TL;DR: If you’re a growing company juggling customer conversations across a dozen channels, Front is a powerful (if pricey) solution. But if you’re a small team who just needs a better way to handle email together, Jelly is the simple, affordable alternative that won’t drive you—or your budget—crazy.
Want to jump right in? Try Jelly for free
If you’re on the hunt for a shared inbox tool, chances are you’ve come across Front. It’s a polished, feature-packed platform used by many big companies to handle customer communication. But how does it stack up against Jelly, our simple, no-nonsense shared inbox for small teams? Let’s break it down.
1. Simplicity vs. Complexity
Front is a beast—in both the good and overwhelming senses. It combines email, social media, SMS, and other channels into a unified interface. That’s powerful if you’re managing support across a dozen platforms. But for small teams who just want to handle email (without the noise), it can feel like bringing a spaceship to a bike race.
Jelly takes a different approach. It’s a simple, shared inbox for email—no multi-channel mayhem, no labyrinth of features. Just a clean, easy-to-use space where teams can see conversations, claim threads, and respond together. If you want a tool that does email collaboration without the learning curve, Jelly’s your jam.
👉 Jelly keeps it simple. Front piles on the features.
2. Pricing: Paying for What You Actually Need
Let’s talk money. Front starts at $19 per user/month, and if you want access to their more advanced features (like analytics or automation), you’re looking at $99 per user/month. If your team grows, your bill grows—fast.
Jelly starts at $29 per month for your entire team. No per-user pricing. That’s it. No confusing tiers, no “enterprise-only” upsells.
👉 Jelly is simple and affordable. Front’s pricing grows quickly.
3. Collaboration Without the Overhead
Front is built for big customer support teams with complex workflows. But here’s the thing: if you don’t need all that infrastructure, it’s overkill.
Jelly is for small teams who want to collaborate without an operations manual. You can claim emails for yourself, leave quick notes, and share the load—without needing to configure 15 settings to do it.
👉 Jelly is easy for small teams. Front is heavy-duty and built for scale.
4. Getting Started: Fast vs. Slow
Front requires some setup time—connecting channels, configuring rules, managing permissions. It’s a project.
Jelly? Sign up, forward your email, and boom—you’re in. It’s built to work immediately for small teams that need to share an inbox, not consult a manual.
👉 Jelly is ready in minutes. Front takes time to configure.
5. Who’s It For?
Use Front if:
- You manage customer support across multiple platforms (email, SMS, social, etc.).
- You need advanced workflows, analytics, and automation.
- You’re a larger organization with dedicated support teams.
Use Jelly if:
- You want a simple shared inbox for email.
- You’re a small team that values ease-of-use over endless customization.
- You like paying less for a tool that just works.
Want to see how easy Jelly is? Check it out for free.