SaaS · head to head
Heap vs Drift
The short version
- Only Heap has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Heap no built-in A/B testing or feature flags; requires integration with separate tools for experimentation; Drift product is being sunset by Salesloft with successor service (1mind) recommended
- They diverge on capability: Heap covers Autocapture, Drift covers Live chat.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Heap and Drift actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), category (SaaS).
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 Heap
- Autocapture
- Retroactive analytics
- Session replay
- Funnel analysis
- User segmentation
- Path analysis
- Data science
- Virtual events
Only in Drift
- Live chat
- AI chatbots
- Meeting scheduling
- Email sequences
- Visitor intelligence
- Conversation routing
- Mobile app
- Analytics dashboard
Both cover
- Salesforce
- Marketo
- HubSpot
- Segment
- SOC2
- GDPR
- CCPA
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Heap
- User behavior analysisnot Drift
- Conversion optimizationnot Drift
- Product adoptionnot Drift
- Customer journey mappingnot Drift
- A/B testing analysisnot Drift
Drift
- Lead qualificationnot Heap
- Meeting bookingnot Heap
- Customer supportnot Heap
- Account-based marketingnot Heap
- Sales accelerationnot Heap
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Heap
- No built-in A/B testing or feature flags; requires integration with separate tools for experimentation
- Group analytics and advanced features require a sales conversation, not self-serve
- Cloud-only deployment; no self-hosted option for data security or compliance requirements
- Session replay lacks developer debugging tools compared to PostHog
- Pricing for Growth and Pro plans requires direct sales contact; no transparency on how pricing scales
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Heap
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 10,000 monthly sessions
- Basic charts
- 6 months data history
- Growth$null/custom
- Custom session pricing
- Sense AI assistant
- 12 months data history
- Pro$null/custom
- Custom session pricing
- Account analytics
- Engagement matrix
- Premier$null/custom
- Custom session pricing
- Data warehouse integration
- Unlimited projects
Drift
$2500/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Drift review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Heap if
- You need autocapture.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want retroactive analytics.
Questions people ask
- Is Heap or Drift better?
- Neither clearly leads. Heap starts at Free and Drift at $2500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Heap or Drift?
- Heap has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Heap and $2500/month for Drift.
- Does Heap or Drift run on more platforms?
- Heap runs on Web, iOS, Android. Drift runs on Web.
- Can I use Heap for free?
- Yes. Heap has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Drift starts at $2500/month.
- What is Heap best used for?
- Heap is most often used for user behavior analysis, conversion optimization, product adoption, customer journey mapping. Of those, user behavior analysis and conversion optimization are not what Drift is typically brought in for.
- What can Heap do that Drift cannot?
- Heap covers Autocapture, Retroactive analytics, Session replay, Funnel analysis. Drift covers Live chat, AI chatbots, Meeting scheduling, Email sequences. Both handle Salesforce, Marketo, HubSpot, Segment.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Heap: What does Heap's autocapture feature do?
Heap's autocapture is a single code snippet that automatically captures every click, swipe, tap, pageview, and form fill on your website and apps without requiring manual event setup. Once installed, Heap captures the entire digital experience of every user on every platform with no ongoing engineering maintenance needed.
SourceDrift: 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.
SourceHeap: What are Heap's pricing plans and how much do they cost?
Heap offers a Free plan for up to 10,000 monthly sessions. Growth, Pro, and Premier plans use custom session-based pricing that requires contacting sales for a quote. Free includes basic charts and 6 months data history. Growth adds the Sense AI assistant. Pro adds account analytics. Premier adds data warehouse integration and dedicated customer success management.
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.
SourceHeap: Does Heap include session replay and A/B testing?
Heap includes integrated session replay showing exactly what users did on your site. However, Heap does not include built-in A/B testing or feature flags. Teams requiring these capabilities must use separate tools or integrate with third-party platforms.
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.
SourceHeap: What integrations does Heap support?
Heap supports over 100 integrations connecting to business tools including marketing platforms, CRMs, and data warehouses. This allows insights to reach relevant teams and ensures data flows to other business systems automatically.
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.
SourceHeap: Does Heap offer self-hosting or is it cloud-only?
Heap is cloud-only and does not offer self-hosted options. Organizations requiring on-premises deployment should consider alternatives like PostHog which supports self-hosting alongside its cloud product.
SourceHeap: What is Sense and how does it help with analytics?
Sense Chat is Heap's AI assistant that enables users to access analytics without extensive technical knowledge. It allows teams to ask questions about user behavior and get answers directly without lengthy onboarding or technical expertise, making insights more accessible to non-technical stakeholders.
Source