Coasting vs Front
Front is the name people give when a shared Gmail or Outlook address stops working - nobody can see who has which email. Both fix that. Here is how they differ for a small team.
The short answer
- Choose Front when replies must go out from your own address, you need SMS, WhatsApp or social channels, or you want a long-established product with many integrations.
- Choose Coasting when you are a small team that needs email and website chat in one inbox, AI answers from your own help articles, and one flat price that does not grow with every seat.
How they differ
| Front | Coasting | |
|---|---|---|
| Priced per seat? | Yes: $25, $65 or $105 per seat a month, billed annually | No - one price, 5 agents on $29 |
| Email and chat together | Not on Starter: it carries one channel type - email, chat or SMS. Professional adds the rest | Yes, on every plan including free |
| AI that answers customers | Autopilot, an add-on from $0.05 per conversation | Included: 50, 500 or 5,000 AI answers a month by plan |
| Free plan | A 14-day free trial, no card needed | Yes: 3 agents, 50 AI answers a month |
| Channels | Email, chat and SMS; WhatsApp and social from Professional | Email and website chat |
Read on front.com/pricing, checked 24 September 2026. Their page shows prices billed annually and says annual billing saves 24%, so paying month to month costs more.
The same month, two ways
Three people answering both email and website chat. Front's Starter plan carries one channel type, so both means Professional: 3 seats at $65 is $195 a month billed annually, before any AI add-on. On Coasting Growth: $29 a month for up to 5 agents, email and chat, and 500 AI answers.
If you only answer email, Front Starter is 3 seats at $25, $75 a month billed annually - closer, and Front sends from your own address, which Coasting does not yet.
What Coasting does today
- Email and website chat in one shared inbox. Assign a conversation to a person, see what is still Unassigned, and get a warning when a teammate is viewing the same one.
- AI answers written from your own help articles - and you can import your first one from a page on your website.
- When the AI cannot answer, it says so and emails your team, instead of guessing.
- If you want every email checked first, switch email to drafts: the AI writes the reply and a person sends it.
- A public help center, saved replies, private notes, tags, CSAT surveys and automations.
What Coasting does not do yet
- Replies from your own address - email replies carry your team's name but are sent from noreply@coasting.app.
- Other channels - no SMS, WhatsApp, social or phone.
- A large set of integrations - Coasting has webhooks and an API, not a marketplace of apps.
- A long track record - Coasting is a small, new product.
If any of these is a must-have today, Front is the better fit right now.
Or look around the demo first.