Intercom vs Drift
Which one should you choose? Here's how they compare.
| Feature | Intercom | Drift |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4.3 | ★ 4.1 |
| Pricing | $74/mo | Custom |
| Type | paid | paid |
| Company | Intercom | Drift |
| Founded | 2011 | 2014 |
Intercom Features
- •Live chat
- •AI bot
- •Help center
- •Product tours
Drift Features
- •Live chat
- •AI bot
- •Meeting booking
Intercom Pros
- ✓Comprehensive
- ✓Good AI
- ✓All-in-one
Intercom Cons
- ✗Expensive
- ✗Complex
- ✗Overkill for small
Drift Pros
- ✓Good for sales
- ✓AI qualification
- ✓Revenue focused
Drift Cons
- ✗Very expensive
- ✗Complex
- ✗Enterprise focused
The Verdict
Intercom (by Intercom, founded 2011) and Drift (by Drift, founded 2014) both compete in the marketing space, but they serve slightly different needs. Both tools offer 4 core features, but their strengths differ. Intercom excels at live chat, whereas Drift puts more emphasis on ai bot. However, Intercom has a distinct advantage for Customer support and Sales. On the other hand, Drift is better suited for Sales qualification and Lead routing. Intercom is particularly popular among SaaS companies and Support teams, while Drift tends to attract B2B sales teams and Revenue teams. Both tools operate on a paid model starting at $74/mo, making cost a non-factor in your decision. No tool is perfect. Intercom's main limitation is expensive, which might be a dealbreaker for some workflows. Meanwhile, Drift's biggest drawback is very expensive. We recommend Intercom as the stronger overall choice (4.3 vs 4.1). It pulls ahead with stronger live chat capabilities. However, if your workflow centers on live chat, Drift remains a highly capable alternative.
- • You prioritize live chat
- • You prioritize ai bot
- • You prioritize live chat
- • You prioritize ai bot