Drift vs Freshchat

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Our analysts compared Drift vs Freshchat based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Live Chat Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

Drift is a cloud-based conversational marketing platform that helps businesses acquire customers and streamline sales processes. It generates leads through customizable campaigns, intelligent reports and real-time engagement with website visitors. It offers AI chatbots, offline and mobile access, geo-tagging, conversation histories and more.
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Freshchat is a customer messaging software that helps businesses engage with customers across various channels like live chat, website, mobile app, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc. It's ideal for businesses of all sizes that want to improve customer engagement and satisfaction. Key benefits include increased customer satisfaction, improved agent productivity, and reduced resolution times. Popular features include a unified inbox for all customer conversations, bots to automate tasks, and powerful analytics to track performance.

Compared to similar products, Freshchat is known for its user-friendly interface, affordability, and comprehensive feature set. Pricing is based on the number of agents and the features required, with plans starting at $15 per agent per month billed annually.

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$2,500 Monthly
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$19/Agent, Monthly, Freemium
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Tailored to your specific needs
Small 
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Medium 
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Large 
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Small 
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Medium 
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Large 
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Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Target High Quality Leads: Target site visitors and welcome them with personalized messages based on collected user information, like company name, industry, employee count and location. Expedite interaction and lead conversion by allowing them to schedule appointments through an intelligent auto-attendant. 
  • Qualify Leads Faster: Engage with buyers faster by segmenting them based on tech stack data and allowing priority ones skip the form queue. Qualify leads in real time and instantly route them to sales representatives without leaving the website. 
  • Close Deals Quickly: Use the Deal Room feature to improve collaboration among sales staff. Store notes and resources about every conversation and manage all sales processes in one place. Sales managers can coach representatives effectively and buyers can chat, call or book a meeting with their point of contact directly. 
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  • Improve Efficiency: Gathers data from third-party apps and websites in one place. Resolve queries and provide instant solutions using gathered information. Customize predefined responses to answer commonly asked questions. Quickly access canned messages by setting up shortcodes. Record customer details and share information in real time. 
  • Boost Productivity: Routes support tickets to the right team. Scan incoming tickets and categorize them according to factors including customer type, language, location and ticket subject. Automate ticket assignments based on the agent’s expertise level. Create rules to send event alerts to the right agent. Encourage agent performance with gamification. 
  • Improve Customer Support: Resolves repetitive questions using intelligent automation. Delivers personalized solutions to customers by learning from past experiences. It provides product information and instant assistance to customers when needed. No need to wait for human assistance. 
  • Free Trial: Get first-hand experience with a 21-day free trial. No need to add credit card details. 
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  • Reports: Get detailed reports on website engagement, team performance, sales, response time, routing, leads acquired and other performance metrics.
  • Playbooks: Leverage automated message workflows that use IP data to create customized chat experiences for users, send targeted messages, run marketing campaigns, monitor site visitors and connect leads to teams.
  • API and Integration: Use the API to access bot features, sync contacts, enable permissions for agent information, support widget configurations and assist with data retrieval and deletion. Integrate with Hubspot, Salesforce, Zapier, Marketo and Clearbit.
  • Email Bots: AI-powered email bots manage email conversations with contacts, improve conversion rates, distinguish human email replies from autoresponders and route them to the right representatives, guarantee follow-ups, track responses and drive more pipelines.
  • Customer Data: Collate user data from third-party sources like Crunchbase, SixSense, and ZoomInfo to segment and personalize customer information. Collect and manage contact profiles with fields like visitor name, contact details, company name and industry.
  • Visitor Intelligence: Increase website engagement and personalize interactions using Visitor Intelligence. This visitor identification software records information shared by customers, like email address or location, and uses it to personalize customer interactions with the bot.
  • Live Chat: Connect with website visitors, capture leads, engage target accounts and manage conversations with multiple inboxes. Make internal notes and get conversational ratings on the website.
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  • Messaging Channels: Receive, manage and respond to conversations from multiple channels from a unified inbox. Stay connected with ERP and CRM to automate queries in advance. Launch bots to automate tasks based on hours. 
  • Campaigns: Design flows and set timings to trigger targeted audience emails. Send emails based on user intent and website behavior. Set up different timings to re-engage or send invites and reminder emails. Analyze data gathered from previous campaigns and optimize performance accordingly. 
  • Chatbots: Create bots with the easy-to-use, low code bot builder. Build multiple bots to handle tasks like answering customer questions, updating data or building a single bot to handle multiple tasks. Set up bots for different cases with a predefined, ready-to-use template. 
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Product Ranking

#6

among all
Live Chat Software

#32

among all
Live Chat Software

Find out who the leaders are

Analyst Rating Summary

84
86
85
89
63
89
100
96
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Online Visitor Management
Platform Capabilities
Conversation Management
Integration and Extensibility
Online Visitor Management
Platform Capabilities
Conversation Management
Customer Collaboration

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Drift
Freshchat
+ Add Product + Add Product
Conversation Management Customer Collaboration Online Visitor Management Platform Capabilities Ticket Management 85 63 100 90 65 89 89 96 96 62 0 25 50 75 100
83%
0%
17%
87%
0%
13%
43%
0%
57%
80%
0%
20%
100%
0%
0%
89%
11%
0%
86%
0%
14%
86%
14%
0%
40%
0%
60%
20%
70%
10%

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

72%
0%
28%
78%
0%
22%

User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 865 reviews
Great User Sentiment 720 reviews
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.

87%
of users recommend this product

Freshchat has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 87% when considering 720 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

4.3 (21)
n/a
4.3 (490)
4.4 (489)
4.48 (166)
n/a
4.5 (151)
4.1 (112)
n/a
4.2 (28)
4.0 (37)
4.4 (91)

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Drift and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Online Visitor Management.

Online Visitor Management Award

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Freshchat and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Platform Capabilities.

Platform Capabilities Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Usability: According to 90% of users who mentioned this aspect, the software is intuitive and easy to use.
Reporting: 73% of users who commented on this aspect said the reports are clear and detailed.
Multimedia Capabilities: According to 60% of users who reviewed this aspect, it’s easy to create, record and share videos.
Customer Service: 70% of users who reviewed this element said that customer support is attentive and professional.
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Unified Platform: Freshchat offers a comprehensive customer engagement platform, bringing together live chat, bots, and social media messaging into one interface. This streamlines workflows and provides agents with a holistic view of customer interactions.
Customization Options: Users appreciate the ability to tailor the chat widget's appearance and behavior to match their brand and website. This includes customizing the widget's color, position, and welcome message, creating a seamless brand experience for visitors.
Automation Capabilities: Freshchat's automation features, such as chatbots and canned responses, help to improve agent productivity and response times. Chatbots can handle routine inquiries, while canned responses provide quick answers to frequently asked questions, freeing up agents to focus on more complex issues.
Reporting and Analytics: The platform offers robust reporting and analytics tools, providing insights into chat volume, agent performance, and customer satisfaction. This data empowers businesses to make data-driven decisions and continuously improve their customer support operations.
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Cost: According to 80% of users who mentioned this, the product is expensive, making it unaffordable for small businesses.
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Limited Customization: Freshchat offers limited options for customizing the chat widget's appearance and behavior, making it challenging for brands to achieve a seamless integration with their website's design and user experience.
Mobile App Shortcomings: The mobile app for agents has received criticism for its occasional glitches and lack of features compared to the desktop version, hindering efficient communication and issue resolution on the go.
Reporting Limitations: Some users find the reporting and analytics capabilities of Freshchat to be somewhat basic, lacking the depth and granularity needed for comprehensive performance evaluation and data-driven decision-making.
Pricing Structure: The pricing structure, particularly for larger teams or those requiring advanced features, can be a deterrent for some businesses, especially when compared to alternative solutions in the market.
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Drift streamlines business communications using live chat widgets, custom chatbots, videos and integrations. According to reviews, it offers a user-friendly platform, detailed reporting tools, useful lead routing and excellent customer support. Users appreciated that it helps to generate leads and navigate complex sales. However, some users reported technical issues with push notifications and chats, and some considered the product expensive. Overall, Drift is suitable for businesses seeking to improve and refine their customer engagement.

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Freshchat has carved out a niche for itself in the customer communication platform market, offering a compelling blend of features and affordability that resonates with many users. Reviewers frequently highlight the platform's intuitive interface and ease of use, making it a popular choice for businesses transitioning from simpler live chat solutions or those new to the world of customer messaging platforms. The seamless integration with other Freshworks products, such as Freshdesk and Freshsales, is another major draw, providing a unified view of customer interactions and streamlining workflows. This integration is particularly beneficial for businesses already invested in the Freshworks ecosystem, allowing them to leverage existing data and processes without the need for complex integrations. However, some users note that Freshchat's reporting and analytics capabilities could be more robust, especially when compared to competitors like Intercom or Zendesk Chat. While the platform offers basic reporting features, it may not provide the depth of insights needed by larger businesses or those with complex reporting requirements. Additionally, some users mention occasional limitations in customization options, particularly regarding chat widget appearance and branding. Despite these drawbacks, Freshchat's strengths in user-friendliness, affordability, and integration make it a compelling option for small to medium-sized businesses seeking a reliable and easy-to-implement customer messaging solution. Its focus on core live chat functionality and seamless integration with other Freshworks products makes it particularly well-suited for businesses already using or considering other tools within the Freshworks ecosystem.

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Screenshots

Top Alternatives in Live Chat Software


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