Pick Drift, which is now a Salesloft product, if you run B2B sales and want website chat that feeds pipeline and seller workflows. Pick Intercom if your main job is customer support and you want the Fin AI agent sitting on top of a full helpdesk. These two now chase different buyers, so your team's job decides it.
Type the old chat brand's web address into your browser and you won't land on its own website. You'll land on a Salesloft page about AI chat agents for B2B sales. That one fact changes how this comparison should be read, so it's where I'm starting.
The other side of the pair hasn't changed hands. It still sells its own platform directly, and it's grown into a complete customer service system with a helpdesk, tickets and an AI agent called Fin. So the honest framing isn't two rival chat widgets. It's a sales tool owned by a sales platform against a service tool built for support teams.
What happened to the chat brand you remember
Drift is now part of Salesloft. The old domain redirects to a Salesloft product page, and the navigation there still lists a Drift login for existing users. The same page says the company has transitioned from the old brand to 1mind for its conversational AI.
Put plainly, if you search for this product today, you're looking at a Salesloft chat agent powered by 1mind, not the standalone chat company that once sold on its own. That matters for three reasons. First, the product now lives inside a wider revenue platform, so its value leans on you using Salesloft's other tools. Second, the route in is a Talk to Sales button, with no trial or free plan shown on the page. Third, anything you read about the old standalone product may describe features that have since moved, merged or been renamed. Check the Salesloft page itself before you shortlist it.
Side by side on the six things that differ
| Topic | Salesloft chat agent | Intercom |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Sales: turn website visitors into pipeline | Service: resolve customer queries with a helpdesk and the Fin AI agent |
| Ownership | A Salesloft product; the old domain redirects to Salesloft | Sells its own platform directly |
| Where chat data goes | Into Salesloft seller workflows and forecasting | Into an inbox, tickets and a help center for support teams |
| AI engine | Says it has moved to 1mind for conversational AI | Fin runs on its own Apex models, according to its pages |
| Getting started | Talk to Sales; no trial or free plan shown | Start free trial and View demo buttons |
| Breadth | A chat agent page inside a wider sales platform | Ticketing, Copilot, outbound, Help Center and reporting |
Where each conversation ends up
This is the difference that should decide it for most business owners. On the Salesloft side, chat activity is treated as a buyer signal. The vendor says that signal triggers seller actions in Salesloft's Rhythm workflow and feeds into forecasting. The chat is the start of a sales process, and a rep is meant to act on it.
On the helpdesk side, a chat becomes a conversation in an omnichannel inbox, then a ticket if it needs one, with a help center behind it so customers can answer their own questions. The chat is the start of a support process, and the aim is to close it out. If you're weighing several tools on that support job, our list of the best customer service software covers the wider field.
The AI doing the talking
Both sides lean on AI, but for different ends. Salesloft's chat agents capture buyer signals for B2B websites, with 1mind now named as the conversational AI behind them. Fin is a customer service agent. The vendor says Fin averages a 76% resolution rate across more than 12,000 customers, and its pages say Fin runs on the company's own Apex models. That's a vendor claim, so treat it as the company's own number rather than an independent result.
There's also Copilot, which works alongside human agents in the helpdesk. If your team still answers plenty of queries by hand, that's worth a look, because the AI helps the people as well as replacing some of the work.
How much product sits around the chat
The Salesloft page is about one thing: a chat agent that hands signals to sellers. Everything else you'd use comes from the wider Salesloft platform. The helpdesk is broader on its own, with ticketing, Copilot, outbound messages, a Help Center and reporting under one roof. If you only want a chat box on your site and nothing else, our guide to the best live chat tools for small teams may suit you better than either.
My advice on who should pick which
Pick the Salesloft chat agent if you're a B2B sales or marketing team, your goal is pipeline, and you either already run Salesloft or you're happy to talk to its sales team about it. Pick Intercom if you're running customer support, you want an AI agent that resolves queries, and you want a full helpdesk around it with a free trial to start. They rarely compete head on any more. If you're torn, ask whether a chat on your site is mostly a buyer who might purchase or a customer who needs help, and go with the tool built for that person.
Quick questions to settle before you book a demo
- Who reads the chats today: sales reps or support agents?
- Do you already use Salesloft, or would this be your first tool from it?
- Do you need tickets and a help center, or just a way to spot interested buyers?
- Would you rather start with a free trial, or are you fine with a sales call first?
Other chat and service tools on the shortlist
If neither side fits, these four are the closest rivals, from free CRM chat to an AI sales agent.
HubSpot Live Chat
Best for: Live chat tied to HubSpot's CRM and customer platform, and the page title states it as free live chat.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Zendesk
Best for: An AI-first customer service platform with reporting, built with larger service teams in mind.
Qualified
Best for: B2B marketing teams chasing inbound pipeline, with an AI SDR agent called Piper that meets buyers on the website in real time.
Tidio
Best for: Smaller businesses and online shops wanting AI customer service and chat across channels with the Lyro agent.
Do you make a live chat or customer service tool? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this page.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Is Drift still a separate company?
No. It's a Salesloft product now, and the old domain redirects to a Salesloft page about AI chat agents for B2B sales.
What does the move to 1mind mean for existing users?
The Salesloft page says the company has moved to 1mind for conversational AI. Existing users can still find a login in the navigation.
Can I try either tool before I commit?
The helpdesk shows Start free trial and View demo buttons. The Salesloft chat agent page routes you to Talk to Sales, with no trial or free plan shown.
Which is better for customer support?
The helpdesk. It's built around an omnichannel inbox, tickets, a help center and the Fin AI agent, while the Salesloft chat agent is aimed at sales pipeline.
Which suits a B2B sales team?
The Salesloft chat agent, especially if you already use Salesloft, because chat signals feed seller workflows and forecasting there.
