ together so your team has total visibility into every incoming message.
- Internal Comments Chat with your teammates directly on email threads to solve problems faster without ever sending an internal forward.
- Message Assignment Assign clear owners to every conversation so no customer request ever falls through the cracks or gets double-handled.
- Workflow Automation Create custom rules to route messages, trigger alerts, and tag conversations based on keywords or sender information automatically.
- Omnichannel Support Connect email, WhatsApp, SMS, and social media into one view so you can reply to everyone from one place.
- Analytics & Reporting Track your team's response times and message volume with detailed dashboards to optimize your customer service operations.
- Shared Drafts Collaborate on replies with your colleagues in real-time to ensure your team provides the most accurate and helpful answers.
- SLA Management Set up automated reminders for overdue replies so you always meet your service level agreements and keep customers happy.
Shortwave Features
- AI Email Assistant. Draft professional replies, summarize long conversations, and search your inbox using natural language to find exactly what you need.
- Smart Bundling. Automatically group related emails like newsletters and travel updates so you can archive or skip them with a single click.
- Integrated Calendar. View your schedule and join meetings directly from your inbox to manage your time without switching between different apps.
- Voice-to-Email. Dictate your thoughts and let the AI transform your spoken words into perfectly formatted, professional email drafts instantly.
- Thread Summaries. Get instant bulleted summaries of long email chains so you can catch up on complex discussions in seconds.
- Custom Delivery Schedules. Control when specific types of emails hit your inbox to minimize distractions and protect your deep work time.
Pricing Comparison
Front Pricing
- Up to 10 seats
- Email, SMS, and Live Chat
- Shared inboxes
- Internal comments
- Basic rule templates
- Individual email accounts
- Everything in Starter, plus:
- Up to 50 seats
- Advanced workflow automation
- SLA rules and alerts
- Basic analytics
- CRM integrations
Shortwave Pricing
- 90-day search history
- Limited AI credits
- Standard email features
- Smart bundling
- Mobile and desktop apps
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Unlimited search history
- Increased AI credits
- Custom delivery schedules
- Priority support
- Advanced AI drafting
Pros & Cons
Front
Pros
- Eliminates internal email clutter through comments
- Intuitive interface feels like a standard inbox
- Excellent visibility into who is handling what
- Powerful automation rules save significant manual time
- Seamless integration with popular CRM tools
Cons
- Higher price point compared to basic inboxes
- Steep learning curve for complex automation rules
- Mobile app lacks some advanced desktop features
- Search functionality can be slow with large archives
Shortwave
Pros
- Intuitive bundling makes clearing your inbox much faster
- AI summaries accurately capture key points from long threads
- Clean interface reduces visual clutter and mental fatigue
- Seamless synchronization with your existing Gmail account
- Powerful search finds specific details using natural language
Cons
- Currently only supports Gmail and Google Workspace accounts
- Free version has a limited 90-day search history
- Learning curve for users used to traditional layouts