Comparison · Last verified: April 2026
Drift vs Jan
Status update, August 2026
- Drift is being sunset. The wind-down was announced on 6 March 2026 after the Clari and Salesloft merger, active development has ended, and existing customers are being referred elsewhere. No final shutdown date has been published. The drift.com URL now serves Salesloft's AI Chat Agents and says Salesloft has transitioned from Drift to 1mind, so Drift can no longer be bought.
This page is kept for reference. Check current availability before choosing a tool.
An in-depth comparison of Drift and Jan across pricing, features, strengths, and ideal use cases, so you can pick the right tool for your workflow.
⭐ Strongest At
Every tool has one thing it does better than its competitors. Here is each one's honest edge:
Discontinued. Was for B2B companies wanting AI-powered lead qualification and meeting booking.
open-source ChatGPT alternative that runs entirely on your machine.
🏆 Who Should Choose Which?
Jan
Jan
Jan, simpler to start
Jan, stronger at scale
📊 Quick Specs
🎯 Best if you need…
Quick take: Drift is discontinued and can no longer be bought, whatever its historical strengths. Choose Jan if you need a different approach or better fit for your specific use case. Both scored well, but only Jan is still available.
Quick verdict
Drift was the pick if your daily work is mostly B2B companies wanting AI-powered lead qualification and meeting booking, but it is discontinued and can no longer be bought. Choose Jan if your daily work is mostly open-source ChatGPT alternative that runs entirely on your machine. Jan holds the higher ToolChase editorial score (4.3 vs 4.2).
Drift
Discontinued AI conversational marketing and sales platform
Premium $2,500/mo · Advanced custom · Enterprise custom
Full review →
Jan
Open-source ChatGPT alternative that runs 100% offline
Completely free and open-source
Full review →What is Drift?
Drift (now part of Salesloft) was a conversational marketing and sales platform that used AI chatbots to engage website visitors, qualify leads, and book meetings in real time. It is discontinued: drift.com now serves Salesloft's AI Chat Agents product, which says Salesloft has transitioned from Drift to 1mind, so Drift can no longer be bought. Rather than static contact forms that create hours or days of delay, Drift engaged visitors the moment they showed interest, asking qualifying questions, routing high-value leads to available sales reps, and automatically scheduling meetings on rep calendars. AI features included intent detection (identifying visitors ready to buy based on browsing behavior), conversation routing (matching leads to the right rep based on territory, company size, or product interest), and meeting scheduling that accounts for rep availability and round-robin distribution. Email playbooks automated personalized outreach sequences triggered by website activity. Revenue reporting tied website conversations to pipeline and closed deals. Drift pricing was custom with plans starting around $2,500/month, positioned for mid-market and enterprise B2B sales teams. The tool was best suited for b2b companies wanting ai-powered lead qualification and meeting booking. Pricing starts at Premium $2,500/mo · Advanced custom · Enterprise custom.
What is Jan?
Jan is a free, open-source desktop application for running AI models locally with a ChatGPT-like interface. Available for Mac, Windows, and Linux, Jan provides a polished native app experience for downloading and chatting with open-source models including Llama 3, Mistral, Phi, and dozens of others from the Hugging Face ecosystem. The app handles model downloading, memory management, and GPU acceleration automatically. Key features include conversation history, model switching, system prompt customization, local RAG for chatting with documents, and an API server that makes your local model accessible to other applications. Extensions enable additional functionality including web search, tool use, and custom integrations. Thread management lets you organize conversations by project or topic. Jan runs entirely offline after initial model download, meaning complete data privacy with no telemetry or data collection. It is completely free with no subscription, API keys, or usage limits. Jan is the most user-friendly option for non-technical users who want to run AI locally on their personal computer. The tool is best suited for privacy-conscious users wanting a simple local ai chat app. Pricing starts at Completely free and open-source.
Key differences at a glance
Pricing: Drift is priced at Premium $2,500/mo · Advanced custom · Enterprise custom, while Jan costs Completely free and open-source. Jan has a free tier, giving it an edge for budget-conscious users.
ToolChase scores: Jan leads with a 4.3/5 ToolChase score, compared to 4.2/5.
Best for: Drift, now discontinued, was optimized for b2b companies wanting ai-powered lead qualification and meeting booking, while Jan excels at privacy-conscious users wanting a simple local ai chat app.
Category overlap: Both tools compete in the chatbot category. Drift also covers marketing. Jan also covers productivity.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | Drift | Jan |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Paid | Free |
| Starting price | Premium $2,500/mo · Advanced custom · Enterprise custom | Completely free and open-source |
| ToolChase score | ||
| Best for | Discontinued, was B2B companies wanting AI-powered lead qualification and meeting booking | Privacy-conscious users wanting a simple local AI chat app |
| Categories | marketingchatbot | chatbotproductivity |
| Free tier available | No | ✓ Yes |
| Web browsing / search | No | ✓ Yes |
| File upload & analysis | No | ✓ Yes |
| API access | No | ✓ Yes |
| Mobile app | No | ✓ Yes |
| Team / collaboration plan | ✓ Yes | No |
| Custom bots / agents | No | ✓ Yes |
| AI chatbots | ✓ Yes | No |
| Lead qualification | ✓ Yes | No |
| Meeting booking | ✓ Yes | No |
| Visitor intent detection | ✓ Yes | No |
| Live chat | ✓ Yes | No |
| Email sequences | ✓ Yes | No |
| Revenue acceleration | ✓ Yes | No |
| ABM targeting | ✓ Yes | No |
| 100% offline capability | No | ✓ Yes |
| Beautiful desktop UI | No | ✓ Yes |
| Model download manager | No | ✓ Yes |
| GPU acceleration | No | ✓ Yes |
| Conversation history | No | ✓ Yes |
| Multiple model support | No | ✓ Yes |
Pros and cons
Drift
Strengths
- Best for B2B lead qualification
- AI chatbots are sophisticated
- Strong meeting booking
- Good analytics
Limitations
- Very expensive
- Enterprise-focused pricing
- Complex implementation
Jan
Strengths
- Complete privacy
- Beautiful interface
- No technical setup needed
- Free forever
Limitations
- Requires good hardware
- Model quality varies
- Smaller community than Ollama
Pricing comparison
Drift uses a paid pricing model: Premium $2,500/mo · Advanced custom · Enterprise custom.
Jan uses a free pricing model: Completely free and open-source.
For cost-sensitive teams, compare actual API or per-seat costs using our AI Cost Calculator.
Which tool should you choose?
Drift was the pick if you... (discontinued)
- → Need b2b companies wanting ai-powered lead qualification and meeting booking
- → Value best for b2b lead qualification
- → Value ai chatbots are sophisticated
Choose Jan if you...
- → Need privacy-conscious users wanting a simple local ai chat app
- → Value complete privacy
- → Value beautiful interface
- → Want to start free before committing
Not sure which fits your workflow? Take our AI Tool Finder Quiz for a personalized recommendation based on your role, budget, and technical level.
Final verdict: Drift vs Jan
Both Drift and Jan were strong tools in the chatbot space, but they served different needs, and Drift has since been discontinued. Drift stood out for b2b lead qualification, which made it a fit for b2b companies wanting ai-powered lead qualification and meeting booking, but it is discontinued and can no longer be bought. Jan is best at complete privacy, particularly for teams focused on privacy-conscious users wanting a simple local ai chat app.
With a 0.1-point edge on the ToolChase score, Jan comes out ahead in our testing. The best approach is to try Jan's free tier; Drift is discontinued, so read our Drift review for its status instead of signing up.
🔄 Switching? Keep in mind
Workspace data (notes, databases, projects) is the main switching cost. Most tools offer export, but formatting and relationships may not transfer cleanly. Automation workflows need to be rebuilt from scratch.
Frequently asked questions
Is Drift better than Jan?
It depends on your use case. Drift was best for b2b companies wanting ai-powered lead qualification and meeting booking, but it is discontinued and can no longer be bought. Jan excels at privacy-conscious users wanting a simple local ai chat app. Based on ToolChase scores, Jan scores slightly higher at 4.3/5.
How much does Drift cost compared to Jan?
Drift pricing: Premium $2,500/mo · Advanced custom · Enterprise custom. Jan pricing: Completely free and open-source. Jan offers a free tier while Drift required a paid subscription; Drift is discontinued, so its pricing is historical.
Can I use Drift and Jan together?
Not now: Drift is discontinued, so the two can no longer be run side by side. While both were available, you might have used Drift for b2b companies wanting ai-powered lead qualification and meeting booking and Jan for privacy-conscious users wanting a simple local ai chat app.
What are the best alternatives to Drift and Jan?
Top alternatives include Claude, ChatGPT, Ollama. Each offers different strengths, browse our alternatives pages for Drift and Jan for detailed breakdowns.
Which tool is easier to learn, Drift or Jan?
Drift has a moderate learning curve. Jan has a moderate learning curve. Both tools offer documentation and tutorials to help new users get started quickly.
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