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Technology · head to head

Drift vs Slimchat

Drift logo

Drift

Technology

The Conversation Cloud

From
$2500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

Slimchat

Live Chat

Lightweight live chat solution for websites

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Slimchat 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; Slimchat the vendor's own homepage as captured by the Internet Archive on 19 August 2018 (via Novosi, LLC) shows SlimChat was still pre-release at that date, offering an email signup for '3 months FREE' with an 'Expected release: summer 2018' notice and a $15 incentive to test a tour version; combined with the live site now serving a mismatched Squarespace certificate, this indicates the product likely never reached a stable commercial release
  • They diverge on capability: Drift covers Live chat, Slimchat covers Live chat widget.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Drift and Slimchat actually diverge.

Attributes where Drift and Slimchat differ
AttributeDriftSlimchat
Starting price$2500/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile responsive
CategoryTechnologyLive Chat
Founded20152016

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Slimchat

  • Live chat widget
  • Lightweight design
  • Fast loading
  • Visitor information
  • Zapier
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Drift

  • Lead qualificationnot Slimchat
  • Meeting bookingnot Slimchat
  • Customer support
  • Account-based marketingnot Slimchat
  • Sales accelerationnot Slimchat

Slimchat

  • Customer engagementnot Drift
  • Lead generationnot Drift
  • Customer support
  • Sales automationnot 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

Slimchat

  • The vendor's own homepage as captured by the Internet Archive on 19 August 2018 (via Novosi, LLC) shows SlimChat was still pre-release at that date, offering an email signup for '3 months FREE' with an 'Expected release: summer 2018' notice and a $15 incentive to test a tour version; combined with the live site now serving a mismatched Squarespace certificate, this indicates the product likely never reached a stable commercial release

Pricing, plan by plan

Drift

$2500/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Drift review.

Slimchat

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Live chat
    • 1 agent
    • Basic features
  • Pro$20/month
    • Multiple agents
    • Advanced options
  • Business$50/month
    • Unlimited features
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Drift if

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

Choose Slimchat if

  • You need live chat widget.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile responsive.
  • You also want lightweight design.
Slimchat review

Questions people ask

Is Drift or Slimchat better?
Neither clearly leads. Drift starts at $2500/month and Slimchat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Drift or Slimchat?
Slimchat has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2500/month for Drift and Free for Slimchat.
Does Drift or Slimchat run on more platforms?
Drift runs on Web. Slimchat runs on Web, Mobile responsive.
Can I use Slimchat for free?
Yes. Slimchat 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 Slimchat is typically brought in for.
What can Drift do that Slimchat cannot?
Drift covers Live chat, AI chatbots, Meeting scheduling, Email sequences. Slimchat covers Live chat widget, Lightweight design, Fast loading, Visitor information.

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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