Drift vs Kayako
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Drift | Kayako |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $2500/mo | From $79/seat/mo |
| Best For | Large enterprises with complex B2B sales processes | Traditional businesses focused on email and phone support |
| Standout Feature | Advanced conversational AI and revenue acceleration | Comprehensive knowledge base with customer portal |
| Free Plan | ✗ | ✗ |
| G2 Rating | 4.4 | 4.2 |
Drift and Kayako serve distinctly different customer service needs. Drift is a high-end conversational marketing platform designed for enterprise sales teams, while Kayako provides comprehensive customer service software with unified inbox management and multi-channel support at mid-market pricing.
These platforms represent different approaches to customer engagement, with Drift focusing on sales acceleration and Kayako emphasizing support efficiency.
Feature Comparison
Drift specializes in conversational marketing with sophisticated chatbots, lead qualification, and sales pipeline integration. Its AI-powered features excel at converting website visitors into qualified leads.
Kayako offers unified customer service with multi-channel inbox management, customer journey tracking, and collaboration tools. Its strength lies in providing comprehensive support across email, chat, phone, and social media from one interface.
The fundamental difference: Drift drives sales conversations while Kayako manages comprehensive customer support operations.
Pricing Comparison
Drift requires significant investment starting at $2,500 monthly, targeting enterprises with substantial sales operations and marketing budgets.
Kayako provides excellent value at $15-$35 per agent monthly, making advanced customer service features accessible to mid-market companies. Its 4.2 G2 rating reflects solid user satisfaction.
The pricing gap reflects different target markets: enterprise sales teams versus growing support organizations.
Drift
Pros
- ✓ Powerful conversational AI
- ✓ Strong B2B focus
- ✓ Advanced lead qualification
Cons
- ✗ Extremely expensive pricing
- ✗ Complex setup and learning curve
- ✗ Overkill for small businesses
Kayako
Pros
- ✓ Comprehensive multi-channel support
- ✓ Strong knowledge base functionality
- ✓ Good reporting capabilities
Cons
- ✗ Per-agent pricing gets expensive
- ✗ Limited social media integrations
- ✗ Complex setup for advanced features
Verdict
Choose Drift if you have enterprise budget and need advanced conversational marketing capabilities. Choose Kayako if you want comprehensive customer service features at $15-$35 per agent monthly with strong G2 ratings.
Choose Drift if: You're an enterprise needing premium conversational marketing with advanced sales automation capabilities.
Choose Kayako if: You want comprehensive customer service software with unified inbox management at reasonable pricing.
Consider Converge if: You need full customer support functionality without per-agent costs at $49/month flat rate.
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