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Technology · head to head

Drift vs Smartsupp

Drift logo

Drift

Technology

The Conversation Cloud

From
$2500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Smartsupp logo

Smartsupp

Live Chat

Live chat with advanced visitor tracking and co-browsing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Smartsupp 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; Smartsupp free tier limited to 25 conversations per month and 14-day history
  • They diverge on capability: Drift covers Live chat, Smartsupp covers Live chat messaging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Drift and Smartsupp actually diverge.

Attributes where Drift and Smartsupp differ
AttributeDriftSmartsupp
Starting price$2500/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile app, IOS, Android
CategoryTechnologyLive Chat
Founded20152012

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 Smartsupp

  • Live chat messaging
  • Co-browsing
  • Visitor tracking
  • Heatmaps
  • Shopify
  • Zapier
  • API
  • Web support

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Drift

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

Smartsupp

  • Small teams wanting a bundled live chat and low-volume AI agent starting under $20/monthnot 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

Smartsupp

  • Free tier limited to 25 conversations per month and 14-day history
  • Annual billing required for best pricing (up to 30% savings)
  • Operator limits scale with plan tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Drift

$2500/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Drift review.

Smartsupp

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 operator
    • 25 conversations per month
    • 14-day conversation history
  • Solo$17/month
    • 1 operator
    • Unlimited conversations
    • All channels including email
  • Plus$25/month
    • 3 operators
    • Unlimited conversations
    • Automation workflows
  • Expert$83/month
    • 5+ operators
    • Unlimited conversations
    • Premium support

Which should you pick?

Choose Drift if

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

Choose Smartsupp if

  • You need live chat messaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android.
  • You also want co-browsing.
Smartsupp review

Questions people ask

Is Drift or Smartsupp better?
Neither clearly leads. Drift starts at $2500/month and Smartsupp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Drift or Smartsupp?
Smartsupp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2500/month for Drift and Free for Smartsupp.
Does Drift or Smartsupp run on more platforms?
Drift runs on Web. Smartsupp runs on Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android.
Can I use Smartsupp for free?
Yes. Smartsupp 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 Smartsupp is typically brought in for.
What can Drift do that Smartsupp cannot?
Drift covers Live chat, AI chatbots, Meeting scheduling, Email sequences. Smartsupp covers Live chat messaging, Co-browsing, Visitor tracking, Heatmaps. Both handle 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.

Source
Smartsupp: How much does Smartsupp cost?

Smartsupp offers a free plan for up to 25 conversations monthly. Paid plans start at $17/month for Solo (annual: $204/year), $25/month for Plus, and $83/month for Expert. Enterprise plans start at $280/month with custom features and annual billing offers up to 30% savings.

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
Smartsupp: What is included in Smartsupp's free tier?

Smartsupp's free tier includes 1 operator, up to 25 conversations per month, 14-day conversation history, and basic channel support. All paid plans offer unlimited conversations and advanced features including AI-powered reply assists.

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
Smartsupp: What payment options and currencies does Smartsupp support?

Smartsupp accepts monthly or annual billing with annual subscriptions providing up to 30% savings. The platform supports multiple currencies including CZK, EUR, USD, and PLN. A 14-day free trial is available for paid plans with no credit card required initially.

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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