Softwr

Software · head to head

Clay vs Drift

Clay logo

Clay

Software

Data platform for sales teams

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Drift logo

Drift

Software

The Conversation Cloud

From
$2500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Clay two separate meters run at once, actions and data credits, and a plan can exhaust either independently; Drift product is being sunset by Salesloft with successor service (1mind) recommended
  • They diverge on capability: Clay covers Data enrichment, Drift covers Live chat.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clay and Drift actually diverge.

Attributes where Clay and Drift differ
AttributeClayDrift
Starting priceOn request$2500/month
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Founded20212015

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web), 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 Clay

  • Data enrichment
  • Contact management
  • Workflow automation
  • Integration
  • API access
  • Zapier
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

Only in Drift

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

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Slack
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Clay

  • Enriching prospect lists from multiple data providers in one tablenot Drift
  • Building automated outbound research and outreach workflowsnot Drift

Drift

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

Where each one falls short

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

Clay

  • Two separate meters run at once, actions and data credits, and a plan can exhaust either independently
  • Data credit overage is sold at a 30% premium over the plan rate, so exceeding the allowance costs more per unit than planning for it
  • The free plan allows 500 actions, 100 data credits and 200 rows per table
  • The entry paid plan starts at $167 a month, and both paid prices are starting figures rather than fixed
  • The free plan cannot buy overage at all, so hitting the limit stops work rather than billing for it

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

Clay

On request
  • Pricing upon request$undefined/month
    • Data enrichment
    • Integration
    • Support

Drift

$2500/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Drift review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Clay if

  • You need data enrichment.
  • You also want contact management.
Clay review

Choose Drift if

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

Questions people ask

Is Clay or Drift better?
Neither clearly leads. Clay starts at On request and Drift at $2500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clay or Drift?
Clay starts at On request and Drift at $2500/month.
Does Clay or Drift run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Clay best used for?
Clay is most often used for enriching prospect lists from multiple data providers in one table, building automated outbound research and outreach workflows. Of those, enriching prospect lists from multiple data providers in one table and building automated outbound research and outreach workflows are not what Drift is typically brought in for.
What can Clay do that Drift cannot?
Clay covers Data enrichment, Contact management, Workflow automation, Integration. Drift covers Live chat, AI chatbots, Meeting scheduling, Email sequences. Both handle Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, GDPR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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
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
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Clay

More on Drift

Keep looking

Other head to heads