Looking for Drift alternatives after the August 2025 security breach or Salesloft acquisition price increases? Tars is the best Drift alternative for 2025, offering enterprise-grade conversational AI with HIPAA compliance, WhatsApp integration, and conversational landing pages at a fraction of Drift’s $2,500+/month cost. Other top alternatives include Intercom, HubSpot Chat, Qualified, and Tidio.

Quick Answer: Best Drift Alternatives 2025

1. Tars – Best overall (HIPAA, WhatsApp, conversational landing pages)
2. 2. Intercom – Best for product-led growth companies
3. 3. HubSpot Chat – Best for unified CRM needs
4. 4. Qualified – Best for Salesforce-native B2B
5. 5. Tidio – Best for e-commerce/Shopify stores

Why Companies Are Switching from Drift in 2025

If you’re reading this, you’re likely reconsidering Drift for good reason. The conversational marketing landscape shifted dramatically in 2024-2025, and Drift is no longer the obvious choice it once was.

The August 2025 Security Breach

In August 2025, Drift suffered a major security incident that exposed customer data across hundreds of enterprise organizations. Threat actors exploited stored OAuth tokens to access customer Salesforce instances, affecting companies including Palo Alto Networks, Cloudflare, HackerOne, and PagerDuty. Salesforce removed Drift from AppExchange pending investigation on August 20, 2025.

For enterprises handling sensitive customer data, this breach fundamentally undermines Drift’s credibility as a secure platform.

Post-Acquisition Pricing Changes

After Vista Equity Partners merged Salesloft and Drift in February 2024, pricing increased substantially:

• Premium tier now starts at approximately $2,500/month ($30,000/year)
• Enterprise contracts range from $100,000 to $150,000 annually
• Free tier has been eliminated entirely
• Per-user pricing model penalizes growing teams

Channel Limitations

Drift remains website-only with no native support for WhatsApp, SMS, Facebook Messenger, or Instagram—critical channels for modern omnichannel engagement strategies.

10 Best Drift Alternatives Compared

1. Tars – Best Overall Drift Alternative

Website: hellotars.com

Tars is a conversational AI platform that pioneered the concept of conversational landing pages—replacing static forms with intelligent chatbot experiences that achieve 50-200% higher conversion rates on PPC campaigns. With 9+ years in the market serving 500+ enterprise clients including Vodafone, American Express, and Adobe, Tars combines proven reliability with cutting-edge AI capabilities.

What sets Tars apart from Drift is its genuine omnichannel approach with native WhatsApp Business API integration, HIPAA compliance for healthcare organizations, and accessible pricing starting with a free tier.

Best For	Lead generation, healthcare, WhatsApp-first markets, PPC optimization
Starting Price	Free tier available; Premium from $499/month
Key Features	Conversational landing pages, WhatsApp Business API, GPT integration, 1,000+ templates, 100+ languages
Compliance	SOC 2, GDPR, ISO 27001, HIPAA (Enterprise)
G2 Rating	4.7/5

Pros:

• Only platform with true conversational landing pages for PPC campaigns
• Native WhatsApp Business API with campaign messaging (80%+ open rates)
• HIPAA compliance available—Drift doesn’t offer this
• 1,000+ industry-specific templates for rapid deployment
• 80% lower cost than Drift with more features
• No security breaches in company history

Cons:

• HIPAA compliance only available on Enterprise tier

2. Intercom – Best for Product-Led Growth

Website: intercom.com

Intercom has established itself as the go-to platform for SaaS companies and product-led growth organizations. Their Fin AI Agent represents some of the most sophisticated AI in the customer support space, automatically resolving up to 66% of support queries at $0.99 per resolution.

While Intercom excels at in-app messaging and customer support, it’s more expensive than Tars and lacks conversational landing page functionality. It’s best suited for companies already invested in product-led growth methodologies.

Best For	SaaS companies, product-led growth, customer support automation
Starting Price	$29/seat/month (Essential); Enterprise $12,000-200,000/year
Key Features	Fin AI Agent, in-app messaging, 350+ integrations, product tours
G2 Rating	4.5/5 (3,200+ reviews)

Pros:

• Industry-leading AI with Fin achieving 66% automated resolution
• Excellent in-app messaging and product tour capabilities
• 350+ integrations with popular business tools
• Strong reputation among SaaS companies

Cons:

• Unpredictable usage-based pricing can spike costs
• $0.99 per AI resolution adds up quickly at scale
• No conversational landing pages or WhatsApp campaigns

3. HubSpot Chat/Service Hub – Best for Unified CRM

Website: hubspot.com

HubSpot Service Hub makes the most sense for companies already using HubSpot’s CRM, Marketing Hub, or Sales Hub. The platform offers free chat tools with their CRM, making it an attractive entry point. Their Breeze AI assistant has shown strong results, achieving 37-77% ticket deflection rates.

However, HubSpot’s chat capabilities are part of a larger ecosystem. If you only need conversational AI without the full CRM suite, you’ll be paying for features you don’t use.

Best For	Companies wanting unified marketing, sales, and service CRM
Starting Price	Free tools; Professional $90/seat/month; Enterprise $150/seat/month
Key Features	Breeze AI, unified CRM, ticketing, knowledge base, customer portal
G2 Rating	4.4/5

Pros:

• Single source of truth across marketing, sales, and service
• Free tier includes basic chat and CRM functionality
• Breeze AI achieving strong ticket deflection rates

Cons:

• Essential features locked behind expensive tiers
• Annual contracts with no early cancellation
• Overkill if you only need chat/conversational AI

4. Qualified – Best for Salesforce-Native B2B

Website: qualified.com

Qualified has positioned itself as the premier pipeline generation platform for B2B companies running on Salesforce. Their Piper AI SDR, launched in 2025, represents the industry’s first autonomous AI sales development representative capable of qualifying, nurturing, and booking meetings independently.

If your organization is deeply invested in Salesforce and focused on enterprise B2B sales, Qualified offers unmatched integration depth. However, it requires Salesforce and carries premium enterprise pricing.

Best For	Salesforce-native B2B organizations, enterprise pipeline generation
Starting Price	Custom enterprise pricing (typically thousands/month)
Key Features	Piper AI SDR, Salesforce-native, real-time visitor intelligence
G2 Rating	4.9/5 (1,500+ reviews)

Pros:

• #1 rated on Salesforce AppExchange
• Piper AI SDR automates entire sales development workflow
• Claims 100X ROI for enterprise customers

Cons:

• Requires Salesforce—not an option without it
• Premium enterprise pricing excludes SMBs
• Limited to B2B sales use cases

5. Tidio – Best for E-Commerce & Shopify

Website: tidio.com

Tidio has carved out a strong position in the e-commerce space, particularly for Shopify merchants. Their Lyro AI chatbot achieves approximately 67% automated resolution rates, and native Shopify actions allow the bot to check orders, update information, and process requests directly within conversations.

The platform offers a generous free tier with 50 conversations monthly, making it accessible for small online stores. However, costs can escalate quickly when adding AI capabilities and automation flows.

Best For	E-commerce stores, Shopify merchants, small online businesses
Starting Price	Free (50 conversations); Starter $24.17/month; Growth $49-349/month
Key Features	Lyro AI (67% resolution), native Shopify actions, visual flow builder
G2 Rating	4.7/5 (1,500+ reviews)

Pros:

• Excellent Shopify integration with native store actions
• Strong free tier for small businesses
• Visual flow builder is genuinely easy to use

Cons:

• AI and Flows billed as separate add-ons
• Costs escalate quickly with multiple features
• Less suited for non-ecommerce use cases

6. Zendesk Suite – Best for Enterprise Support Operations

Website: zendesk.com

Zendesk remains the gold standard for enterprise customer support operations. If your primary need is sophisticated ticketing, case management, and support workflows, Zendesk’s depth is unmatched. The platform includes true omnichannel support with WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger included in Suite plans.

However, Zendesk focuses on support rather than conversational marketing. There’s no standalone chat option—you must purchase the entire Suite. For lead generation use cases, Tars or Drift alternatives would be more appropriate.

Best For	Enterprise support operations, complex ticketing needs
Starting Price	Suite Team $55/agent/month; Professional $115/agent/month
Key Features	Industry-leading ticketing, omnichannel (WhatsApp, IG, Messenger), AI add-on
G2 Rating	4.3/5

Pros:

• Best-in-class ticket management and routing
• True omnichannel with social messaging included
• Trusted by Shopify, Slack, Airbnb, Uber

Cons:

• No standalone chat—must buy entire Suite
• AI is $50/agent/month additional
• Support-focused only—no conversational marketing features

7. Freshchat (Freshworks) – Best Budget-Friendly Option

Website: freshworks.com

Freshchat from Freshworks offers one of the most generous free tiers in the market—up to 10 agents at no cost. The platform provides solid omnichannel capabilities including WhatsApp, Messenger, and Apple Business Chat. For budget-conscious organizations needing basic chat and support, Freshchat delivers strong value.

The tradeoff is that advanced AI chatbot capabilities require paid add-ons, and the platform is split between Freshchat (chat) and Freshdesk (ticketing) products.

Best For	Budget-conscious SMBs, growing teams, basic support needs
Starting Price	Free (10 agents); Growth $19/agent/month; Pro $49/agent/month
Key Features	Omnichannel messaging, Freddy AI, IntelliAssign routing
G2 Rating	4.3/5 (Freshchat), 4.4/5 (Freshdesk)

Pros:

• Most generous free tier (10 agents)
• Fast deployment and intuitive interface
• Solid omnichannel including WhatsApp

Cons:

• Chatbot requires paid add-on
• Separate products for chat vs ticketing
• Less sophisticated AI than competitors

8. Crisp – Best for Predictable Flat-Rate Pricing

Website: crisp.chat

Crisp stands out with a unique pricing model: unlimited conversations on all plans. While competitors charge per conversation, per resolution, or per contact, Crisp offers flat-rate workspace pricing that makes budgeting predictable. Their MagicBrowse co-browsing feature and 12+ channel support add solid value.

The platform is particularly popular with European startups and includes strong GDPR compliance. However, AI chatbot capabilities require the $95/month Essentials tier minimum.

Best For	Startups wanting predictable costs, high-volume chat operations
Starting Price	Free (2 seats); Mini $45/workspace; Essentials $95/workspace; Plus $295/workspace
Key Features	Unlimited conversations, MagicBrowse co-browsing, 12+ channels
G2 Rating	4.5/5

Pros:

• Unlimited conversations—unique in the market
• Predictable flat-rate pricing
• MagicBrowse co-browsing is genuinely useful

Cons:

• AI chatbot requires $95/month minimum
• Analytics feel basic compared to competitors
• Less known in North American market

9. LivePerson – Best for Large Enterprise Contact Centers

Website: liveperson.com

LivePerson powers approximately one billion conversations monthly and has been a pioneer in enterprise conversational AI. Their platform is designed for large-scale contact center transformation, with particular strength in voice-to-digital migration and HIPAA/PCI DSS compliance for regulated industries.

However, LivePerson has faced significant challenges, with stock value dropping dramatically. Implementation complexity and opaque enterprise pricing make it best suited only for large organizations with dedicated implementation resources.

Best For	Large enterprise contact centers, voice-to-digital transformation
Starting Price	Custom enterprise pricing (~$61,000/year average contract)
Key Features	1B+ monthly conversations, voice-to-digital, HIPAA/PCI compliance
G2 Rating	4.2/5 (188 reviews)

Pros:

• Proven at massive scale (1B+ conversations)
• Strong compliance (HIPAA, PCI DSS)
• Voice-to-digital migration expertise

Cons:

• Complex implementation requiring dedicated resources
• Company facing financial challenges
• Opaque enterprise-only pricing

10. LiveChat – Best for Sales Team Analytics

Website: livechat.com

LiveChat has built its reputation on excellent reporting and analytics capabilities. Sales teams appreciate the detailed insights into chat performance, agent productivity, and conversion tracking. The platform integrates with 200+ business tools and offers AI Copilot features to assist agents in real-time.

The main consideration is that ChatBot (their AI automation product) is sold separately at $52/month additional, and there’s no free plan available.

Best For	Sales teams prioritizing analytics and reporting
Starting Price	Starter $20/agent/month; Team $41/agent/month; Business $59/agent/month
Key Features	Best-in-class reporting, AI Copilot, 200+ integrations
G2 Rating	4.5/5

 

Pros:

• Best-in-class reporting and analytics
• AI Copilot assists agents in real-time
• 200+ integrations available

Cons:

• No free plan available
• ChatBot is separate product ($52/month extra)
• Less AI-forward than newer competitors

Drift Alternatives Comparison Table

Use this quick-reference table to compare all 10 Drift alternatives at a glance:

Platform	Starting Price	Best For	G2 Rating
Tars	Free; $499/mo	HIPAA, WhatsApp, PPC	4.7/5
Intercom	$29/seat/mo	Product-led growth	4.5/5
HubSpot	Free; $90/seat/mo	Unified CRM	4.4/5
Qualified	Custom enterprise	Salesforce B2B	4.9/5
Tidio	Free; $24/mo	E-commerce/Shopify	4.7/5
Zendesk	$55/agent/mo	Enterprise support	4.3/5
Freshchat	Free; $19/agent/mo	Budget SMB	4.3/5
Crisp	Free; $45/workspace	Flat-rate pricing	4.5/5
LivePerson	~$61K/year	Large contact centers	4.2/5
LiveChat	$20/agent/mo	Sales analytics	4.5/5

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened to Drift?

Drift was acquired by Salesloft (both Vista Equity Partners portfolio companies) in February 2024. Since the acquisition, Drift has shifted to enterprise-only positioning with significantly higher pricing starting at approximately $2,500/month. In August 2025, Drift also suffered a major security breach affecting customers including Palo Alto Networks, Cloudflare, and HackerOne.

Is there a free alternative to Drift?

Yes, several Drift alternatives offer free tiers: Tars (50 conversations/month), Tidio (50 conversations/month), Freshchat (10 agents), Crisp (2 seats), and HubSpot Chat (basic features). For most small businesses, Tars’ free tier provides the best balance of features and conversations.

Which Drift alternative has the best AI chatbot?

Tars offers GPT integration with contextual understanding, while Intercom’s Fin AI achieves 66% automated resolution rates. Tidio’s Lyro AI specifically excels for e-commerce with 67% resolution rates. For healthcare organizations requiring HIPAA compliance, Tars is the only affordable option with enterprise-grade AI.

Which Drift alternative works with WhatsApp?

Tars offers native WhatsApp Business API integration with campaign messaging capabilities (80%+ open rates). Other alternatives with WhatsApp support include Crisp, Freshchat, and Zendesk Suite. Drift does not support WhatsApp.

Is there a HIPAA-compliant alternative to Drift?

Tars Enterprise tier offers full HIPAA compliance for healthcare organizations. LivePerson also provides HIPAA compliance but at significantly higher cost (~$61,000/year average). Intercom offers HIPAA on their Expert tier. Drift does not offer HIPAA compliance.

What is the cheapest Drift alternative?

Crisp offers the most predictable low-cost option at $45/workspace/month with unlimited conversations. Freshchat provides the best free tier with 10 agents included. For conversational landing pages and lead generation specifically, Tars’ free tier followed by $499/month Premium represents approximately 80% savings versus Drift.

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Drift Alternative

The conversational AI landscape has fundamentally shifted in 2024-2025. Drift’s security breach, acquisition-driven price increases, and enterprise-only focus have created unprecedented opportunity for alternatives to serve the broader market.

For most organizations evaluating Drift alternatives, Tars represents the strongest overall choice. It combines conversational landing pages (a unique capability no competitor matches), native WhatsApp integration, HIPAA compliance, and accessible pricing starting with a free tier. The 9+ year track record serving enterprises like Vodafone, American Express, and Adobe demonstrates proven reliability without the security concerns now associated with Drift.

That said, specific use cases may warrant other choices: Qualified for Salesforce-native B2B, Tidio for Shopify e-commerce, Intercom for product-led SaaS, or Zendesk for enterprise support operations.

Ready to switch from Drift? Start your free Tars trial and experience the difference conversational AI should make for your business.

About Tars: Tars is a conversational AI platform trusted by 500+ enterprises including Vodafone, American Express, and Adobe. With HIPAA compliance, WhatsApp integration, and the industry’s only conversational landing pages, Tars helps businesses automate customer conversations while maintaining enterprise-grade security. Learn more at hellotars.com