7 Best Drift Alternatives for Bakeries

Intercom has long been a favorite for small businesses that want a single platform to manage live chat, in‑app messages, and automated bots. Its conversational bots are built on a simple drag‑and‑drop interface, allowing users to create workflows without writing code. For bakeries, Intercom’s chat widget can be embedded on the storefront to greet visitors, answer FAQs about ingredients, or schedule pickups. The platform also supports automated product recommendations, order updates, and lead capture via forms. Intercom’s strength lies in its tight integration with other marketing tools—email, help desk, and CRM—making it easy to funnel chatbot leads into your existing sales pipeline. The platform’s knowledge base feature lets you create a searchable FAQ section, which can be linked directly from the chat window. Additionally, Intercom offers a robust analytics dashboard that tracks conversation metrics, agent performance, and customer satisfaction scores. While Intercom’s pricing can be steep for small bakeries—starting at $39/month for the Essential plan and going up to $199/month for Premium—it does include unlimited chat agents, unlimited messages, and full access to the knowledge base. For bakeries on a tighter budget, the free trial and lower tiers offer a good starting point.

HubSpot’s Conversations tool is part of its free CRM suite, making it an attractive option for bakeries operating on a tight budget. The chatbot builder is visual and requires no coding, and it can be embedded on your website to answer common questions about menu items, opening hours, or order status. HubSpot also allows you to set up automated email follow‑ups and to capture leads directly into the CRM. A key advantage of HubSpot is its data integration: every interaction in the chat is automatically logged in the contact record, providing a 360‑degree view of customer behavior. This can be especially useful for bakeries that want to track repeat customers and personalize future offers. The platform also offers live chat, ticketing, and email templates, all within a single dashboard. HubSpot’s pricing is tiered, with the free starter plan covering basic chat features and the paid Starter plan at $45/month (billed annually) adding more advanced chatbot logic, custom tokens, and integration with other HubSpot tools. For larger bakeries with more complex needs, the Professional and Enterprise plans offer additional customization and automation.

Tidio blends live chat with AI chatbots to offer a cost‑effective solution for small bakeries. The platform’s chat widget can be embedded on any website, and its chatbot builder uses a visual flow builder that lets you set up quick responses for common queries such as order status or ingredient sourcing. Tidio also supports email integration, so conversations can be forwarded to your inbox or CRM for follow‑up. A standout feature of Tidio is its ability to combine real‑time chat with automated bot responses in a single window, providing a seamless experience for visitors. The platform also offers a knowledge base integration and basic analytics to monitor chat volume and response times. Tidio’s pricing model is straightforward: a free tier with essential features, followed by paid plans starting at $18/month for the Premium plan. For bakeries that need a simple, budget‑friendly solution with the flexibility to upgrade as they grow, Tidio offers a good balance of features and affordability.

ManyChat is a marketing automation platform primarily built for Facebook Messenger, but it also supports SMS, email, and WhatsApp. Its visual flow builder allows bakeries to create conversational flows that can handle order inquiries, promotional offers, and customer support. ManyChat’s bot can be embedded on a website via a widget, and it supports automated broadcast messages, tags, and segmentation. ManyChat’s strengths include its deep integration with Facebook ads, enabling bakeries to target specific audiences and drive traffic to their chat. The platform also offers a free tier, with the Pro plan starting at $10/month for unlimited contacts and advanced features such as custom fields and multiple users. While ManyChat is ideal for bakeries that rely heavily on social media marketing, it may lack the granular e‑commerce integrations that a dedicated e‑commerce chatbot platform would provide.

Chatfuel is a no‑code chatbot builder focused on Facebook Messenger, but it also provides web chat widgets. Bakery owners can use its drag‑and‑drop interface to create automated responses for order questions, location inquiries, and menu updates. Chatfuel offers a free plan that allows up to 50 active users per month, with the Pro plan starting at $60/month for unlimited users, custom branding, and advanced AI. Chatfuel’s main advantage is its simplicity and the ability to integrate with external APIs via webhooks, making it possible to pull real‑time inventory data or order status. However, the platform’s primary focus remains social media, and its web chat widget is less feature‑rich compared to dedicated website chat solutions.

Crisp is a lightweight live‑chat platform that also offers chatbot functionality. Its chat widget can be embedded on any website and supports real‑time conversations, automated bot responses, and a knowledge base. Crisp’s visual bot builder allows bakeries to set up quick replies for FAQs, menu items, and order times. The platform’s key selling points include a clean interface, easy integration with popular CRMs, and the ability to export chat transcripts for analysis. Crisp offers a free plan with limited features, with paid plans starting at $25/month for unlimited chats and additional features such as team management and advanced analytics. For bakeries that need a simple, cost‑effective chat solution with basic automation, Crisp provides a balance of functionality and affordability.