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Software · head to head

Drift vs HubSpot

Drift logo

Drift

Software

The Conversation Cloud

From
$2500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HubSpot logo

HubSpot

Software

Grow better with HubSpot

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only HubSpot has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Drift product is being sunset by Salesloft with successor service (1mind) recommended; HubSpot free tier limited to 2 users and 1,000 contacts; severely restricts growing teams
  • They diverge on capability: Drift covers Live chat, HubSpot covers CRM.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Drift and HubSpot actually diverge.

Attributes where Drift and HubSpot differ
AttributeDriftHubSpot
Starting price$2500/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile, Cloud
Founded20152006

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 Drift

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

Only in HubSpot

  • CRM
  • Email marketing
  • Marketing automation
  • Sales pipeline
  • Customer service
  • Content management
  • Analytics
  • Social media

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • Slack
  • Zoom
  • Microsoft Teams
  • SOC2
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Drift

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

HubSpot

  • Small businesses and startups using CRM, email marketing, sales pipeline, and customer service in single platformnot Drift
  • Organisations requiring integration with 2,000+ third-party applicationsnot Drift
  • Teams leveraging AI agents for prospecting, service automation, and data analysisnot Drift

Where each one falls short

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

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

HubSpot

  • Free tier limited to 2 users and 1,000 contacts; severely restricts growing teams
  • Many advanced features (automation workflows, custom objects, advanced reporting) gated to paid tiers
  • Starter plan at $7/month per seat scales quickly for larger teams (300+ users would cost significantly more)
  • Free tier removes credit card requirement but lacks most enterprise capabilities

Pricing, plan by plan

Drift

$2500/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Drift review.

HubSpot

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the HubSpot review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Drift if

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

Choose HubSpot if

  • You need crm.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Cloud.
  • You also want email marketing.
HubSpot review

Questions people ask

Is Drift or HubSpot better?
Neither clearly leads. Drift starts at $2500/month and HubSpot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Drift or HubSpot?
HubSpot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2500/month for Drift and Free for HubSpot.
Does Drift or HubSpot run on more platforms?
Drift runs on Web. HubSpot runs on Web, Mobile, Cloud.
Can I use HubSpot for free?
Yes. HubSpot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Drift starts at $2500/month.
What is Drift best used for?
Drift is most often used for lead qualification, meeting booking, customer support, account-based marketing. Of those, lead qualification and meeting booking are not what HubSpot is typically brought in for.
What can Drift do that HubSpot cannot?
Drift covers Live chat, AI chatbots, Meeting scheduling, Email sequences. HubSpot covers CRM, Email marketing, Marketing automation, Sales pipeline. Both handle Salesforce, Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams.

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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Related pages

More on Drift

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