[Home](https://www.selecthub.com/) \> [Live Chat](https://www.selecthub.com/category/live-chat/) \> [Live Chat Software](https://www.selecthub.com/c/live-chat-software/) \> [Intercom](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/intercom/) \> Intercom vs Drift # Intercom vs Drift Last Updated: August 17th, 2026 Our analysts compared [Intercom](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/intercom/) vs [Drift](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/drift-ai/) based on data from our 400+ point analysis of [Live Chat Software](https://www.selecthub.com/c/live-chat-software/), user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our [free software selection platform](https://www.selecthub.com/about/start-free-selection-project-site/?category=Live Chat Software&cta=live-chat-software). [Overview](#product-overview) [Pricing](#product-pricing) [Our Review](#product-analyst-summary) [User Ratings](#user-sentiment-section) [Features](#product-benefits-features) [Analyst Ratings](#analyst-rating-section) [Comparison Charts](#product-comparison-charts) [Screenshots](#product-screenshots) Remove Add to Compare [![Intercom Software Tool](https://cdn.selecthub.com/products/889fbd1aec443cef389ea10c93b498d8-874fb916b476c77ce197dde3210c39a2/resources/normal/logo.png?1709831573)](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/intercom/) [ ![Product Awards](https://www.selecthub.com/display/images/awards_badge.svg) ](#awards-section) Remove Add to Compare [![Drift Software Tool](https://cdn.selecthub.com/products/34f5297ef0ba66f4b3ca225078560d11-40f3823f5db35640a571e579058fea95/resources/normal/logo.png?1693318640)](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/drift-ai/) [ ![Product Awards](https://www.selecthub.com/display/images/awards_badge.svg) ](#awards-section) [Get Free Demo](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-demo/?category=Live+Chat+Software&product%5Fname=Intercom&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fd3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net%2Fproducts%2F889fbd1aec443cef389ea10c93b498d8-874fb916b476c77ce197dde3210c39a2%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1709831573) [Demo](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-demo/?category=Live+Chat+Software&product%5Fname=Intercom&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fd3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net%2Fproducts%2F889fbd1aec443cef389ea10c93b498d8-874fb916b476c77ce197dde3210c39a2%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1709831573) [Request Pricing](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-pricing/?category=Live+Chat+Software&product%5Fname=Intercom&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fd3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net%2Fproducts%2F889fbd1aec443cef389ea10c93b498d8-874fb916b476c77ce197dde3210c39a2%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1709831573&price=2) [Pricing](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-pricing/?category=Live+Chat+Software&product%5Fname=Intercom&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fd3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net%2Fproducts%2F889fbd1aec443cef389ea10c93b498d8-874fb916b476c77ce197dde3210c39a2%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1709831573&price=2) [Get Free Demo](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-demo/?category=Live+Chat+Software&product%5Fname=Drift&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fd3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net%2Fproducts%2F34f5297ef0ba66f4b3ca225078560d11-40f3823f5db35640a571e579058fea95%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1693318640) [Demo](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-demo/?category=Live+Chat+Software&product%5Fname=Drift&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fd3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net%2Fproducts%2F34f5297ef0ba66f4b3ca225078560d11-40f3823f5db35640a571e579058fea95%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1693318640) [Request Pricing](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-pricing/?category=Live+Chat+Software&product%5Fname=Drift&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fd3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net%2Fproducts%2F34f5297ef0ba66f4b3ca225078560d11-40f3823f5db35640a571e579058fea95%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1693318640&price=5) [Pricing](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-pricing/?category=Live+Chat+Software&product%5Fname=Drift&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fd3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net%2Fproducts%2F34f5297ef0ba66f4b3ca225078560d11-40f3823f5db35640a571e579058fea95%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1693318640&price=5) ### Products Insights Overall Rating Comparison [ Analyst Rating Intercom - Analyst Score: 82 out of 100 82 Detailed Analysis ](#analyst-rating-section) [ User Sentiment ![Great User Sentiment](https://www.selecthub.com/display/images/scores/great.svg) (3224 Reviews) ](#user-sentiment-section) [ Analyst Rating Drift - Analyst Score: 84 out of 100 84 Detailed Analysis ](#analyst-rating-section) [ User Sentiment ![Great User Sentiment](https://www.selecthub.com/display/images/scores/great.svg) (865 Reviews) ](#user-sentiment-section) Price Starts From $39/Seat, Monthly [Free Trial is available →](https://pmo.selecthub.com/free-trial/?product%5Fname=Intercom&category=Live Chat Software&product%5Flogo=https://d3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net/products/889fbd1aec443cef389ea10c93b498d8-874fb916b476c77ce197dde3210c39a2/resources/normal/logo.png?1709831573) $2,500 Monthly [Free Trial is available →](https://pmo.selecthub.com/free-trial/?product%5Fname=Drift&category=Live Chat Software&product%5Flogo=https://d3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net/products/34f5297ef0ba66f4b3ca225078560d11-40f3823f5db35640a571e579058fea95/resources/normal/logo.png?1693318640) Pros What we like about Intercom and Drift: * Easy to use with an intuitive interface that users find straightforward to navigate * Helpful onboarding resources and training guides make ramp-up simple for new users * Knowledgeable support reps and a single platform for handling all customer outreach * Lets you customize bots, automate responses and organize high volumes of conversations * Intuitive platform that users find easy to learn and use day to day * Clear, detailed reports cover engagement, team performance, response time and lead routing * Built-in video tools make it easy to create, record and share videos with prospects * Attentive customer service plus useful lead routing for sales-heavy workflows Cons What we dislike about Intercom and Drift: * Pricing is hard to understand and skews expensive for smaller buyers * Internal reporting is limited and users find some numbers inaccurate * Costly enough that small businesses often find it out of reach * Push notifications are inconsistent and chats sometimes go missing ### Our Review **Bottom line:** Intercom and Drift AI both run live chat well, but they aim at different buyers. Pick Intercom if you want a broad customer messaging platform for support, onboarding and in-app outreach. Pick Drift AI if your main job is converting website traffic into qualified pipeline for sales. Intercom leans into conversational support. You get product tours, mobile carousels, the Series visual campaign builder and a Resolution Bot that handles common questions. It fits you if support, marketing and product teams all need to message users from one place. Drift AI leans into conversational marketing. Playbooks use IP data to greet visitors, Visitor Intelligence personalizes the chat, and the Deal Room helps reps collaborate on live opportunities. It fits you if you're routing high-intent visitors to sales reps in real time. Pricing splits along the same lines. Intercom starts at $39 per seat per month, so you can start small and add seats. Drift AI starts at $2,500 per month, which signals a bigger commitment aimed at sales-led companies. The intervals differ, so weigh each against your own usage. Reporting is another fork. Users find Drift AI's reports clear and detailed across engagement, routing and response time. Intercom users say internal reports feel limited and sometimes inaccurate, which matters if dashboards drive your decisions. If you need one tool for support, in-app messaging and lifecycle marketing, Intercom is the safer pick. If you're a sales-driven shop and want pipeline acceleration with strong lead routing, Drift AI earns the look despite the higher entry price. ### Analyst Rating Summary Overall Scores Based on the research and analysis by SelectHub's team of research analysts, Intercom has an analyst rating of 82\. By comparison Drift has an analyst rating of 84\. Intercom - Analyst Score: 82 out of 100 82 Drift - Analyst Score: 84 out of 100 84 Features Comparison **Conversation Management** Handle every customer question efficiently by seeing the full history of their interactions and automatically routing them to the right team member, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. 83 85 **Customer Collaboration** Team up with colleagues in private side conversations right within the chat window to quickly resolve complex customer issues without making the customer wait. 50 63 **Online Visitor Management** See exactly who is browsing your site in real time, what pages they are viewing, and where they came from so you can proactively offer assistance when they need it most. 100 100 [Show More](#) [Show More](https://pmo.selecthub.com/customize-data/?category=Live Chat Software) Strengths The best features of Intercom and Drift as judged by user reviews and analyst validation. Online Visitor Management Integration and Extensibility Online Visitor Management Platform Capabilities Conversation Management Integration and Extensibility ### Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements [Customize This Data](#) [Customize This Data](https://pmo.selecthub.com/customize-data/?category=Live Chat Software) How Intercom and Drift compare against the top 5 functional requirements as defined by SelectHub project data. Intercom Drift \+ Add Product [\+ Add Product](https://pmo.selecthub.com/customize-data/?category=Live Chat Software) Conversation Management CustomerCollaboration Online VisitorManagement Platform Capabilities Ticket Management 83 50 100 83 65 85 63 100 90 65 0 25 50 75 100 Implementation Level of Effort Estimation **Tier 1:** Fully/moderately supported out-of-the-box allowing for quick and easy deployment. [Read more](#) **Tier 2:** Supported with workarounds or add-ons that may require additional costs. **Tier 3:** Requires partner integrations or custom development that is often at an additional cost. **Conversation Management** Handle every customer question efficiently by seeing the full history of their interactions and automatically routing them to the right team member, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. 74% 0% 26% 83% 0% 17% **Customer Collaboration** Team up with colleagues in private side conversations right within the chat window to quickly resolve complex customer issues without making the customer wait. 29% 0% 71% 43% 0% 57% **Online Visitor Management** See exactly who is browsing your site in real time, what pages they are viewing, and where they came from so you can proactively offer assistance when they need it most. 100% 0% 0% 100% 0% 0% **Platform Capabilities** Connect this chat tool with all your other business systems like CRM and help desk, creating a single, powerful platform that works perfectly within your existing workflow. 76% 0% 24% 86% 0% 14% **Ticket Management** Turn any live chat conversation into a support ticket instantly, making sure no follow-up request is ever missed and every customer issue is tracked and resolved. 40% 0% 60% 40% 0% 60% **Customize This Data For Your Unique Needs**and compare feature capabilities head-to-head [CUSTOMIZE NOW](#) [CUSTOMIZE NOW](https://pmo.selecthub.com/customize-data/?category=Live Chat Software) ### Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements [Customize This Data](#) [Customize This Data](https://pmo.selecthub.com/customize-data/?category=Live Chat Software) Implementation Level of Effort Estimation **Tier 1:** Fully/moderately supported out-of-the-box allowing for quick and easy deployment. [Read more](#) **Tier 2:** Supported with workarounds or add-ons that may require additional costs. **Tier 3:** Requires partner integrations or custom development that is often at an additional cost. **Integration And Extensibility** Connect this tool with all the other software you already use, creating a seamless workflow that lets you pull up customer details and log activity instantly. 89% 0% 11% 72% 0% 28% **Requirements Summary**Of typical requirements, 72.7% are fully supported out of the box by Intercom including Online Visitor Management, Integration And Extensibility and Platform Capabilities. Drift supports 75% and excels at Online Visitor Management, Platform Capabilities and Conversation Management. Intercom has an analyst rating of 82 and a user sentiment rating of 'great' based on 3224 reviews, while Drift has an analyst rating of 84 and a user sentiment rating of 'great' based on 865 reviews. Intercom is a SelectHub award-winner. ### User Sentiment Summary Intercom has a user sentiment rating of 89 based on 3224 reviews. Drift has a user sentiment rating of 87 based on 865 reviews. ![Great User Sentiment](https://www.selecthub.com/display/images/scores/great.svg) 3224 reviews ![Great User Sentiment](https://www.selecthub.com/display/images/scores/great.svg) 865 reviews Synopsis Evaluating all review platforms, our market analysts have compiled the following user sentiment data. 89% of users recommend this product Intercom has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 89% when considering 3224 user reviews from 6 recognized software review sites. 87% of users recommend this product Drift has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 87% when considering 865 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites. User Review Scores **FinancesOnline** **5.0** (19) **4.3** (21) **G2.com, Inc** **4.4** (1333) **4.3** (490) **Software Advice, Inc** **4.52** (859) **4.48** (166) **Capterra Inc** **4.5** (754) **4.5** (151) **Gartner, Inc** **4.4** (147) n/a **TrustRadius** **4.2** (112) **4.0** (37) ### Awards SelectHub awards earned by these products based on a comprehensive analysis by our research analysts. SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Intercom and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Online Visitor Management. ![Online Visitor Management Award]() SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Drift and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Online Visitor Management. ![Online Visitor Management Award]() ### Product Assistance Training Resources Documentation In Person Live Online Videos Webinars Documentation In Person Live Online Videos Webinars Support Email Phone Chat FAQ Forum Help Desk Knowledge Base Tickets Training 24/7 Live Support Email Phone Chat FAQ Forum Help Desk Knowledge Base Tickets Training 24/7 Live Support ### Product Basics Company Size i Small Medium Large Small Medium Large Platforms Supported Windows Mac Linux Android Chromebook Windows Mac Linux Android Chromebook Deployment Supported Cloud On-Premise Mobile Cloud On-Premise Mobile Comparison of Top Alternatives [Intercom Alternatives ](https://www.selecthub.com/live-chat-software/intercom/alternatives/) [Drift Alternatives ](https://www.selecthub.com/live-chat-software/drift-ai/alternatives/) ### Screenshots ![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]() ![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]() ### Key Features * **Conversational support** – Manages, routes and prioritizes conversations, with a Resolution Bot that auto-answers common questions and chatbots that adapt to customer behavior. * **Series campaign builder** – Drag-and-drop visual builder lets you create behavior-based messaging campaigns with adjustable paths for wait time, message type and tags. * **Team messaging inbox** – Handles web, mobile, email and social conversations from one place, with separate inboxes, permissions and notes for collaboration. * **Product tours** – Builds customizable interactive walkthroughs that orient new customers and explain features without extra dev work. * **Mobile carousels** – Code-free interface sends dynamic carousel messages, requests device permissions and opens deep links inside your mobile app. * **Live chat** – Connects with website visitors, captures leads and manages multi-inbox conversations, with internal notes and conversational ratings on the site. * **Playbooks** – Automated workflows use IP data to greet visitors, send targeted messages, run campaigns and route hot leads straight to your team. * **Reports** – Detailed dashboards cover website engagement, team performance, response time, routing and leads acquired in one view. * **Email bots** – AI-powered email bots handle replies, tell humans from autoresponders, route messages and keep follow-ups on track. * **Visitor intelligence** – Identifies website visitors and uses shared details like email or location to personalize the bot conversation in real time. ### Top Alternatives in Live Chat Software [ Chaport ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/chaport/) [ Chatra ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/chatra/) [ Crisp ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/crisp/) [ Drift ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/drift-ai/) [ Freshchat ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/freshchat/) [ JivoChat ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/jivochat/) [ LiveAgent ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/help-desk-software/liveagent/) [ LiveChat ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/livechat/) [ Olark ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/olark/) [ Pure Chat ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/pure-chat/) [ Smartsupp ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/smartsupp/) [ tawk.to ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/tawk-to/) [ Tidio ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/tidio/) [ Userlike ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/live-chat-software/userlike/) [ Zoho SalesIQ ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/customer-engagement-platforms/zoho-salesiq/) ### Related Categories Intercom and Drift can also be found with other leading products in these categories: [CCM Software ](https://www.selecthub.com/c/customer-communication-management-software/) [Conversational AI Platforms ](https://www.selecthub.com/c/conversational-ai-platforms/) [Customer Success Software ](https://www.selecthub.com/c/customer-success-software/) [Help Desk Software ](https://www.selecthub.com/c/help-desk-software/) [Remote Desktop Software ](https://www.selecthub.com/c/remote-desktop-software/) Show more [Conversational AI Platforms ](https://www.selecthub.com/c/conversational-ai-platforms/) Show more ### Head-to-Head Comparison ![Intercom Software Tool]() ![Chaport Software Tool]() [Intercom VS Chaport](https://www.selecthub.com/live-chat-software/intercom-vs-chaport/) ![Intercom Software Tool]() ![Chatra Software Tool]() [Intercom VS Chatra](https://www.selecthub.com/live-chat-software/intercom-vs-chatra/) ![Intercom Software Tool]() ![Crisp Software Tool]() [Intercom VS Crisp](https://www.selecthub.com/live-chat-software/crisp-vs-intercom/) ![Intercom Software Tool]() ![Drift Software Tool]() [Intercom VS Drift](https://www.selecthub.com/live-chat-software/intercom-vs-drift-ai/) ![Intercom Software Tool]() ![JivoChat Software Tool]() [Intercom VS JivoChat](https://www.selecthub.com/live-chat-software/intercom-vs-jivochat/) ![Intercom Software Tool]() ![LiveChat Software Tool]() [Intercom VS LiveChat](https://www.selecthub.com/live-chat-software/intercom-vs-livechat/) ![Intercom Software Tool]() ![Olark Software Tool]() [Intercom VS Olark](https://www.selecthub.com/live-chat-software/intercom-vs-olark/) ![Intercom Software Tool]() ![Pure Chat Software Tool]() [Intercom VS Pure Chat](https://www.selecthub.com/live-chat-software/intercom-vs-pure-chat/) ![Intercom Software Tool]() ![Smartsupp Software Tool]() [Intercom VS Smartsupp](https://www.selecthub.com/live-chat-software/intercom-vs-smartsupp/) ![Intercom Software Tool]() ![tawk.to Software Tool]() [Intercom VS tawk.to](https://www.selecthub.com/live-chat-software/intercom-vs-tawk-to/) ![Intercom Software Tool]() ![Tidio Software Tool]() [Intercom VS Tidio](https://www.selecthub.com/live-chat-software/intercom-vs-tidio/) ![Intercom Software Tool]() ![Userlike Software Tool]() [Intercom VS Userlike](https://www.selecthub.com/live-chat-software/intercom-vs-userlike/) **About SelectHub (and our data)** We’re the employee-owned Austin-based startup democratizing software data so you can make your decisions in an influence-free zone. Our market data is crowdsourced from our user-base of 100,000+ companies. WE DISTILL IT INTO REAL REQUIREMENTS, COMPARISON REPORTS, PRICE GUIDES and more... ![SelectHub Products Reporting and Analytics]() [Build Your Requirements](https://pmo.selecthub.com/lcs-software-requirements-onsite/) ![SelectHub Products Cost and Pricing Guide]() [Get Your Free Comparison Report](https://pmo.selecthub.com/request-custom-scorecard/?category=Live%20Chat%20Software) **Tier 1:** Fully/moderately supported out-of-the-box allowing for quick and easy deployment. Fully or moderately supported out-of-the-box with industry-leading capabilities and is immediately available after installation without needing any add-ons, integrations, or custom development. **Tier 2:** Supported with workarounds or add-ons that may require additional costs. Not directly available in the software, but can be accomplished using other built-in features, workarounds, or add-ons/products from the vendor with or without any additional cost. **Tier 3:** Requires partner integrations or custom development that is often at an additional cost. Requires additional integrations, plugins, marketplace applications from a third-party vendor, or custom development using the APIs, libraries, extensions, and development framework supported by the software, with or without any additional cost. 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