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Software · head to head

Countly vs Drift

Countly logo

Countly

Software

Product analytics for mobile and web

From
Free
Rated
-
Drift logo

Drift

Software

The Conversation Cloud

From
$2500/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Countly has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Countly the private cloud plan starts at $175 a month and is described as usage based without stating the unit; Drift product is being sunset by Salesloft with successor service (1mind) recommended
  • They diverge on capability: Countly covers Event tracking, Drift covers Live chat.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Countly and Drift actually diverge.

Attributes where Countly and Drift differ
AttributeCountlyDrift
Starting priceFree$2500/month
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, ApiWeb
Founded20122015

Identical on both: 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 Countly

  • Event tracking
  • Crash reporting
  • User retention
  • Open-source
  • Cloud deployment
  • On-premise deployment
  • Web support
  • Mobile support

Only in Drift

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

Both cover

  • Analytics dashboard

What people use each for

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

Countly

  • Product analytics for mobile and web applicationsnot Drift
  • Self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisationnot Drift

Drift

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

Where each one falls short

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

Countly

  • The private cloud plan starts at $175 a month and is described as usage based without stating the unit
  • No event cap, data point limit or user limit is published for either paid plan
  • The self hosted Enterprise edition is custom priced and billed annually
  • Adaptivity and intelligence features are separately priced add ons on the cheaper plan

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

Countly

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Open-source
    • Self-hosted
    • Full features

Drift

$2500/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Drift review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Countly if

  • You need event tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want crash reporting.

Choose Drift if

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

Questions people ask

Is Countly or Drift better?
Neither clearly leads. Countly 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, Countly or Drift?
Countly has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Countly and $2500/month for Drift.
Does Countly or Drift run on more platforms?
Countly runs on Web, Mobile, Api. Drift runs on Web.
Can I use Countly for free?
Yes. Countly has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Drift starts at $2500/month.
What is Countly best used for?
Countly is most often used for product analytics for mobile and web applications, self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisation. Of those, product analytics for mobile and web applications and self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisation are not what Drift is typically brought in for.
What can Countly do that Drift cannot?
Countly covers Event tracking, Crash reporting, User retention, Open-source. Drift covers Live chat, AI chatbots, Meeting scheduling, Email sequences. Both handle Analytics dashboard.

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

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