Drift
Hiver
| Feature | Drift | Hiver |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $2500/mo | Free / from $19/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | b2b-companies, enterprise, sales-teams, marketing-teams | small-teams, gmail-users, support-teams, startups |
| Founded | 2015 | 2011 |
| Chatbots | ✓ | ✗ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✗ |
| Meeting Scheduling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Video Messaging | ✓ | ✗ |
| Revenue Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ai Engagement | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shared Inboxes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Email Assignment | ✗ | ✓ |
| Collision Detection | ✗ | ✓ |
| Analytics | ✗ | ✓ |
| Automations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sla Management | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Drift Pros
- Powerful chatbot builder
- Revenue attribution
- Good integrations
- AI-powered routing
✗ Drift Cons
- Very expensive
- Complex setup
- Steep learning curve
✓ Hiver Pros
- Works inside Gmail
- Easy adoption
- Shared inboxes
- Good for email teams
✗ Hiver Cons
- Gmail-only
- Limited outside email
- Fewer features than full helpdesks
The Verdict
Drift is built for b2b companies and enterprise, with a focus on chatbots and live-chat. Hiver targets small teams and gmail users and leads with shared-inboxes and email-assignment.
On pricing, Hiver is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $19/mo compared to $2500/mo for Drift. That $2481/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Hiver 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.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.