Conversational support without Salesloft enterprise lock-in
Drift (now part of Salesloft) pioneered conversational marketing but has moved upmarket with opaque enterprise pricing. Chatwoot gives you conversational support with proactive campaigns, AI copilot, and omnichannel messaging at prices you can actually see upfront.
- Transparent pricing, no "contact sales" to learn costs
- Omnichannel: WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, and more alongside web chat
- Free plan available on live chat, with all channels on paid plans
- Captain AI copilot for agent productivity
- Self-host for data sovereignty
At a glance
AI copilot
- Chatwoot
- Yes
- Drift
- Yes
Omnichannel
- Chatwoot
- Yes
- Drift
- No
Free plan
- Chatwoot
- Yes
- Drift
- No
Self-hosted option
- Chatwoot
- Yes
- Drift
- No
Open source
- Chatwoot
- Yes
- Drift
- No
Feature comparison
See how Chatwoot and Drift compare across key features.
| Feature | Chatwoot | Drift |
|---|---|---|
| Messaging Channels | ||
| Website live chat | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Yes | No | |
| Instagram DMs | Yes | No |
| Facebook Messenger | Yes | No |
| Telegram | Yes | No |
| LINE | Yes | No |
| SMS | Yes | No |
| TikTok DMs | Yes | No |
| API channel | Yes | Yes |
| AI & Automation | ||
| AI copilot for agents | Yes | Yes |
| AI-powered replies | Yes | Yes |
| Chatbots / bot builder | Yes | Yes |
| Automation rules | Yes | Yes |
| Canned responses | Yes | Yes |
| SLA management | Yes | No |
| Team Collaboration | ||
| Shared inbox | Yes | Yes |
| Private notes | Yes | No |
| Team assignments | Yes | Yes |
| Agent collision detection | Yes | No |
| Labels and tags | Yes | No |
| Contact segments | Yes | Yes |
| Reporting & Analytics | ||
| Conversation reports | Yes | Yes |
| Agent performance reports | Yes | Yes |
| CSAT reports | Yes | No |
| Live dashboard | Yes | No |
| Team reports | Yes | No |
| Custom report filters | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment & Security | ||
| Cloud hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted option | Yes | No |
| Open-source code | Yes | No |
| SSO / SAML | Yes | Yes |
| Audit logs | Yes | No |
| Custom data retention | Yes | No |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
Why teams switch from Drift
Common pain points that lead teams to explore alternatives.
Opaque enterprise pricing
Drift doesn't publish pricing. You need to talk to sales to get a quote, and contracts tend to be annual with enterprise-level commitments. Chatwoot publishes pricing on the website, from free to $99/agent/mo.
Absorbed into Salesloft
Drift is now part of Salesloft's sales engagement platform. The focus has shifted from standalone chat to an enterprise sales suite. Teams wanting focused support tooling may find the direction doesn't align.
Web chat only
Drift is primarily a web chat and email tool. It doesn't offer WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, or other messaging channels natively. Chatwoot includes 12+ channels.
No self-hosting or code access
Drift is closed source and cloud-only. No option for on-premise deployment or code-level customization.
How Chatwoot is different
What makes Chatwoot the right choice over Drift.
Transparent, published pricing
Four plans from free to $99/agent/mo, all listed on the website. No sales calls required to learn what you'll pay.
True omnichannel
Web chat plus WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, TikTok, email, and more. Drift is limited to web chat and email.
Captain AI copilot
Captain writes draft replies, figures out customer intent, and condenses long conversations. Part of every paid plan, not an enterprise add-on.
Support-first design
Built for support teams from the ground up: SLAs, CSAT, team routing, and reporting. Not a sales tool adapted for support.
Open source freedom
No vendor lock-in to Salesloft's ecosystem. Inspect the code, self-host, or migrate anytime.
Self-host anywhere
Deploy on your own infrastructure for data control. Drift offers no alternative to their cloud.
Common questions
Answers to frequently asked questions about switching from Drift to Chatwoot.
Can Chatwoot handle sales conversations like Drift?
Yes. Chatwoot supports proactive chat campaigns, contact management with custom attributes, and team routing. Handy for qualifying leads and handling sales inquiries alongside support.
Does Chatwoot offer chatbots for lead qualification?
Chatwoot integrates with Dialogflow for building chatbot flows and includes Captain AI for automated responses. You can build lead qualification workflows using automation rules and bot integrations.
What happens to Drift now that it's part of Salesloft?
Drift has been integrated into Salesloft's sales engagement platform. The standalone product direction has shifted toward enterprise sales use cases. Teams looking for focused, independent support tooling may want an alternative.
Is Chatwoot suitable for both sales and support teams?
Yes. Multiple team inboxes let sales and support operate from the same platform with separate queues, routing rules, and reporting. Both teams see the full customer context.
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Switching from Drift?
Try Chatwoot free and see the difference. Our team can help you migrate your data and get set up.