Keeping vs. Front
A Front alternative that works inside Gmail
Your team already knows Gmail. Keeping adds assignments, shared notes and reporting to the inbox you use, so you can answer customer emails without learning a separate support app.
- Answer customer email from Gmail, not a separate support app
- Nothing to migrate: your email is already in Gmail
- Set up in two minutes with Google sign-in
Rated 4.5 /5 on G2
14 days free. No credit card required. Works with the Gmail you already use.
2,000+ companies run their shared inbox in Gmail with Keeping
“We've been able to cut our customer response time down to mere minutes for the vast majority of requests. Vacation and illness coverage has been nearly completely solved.”
Why Keeping is a smart Front alternative
Keeping is a Front alternative for small teams that want to assign, track and answer customer emails inside Gmail. Choose Front for support across email, chat and other channels in a separate workspace. Compare the costs and six other Front alternatives below.
Easy set up
Create a Keeping mailbox, forward your shared email address or connect with Google, and invite your team.
Learn More about Easy set up
Communicate status
Know where every support email stands by marking them as Open, Closed or Pending. No more requests slipping.
Learn More about Communicate status
Shared notes
Easily share notes with your whole team to communicate what needs to be done or how to follow up.
Learn More about Shared notes
Multiple mailboxes
Get unlimited shared mailboxes on Advanced and respond from your own Gmail inbox.
Learn More about Multiple mailboxes
Advanced reporting
Advanced reporting gives you the data you need to know to measure your team’s performance.
Learn More about Advanced reporting
Response templates
Getting the same questions over and over again? Easily save and share canned answers across your team.
Learn More about Response templates
Collision detection
Keeping prevents multiple team members from working on the same support request at the same time.
Learn More about Collision detection
Confirmation receipts
Let your customers know you're listening with an automatic reply - customizable by mailbox.
Learn More about Confirmation receipts
Keeping works inside Gmail
When you install Keeping, we create a new section inside your Gmail. This allows you to continue to use Gmail for your day-to-day work while having easy access to your customer support inbox.
Front connects to Gmail, but agents handle conversations in Front. Keeping adds shared inbox tools to Gmail itself, so the team can keep its familiar email routine.
Assign each request, leave a private note and see who has already replied without leaving Gmail.
Keeping is more affordable
Compare Keeping Advanced at $24 per user per month with Front Professional at $65 per seat per month, both billed annually. Front Professional includes advanced analytics and time goal rules.
Need a shorter commitment? Keeping Advanced is $29 per user per month on monthly billing. Front Professional is $85 per seat per month billed monthly; its lower-priced Starter plan is $25 annually or $35 monthly, with basic analytics and up to 10 rules.
Full Front pricing breakdown
Front vs Keeping: what a 5‑person team pays in a year
Five people, billed annually, before tax and add-ons.
Shared inbox and basic reporting
Assignment, notes and up to 10 rules on Front Starter
FrontStarter
$1,500/yr
KeepingEssentials
$840/yr
$660 less a year (44%)
SLAs, advanced reporting and HubSpot
Time goal rules and advanced analytics on Front Professional
FrontProfessional
$3,900/yr
KeepingAdvanced
$1,440/yr
$2,460 less a year (63%)
Keeping and Front: plans and features
Keeping Advanced versus Front Professional. Both offer monthly billing; the prices below use annual billing. Front also has Starter and Enterprise plans.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Shared inbox allowance | Unlimited on Advanced | 30 channels per Professional seat |
| Month-to-month pricing | Yes | Starter and Professional |
| Plans compared (billed annually) | $24per user/month | $65seat/month, Professional |
| Works inside Gmail | Yes | No |
| SLAs and response targets | Included on Advanced | Time goal rules on Professional |
| Workflow allowance | Unlimited on Advanced | 20 rules on Professional; unlimited on Enterprise |
| Advanced reporting | Included on Advanced | Included on Professional |
| HubSpot integration | Included on Advanced | Available; contact and company sync on Professional |
Front prices from front.com, as of October 2026. | ||
Other Front alternatives and competitors
Hiver works inside Gmail; the rest move your team into a separate help desk or app. Compare the features your team actually uses.
Help Scout: a separate support inbox
Separate app
Help Scout combines shared inboxes, a knowledge base and live chat for teams ready to work outside Gmail.
Compare Help Scout and KeepingZendesk: a dedicated ticketing system
Separate app
Zendesk suits teams that want ticket routing, reporting and room to build a larger support operation.
Compare Zendesk and KeepingHiver: another option inside Gmail
Inside Gmail
Hiver in Gmail is the closest like-for-like option if staying in Gmail is your priority.
Compare Hiver and KeepingMissive: email and team discussion
Separate app
Missive puts shared email, internal conversations and tasks in its own workspace.
Compare Missive and KeepingFreshdesk: tickets and self-service
Separate app
Freshdesk combines email ticketing, a customer portal and a knowledge base for teams that want a dedicated help desk outside Gmail.
Compare Freshdesk and KeepingGorgias: support built around your store
Separate app
Gorgias fits Shopify-first teams that want order data and store actions in their help desk; Keeping is the option for handling store email in Gmail.
Explore ecommerce support in Gmail
Why choose Keeping over Front
Keeping works inside Gmail and comes with fair month-to-month pricing.
Collaborate in Gmail
Adding customer support to your operation no longer means opening an extra browser tab. Manage your shared inbox from your own Gmail account. No external app!
- Add collaboration to email
- Stop duplicated work
- Share the workload
Simple & Streamlined
Our instant setup and Gmail integration are designed for the busiest teams. There’s no complex software to configure. You’re up and running and supporting customers in minutes.
- Get started in minutes
- One home for multiple mailboxes
- Save time with shared templates
Best-in-Class Analytics
Advanced reporting gives you the data you need to know how your team responds to customers. Track first response time, resolution time, busiest times, and much more.
- Reports by agent, tag, and mailbox
- Understand how your team can improve
- Visualize the data over time
Automate Everything
Focus on what’s essential and let workflows handle repetitive tasks. Automatically assign tickets, set priority and tags, or change the status based on the content of your email.
- Improve team efficiency
- Respond to customers faster
- Nothing slips through the cracks
Connect the Tools You Use
Keeping is a powerful tool that can help you to stay organized and productive. But it can be even more powerful when you connect it to your other tools, such as Shopify, Zapier, or HubSpot.
Learn More about Connect the Tools You Use
All the essentials your team needs
Made for busy teams
Collaborate with team members in real-time — no more forwarding emails and confusion around who is doing what.
Try us for free
The 14-day trial requires no credit card. Create a mailbox, connect your address and invite your team.
Secure and safe
Security and safety are at the core of everything we do. We publish our security policies and procedures so that you can see how we protect your data.
Advanced
$24
per user per month
billed annually
Reporting, workflows and integrations for a growing support team.
Front alternative FAQ
What is Front?
Front is a customer service platform that brings email and other channels into a shared workspace. It offers assignment, internal comments, automation and reporting. It connects to Gmail, but your team works in Front rather than inside Gmail.
What is the best Front alternative for small teams on Gmail?
Keeping's shared inbox is a good fit when your team wants to assign, track and answer customer emails inside Gmail. Hiver in Gmail is another option to compare. Choose based on the mailbox, workflow and integration allowances your team needs.
What is the best Front alternative for ecommerce support?
Choose Gorgias if you want a help desk built around Shopify and store actions across support channels. Choose Keeping if most requests arrive by email and your team wants to stay in Gmail. Keeping brings Shopify customer and order details into Gmail on Advanced and plans that include its features.
What's a more affordable alternative to Front for small businesses?
Keeping Advanced costs $24 per user per month billed annually, compared with Front Professional at $65 per seat per month. The table above shows what a five-person team pays. Front Starter is cheaper than Professional but has fewer reporting and automation features.
Front vs Zendesk: which is better?
Front is a good fit for teams that organize support around shared conversations and collaboration. Zendesk is a good fit when you want a dedicated ticketing system with routing and a broader support suite. Both move the support workflow into their own app; Keeping is an alternative when staying in Gmail matters most.
Can I move from Front to Keeping without changing my email address?
Yes. Keep your existing customer-facing address, create a Keeping mailbox, then forward its email to Keeping or connect the account through Google and invite your team. Test incoming mail and replies before switching off the old routing. Keeping setup connects your email address; it does not automatically migrate Front comments, assignments or conversation history.
Our customers love us for a reason
Don’t just take our word for it, see what our customers are saying about us.
Rated 4.5 /5 on G2
“Keeping helps our customer service team stay on top of inquiries & recognize when an issue has been handled.”
“It's a great tool for tracking and sharing support emails with colleagues. I love how Keeping email has its own inbox inside Gmail.”
“Keeping seamlessly integrates with Gmail, so we don't have to work with another tool. It allows everyone to see responses from the team.”
“Seeing our shared mailbox right in GSuite, the automatic setup, and the ability to keep track of issues are my favorite features.”
“At our university, Keeping gives us control over the responses of all our agents, as well as ensuring that all emails are being responded to.”
“Our HR department uses Keeping, and it works amazingly well for us to keep organized. It's a simple but robust ticketing system.”
“I like that we can use it right inside our Gmail. I also like that we can assign and prioritize incoming requests.”
“Keeping makes it simple to stay on top of our work orders, and I love that it is integrated with Gmail.”
“Tried them all - Keeping is perfect for our startup. Exactly the features we needed, like Gmail integration and collision detection.”
Bring customer support back to Gmail
Give every email an owner without giving your team another app to learn. Plans start at $14 per user per month billed annually. The 14-day trial requires no credit card.
