Clearbox vs Front: Which Email Solution for Small Teams in 2026?

Introduction

Front is undoubtedly one of the leaders in the shared inbox management market. With its advanced features and polished interface, Front has won over many large enterprises. But is it really the best solution for your small team?

In this detailed comparison, we analyze point by point Clearbox and Front to help you choose the solution that best fits your team's needs.

Overview: Clearbox vs Front

Clearbox

Price: Starting at 19€/user/month
Target: Small teams of 5 to 50 people
Philosophy: Simplicity first
Support: English and French
Setup: 5 minutes

Front

Price: Starting at 59€/user/month
Target: Large enterprises
Philosophy: Advanced features
Support: Mainly English
Setup: Several hours

Detailed Comparison by Criteria

1. Price and Cost

Clearbox:

Base plan: 19€ per user per month
For a 10-person team: 190€/month (2,280€/year)
No hidden fees
14-day free trial

Front:

Base plan: 59€ per user per month (minimum 2 users)
For a 10-person team: 590€/month (7,080€/year)
Additional fees for some advanced features
14-day free trial

Verdict: Clearbox costs 3 times less than Front. For a small business, this 4,800€ per year difference can be reinvested in other priorities.

2. Simplicity and Ease of Use

Clearbox:

✅ Ultra-simple interface, no training needed
✅ Your team members can start immediately
✅ No complex menus or workflows to learn
✅ 5-minute setup

Front:

⚠️ Rich but complex interface
⚠️ Steeper learning curve
⚠️ Often requires training for new users
⚠️ Longer setup (several hours)

Verdict: Clearbox wins hands down on simplicity. If your team simply needs to efficiently manage a shared inbox, Clearbox is much more suitable.

3. Features

Clearbox:

✅ Shared email management
✅ Assignment and collaboration
✅ Internal comments
✅ Smart notifications
✅ Tags and categorization
✅ Advanced search
⚠️ Basic automation (in development)

Front:

✅ Shared email management
✅ Assignment and collaboration
✅ Internal comments
✅ Smart notifications
✅ Tags and categorization
✅ Advanced search
✅ Advanced automation
✅ Many integrations
✅ Complex workflows
✅ Advanced reports and analytics

Verdict: Front offers more features, but many are unnecessary for small teams. Clearbox covers 90% of needs with a much simpler interface.

4. Support and Documentation

Clearbox:

✅ Support in English and French
✅ International team, understanding of local needs
✅ Documentation in multiple languages
✅ Fast support response

Front:

⚠️ Support mainly in English
⚠️ Documentation mainly in English
✅ Responsive support
✅ Large community

Verdict: Clearbox wins for teams that prefer multilingual support.

5. Setup and Integration

Clearbox:

✅ 5-minute setup
✅ Direct connection to Gmail, Outlook, etc.
✅ No complex configuration needed
✅ Essential integrations (Gmail, Outlook, Slack)

Front:

⚠️ Longer setup (several hours)
✅ Many integrations available
✅ Flexible but complex configuration
✅ Customizable workflows

Verdict: Clearbox wins for speed of deployment. Front offers more options but requires more time.

6. Performance and Reliability

Clearbox:

✅ Excellent performance
✅ Guaranteed uptime (99.9%)
✅ Modern infrastructure
✅ Low latency

Front:

✅ Excellent performance
✅ Guaranteed uptime (99.9%)
✅ Robust infrastructure
✅ Low latency

Verdict: Tie - both offer excellent performance.

Complete Comparison Table

Who is Each Solution For?

Clearbox is Ideal For:

✅ Small teams of 5 to 50 people
✅ Teams looking for simplicity
✅ Limited budgets
✅ Teams that want multilingual support
✅ Simple shared email management needs
✅ Quick setup required

Front is Ideal For:

✅ Large enterprises (50+ people)
✅ Teams with complex needs
✅ Large budgets
✅ Advanced automation needs
✅ Many integrations required
✅ Sophisticated workflows required

Concrete Use Cases

Case 1: 10-Person Small Business - Customer Support

With Clearbox:

Cost: 190€/month
Setup: 5 minutes
Training: None needed
Result: Team productive immediately

With Front:

Cost: 590€/month
Setup: 2-3 hours
Training: A few hours recommended
Result: Team productive after training

Recommendation: Clearbox - 4,800€/year savings and immediate productivity.

Case 2: Large Enterprise - Complex Team

With Clearbox:

May be limited for very complex needs
Basic automation

With Front:

Perfect for complex workflows
Advanced automation available

Recommendation: Front - advanced features justify the cost.

Migration from Front to Clearbox

If you're currently using Front and want to migrate to Clearbox, here's the process:

Evaluation: Test Clearbox for 14 days (free)
Migration: Your emails remain in your original inbox
Setup: Connect your inbox to Clearbox (5 minutes)
Team invitation: Add your team members
Training: None needed - intuitive interface

Migration benefits:

4,800€ per year savings (for 10 people)
Increased simplicity
Multilingual support
No data loss

FAQ

Can Clearbox completely replace Front?

For most small teams, yes. Clearbox covers 90% of needs with much greater simplicity. If you need very advanced automation or extremely complex workflows, Front may be necessary.

What if my needs evolve?

Clearbox continues to add features. If your needs evolve toward very complex requirements, you can always migrate to Front later.

Can I use both in parallel?

Yes, you can test Clearbox in parallel with Front during your trial period to compare.

Is data lost during migration?

No, your emails remain in your original inbox. Clearbox simply connects to your existing inbox.

Conclusion

Clearbox is the best choice for small teams looking for a simple, affordable, and effective solution to manage their shared emails. At 3 times cheaper than Front, with an ultra-simple interface and multilingual support, Clearbox offers the best value for small teams.

Front is the best choice for large enterprises with complex needs, large budgets, and teams that need advanced automation and sophisticated workflows.

For most small businesses, Clearbox represents the best alternative to Front: same essential features, 3 times cheaper, and much simpler to use.

Ready to try Clearbox? Start your 14-day free trial today and discover why Clearbox is the best alternative to Front for small teams.

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