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Telecommunications · head to head

Aircall vs Drift

Aircall logo

Aircall

Telecommunications

Cloud phone system for modern business

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Drift logo

Drift

Technology

The Conversation Cloud

From
$2500/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Aircall a minimum of 3 users on the published plans, rising to 25 on the Custom tier; Drift product is being sunset by Salesloft with successor service (1mind) recommended
  • They diverge on capability: Aircall covers Cloud phone, Drift covers Live chat.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aircall and Drift actually diverge.

Attributes where Aircall and Drift differ
AttributeAircallDrift
Starting price$30/month$2500/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, DesktopWeb
CategoryTelecommunicationsTechnology
Founded20142015

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Aircall

  • Cloud phone
  • IVR
  • Call routing
  • Power dialer
  • Analytics
  • Call recording
  • Integrations
  • Zendesk

Only in Drift

  • Live chat
  • AI chatbots
  • Meeting scheduling
  • Email sequences
  • Visitor intelligence
  • Conversation routing
  • Mobile app
  • Analytics dashboard

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • SOC2
  • GDPR

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Aircall

  • Cloud phone system for sales and support teamsnot Drift
  • Call routing, IVR and shared numbersnot Drift
  • Logging calls against CRM records through integrationsnot Drift
  • Power dialling outbound lists on the Professional tiernot Drift
  • SMS and MMS alongside voicenot Drift

Drift

  • Lead qualificationnot Aircall
  • Meeting bookingnot Aircall
  • Customer supportnot Aircall
  • Account-based marketingnot Aircall
  • Sales accelerationnot Aircall

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Aircall

  • A minimum of 3 users on the published plans, rising to 25 on the Custom tier
  • Essentials is limited to 3 teams; unlimited teams need Professional
  • Salesforce CTI, the power dialer and advanced analytics all require Professional
  • SSO, API support and an SLA are Custom tier only
  • AI voice and messaging agents are separate add-ons billed per minute or per conversation on top of the seat price

Drift

  • Product is being sunset by Salesloft with successor service (1mind) recommended
  • Mandatory bundling within Salesloft increases cost
  • No free tier available
  • Customer support and knowledge base have been deprioritized
  • Limited to enterprise B2B pipeline generation focus

Pricing, plan by plan

Aircall

$30/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Aircall review.

Drift

$2500/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Drift review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Aircall if

  • You need cloud phone.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want ivr.

Choose Drift if

  • You need live chat.
  • You also want ai chatbots.

Questions people ask

Is Aircall or Drift better?
Neither clearly leads. Aircall starts at $30/month and Drift at $2500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aircall or Drift?
Aircall starts at $30/month and Drift at $2500/month.
Does Aircall or Drift run on more platforms?
Aircall runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop. Drift runs on Web.
What is Aircall best used for?
Aircall is most often used for cloud phone system for sales and support teams, call routing, ivr and shared numbers, logging calls against crm records through integrations, power dialling outbound lists on the professional tier. Of those, cloud phone system for sales and support teams and call routing, ivr and shared numbers are not what Drift is typically brought in for.
What can Aircall do that Drift cannot?
Aircall covers Cloud phone, IVR, Call routing, Power dialer. Drift covers Live chat, AI chatbots, Meeting scheduling, Email sequences. Both handle Salesforce, HubSpot, SOC2, GDPR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aircall: What is the minimum cost to start with Aircall?

Aircall requires a 3-license minimum on annual billing, making the real entry price $90 per month ($30 per user times 3 users) for the Essentials plan, not the advertised $30 per user.

Source
Drift: What is the current status of Drift in 2026?

On March 6, 2026, Clari and Salesloft announced the gradual sunset of Drift's conversational marketing solution, with 1mind named as its exclusive AI successor. Drift remains available but its future is limited.

Source
Aircall: Does Aircall include AI call features in base plans?

No, AI Voice Agents and AI Assist Pro are separate add-ons billed on top of base plans. The Essentials and Professional plans include call recording and analytics but not AI features.

Source
Drift: How much does Drift cost?

Drift pricing starts around $2,500/month ($30,000/year) for Premium chat-only capabilities, with Enterprise plans exceeding $80,000/year. Drift is bundled within Salesloft and billed annually only.

Source
Aircall: How many countries can I create phone numbers in?

Aircall supports creating local phone numbers in 100 or more countries, enabling businesses to appear local to customers regardless of location.

Source
Drift: What features come with Drift Premium?

Premium plans include live chat widget, custom chatbot flows, meeting scheduling with calendar integration, basic playbooks, email sequences, and standard integrations.

Source
Aircall: What is Aircall's uptime guarantee?

Aircall guarantees 99.95 percent uptime with seven global data centers and system redundancy on every level.

Source
Drift: Does Drift offer a free plan?

No, Drift no longer publicly advertises a free plan as of 2026. All plans require annual billing through Salesloft.

Source
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