Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Front vs GraphQL Apollo

Front logo

Front

Customer Support

Where teams collaborate on customer communication

From
$25/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GraphQL Apollo logo

GraphQL Apollo

APIs

Complete platform for building GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GraphQL Apollo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Front starter tier limited to single-channel support; omnichannel support requires Professional tier; GraphQL Apollo standard and Enterprise plans require sales contact for custom pricing
  • They diverge on capability: Front covers Shared inbox, GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Front and GraphQL Apollo actually diverge.

Attributes where Front and GraphQL Apollo differ
AttributeFrontGraphQL Apollo
Starting price$25/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud-based SaaSJavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile
CategoryCustomer SupportAPIs
Founded20132016

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Front

  • Shared inbox
  • Email collaboration
  • Omnichannel messaging
  • Analytics
  • Workflows
  • Integrations
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot

Only in GraphQL Apollo

  • Apollo Server
  • Apollo Client
  • GraphQL Federation
  • REST APIs
  • Microservices
  • Databases
  • JavaScript support
  • Node.js support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Front

  • Omnichannel customer supportnot GraphQL Apollo
  • AI-powered helpdesk automationnot GraphQL Apollo
  • Team collaboration on support ticketsnot GraphQL Apollo

GraphQL Apollo

  • GraphQL API managementnot Front
  • Schema federationnot Front
  • API analytics and monitoringnot Front
  • Developer-focused infrastructurenot Front

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Front

  • Starter tier limited to single-channel support; omnichannel support requires Professional tier
  • AI Copilot, Smart QA, and Smart CSAT are included only in Enterprise tier ($105/seat/month); available as add-ons at higher cost in lower tiers
  • Starter tier limited to 10 automation rules; Professional tier allows 20; unlimited rules only in Enterprise
  • Advanced analytics excluded from Starter tier

GraphQL Apollo

  • Standard and Enterprise plans require sales contact for custom pricing
  • Free plan limited to 3 developers and 1-day retention
  • Self-hosted router on free tier heavily rate-limited to 60 requests/minute

Pricing, plan by plan

Front

$25/month
  • Starter$25/month
    • Up to 10 seats
    • Shared inbox and ticketing
    • AI Topics and up to 10 automation rules
  • Professional$65/month
    • Up to 50 seats
    • Omnichannel support (email, SMS, social)
    • Macros and up to 20 automation rules
  • Enterprise$105/month
    • Unlimited seats
    • Smart rules and unlimited macros
    • Multi-language knowledge base

GraphQL Apollo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 developers
    • 1-day data retention
    • Community support only
  • Developer$5/per million requests
    • $50 usage credit for new signups
    • Up to 10 developers
    • 7-day data retention
  • Standard$null/custom
    • Up to 30 developers
    • 90-day data retention
    • Standard support with SLA (8x5)
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Unlimited developers
    • 18-month data retention
    • Business support 24x7x365 with SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose Front if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want email collaboration.
Front review

Choose GraphQL Apollo if

  • You need apollo server.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want apollo client.
GraphQL Apollo review

Questions people ask

Is Front or GraphQL Apollo better?
Neither clearly leads. Front starts at $25/month and GraphQL Apollo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Front or GraphQL Apollo?
GraphQL Apollo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $25/month for Front and Free for GraphQL Apollo.
Does Front or GraphQL Apollo run on more platforms?
Front runs on Cloud-based SaaS. GraphQL Apollo runs on JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile.
Can I use GraphQL Apollo for free?
Yes. GraphQL Apollo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Front starts at $25/month.
What is Front best used for?
Front is most often used for omnichannel customer support, ai-powered helpdesk automation, team collaboration on support tickets. Of those, omnichannel customer support and ai-powered helpdesk automation are not what GraphQL Apollo is typically brought in for.
What can Front do that GraphQL Apollo cannot?
Front covers Shared inbox, Email collaboration, Omnichannel messaging, Analytics. GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Apollo Client, GraphQL Federation, REST APIs. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Front: How much does Front's Starter plan cost per seat?

Starter plan is $25 per seat per month for up to 10 seats, with 14-day free trial and no credit card required.

Source
GraphQL Apollo: How much does Apollo GraphQL cost?

Apollo GraphQL is free for up to 3 developers. Paid plans start at $5 per million GraphQL requests on the Developer plan, which includes $50 usage credit for new signups. Standard and Enterprise plans require custom pricing via sales contact.

Source
Front: Does Enterprise include AI features?

Yes, Enterprise at $105 per seat per month includes AI Copilot, Smart QA, and Smart CSAT at no additional cost.

Source
GraphQL Apollo: Is there a free version of Apollo GraphQL?

Yes, Apollo GraphQL offers a forever-free plan with no credit card required for up to 3 developers, including 1-day data retention, community support, and self-hosted GraphOS Router rate-limited to 60 requests per minute.

Source
Front: What is the seat limit for Professional?

Professional plan supports up to 50 seats at $65 per seat per month.

Source
GraphQL Apollo: What does Apollo's Enterprise plan include that Standard does not?

The Enterprise plan offers unlimited developers versus 30 on Standard, 18-month data retention versus 90 days, and 24x7x365 business support with SLA instead of 8x5 support. It also includes premium and professional services add-ons and custom MSA agreements. Both require custom pricing.

Source
Front: Are there additional AI add-ons available?

Yes, Autopilot starts at $0.05 per conversation; Copilot, Smart QA, and other AI features range from $10-$20 per seat per month on lower tiers.

Source
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