Drift
Help Scout
| Feature | Drift | Help Scout |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $2500/mo | Free / from $25/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | b2b-companies, enterprise, sales-teams, marketing-teams | small-businesses, saas-companies, remote-teams, customer-focused-brands |
| Founded | 2015 | 2011 |
| Chatbots | ✓ | ✗ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Meeting Scheduling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Video Messaging | ✓ | ✗ |
| Revenue Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ai Engagement | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shared Inbox | ✗ | ✓ |
| Knowledge Base | ✗ | ✓ |
| Beacon | ✗ | ✓ |
| Workflows | ✗ | ✓ |
| Customer Profiles | ✗ | ✓ |
| Reporting | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Drift Pros
- Powerful chatbot builder
- Revenue attribution
- Good integrations
- AI-powered routing
✗ Drift Cons
- Very expensive
- Complex setup
- Steep learning curve
✓ Help Scout Pros
- Feels like email to customers (no ticket numbers)
- Excellent knowledge base (Docs)
- Beacon widget for contextual help
- Simple and fast — minimal training needed
✗ Help Scout Cons
- Limited automation compared to Zendesk
- No built-in phone or video support
- Reporting less advanced on lower plans
The Verdict
Drift is built for b2b companies and enterprise, with a focus on chatbots and live-chat. Help Scout targets small businesses and saas companies and leads with shared-inbox and knowledge-base.
On pricing, Help Scout is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $25/mo compared to $2500/mo for Drift. That $2475/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Help Scout has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Drift requires a paid subscription from day one.
Feature-wise, Help Scout offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Drift takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Help Scout has a slight overall edge — but if powerful chatbot builder matters most to you, Drift may still be the right call.