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Front vs Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

Front logo

Front

Software

Where teams collaborate on customer communication

From
$25/month per seat
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations logo

Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

Software

Omnichannel messaging and customer engagement platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Front starter tier limited to single-channel support; omnichannel support requires Professional tier; Zendesk Sunshine Conversations cannot be purchased standalone; requires expensive Zendesk Suite Professional or higher plans
  • They diverge on capability: Front covers Shared inbox, Zendesk Sunshine Conversations covers Live chat.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Front and Zendesk Sunshine Conversations actually diverge.

Attributes where Front and Zendesk Sunshine Conversations differ
AttributeFrontZendesk Sunshine Conversations
Starting price$25/month per seatOn request
PlatformsCloud-based SaaSWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20132015

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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
  • HubSpot
  • Asana

Only in Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

  • Live chat
  • SMS messaging
  • Facebook Messenger
  • WhatsApp integration
  • Zendesk Support
  • API
  • Mobile app support
  • IOS support

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • Slack
  • Web support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Front

  • Multi-team customer support across email, chat, SMS channelsnot Zendesk Sunshine Conversations
  • Enterprises using AI to resolve complex multi-step customer requestsnot Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

  • Customer engagementnot Front
  • Lead generationnot Front
  • Customer supportnot Front
  • Sales automationnot 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

Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

  • Cannot be purchased standalone; requires expensive Zendesk Suite Professional or higher plans
  • Low included monthly active users (1,000 MAU) and notifications (1,000) necessitate paid add-ons for most businesses
  • Custom implementations require developer resources for webhooks and API configuration

Pricing, plan by plan

Front

$25/month per seat

No published plan breakdown. See the Front review.

Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

On request
  • Team$19/month
    • Chat + messaging
    • Basic features
    • Limited agents
  • Growth$49/month
    • Omnichannel
    • Advanced automation
    • Routing
  • Professional$99/month
    • All features
    • Custom workflows
    • Premium support

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 Zendesk Sunshine Conversations if

  • You need live chat.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want sms messaging.
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations review

Questions people ask

Is Front or Zendesk Sunshine Conversations better?
Neither clearly leads. Front starts at $25/month per seat and Zendesk Sunshine Conversations at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Front or Zendesk Sunshine Conversations?
Front starts at $25/month per seat and Zendesk Sunshine Conversations at On request.
Does Front or Zendesk Sunshine Conversations run on more platforms?
Front runs on Cloud-based SaaS. Zendesk Sunshine Conversations runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Front best used for?
Front is most often used for multi-team customer support across email, chat, sms channels, enterprises using ai to resolve complex multi-step customer requests. Of those, multi-team customer support across email, chat, sms channels and enterprises using ai to resolve complex multi-step customer requests are not what Zendesk Sunshine Conversations is typically brought in for.
What can Front do that Zendesk Sunshine Conversations cannot?
Front covers Shared inbox, Email collaboration, Omnichannel messaging, Analytics. Zendesk Sunshine Conversations covers Live chat, SMS messaging, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp integration. Both handle Salesforce, Slack, Web support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Zendesk Sunshine Conversations: Can I buy Zendesk Sunshine Conversations standalone?

No. Sunshine Conversations is only available with Zendesk Suite Professional, Enterprise, or Enterprise Plus plans. It cannot be purchased as a standalone product.

Source
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations: What messaging channels does Sunshine Conversations support?

Sunshine Conversations connects 15+ messaging channels including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, SMS, and provides a Web Widget for on-site chat.

Source
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations: What are the usage limits on Zendesk Sunshine Conversations?

The base includes 1,000 Monthly Active Users and 1,000 notifications per month. Additional usage requires $50 add-ons for each 2,500 MAU pack or $50 for each 25,000 notification pack.

Source
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Related pages

More on Front

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