Drift vs Sendbird

Drift is a conversational marketing platform designed for B2B sales automation and lead generation, while Sendbird provides chat and messaging APIs for developers to build custom in-app communication experiences.

Drift offers ready-to-use marketing automation tools for converting website visitors, whereas Sendbird serves as the infrastructure layer for developers building chat functionality into mobile apps and web applications.

Drift provides pre-built chatbots, conversation routing, and CRM integration specifically for B2B lead qualification. Its AI-powered features focus on sales conversion and automated meeting scheduling.

Sendbird offers comprehensive chat APIs including real-time messaging, file sharing, moderation tools, and push notifications. It excels in scalable messaging infrastructure for mobile apps, gaming, and custom applications.

Drift is a complete marketing solution, while Sendbird is a developer platform requiring technical implementation but offering unlimited customization possibilities.

Drift pricing starts at $2,500/month for Premium plans, with enterprise costs scaling based on conversation volume and advanced features. Implementation is immediate but costs are fixed regardless of usage.

Sendbird uses usage-based pricing starting with free tiers, then charging per monthly active user (MAU). Costs scale with user engagement but can be more economical for applications with variable usage patterns.

Choose Drift if you need turnkey conversational marketing tools and sales automation without development work. Choose Sendbird if you're building custom chat experiences and need flexible messaging APIs with developer control.

Choose Drift if: You're a B2B company needing immediate deployment of conversational marketing tools without technical development, focusing on lead generation and sales automation.

Choose Sendbird if: You're building custom applications requiring in-app messaging, have development resources, and need scalable chat infrastructure with full customization control.

For businesses wanting ready-to-use communication tools without the complexity or high costs of enterprise solutions, Converge offers a practical middle ground at $49/month flat rate.