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Software · head to head

Drift vs LiveChat

Drift logo

Drift

Software

The Conversation Cloud

From
$2500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LiveChat logo

LiveChat

Software

Customer service software that delights

From
$20/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Drift product is being sunset by Salesloft with successor service (1mind) recommended; LiveChat the Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month
  • They diverge on capability: Drift covers AI chatbots, LiveChat covers Ticketing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Drift and LiveChat actually diverge.

Attributes where Drift and LiveChat differ
AttributeDriftLiveChat
Starting price$2500/month$20/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
Founded20152002

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 LiveChat

  • Ticketing
  • Chat routing
  • Analytics
  • Canned responses
  • File sharing
  • Shopify
  • WordPress
  • Zapier

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Drift

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

LiveChat

  • Live chat support on a website with agent routingnot Drift
  • Handling customer conversations across chat, SMS and messaging channelsnot 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

LiveChat

  • The Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month
  • Pricing is per agent, so support cost scales with headcount rather than with conversation volume
  • AI reply suggestions are capped by plan, at 3 knowledge sources on Starter and 10 above it
  • Surveys and eye catchers are predefined rather than customisable below the Enterprise plan
  • SSO, white labelling and HIPAA compliance are Enterprise only

Pricing, plan by plan

Drift

$2500/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Drift review.

LiveChat

$20/month
  • Starter$20/month
    • 60-day chat history
    • Basic customization
    • Ticketing system
  • Team$41/month
    • Unlimited history
    • Advanced reporting
    • Branding removal
  • Business$59/month
    • Staffing prediction
    • Work scheduler
    • Apple Business Chat
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Product training
    • SSO

Which should you pick?

Choose Drift if

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

Choose LiveChat if

  • You need ticketing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want chat routing.
LiveChat review

Questions people ask

Is Drift or LiveChat better?
Neither clearly leads. Drift starts at $2500/month and LiveChat at $20/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Drift or LiveChat?
Drift starts at $2500/month and LiveChat at $20/month.
Does Drift or LiveChat run on more platforms?
Drift runs on Web. LiveChat runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
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 LiveChat is typically brought in for.
What can Drift do that LiveChat cannot?
Drift covers AI chatbots, Meeting scheduling, Email sequences, Visitor intelligence. LiveChat covers Ticketing, Chat routing, Analytics, Canned responses. Both handle Live chat, Salesforce, HubSpot, 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
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Related pages

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