Agent Assist Tools: Front vs. Kustomer vs. Gorgias

Understanding Agent Assist

Agent assist tools differ from fully automated chatbots in their primary function: they augment human agent capabilities rather than deflecting conversations entirely. These platforms typically provide real-time suggestions, knowledge base surfacing, response templates, and workflow automation to help agents resolve issues faster.

The value proposition centers on improving agent productivity and consistency while maintaining the human touch that complex or sensitive customer interactions often require.

Platform Profiles

Front

Front positions itself as a collaborative inbox platform with AI-powered features. Its strength lies in team collaboration workflows, making it particularly suitable for organizations where multiple team members need visibility into customer conversations.

• Pricing Model: Per seat, tiered by feature access
• Deployment: SaaS only
• AI Dependency: AI-augmented (core platform is workflow-focused)
• Best Fit: Teams with shared inbox workflows, B2B support

Kustomer

Kustomer (now part of Meta) offers a customer service CRM with integrated AI capabilities. Its timeline-based customer view and omnichannel support make it suitable for organizations seeking a unified customer context across all touchpoints.

• Pricing Model: Per seat with conversation-based add-ons
• Deployment: SaaS only
• AI Dependency: AI-augmented with native automation
• Best Fit: Mid-market to enterprise, omnichannel requirements

Gorgias

Gorgias specializes in e-commerce customer support, with deep integrations into Shopify, BigCommerce, and other e-commerce platforms. Its automation capabilities are tailored to common e-commerce scenarios like order status, returns, and shipping.

• Pricing Model: Ticket-based with seat minimums
• Deployment: SaaS only
• AI Dependency: AI-augmented with e-commerce focus
• Best Fit: E-commerce businesses, Shopify ecosystem

Comparison Matrix

Pricing Analysis

The pricing structures across these platforms reflect their different target markets and value propositions. Front's seat-based model is predictable but can become expensive at scale. Kustomer's higher per-seat cost includes more comprehensive CRM functionality. Gorgias's ticket-based model aligns costs with support volume, which can be advantageous for seasonal businesses.

Total Cost Considerations

Beyond base pricing, buyers should factor in:

• Add-on costs for advanced AI features
• Integration and implementation services
• Training and onboarding time
• Potential migration costs from existing systems

Selection Framework

The right choice depends heavily on organizational context:

Choose Front if:

• Your team relies heavily on shared inbox workflows
• Cross-functional collaboration on customer issues is common
• You need broad integration flexibility

Choose Kustomer if:

• Unified customer context across channels is a priority
• You need CRM functionality integrated with support
• Your organization is mid-market or enterprise scale

Choose Gorgias if:

• E-commerce is your primary business model
• Deep Shopify or BigCommerce integration is required
• Support volume is variable or seasonal

Risk Considerations

Kustomer's acquisition by Meta introduces some uncertainty around long-term product direction and data governance. Organizations with strict data handling requirements should carefully review current policies and contractual protections.

Front and Gorgias maintain independent operations with established track records, though all SaaS vendors carry some degree of platform dependency risk.