Drift vs Podium
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Drift | Podium |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $2500/mo | From $399/mo |
| Best For | Large enterprises with complex B2B sales processes | Local businesses needing integrated messaging and payments |
| Standout Feature | Advanced conversational AI and revenue acceleration | Integrated payment collection through messaging |
| Free Plan | ✗ | ✗ |
| G2 Rating | 4.4 | 4.3 |
Drift and Podium represent two different philosophies in customer engagement. Drift positions itself as a conversational marketing platform with enterprise-grade chat capabilities, while Podium focuses on local business messaging across multiple channels including SMS and social media.
The pricing difference is substantial - Drift starts at $2,500/month with custom enterprise pricing, while Podium begins at $89/month, making them suitable for very different business segments.
Feature Comparison
Drift excels in B2B sales automation with sophisticated lead routing, account-based marketing features, and deep CRM integrations. Its AI-powered chatbots can qualify leads and book meetings automatically.
Podium shines in local business communication, offering SMS messaging, Google My Business integration, and payment collection through text. It's designed for businesses like dental offices, auto shops, and retail stores.
The feature sets barely overlap - Drift targets enterprise sales teams while Podium serves local service businesses.
Pricing Comparison
The pricing gap is enormous. Drift's $2,500+ monthly cost reflects its enterprise positioning, with additional fees for advanced features and higher usage tiers.
Podium's $89-$399/month pricing makes it accessible to small businesses, with transparent per-location pricing for multi-location businesses.
For most small to medium businesses, Drift's pricing alone eliminates it from consideration.
Drift
Pros
- ✓ Powerful conversational AI
- ✓ Strong B2B focus
- ✓ Advanced lead qualification
Cons
- ✗ Extremely expensive pricing
- ✗ Complex setup and learning curve
- ✗ Overkill for small businesses
Podium
Pros
- ✓ Strong local business focus
- ✓ Integrated payment processing
- ✓ Comprehensive review management
Cons
- ✗ Expensive pricing structure
- ✗ Limited international messaging
- ✗ Complex setup process
Verdict
Choose Drift if you're an enterprise with complex sales processes and need advanced conversational AI. Choose Podium if you're a local business prioritizing SMS and multi-channel messaging at an affordable price point.
Choose Drift if: You're an enterprise B2B company with a substantial budget and complex sales processes requiring advanced automation.
Choose Podium if: You're a local business needing affordable SMS and multi-channel messaging to connect with customers.
For businesses seeking a middle ground with powerful features at reasonable pricing, consider Converge at $49/month flat rate - offering enterprise-grade capabilities without the enterprise price tag.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Drift comparisons and all Podium comparisons.