FrontFacebook ChatFront vs Facebook Chat

Front vs Facebook Chat: team inbox or Meta Business Suite inbox

A team inbox against a Meta Business Suite inbox: Facebook Chat is $325 a month cheaper for five people. Where Front and Facebook Chat split, and a third option for small teams.

By Khalid Nouri, founder of SellioPricing check dates are listed with each vendor below

Try the third optionSellio pricing

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The short answer

Pick Front if email is the channel and you want shared drafts, comments and sequences on every thread. Pick Facebook Chat if customers only write on Messenger and Instagram and you have no budget. For five people, Facebook Chat is $325 a month cheaper than Front ($325 a month on Front against $0 on Facebook Chat), before AI. Sellio Mini is $45, which only Facebook Chat's figure comes under. Front and Facebook Chat both include Instagram in the price; only Front has website chat and email. Neither Front nor Facebook Chat includes WhatsApp and Telegram outright. For a team of two to ten weighing Front against Facebook Chat, the third option below puts chat and tickets at one workspace price.

At a glanceFrontFrontFacebook ChatFacebook Chat
Built aroundShared email · comments and drafts on every threadMessenger and Instagram DMs · free with a Page
Entry plan$25/seat/mo · Starter: one channel type$0 · with a Facebook Page
Chat in the price$65/seat/mo · Professional: omnichannelNone · the website Chat Plugin was retired in 2024
AI agentFrom $0.05 per conversation · AutopilotNone to buy · instant replies and FAQs
Copilot for agents$20/seat/moMeta AI drafts · for some businesses
Free planNone · 14-day trialYes · the whole inbox is free

The six differences that decide it

Everything else on this page follows from these.

  1. 01

    Where a conversation starts

    FrontFront

    As a thread in a shared inbox that teammates comment on and draft together; it is email first. Facebook Chat has no ticket queue either.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    As a Messenger or Instagram message in the Business Suite inbox, with the customer's profile beside it. Front has no ticket queue either.

  2. 02

    What the seat buys

    FrontFront

    $25 buys one channel type and up to ten seats. Omnichannel and fifty seats start at Professional, $65. $325 for five people, against $0 on Facebook Chat.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    There are no seats and no price; anyone with a Page role can answer. $0 for five people, against $325 on Front.

  3. 03

    How the AI is billed

    FrontFront

    Autopilot, the AI agent, from $0.05 a conversation; Copilot is $20 per seat and Smart QA $20 per seat. Facebook Chat has no AI to bill (none to buy) instead.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    No AI agent to buy. Instant replies, away messages and FAQs are rules; Meta AI drafts replies for some businesses. Front meters AI (from $0.05 per conversation) above the seats instead.

  4. 04

    Channels in the price

    FrontFront

    Email on Starter; chat, SMS, WhatsApp and voice on Professional and up. website chat and email are here and not on Facebook Chat.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    Messenger, Instagram DMs and comments; WhatsApp lives in its own app, and the website plugin is gone. Front adds website chat and email, which Facebook Chat lacks.

  5. 05

    Beyond the inbox

    FrontFront

    Sequences, calendar, account views and analytics for logistics, finance and account teams. Facebook Chat is a Meta Business Suite inbox instead.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    Posting, scheduling and ads for the Page; nothing beyond Meta's own channels. Front is a team inbox instead.

  6. 06

    Time to the first reply

    FrontFront

    A day: connect the mailboxes, set rules and assignments, then add the chat widget. Facebook Chat is none.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    None: it is already there when you have a Page. Front is a day.

Sources: Front pricing · Facebook Chat pricing. Each vendor’s own comparison of the other is linked so you can weigh both sides against ours.

What each one looks like

A look at the agent workspace. Interfaces can vary by plan and product version.

The Front inbox: the thread with internal comments beside it and the assignment bar on top
FrontFront. The Front inbox: the thread with internal comments beside it and the assignment bar on top
The Meta Business Suite inbox: Messenger and Instagram threads in one list
Facebook ChatFacebook Chat. The Meta Business Suite inbox: Messenger and Instagram threads in one list

Pricing references: Front pricing page (recorded 2026-09-06); Facebook Chat pricing page (recorded 2026-09-13). Prices change; confirm current terms with each vendor.

Front, Facebook Chat and Sellio, side by side

Fifteen things a support team checks. A dash means the product does part of it or charges extra for it.

FeatureFrontFrontFacebook ChatFacebook ChatSellio

Pricing

Pricing model
Per seat; channels tiered; AI add-ons per seat.
Free
Per workspace; seats and channels are plan limits
Free plan
14-day trial.
The whole product
2 seats, 1 channel, 1 AI agent, no trial clock

Channels

Website live chat
Chat channel; Starter allows one channel type.
Website Chat Plugin retired in 2024
One script tag; guides for HTML, React, Next.js and more
Email in the inbox
The core of the product.
Not offered
From Mini: forward your support address; reply from the thread
WhatsApp
Professional and up, via add-on.
Separate WhatsApp Business app
From Mini: WhatsApp Business API, several agents on one number
Instagram DMs
Professional and up.
DMs and comments
From Mini: Instagram DMs beside web chat
Telegram
Not a channel.
Not offered
From Mini: paste a bot token; the webhook is set for you
Slack, Discord, Teams (two-way)
Slack and Teams integrations.
Not offered
From Mini: two-way threads; a reply there reaches the customer

AI

AI agent trained on your docs
Autopilot.
Rules, not an AI agent
Crawl your site, upload PDFs and FAQs; answers only from those
How AI is billed
From $0.05 per conversation; Copilot $20 per seat.
No AI to bill
Metered from an included credit, with caps you set
AI hands off to a person
Routes to teammates.
No AI to hand off from
On low confidence, a keyword, or a teammate taking over

Support operations

Tickets
Conversations with tags and status.
Labels and done state only
On Plus: raise from any chat; customer, back-office and tracker
Visual workflow automation
Rules engine; visual on higher plans.
Instant replies, away messages, FAQs
From Mini: 11 triggers, 18 actions, no code
Analytics and CSAT
Analytics on Professional and up.
Page insights
From Essentials: response times, resolution, CSAT; topics and email reports on Plus

Apps

Desktop app (Windows, macOS)
Mac and Windows apps.
Browser and mobile
Native Windows and macOS apps

Which one, for whom

Pick Front if

  • Email is the channel and you want shared drafts, comments and sequences on every thread.
  • You run logistics, finance or account management where a thread is a piece of work.
  • You need website chat and email in the price, which Facebook Chat does not include outright.
  • You want native desktop apps, which Facebook Chat does not ship.

Pick Facebook Chat if

  • Customers only write on Messenger and Instagram and you have no budget.
  • One or two people answer and you do not need assignment or tickets.
  • Five people cost $325 a month less than on Front ($0 against $325), before AI.
  • You want a free plan to start on; Front offers a 14-day trial of Professional.

The third option: Sellio

  • Your team is two to ten people on chat, messaging and email. Weigh workspace pricing against $325 a month on Front against $0 on Facebook Chat for five people; the billing units and included features differ.
  • You want a ceiling on AI spend: Front meters AI (from $0.05 per conversation) above the seats, Facebook Chat has no AI to bill (none to buy), and Sellio stops at the cap you set.
  • You need Telegram and tickets raised from a chat, which neither Front nor Facebook Chat includes.

What two, five and ten people pay

Front on Professional: $130, $325 and $650 a month for two, five and ten people, before AI. Facebook Chat: $0 a month for five (free for anyone with a Page role); it does not print a per-seat rate to extend to two or ten. Sellio: Free for two seats; Mini at $45 for five, $280 less than Front and more than Facebook Chat's $0 for five people; Essentials at $95 for ten, the AI credit included. At ten people, Essentials at $95 is $555 under Front.

Where the two agree, and where they split

Front is a team inbox built around shared email; Facebook Chat is a Meta Business Suite inbox built around Messenger and Instagram DMs. Only Facebook Chat has a free plan (the whole inbox is free); Front offers a 14-day trial of Professional. Front and Facebook Chat both include Instagram in the price; only Front has website chat and email. Neither Front nor Facebook Chat includes WhatsApp and Telegram outright. Front meters AI (from $0.05 per conversation) above the seats; Facebook Chat has no AI to bill (none to buy). Neither Front nor Facebook Chat has a ticket queue, and only Front ships desktop apps. Front is a day; Facebook Chat is none.

What each price leaves out

Front: Autopilot AI agent from $0.05 per conversation; Copilot $20 per seat per month and Smart QA $20 per seat (included on Enterprise). Facebook Chat: No AI agent; instant replies and FAQs are rule-based. Beside Front's from $0.05 per conversation and Facebook Chat's none to buy, Sellio includes an AI credit with each paid plan. Usage consumes that credit; additional credits cost extra, and you can set a spending cap.

How to decide in an afternoon

  1. Step 1

    Count agents and channels

    Anyone who replies is a seat. List the channels customers actually use.

    5 people reply5 seats
    Website chat61%
    WhatsApp27%
    Email12%
  2. Step 2

    Price the AI you would use

    Estimate monthly conversations the AI could close, then apply each vendor's per-resolution or per-session rate.

    1,200 conversations × 40% AI closes480
    FrontFront$0.05$24
    Facebook ChatFacebook ChatSee vendorNot quoted
    Sellio$0.05$19

    Illustrative AI-only estimate; vendor units differ. Pack billing is rounded up. Sellio assumes Mini’s $5 credit and $0.05 per conversation.

  3. Step 3

    Trial the shortlist

    Check each vendor’s trial, free plan or demo terms. Where access is available, test one real channel before committing.

    FrontFront · 14-day trial of Professional
    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat · Not applicable; free
    Sellio · Free plan, no card

    Confirm trial access and limits, then evaluate one real channel on each.

Continue your research

FAQ

Front vs Facebook Chat: the questions people ask

Front is a team inbox built around shared email; Facebook Chat is a Meta Business Suite inbox built around Messenger and Instagram DMs. Neither Front nor Facebook Chat has a ticket queue, and only Front ships desktop apps.

  • Entry plan: Front $25/seat/mo (Starter: one channel type); Facebook Chat $0 (with a Facebook Page).
  • Chat in the price: Front $65/seat/mo (Professional: omnichannel); Facebook Chat None (the website Chat Plugin was retired in 2024).
  • Sellio: WhatsApp and Telegram, which neither Front nor Facebook Chat has outright, plus the rest of the five, on every paid plan.

Sellio's side of the Front and Facebook Chat rows is on the shared inbox page.

Still have a question? Contact us or browse the docs.

Or the third option: one price, every channel.

Sellio puts website chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram and email in one inbox with tickets and an AI agent, for $45 to $295 a month per workspace.

Get startedRead the docs

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