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Software · head to head

Chatwoot vs Drift

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Software

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Drift logo

Drift

Software

The Conversation Cloud

From
$2500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Chatwoot has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Chatwoot free plan limited to 2 agents and 500 conversations per month; Drift product is being sunset by Salesloft with successor service (1mind) recommended
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Email inbox, Drift covers AI chatbots.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and Drift actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and Drift differ
AttributeChatwootDrift
Starting priceFree$2500/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWeb
Founded20172015

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Chatwoot

  • Email inbox
  • Social channels
  • Knowledge base
  • Chatbots
  • Reports
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Line

Only in Drift

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

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Slack
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Chatwoot

  • Self-hosted supportnot Drift
  • Privacy-first chatnot Drift
  • Multi-channel supportnot Drift

Drift

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

Where each one falls short

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

Chatwoot

  • Free plan limited to 2 agents and 500 conversations per month
  • Self-hosted option requires managing infrastructure, updates, and external messaging costs
  • Smaller ecosystem and community compared to Zendesk or Intercom
  • AI features require credit consumption and additional configuration

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

Chatwoot

Free
  • HackerFree
    • 2 agents
    • 500 conversations per month
    • 1 live chat channel
  • Startups$19/month
    • Unlimited agents
    • Unlimited conversations

Drift

$2500/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Drift review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Chatwoot if

  • You need email inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted.
  • You also want social channels.
Chatwoot review

Choose Drift if

  • You need ai chatbots.
  • You also want meeting scheduling.
Drift review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or Drift better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and Drift at $2500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or Drift?
Chatwoot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chatwoot and $2500/month for Drift.
Does Chatwoot or Drift run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Drift runs on Web.
Can I use Chatwoot for free?
Yes. Chatwoot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Drift starts at $2500/month.
What is Chatwoot best used for?
Chatwoot is most often used for self-hosted support, privacy-first chat, multi-channel support. Of those, self-hosted support and privacy-first chat are not what Drift is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that Drift cannot?
Chatwoot covers Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base, Chatbots. Drift covers AI chatbots, Meeting scheduling, Email sequences, Visitor intelligence. Both handle Live chat, Slack, GDPR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Chatwoot: Does Chatwoot offer a self-hosted option?

Yes. Chatwoot provides both cloud-hosted and self-hosted versions. Self-hosting is free with the open-source version, though you handle infrastructure, maintenance, and external messaging costs.

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
Chatwoot: What communication channels does Chatwoot support?

Chatwoot supports email, live chat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media channels consolidated into a single inbox.

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
Chatwoot: Is there a free plan for Chatwoot?

Yes. Chatwoot offers a free Hacker plan supporting up to 2 agents, 500 conversations per month, and one live chat channel.

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
Chatwoot: What AI features does Chatwoot include?

Chatwoot includes Captain AI agent for automated responses, Copilot for smart reply suggestions, and live translation features.

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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Related pages

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