In the event you’re purchasing for customer support software program and evaluating Assist Scout vs. Entrance, this complete comparability of options, pricing, use instances, assist, and scalability will show you how to decide which device is one of the best match for your enterprise.
Fast look: Who’s Assist Scout finest for vs. who’s Entrance finest for?
When it comes to options, each Assist Scout and Entrance are practically similar, so the choice actually comes down to 2 issues: what you are utilizing the platform to do and the way a lot you are prepared to pay.
For buyer assist groups, Assist Scout has function parity with Entrance however at a way more reasonably priced value. Its free plan is corresponding to Entrance’s $25/consumer per 30 days Starter plan. Moreover, Assist Scout’s Starter plan — which is $25/consumer per 30 days — is basically similar to Entrance’s Skilled plan, which runs $65/consumer per 30 days in complete ($40/consumer per 30 days greater than Assist Scout).
Nonetheless, Entrance does supply some options for groups that are not doing commonplace buyer assist. You possibly can handle each private and group emails in Entrance, and you’ll even delegate full entry to your private inbox to a teammate if you’re away from work. This makes it a extra interesting selection for skilled providers companies with groups that work with shoppers by way of each particular person and shared e mail addresses.
Be taught extra about Assist Scout:
Assist Scout vs. Entrance: Function comparability
When it comes to the channels you may ship assist over, Assist Scout and Entrance are very related. Each platforms allow you to ship e mail and stay chat assist, create inner and exterior information bases, and assist prospects by way of Fb Messenger and Instagram.
Nonetheless, there are a few variations between the sorts of assist you may ship over social on the 2 platforms. Assist Scout’s Fb and Instagram integrations solely can help you view and reply to direct messages, whereas Entrance’s Fb and Instagram integrations allow you to see and reply to each DMs and feedback in your Fb and Instagram posts.
Entrance additionally integrates with X and WhatsApp, although further charges apply to attach these integrations. To attach X with Entrance, you will have to buy a subscription to make use of X’s API. To attach WhatsApp with Entrance, you will need to pay utilization charges billed by Meta plus an extra 20% administration price.
So far as pricing goes for the completely different channels, you may ship assist throughout e mail, chat, social, and self-service on all of Assist Scout’s paid plans.
Entrance’s Starter plan ($25/consumer per 30 days) solely means that you can ship assist on a single channel: both e mail or chat. This makes it much more much like Assist Scout’s free plan — which helps you to ship e mail and self-service assist — than to any of Assist Scout’s paid plans.
Channel pricing comparability
| Channel | Assist Scout’s beginning value | Entrance’s beginning value |
|---|---|---|
Included in each the free plan and the $25/consumer per 30 days Customary plan | Will be chosen as your single channel within the Starter plan at $25/consumer per 30 days | |
Reside chat | Included within the Customary plan at $25/consumer per 30 days | Will be chosen as your single channel within the Starter plan at $25/consumer per 30 days |
Data base | Included in each the free plan and the $25/consumer per 30 days Customary plan | Included within the Starter plan at $25/consumer per 30 days |
Fb Messenger | Included within the Customary plan at $25/consumer per 30 days | Included within the Skilled plan at $65/consumer per 30 days |
Included within the Customary plan at $25/consumer per 30 days | Included within the Skilled plan at $65/consumer per 30 days | |
X | N/A | Included within the Skilled plan at $65/consumer per 30 days plus the price of a subscription to X’s API |
N/A | Included within the Skilled plan at $65/consumer per 30 days plus What’sApp utilization charges and a 20% administration price | |
SMS | Integrations included within the Customary plan at $25/consumer per 30 days | Integrations included within the Skilled plan at $65/consumer per 30 days |
Cellphone | Integrations included within the Customary plan at $25/consumer per 30 days | Integrations included within the Skilled plan at $65/consumer per 30 days |
Dialog administration options
Each Assist Scout’s and Entrance’s shared inboxes centralize all assist requests from all channels, giving your group a single place to see and handle all buyer inquiries.
Each instruments supply options that make it simpler to route, handle, and reply to requests:
Ticket assignments that allow you to assign particular tickets to particular brokers.
Buyer profiles that present key details about the particular person requesting assist.
Inner notes and @mentions that allow you to collaborate on replies privately.
Collision detection to stop duplicate work and replies.
Spherical-robin and load-based routing that routinely assign incoming requests equally.
Saved replies that allow you to create canned responses to ceaselessly requested questions.
Auto-replies that allow prospects know their requests have been obtained.
Tags that allow you to label and filter requests.
Views that group collectively conversations that meet particular standards (tags, assignees, and so on.).
Workflows that routinely route and type requests.
Nonetheless, the 2 platforms do differ barely on the way you collaborate with people exterior of your assist group.
Entrance has a function known as visitor collaborators that permits you to tag in anybody you need assistance from even when they do not have a login for the system. Add the collaborator to the dialog utilizing solely their e mail tackle, then they’ll then view the dialog, add feedback, and show you how to compose a reply.
Assist Scout’s collaboration function is known as mild customers; these are customers with restricted permissions that may view conversations and add notes to them. Gentle customers want a login to entry the system, however they’ll do extra than simply see particular person conversations you have shared with them, resembling viewing all conversations, creating proactive messages, and viewing reviews.
Data base and self-service options
Each Assist Scout and Entrance allow you to create information bases that may be internal-facing (in your assist group) or external-facing (in your prospects). One information base is included in Assist Scout’s free plan and Entrance’s Starter plan. To create a number of information bases, you will must be on one among Assist Scout’s paid plans or Entrance’s Skilled plan or greater.
Each merchandise allow you to create articles and type them into collections. Each supply built-in search options, provide you with entry to revision histories, and allow you to accumulate satisfaction rankings. You can too customise the design of your information base on any of Assist Scout’s paid plans; customization is barely obtainable on Entrance’s Skilled and Enterprise plans.
Reporting and analytics options
Each Assist Scout and Entrance supply pre-built and customized reviews — in addition to report exporting — so you may simply observe your KPIs and monitor quantity tendencies total and by channel. Each additionally supply workplace hours, which is a strategy to outline the instances if you supply assist so your reviews aren’t negatively impacted by days/instances when nobody is working.
The one notable distinction between the 2 platforms relating to reporting is that whereas Assist Scout contains customized reviews in all of its paid plans, customized reviews are solely obtainable on Entrance’s Skilled and Enterprise plans.
AI options
Assist Scout and Entrance each have a lot of AI options.
Each instruments allow you to reply prospects’ questions routinely by way of generative AI that makes use of information out of your assist middle and web site. Assist Scout’s AI Solutions works by way of its stay chat widget solely, whereas Entrance’s Autopilot can be utilized to answer to requests from any channel.
You possibly can attempt Assist Scout’s AI Solutions at no cost for 3 months; after that, costs begin at $0.75/decision. Entrance’s Autopilot prices $0.89/decision.
Each instruments even have AI copilot options that assist your assist group transfer extra rapidly. You should use AI to draft replies to requests that may be reviewed and edited earlier than they’re despatched; alter the tone, spelling, language, or size of a reply you have already written; or summarize lengthy dialog threads to stand up to hurry rapidly.
Limitless use of Assist Scout’s AI copilot options can be found as a part of its Plus and Professional plans (AI Help can also be included within the Customary plan). Entrance’s copilot is offered as an add-on for an extra $20/consumer per 30 days on its Starter and Skilled plans, however it’s included within the base value of its Enterprise plan.
Entrance additionally has just a few AI analytics options that you simply will not discover in Assist Scout:
Subjects (included in all plans for free of charge): Use AI to determine the commonest causes prospects attain out.
Good QA (offered as an add-on for $20/consumer per 30 days): Use AI to determine points and alternatives for enchancment.
Good CSAT (offered as an add-on for $10/consumer per 30 days): Infers buyer satisfaction to offer you CSAT scores for 100% of your buyer interactions.
Proactive assist
In each Assist Scout and Entrance, you need to use your net widget to pop up messages when customers are looking your web site or working within your app. These messages will be triggered primarily based on issues just like the URL being seen, time spent on the web page (Assist Scout solely), or kind of customer, and they’re generally used to supply assist, get suggestions, or promote a proposal.
Entrance’s proactive message capabilities are extra restricted than Assist Scout’s. You possibly can solely do two issues: ask a customer an open-ended query or ask them a query with two solutions they’ll choose from (e.g., “Sure” and “No”). If the customer replies, you may select to launch a chat dialog, comply with up by way of e mail, or hand the dialog off to a chatbot.
Assist Scout’s proactive messages have many extra choices for what you may share and the way customers can work together with them. You possibly can add textual content, pictures, and CTAs that time to particular URLs in addition to create multiple-choice or NPS® surveys to gather data and suggestions.
There are additionally a number of methods to show the proactive messages you create in Assist Scout. Have them pop up inside the net widget, show as a modal in entrance of your web site or app, and even present as a banner on the prime of your web site or app to, for instance, let prospects find out about system points which might be impacting your product’s performance.
Private e mail administration
One of many options you will discover in Entrance that is not obtainable in most different shared inbox instruments is private e mail administration. Along with having the ability to handle shared e mail addresses in Entrance (e.g., assist@), you need to use it to handle private emails (e.g., jessica@).
Entrance’s private e mail administration function additionally offers you entry to some instruments that allow you to collaborate together with your teammates in your particular person e mail account. For instance, you may quickly delegate entry to your private inbox to a teammate to handle it for you if you’re out of the workplace, and you’ll @point out coworkers in your private emails if you want their assist writing a reply — no forwarding obligatory.
Whilst you can handle private e mail within Assist Scout, the system shouldn’t be actually designed for use in that means. In the event you do add a private e mail to Assist Scout, you will need to solely use Assist Scout to handle that e mail going ahead.
Assist Scout vs. Entrance: Pricing comparability
Each Assist Scout and Entrance use hybrid pricing fashions. The bottom software program for each merchandise is user-based, which means your per-month value will enhance as you add new customers to your account. Nonetheless, pricing for his or her AI chatbots is usage-based, which means you’ll pay extra primarily based on the variety of requests that your AI assistants resolve.
Assist Scout has 4 pricing packages:
Free: $0/month for as much as 5 customers.
Customary: $25/consumer per 30 days for as much as 25 customers.
Plus: $45/consumer per 30 days for as much as 50 customers.
Professional: $75/consumer per 30 days for limitless customers (with a minimal of 10).
Assist Scout’s free plan allows you to ship e mail assist and create a information base. All of its paid plans allow you to ship assist throughout e mail, stay chat, self-service, and social media (Instagram and Fb Messenger).
So far as usage-based pricing, AI Solutions begins at $0.75/decision after a three-month free trial. AI Help is included in all paid plans at no further price, and AI Summarize and AI Drafts are included in Plus and Professional at no further price.
Entrance has three pricing packages:
Starter: $25/consumer per 30 days for one channel and as much as 10 customers.
Skilled: $65/consumer per 30 days for all channels and as much as 50 customers.
Enterprise: $105/consumer per 30 days with no consumer limits.
A lot of Entrance’s AI options are additionally offered as add-on merchandise with an extra per-user per-month price. Its AI copilot and Good QA options are an extra $20/consumer per 30 days every, and its Good CSAT is an extra $10/consumer per 30 days. Nonetheless, these three AI merchandise are included within the platform’s Enterprise plan at no further price.
So far as usage-based pricing, Entrance’s AI chatbot, Analyze, prices $0.89/decision.
General, Assist Scout is far more reasonably priced than Entrance. Assist Scout’s free plan is corresponding to Entrance’s Starter plan that prices $25/consumer per 30 days, Assist Scout’s Starter and Plus plans are between $20-$40 much less per consumer per 30 days than Entrance’s Skilled plan, and Assist Scout’s Plus plan is $30 much less per consumer per 30 days than Entrance’s Enterprise plan.
What prospects say about Assist Scout’s and Entrance’s pricing
Assist Scout has a better ranking on Capterra for “worth for cash” with a 4.4 out of 5 stars versus Entrance’s 4.1 out of 5 stars. Many Entrance prospects observe that the pricing is excessive for small companies, the leap in price between the Starter and Skilled plans is a priority for rising groups, and the price of paying for separate integration subscriptions will be prohibitive.
Ease of use and setup
When it comes to ease of use and setup, Assist Scout and Entrance are comparable. Each instruments have a 9.2/10 ranking on G2 for ease of use, although Assist Scout has a better ranking for ease of setup (9.2/10 vs. Entrance’s 8.8/10) and ease of admin (9.1/10 vs. Entrance’s 8.9/10).
As one Assist Scout buyer writes: “I like that Assist Scout makes it straightforward for our group to prepare, categorize, and observe points. We use Assist Scout for each inner and exterior assist and all of our group members discover it straightforward to make use of.”
Entrance prospects additionally reward its system for its ease of use: “The features Entrance has allow me to successfully handle my group, it is simple to make use of and uncomplicated. The interface is evident and the ticketing system works effectively.”
* Buyer quotes have been evenly edited for readability.
Integrations
When it comes to integrations, Assist Scout and Entrance are very related. Each instruments supply round 100 integrations with the third-party platforms assist groups most frequently want to hook up with their assist desks, together with telephone and SMS assist software program, CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot, social media platforms like Fb and Instagram, and ecommerce platforms like Shopify.
Scalability
Each Assist Scout and Entrance have the essential options that groups want whereas they’re small and the extra superior options they’ll want as they develop, so scaling the scale of your group on both platform is seamless.
Nonetheless, Assist Scout is the extra reasonably priced choice when scaling:
Whereas the pricing for Entrance’s Starter plan and Assist Scout’s Customary plan are the identical, Entrance’s Starter plan is restricted to 10 customers (and contains single-channel assist solely), whereas Assist Scout’s Customary plan means that you can add as much as 25 customers (and ship multichannel assist).
Entrance’s Skilled plan and Assist Scout’s Plus plan each allow you to add as much as 50 customers, however Assist Scout’s Plus plan prices $20 much less per consumer per 30 days than Entrance’s Skilled plan.
Entrance’s Enterprise plan and Assist Scout’s Professional plan each allow you to add limitless customers, however Assist Scout’s Professional plan prices $30 much less per consumer per 30 days than Entrance’s Enterprise plan.
Buyer assist
Each Assist Scout and Entrance have a rating of 9.1/10 on G2 for the standard of the assist they supply to their prospects, so you will get nice assist if you want it no matter which platform you select.
When it comes to core options, channel choices, and assist, Assist Scout and Entrance are practically similar. Nonetheless, there are just a few key variations which will make one platform or the opposite a greater match in your group:
Assist Scout is designed for SaaS and ecommerce groups delivering extra conventional buyer assist. Entrance is healthier suited to client-facing skilled providers groups which might be working with prospects throughout each private and shared e mail addresses.
Assist Scout is far more reasonably priced, each initially and as you scale. It has a free plan for small companies that is much like Entrance’s $25/consumer per 30 days plan, and its paid plans run as a lot as $40 much less per consumer per 30 days than Entrance’s.
Entrance does have just a few extra AI options than Assist Scout, making it the higher selection for groups seeking to automate as a lot of their assist operations as attainable.
Entrance affords integrations that allow you to ship assist on X and WhatsApp (although further costs apply for each channels); Assist Scout doesn’t. This may occasionally make Entrance a more sensible choice in the event you obtain a number of assist requests over these two channels.
Each Assist Scout and Entrance are leaders within the buyer assist area, and you actually can’t go flawed with both selection. Contemplate the variations between the 2 platforms, choose the platform that appears like it’ll finest assist your enterprise’s distinctive wants, after which begin a trial to ensure that it really works for you each in principle and in observe.
