Drift
WhatsApp Business
| Feature | Drift | WhatsApp Business |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $2500/mo | Free / from $0/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | b2b-companies, enterprise, sales-teams, marketing-teams | small-businesses, ecommerce, customer-service-teams, international-businesses |
| Founded | 2015 | 2018 |
| Chatbots | ✓ | ✗ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✗ |
| Meeting Scheduling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Video Messaging | ✓ | ✗ |
| Revenue Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ai Engagement | ✓ | ✗ |
| Business Profiles | ✗ | ✓ |
| Product Catalogs | ✗ | ✓ |
| Automated Messages | ✗ | ✓ |
| Quick Replies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Labels | ✗ | ✓ |
| Api Integration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Broadcast Lists | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Drift Pros
- Powerful chatbot builder
- Revenue attribution
- Good integrations
- AI-powered routing
✗ Drift Cons
- Very expensive
- Complex setup
- Steep learning curve
✓ WhatsApp Business Pros
- Access to 2B+ WhatsApp users globally
- Free app for small businesses with basic features
- API platform for enterprise-scale messaging
- High open rates (98%) compared to email
✗ WhatsApp Business Cons
- API pricing per-conversation can be expensive
- 24-hour response window for customer-initiated chats
- Strict template approval process for outbound messages
The Verdict
Drift is built for b2b companies and enterprise, with a focus on chatbots and live-chat. WhatsApp Business targets small businesses and ecommerce and leads with business-profiles and product-catalogs.
On pricing, WhatsApp Business is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $0/mo compared to $2500/mo for Drift. That $2500/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
WhatsApp Business 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, WhatsApp Business offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Drift takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
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.