Software · head to head
Drift vs Intercom
The short version
- Only Intercom 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; Intercom pricing is high and unpredictable with confusing per-seat, per-feature, and usage-based structure that makes cost estimation difficult
- They diverge on capability: Drift covers AI chatbots, Intercom covers AI-powered inbox.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Drift and Intercom actually diverge.
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 Drift
- AI chatbots
- Meeting scheduling
- Email sequences
- Visitor intelligence
- Conversation routing
- Mobile app
- Analytics dashboard
- Marketo
Only in Intercom
- AI-powered inbox
- Chatbots
- Help center
- Product tours
- Customer data platform
- Automation
- Mobile SDKs
- Stripe
Both cover
- Live chat
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Slack
- Segment
- SOC2
- GDPR
- CCPA
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Drift
- Lead qualificationnot Intercom
- Meeting bookingnot Intercom
- Customer support
- Account-based marketingnot Intercom
- Sales accelerationnot Intercom
Intercom
- Customer support
- Lead generationnot Drift
- User onboardingnot Drift
- Product adoptionnot Drift
- Customer engagementnot Drift
Both are used for customer support, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
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
Intercom
- Pricing is high and unpredictable with confusing per-seat, per-feature, and usage-based structure that makes cost estimation difficult
- API rate limited to 1,000 calls per minute, which may constrain integrations for high-volume data users
- Does not support multiple language versions of knowledge base articles, requiring creation of duplicate articles for each language
Pricing, plan by plan
Drift
$2500/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Drift review.
Intercom
Free- Essential$29/month
- Fin AI Agent
- Messenger
- Shared inbox
- Advanced$85/month
- Multiple team inboxes
- Workflow automation
- Round robin assignment
- Expert$132/month
- SSO
- HIPAA support
- SLAs
Which should you pick?
Choose Intercom if
- You need ai-powered inbox.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want chatbots.
Questions people ask
- Is Drift or Intercom better?
- Neither clearly leads. Drift starts at $2500/month and Intercom at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Drift or Intercom?
- Intercom has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2500/month for Drift and Free for Intercom.
- Does Drift or Intercom run on more platforms?
- Drift runs on Web. Intercom runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Intercom for free?
- Yes. Intercom 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 Intercom is typically brought in for.
- What can Drift do that Intercom cannot?
- Drift covers AI chatbots, Meeting scheduling, Email sequences, Visitor intelligence. Intercom covers AI-powered inbox, Chatbots, Help center, Product tours. Both handle Live chat, Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack.
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.
SourceIntercom: Is there a free tier and what are the limitations?
Intercom offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required and access to all features and add-ons. After trial, Essential plan starts at $29/seat/month. Free Lite seats are available on paid plans: 20 with Advanced, 50 with Expert.
SourceDrift: 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.
SourceIntercom: Does Intercom support single sign-on (SSO)?
Yes, Intercom supports SAML SSO with identity provider integration, but it is only available on the Expert plan ($132+/seat/month). SSO also works with Intercom's mobile apps on iOS and Android.
SourceDrift: 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.
SourceIntercom: Can I export my data from Intercom?
Yes. You can export conversations in CSV format via the Data Export feature in Reports, apply filters to refine exports, and use the REST API to programmatically access conversation and customer data.
SourceDrift: 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.
SourceIntercom: What would a team of 10 cost on Intercom?
Minimum cost would be $290/month for 10 Essential seats at $29/seat/month. Advanced plan costs $850/month for 10 seats. Prices increase with additional add-ons like Fin AI ($0.99 per resolution), SMS, WhatsApp, or email campaigns.
Source