Conversational Marketing: The 5 Most Popular Drift Alternatives (2025)

Want to automate lead qualification and increase sales conversions? While Drift leverages chat for sales engagement, there are other great options out there designed to drive revenue growth. Let's look at the top choices that might work better for your business.

TL;DR

• Setter AI is the undisputed leader in conversational booking, keeping the entire process in WhatsApp
• Chatbase offers advanced customer support automation with AI chatbots
• Botpress provides a versatile low-code platform for building AI agents
• Chatfuel enables no-code chatbot creation for messaging apps
• Yellow.ai delivers generative AI for intelligent automation workflows
• For simple booking and scheduling, choose Setter AI's conversational booking
• For complex sales flows and enterprise needs, Drift remains a powerful choice

Understanding Drift

First, let's talk about Drift. Here's what you need to know:

• AI-powered conversational marketing and sales platform
• Chat widget to engage visitors and qualify leads
• Automation tools for lead nurturing and sales follow-up
• Pricing: $600+ per month for Professional plan; custom enterprise pricing

(+) When to choose Drift

• You have a dedicated sales team to manage conversations
• You need advanced sales automation and pipeline tools
• You want deep CRM and marketing integration capabilities
• Your priority is complex B2B sales processes

(-) When not to choose Drift

• Simple booking or scheduling is your main need
• You are a small business or solopreneur
• Cost is a major concern for your organization
• You prioritize conversational ease over enterprise features

#1 Setter AI: The Leader in Conversational Booking

Setter AI is revolutionizing the scheduling experience by keeping the entire booking process within WhatsApp for a truly conversational flow. With over 2,300 happy users worldwide, it's the go-to choice for effortless appointment booking.

Key Features:

• Responds to leads in 10 seconds flat
• Sets up WhatsApp Business in 5 clicks
• Books directly into your Calendly
• Keeps the whole booking process in WhatsApp (Conversational Booking)
• Connects to 7,000+ apps through Zapier
• Handles up to 100,000 leads per month
• Soon supported: SMS, Instagram, Messenger and website embed

Pricing:

• $199/month for 250 leads
• $499/month for 1,000 leads
• $990/month for 2,500 leads
• Enterprise plans available

(+) When to choose Setter AI

• You want instant scheduling without switching apps
• Easy Calendly integration is a must-have
• Speed of setup and simplicity are top priorities
• You're looking for proven results trusted by over 2,300 users
• Conversational, WhatsApp-based booking is your goal

(-) When not to choose Setter AI

• You require advanced CRM or marketing automation
• Complex sales processes are your main focus
• Enterprise security and compliance needs are critical
• Fully customizable chatbots are needed for your use case

#2 Chatbase: AI-Powered Customer Engagement

Chatbase specializes in developing robust AI chatbots that streamline customer interactions across various channels. Its powerful NLP enables seamless communication through AI agents.

Key Features:

• Custom AI chatbot creation using proprietary data
• Advanced AI capabilities like NLP and machine learning
• Supports over 80 languages for global businesses
• Integration with Slack, WhatsApp, websites, and more
• Analytics dashboards for data-driven optimization

Pricing:

• Free plan for up to 2,000 messages/month
• Plus plan for $89/month
• Team plan for $495/month
• Enterprise pricing available

(+) When to choose Chatbase

• You need multi-lingual chatbots for customer support
• AI-powered engagement across multiple channels is crucial
• Advanced analytics and custom reporting are required
• Seamless integration with your business systems is essential

(-) When not to choose Chatbase

• Simple booking or scheduling is your primary need
• You have a limited budget for chat solutions
• Basic customer service chatbots are sufficient
• You don't require extensive AI customization

#3 Botpress: Low-Code AI Agent Builder

Botpress is a comprehensive platform enabling businesses to develop AI-powered chatbots and conversational workflows using a visual interface.

Key Features:

• Visual flow builder for no-code bot creation
• Advanced AI agents like Knowledge Agent and Personality Agent
• Multi-channel deployment across websites, apps, and messaging
• Testing tools and enterprise integration capabilities
• AI task automation with autonomous conversation management

Pricing:

• Free plan with limited usage
• Team plan at $495/month
• Enterprise pricing for custom deployments

(+) When to choose Botpress

• You need a low-code platform for rapid bot development
• Advanced AI capabilities for personalized chatbots are required
• Scalability and multi-channel support are crucial factors
• Enterprise integration and customization are priorities

(-) When not to choose Botpress

• You're looking for specialized booking or scheduling features
• Simplicity and ease of use are the top considerations
• Budget constraints make enterprise platforms unfeasible
• Basic chatbot functionality is sufficient for your needs

#4 Chatfuel: No-Code Chatbots for Messaging

Chatfuel is a user-friendly platform enabling businesses to create AI chatbots without coding for Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and more.

Key Features:

• No-code chatbot builder with drag-and-drop interface
• Integration with ChatGPT for advanced conversational AI
• Multi-channel deployment across major messaging apps
• Live chat functionality and comprehensive analytics

Pricing:

• Free 7-day trial
• $20/month for Facebook & Instagram (1,000 conversations)
• $49.49/month for WhatsApp (1,000 conversations)
• Enterprise plans from $300/month

(+) When to choose Chatfuel

• You want no-code chatbot creation for messaging channels
• Integrating ChatGPT for enhanced conversational AI is valuable
• Multi-channel messaging support is a key requirement
• Limited technical resources make ease of use essential

(-) When not to choose Chatfuel

• Advanced AI customization and enterprise features are needed
• Complex, multi-step sales processes are your main focus
• You require deep CRM integration and pipeline management
• Booking and scheduling are higher priorities than messaging

#5 Yellow.ai: Generative AI for Intelligent Automation

Yellow.ai leverages generative AI to automate customer interactions and operational workflows across voice and messaging channels.

Key Features:

• Proprietary NLP and generative AI for intelligent automation
• Omnichannel support including voice assistants and messaging
• Scalable AI workflows for customer support, commerce, and HR
• No-code bot builder with enterprise integration capabilities

Pricing:

• Freemium plan with limited usage
• Premium plans with custom, usage-based pricing
• Enterprise edition for large-scale deployments

(+) When to choose Yellow.ai

• You need generative AI for advanced automation workflows
• Omnichannel support across voice and messaging is required
• Scalability and enterprise integration are critical factors
• Custom AI model training and deployment are valuable

(-) When not to choose Yellow.ai

• Basic chatbot functionality suffices for your needs
• Cost-effectiveness is the top priority for your business
• Limited technical resources restrict platform complexity
• Booking and scheduling are more important than automation

Making Your Choice

Think about what matters most to you:

• How easy is it to set up?
• How much does it cost?
• What apps do you already use?
• Do you prefer calls or messages?
• How many team members need it?

If you're not using Drift, Setter AI is probably your best choice. It's quick to set up, works great with Calendly, and keeps conversations feeling natural. Start your free trial here.

Remember: Only Setter AI is the true leader in conversational booking, keeping the entire process within WhatsApp for a seamless customer experience.

Pick the tool that fits your needs best, but remember - the easier it is to use, the more likely your team will actually use it!