7 Drift Alternatives for 2026: Replace the Legacy Chat Tool

Drift is being retired by Clari + Salesloft on January 31, 2027. Your access can end sooner if your contract ends first, and remaining Drift data is scheduled for permanent deletion on May 1, 2027. Checked October 30, 2026 against the official Drift Sunset FAQ. The right Drift alternative depends on what you used: AI sales conversations, lead routing, website chat, customer support, or email reply management.

• 1mind, Best for: existing Drift customers who want the named successor path.
• Qualified Piper, Best for: Salesforce-first teams focused on inbound pipeline.
• HubSpot live chat, Best for: teams that already use HubSpot CRM and want chat close to contact records.

Quick comparison

Why Drift users need a replacement plan

Drift helped teams greet website visitors, ask qualifying questions, route high-intent leads, book meetings, and personalize conversations using visitor or account context. Those jobs still matter, but the product has a fixed end date. Clari + Salesloft announced the gradual sunset in March 2026 and named 1mind as its exclusive AI successor for the conversational marketing use case. The official partnership announcement, checked October 30, 2026, describes the referral arrangement.

Salesloft's Drift Sunset FAQ, checked October 30, 2026, sets January 31, 2027 as the retirement date. Access ends then or at contract end, whichever comes first. The widget, Drift Email and custom Drift API integrations stop after retirement. For contracts that run later, data stays offline for export requests through April 30, 2027; remaining data is scheduled for deletion on May 1, 2027.

The separate official restoration guide, checked October 30, 2026, says Drift became accessible again but some functions remain limited. Playbooks and the widget are initially turned off, integrations are being restored in phases, Drift Email is not live, and some report exports remain unavailable. Confirm the current state of your account before relying on an old workflow or assuming every feature is restored.

1. 1mind: the named successor for buyer conversations

Best for: Existing Drift customers who want an AI sales agent and already use or plan to use the Clari + Salesloft revenue workflow.

1mind is the first option to evaluate if your goal is to follow the path set out by Drift's owner. The official Salesloft announcement, checked October 30, 2026, says Clari + Salesloft will refer existing Drift clients to 1mind as the successor. Salesloft's current Chat Agents page, checked October 30, 2026, says it has transitioned from Drift to 1mind.

1mind positions its product around AI sales agents, called Superhumans, that can engage buyers, answer questions, qualify interest, demonstrate products, and move a conversation toward the next sales step. Review the official 1mind site, checked October 30, 2026, to confirm which capabilities and integrations fit your sales process.

Price: No public price was listed on the official site checked October 30, 2026. Request a demo and a written quote at the official 1mind site.

Pros: It is the named successor and may fit teams that want an AI sales-agent approach.

Cons: Do not assume it matches every playbook, integration, report or API call. Pricing is quote-based, not self-serve.

Who should skip it: Smaller teams that mainly need a human-operated live chat inbox, a basic FAQ bot, or a low fixed monthly bill should compare simpler options before booking a sales process.

2. Qualified Piper: for Salesforce-first inbound pipeline

Best for: B2B marketing teams that rely on Salesforce and need website and email engagement tied to pipeline work.

Qualified describes Piper as an AI SDR agent that can engage website visitors, work with inbound email, qualify prospects, and schedule meetings. Its Piper product page, checked October 30, 2026, describes those workflows. Qualified also says its platform is built natively on Salesforce, which makes CRM fit a central selection point rather than a minor integration detail.

Price: Qualified's official pricing page, checked October 30, 2026, lists Premier, Enterprise, and Ultimate plans but asks buyers to contact sales instead of publishing a price. The public pricing page lists Premier, Enterprise and Ultimate but does not publish prices. Ask Qualified to confirm included session and email-contact capacity in writing before comparing a quote.

Pros: Piper fits teams that need Salesforce-led inbound pipeline, qualification and meeting handoff.

Cons: It is quote-based, and plan capacity must match traffic, email contacts, routing and CRM needs. Confirm included capacity and usage terms in writing.

Who should skip it: Teams without Salesforce, or those who only need a small live chat inbox, may be paying for a larger revenue workflow than they need.

3. HubSpot live chat: for teams already using HubSpot CRM

Best for: Teams that want website chat, contact records, and follow-up workflows inside their existing HubSpot setup.

HubSpot's live chat page, checked October 30, 2026, offers live chat as part of its free CRM entry point. It is worth evaluating if you already store contacts, deals, and sales activity in HubSpot, because the conversation can sit closer to the CRM record instead of creating another separate workflow.

Do not treat every HubSpot AI feature as free. The official customer-agent setup guide, last updated September 16, 2026 and checked October 30, 2026, says customer-agent setup requires HubSpot Credits and the required permissions. It describes a 14-day free access period for the customer agent.

Price: Live chat is offered free on the official product page checked October 30, 2026. Customer-agent access and credit usage depend on the eligible subscription and setup terms in the official guide.

Pros: It keeps chat close to existing HubSpot contact and deal records.

Cons: Free chat is not the same as Drift's full targeting and revenue workflows. AI features have separate requirements.

Who should skip it: Teams that do not want to standardize on HubSpot or need a dedicated AI sales agent should compare 1mind and Qualified first.

4. Chili Piper: for lead routing and meeting booking

Best for: B2B teams where the most important Drift job was to qualify a form submission, route the lead, and get a meeting on the right calendar.

Chili Piper's official pricing page, checked October 30, 2026, describes Routing & Scheduling with inbound lead distribution, automated chat journeys, qualification, round-robin assignment, Salesforce object routing, live chat, and scheduling links. The Experiences tier adds agent-powered website experiences and account identification for account-based marketing.

Price: Routing & Scheduling starts at US$1,250 per month with 15 seats and 45,000 AI credits per year; extra seats are US$45 per month. Experiences starts at US$3,500 per month with 30 seats and 150,000 AI credits per year; extra seats are US$50 per month. These amounts and credit allowances are shown on the official pricing page, checked October 30, 2026. The page says credits are used for enrichment, agents and AI actions.

Pros: Routing and scheduling are core workflows, with published starting prices.

Cons: It may not replace every conversational answer, custom chatbot path, or historical reporting workflow you used in Drift. Evaluate the Routing & Scheduling and Experiences tiers against the exact features you need.

Who should skip it: Teams that mainly need an AI agent to answer product questions or a support inbox may prefer a conversation-focused tool.

5. Intercom: for support-led messaging and AI

Best for: Teams that want live chat, a shared inbox, ticketing, help content, and AI-assisted customer service in one platform.

Intercom's official pricing page, checked October 30, 2026, lists Essential, Advanced, and Expert plans. The page displayed Essential at US$19 per seat per month on annual billing as a promotion, with US$29 crossed out, and Fin AI Agent at US$0.99 per outcome. It also lists a free trial and unlimited live chat across plans, but not a permanent free tier for the full platform. Confirm the current price at checkout because the displayed promotion can change.

Intercom can be a better fit when Drift's website chat was used mainly for customer questions or when sales and support need a shared conversation system. Its pricing page also describes Fin for service, sales, and ecommerce, but AI outcome charges sit on top of the seat plan.

Pros: It combines live messaging, support workflows and a documented AI usage meter.

Cons: Seat fees and AI outcome fees are separate. A customer-service platform is not automatically a like-for-like replacement for B2B account-based marketing, sales routing, or Drift's specific playbooks.

Who should skip it: If your main requirement is autonomous inbound sales qualification connected to Salesforce, compare Qualified or 1mind before choosing a support-first platform.

6. Tidio: for smaller teams and online stores

Best for: Small businesses that need live chat, basic automation, and an optional AI agent without buying an enterprise sales platform.

Tidio combines live chat, ticketing, Flows automation, and Lyro AI. Its official pricing page, checked October 30, 2026, shows a Free plan with 50 billable conversations per month, no Lyro AI conversations per month, and 100 Flows visitors. Starter is displayed at US$24.17 per month with annual billing, 100 billable conversations and 50 one-time Lyro AI conversations.

Pros: Its entry plans suit small teams that need chat, basic automation and optional AI.

Cons: The free AI allowance is one-time, and billable conversation and visitor limits matter. Do not compare its entry tier with an enterprise Drift deployment as if both include the same volume or targeting features.

Who should skip it: Large B2B teams that need detailed account targeting, enterprise CRM routing, or a formal AI sales-agent program should look at 1mind or Qualified.

7. Crisp: for a shared inbox and straightforward website chat

Best for: Small teams that want to handle website conversations together and keep the price tied to a workspace rather than buying a large sales platform.

Crisp offers website chat, a shared inbox, knowledge base features, routing, and AI support tools across its plans. Its official pricing page, checked October 30, 2026, lists Free at US$0 with two agents and 100 customer profiles. Mini is displayed at US$45 per month per workspace with four seats, while Essentials is US$95 per month per workspace with ten seats.

Pros: Workspace pricing can suit small teams that mainly need a shared inbox.

Cons: Its simpler support-chat model is not a substitute for every account-based marketing rule, advanced lead qualification path, or sales revenue report from Drift. Review the current plan table before migrating.

Who should skip it: Teams that depend on Salesforce-centered inbound pipeline automation or a named AI sales agent should compare the sales-focused options first.

What to export before Drift access ends

The official Drift Sunset FAQ, checked October 30, 2026, says data access ends with the contract or on January 31, 2027, whichever comes first. The FAQ links to the official Drift Export Drift Data guide. For contracts that run later, data stays offline through April 30, 2027 for export requests and remaining data is scheduled for deletion on May 1, 2027.

1. Ask your Salesloft account manager or support for the written export procedure and the final date that applies to your contract.
2. List the records you need: contacts, conversations, meetings, playbook configuration, routing rules, reports, integrations, and any custom API dependencies. Ask which of these can be exported and in what format.
3. Export available data while you still have access. Check record counts, timestamps, attachments, and whether conversation transcripts are included.
4. Save a copy outside the live Drift account and restrict access to the people responsible for the migration.
5. Rebuild the highest-value visitor paths in the replacement tool. Start with pricing-page visitors, demo requests, target-account visitors, and the handoff to the correct sales owner.
6. Test the replacement with internal users and a small set of real workflows before removing the Drift script.
7. Remove or replace the Drift website widget, Drift Email workflow, and any custom Drift API integration before the shutdown date.

Salesloft names 1mind for Drift chatbot functionality and allGood for Drift Email. Confirm the migration scope with each provider.

How to choose the right replacement

1. List the job Drift performed. Separate sales conversations, lead qualification, account targeting, meeting booking, support chat and Drift Email.
2. Match the CRM. Compare Qualified for Salesforce, 1mind for the named successor path, or HubSpot if it is already your CRM.
3. Calculate total cost. Include seats, AI usage, routing, onboarding, integrations and contract length.
4. Check data and APIs. Get the export list and confirm which integrations need rebuilding.
5. Test key paths. Verify qualification, ownership, booking, CRM updates and human handoff.
6. Set the cutover date early. Work back from your contract end or January 31, 2027, whichever comes first.

Frequently asked questions

Is Drift shutting down?

Yes. Salesloft's official Drift Sunset FAQ, checked October 30, 2026, says Drift will be retired on January 31, 2027. Your access ends on that date or on the end date of your current contract, whichever comes first.

What is the official replacement for Drift?

Clari + Salesloft named 1mind as its exclusive AI successor for Drift's conversational marketing use case in its official partnership announcement, checked October 30, 2026. Salesloft's sunset FAQ also recommends allGood for Drift Email.

Can a new customer still buy Drift?

Salesloft's current Chat Agents page, checked October 30, 2026, says it has transitioned from Drift to 1mind. It does not present a public Drift purchase or price path, so a new buyer should evaluate current alternatives rather than plan on a new Drift subscription.

What happens to Drift data after retirement?

The official sunset FAQ says data for accounts with contracts extending past January 31, 2027 will be stored offline through April 30, 2027 for export requests. Remaining data is scheduled for permanent deletion on May 1, 2027. If your contract ends earlier, access to data ends with that contract unless your account team confirms another arrangement.

Is there a free Drift alternative?

HubSpot offers free live chat, and Tidio and Crisp list free plans on their official pricing pages checked October 30, 2026. These plans have different feature and usage limits, so they are not automatic replacements for Drift's account targeting or sales-routing workflows.

Sources and related guides

Official product, pricing, support, sunset and restoration sources plus public search results were checked October 30, 2026. See the official Drift Restoration Process and FAQ for current feature limitations. The saved keyword metrics and PAA evidence limitation are recorded in the editorial notes. No hands-on testing was performed.

Read the Drift software guide, Drift review, Drift pricing guide, how to use Drift, and Drift vs 1mind comparison. For wider software discovery, use Browse Tools by Niche.

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