Drift vs Freshchat
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Drift | Freshchat |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $2500/mo | From $49/seat/mo |
| Best For | Large enterprises with complex B2B sales processes | Large enterprises already using Freshworks products |
| Standout Feature | Advanced conversational AI and revenue acceleration | Deep integration with Freshworks CRM and helpdesk |
| Free Plan | ✗ | ✓ |
| G2 Rating | 4.4 | 4.2 |
Drift and Freshchat both offer conversational customer engagement but target different market segments. Drift focuses on enterprise conversational marketing with premium pricing, while Freshchat provides accessible live chat and messaging for businesses of all sizes.
Both platforms use chat as their primary interface, but Drift emphasizes lead generation and sales automation while Freshchat prioritizes customer support and service.
Feature Comparison
Drift excels in conversational marketing with AI-powered lead qualification, advanced chatbot workflows, and deep CRM integration. It's designed for proactive sales engagement with sophisticated visitor tracking and lead scoring.
Freshchat offers comprehensive live chat with agent collaboration, canned responses, and multi-channel messaging including WhatsApp, Apple Business Chat, and web chat. It includes robust reporting, team management, and integration with Freshworks' broader customer experience suite.
Drift focuses on converting website visitors into qualified leads, while Freshchat emphasizes providing excellent customer service across multiple messaging channels.
Pricing Comparison
The pricing difference is significant. Drift starts at $2,500/month with custom enterprise pricing that can reach $10,000+ monthly, targeting companies with dedicated sales and marketing budgets.
Freshchat offers per-agent pricing from $15-$69/agent/month depending on features needed. A 10-agent team would pay $150-$690/month, making it 3-15x more affordable than Drift's minimum commitment.
Freshchat's tiered pricing allows businesses to start small and scale up, while Drift's high entry point limits access to well-funded enterprises.
Drift
Pros
- ✓ Powerful conversational AI
- ✓ Strong B2B focus
- ✓ Advanced lead qualification
Cons
- ✗ Extremely expensive pricing
- ✗ Complex setup and learning curve
- ✗ Overkill for small businesses
Freshchat
Pros
- ✓ Part of Freshworks ecosystem
- ✓ Strong mobile app
- ✓ Good WhatsApp integration
Cons
- ✗ Per-agent pricing gets expensive
- ✗ Limited customization options
- ✗ Steep learning curve
Verdict
Choose Drift if you're an enterprise needing advanced conversational marketing with substantial budget. Choose Freshchat if you want comprehensive live chat and messaging features at scalable per-agent pricing.
Choose Drift if: You're an enterprise focused on conversational sales and lead generation with budget for premium marketing automation tools.
Choose Freshchat if: You need comprehensive live chat and messaging capabilities with flexible per-agent pricing that scales with your team.
Consider Converge at $49/month flat rate if you want modern customer support features without per-agent costs or enterprise-level complexity.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Drift comparisons and all Freshchat comparisons.