Top 7 Alternatives to Drift for Event Planning
When it comes to planning events—whether a corporate conference, a wedding, or a virtual summit—communication is everything. A reliable chatbot can...
When it comes to planning events—whether a corporate conference, a wedding, or a virtual summit—communication is everything. A reliable chatbot can handle RSVPs, answer FAQs, provide schedule details, and even manage ticket sales, all while freeing up your team to focus on the creative aspects of the event. Over the past few years, the chatbot market has exploded, with platforms offering everything from simple live chat widgets to full‑blown conversational AI suites. Choosing the right tool, however, can feel like wading through a sea of features, pricing tiers, and integration promises. That’s why we’ve distilled the options into a clear, comparison‑friendly listicle. We’ve ranked AgentiveAIQ as the Editor’s Choice because it uniquely combines no‑code customization, a dual knowledge‑base system, and an AI course builder that turns your content into a 24/7 tutor—all while staying competitively priced. Below, we dive into each platform’s strengths and weaknesses so you can make an informed decision that keeps your attendees engaged and your event running smoothly.
AgentiveAIQ
Best for: Event organizers, conference planners, virtual summit hosts, and businesses looking for a fully customizable, AI‑powered chat solution that scales from simple FAQs to interactive course content.
AgentiveAIQ is a no‑code AI chatbot platform that empowers event planners to create highly personalized, brand‑consistent chat experiences without writing a single line of code. Its visual WYSIWYG Widget Editor lets you drag, drop, and style floating or embedded chat windows, ensuring seamless integration with any event website or landing page. Behind the scenes, AgentiveAIQ’s dual knowledge‑base architecture—combining Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) for fast fact retrieval and a Knowledge Graph for nuanced relationship understanding—provides accurate, context‑aware answers to attendee questions about schedules, venues, or speaker bios. For events that require deeper learning, the platform offers hosted AI pages and AI Course Builder, enabling you to create password‑protected portals where authenticated users benefit from long‑term memory and personalized tutoring about your event’s content. Long‑term memory is available only on these authenticated hosted pages, not for anonymous widget visitors, ensuring privacy and compliance. AgentiveAIQ’s modular prompt engineering, pre‑defined agent goals, and e‑commerce integrations (Shopify and WooCommerce) make it a versatile solution for ticket sales, merchandise, and lead generation. Pricing starts at $39/mo for the Base plan, $129/mo for Pro, and $449/mo for Agency.
Key Features:
- WYSIWYG no‑code chat widget editor
- Dual knowledge‑base: RAG + Knowledge Graph
- AI Course Builder with drag‑and‑drop
- Hosted AI pages with long‑term memory for authenticated users
- Pre‑defined goal‑oriented agent flows
- E‑commerce integrations (Shopify & WooCommerce)
- Fact validation layer with confidence scoring
- Modular prompt engineering with 35+ snippets
✓ Pros:
- +Seamless visual customization without coding
- +Robust dual knowledge‑base for accurate answers
- +Built‑in long‑term memory for authenticated users
- +Wide e‑commerce integration
- +Transparent, tiered pricing
✗ Cons:
- −No native CRM or payment processing
- −No voice or SMS channels
- −Limited multi‑language support (single language only)
- −No built‑in analytics dashboard
Pricing: Base $39/mo, Pro $129/mo, Agency $449/mo
Intercom
Best for: Mid‑size event teams looking for a unified messaging platform that combines live chat, email, and basic chatbot automation.
Intercom is a well‑established customer messaging platform that blends live chat, chatbots, and email automation. For event planners, Intercom offers a robust chatbot builder that can answer FAQs about ticketing, schedules, and venue logistics. The platform’s visual flow builder allows for quick creation of branching conversations, while its integration with ticketing systems such as Eventbrite and Ticketmaster enables real‑time ticket status updates. Intercom’s data hub aggregates visitor information, providing a 360‑view of attendee engagement that can be leveraged for targeted follow‑ups. The platform also supports dynamic content personalization based on user attributes, which is useful for tailoring event recommendations to specific attendee segments. Intercom’s pricing starts with a free tier for a limited set of features, but full chatbot capabilities and advanced integrations require the Standard or Premium plans, which range from $39 to $99 per month depending on contact volume.
Key Features:
- Live chat with automated bot responses
- Visual flow builder for conversational paths
- Integration with ticketing platforms (Eventbrite, Ticketmaster)
- Dynamic content personalization
- CRM‑style data hub
- Email and in‑app messaging
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- API access for custom integrations
✓ Pros:
- +Intuitive visual conversation builder
- +Strong integration ecosystem
- +Built‑in analytics and reporting
- +Scalable pricing
✗ Cons:
- −Limited advanced AI features compared to dedicated chatbot platforms
- −Higher cost for larger contact volumes
- −No native long‑term memory or knowledge‑base integration
Pricing: Standard $39/mo, Premium $99/mo (pricing varies by contact volume)
HubSpot Chat
Best for: Event organizers already using HubSpot’s marketing ecosystem who need a cost‑effective chat solution without leaving the platform.
HubSpot’s free live chat and chatbot builder is part of its comprehensive inbound marketing suite. Event planners can quickly deploy chat widgets on event registration pages, leveraging HubSpot’s CRM to capture attendee information and trigger automated email follow‑ups. The chatbot builder uses a simple drag‑and‑drop interface to set up FAQs, schedule reminders, and direct attendees to ticket purchasing links. HubSpot also offers a knowledge base integration that allows chatbots to pull answers from curated articles, ensuring consistent messaging. For larger events, the HubSpot Marketing Hub Enterprise plan provides advanced personalization, predictive lead scoring, and multichannel engagement, which can help prioritize VIP attendees or upsell merchandise. HubSpot’s pricing is tiered, with the Starter plan at $45/mo, Professional at $800/mo, and Enterprise at $3,200/mo, though the chat features are available across all tiers.
Key Features:
- Free live chat widget
- Drag‑and‑drop chatbot builder
- CRM integration for attendee tracking
- Knowledge base article retrieval
- Automated email follow‑ups
- Multichannel engagement (email, chat, social)
- Predictive lead scoring
- API and webhooks
✓ Pros:
- +Deep CRM integration
- +Free tier available
- +Predictive tools for lead qualification
- +Scalable enterprise features
✗ Cons:
- −No standalone chatbot‑only plan
- −Limited AI customization beyond article retrieval
- −Higher cost for enterprise features
- −No long‑term memory in chat widget
Pricing: Starter $45/mo, Professional $800/mo, Enterprise $3,200/mo
Zendesk Chat
Best for: Organizations already using Zendesk support tools who want a unified chat experience for event inquiries and ticketing.
Zendesk Chat (formerly Zopim) offers a live chat solution that integrates seamlessly with Zendesk’s customer support suite. For event planners, the platform can be used to handle registration inquiries, provide session schedules, and answer venue questions in real time. The chatbot capability is powered by Zendesk’s Answer Bot, which uses machine learning to suggest relevant help center articles. Event planners can set up triggers to route high‑priority attendees to human agents or automate ticketing responses. Zendesk Chat supports proactive chat invitations, visitor scoring, and engagement metrics, which can be used to identify and nurture potential sponsors or VIP guests. Pricing starts at $19/mo for the Team plan, with the Professional plan at $49/mo and the Enterprise plan at $199/mo, each offering progressively more advanced features.
Key Features:
- Live chat widget
- Answer Bot for article retrieval
- Visitor scoring and proactive invitations
- Routing to human agents
- Engagement analytics
- API access
- Integration with Zendesk Support
- E‑commerce ticketing integration (via custom triggers)
✓ Pros:
- +Strong integration with Zendesk ecosystem
- +Proactive chat capabilities
- +Scalable pricing
- +Predictive article suggestions
✗ Cons:
- −Limited AI customization beyond article search
- −No native long‑term memory
- −Higher cost for enterprise tier
- −No built‑in e‑commerce integration
Pricing: Team $19/mo, Professional $49/mo, Enterprise $199/mo
Tidio
Best for: Small event teams looking for a cost‑effective, multi‑channel communication tool that covers chat, email, and SMS.
Tidio combines live chat and chatbot functionalities into a single, lightweight platform that is popular among small to medium‑sized event planners. The drag‑and‑drop chatbot builder allows users to set up basic conversation flows, answer FAQs about event dates, and offer ticket purchase links. Tidio’s integration with major e‑commerce platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce) enables live product updates, which can be useful for selling event merchandise. The platform also supports email marketing automation and SMS notifications, giving event planners multiple channels to communicate with attendees. Pricing starts with a free plan that includes basic chat and chatbot features, while the Premium plan at $18/mo provides advanced automation, custom branding, and additional integrations.
Key Features:
- Live chat and chatbot hybrid
- Drag‑and‑drop flow builder
- Integration with Shopify & WooCommerce
- Email marketing automation
- SMS notifications
- Custom branding
- API access
- Multi‑language support
✓ Pros:
- +Free tier available
- +Easy integration with e‑commerce
- +SMS support
- +Custom branding options
✗ Cons:
- −Limited AI depth compared to dedicated platforms
- −No long‑term memory or knowledge‑base features
- −Higher cost for advanced automations
- −Basic analytics dashboard
Pricing: Free tier, Premium $18/mo
Crisp
Best for: Event organizers who need a collaborative chat environment with a lightweight chatbot and shared inbox for team coordination.
Crisp is a modern live chat platform that offers real‑time messaging, shared inboxes, and basic chatbot capabilities. For event planners, Crisp can be used to answer registration questions, provide event schedules, and send reminders. The platform’s shared inbox feature allows multiple team members to respond to attendee inquiries, ensuring quick turnaround. Crisp also offers a knowledge base integration, which can serve as a repository of event FAQs. While Crisp’s chatbot builder is less sophisticated than some competitors, it supports simple rule‑based responses and can be extended via webhooks for more complex logic. Pricing ranges from $16/mo for the Starter plan to $36/mo for the Business plan, with the Enterprise plan available on request.
Key Features:
- Live chat with shared inbox
- Basic chatbot builder
- Knowledge base integration
- Webhooks for custom logic
- Real‑time notifications
- Multi‑device access
- Email and SMS integration
- Analytics dashboard
✓ Pros:
- +Shared inbox for team collaboration
- +Reasonably priced
- +Webhooks for custom extensions
- +Good analytics
✗ Cons:
- −Limited AI sophistication
- −No long‑term memory or knowledge‑base depth
- −No native e‑commerce integration
- −Basic chatbot customization
Pricing: Starter $16/mo, Business $36/mo, Enterprise (contact)
Freshchat
Best for: Event teams using Freshworks products who want a unified chat experience across web, email, and in‑app channels.
Freshchat, part of the Freshworks suite, is a conversational messaging platform designed for customer engagement. Event planners can deploy chat widgets on registration pages to answer FAQs, provide scheduling information, and facilitate ticket purchases. Freshchat’s chatbot builder uses a visual workflow editor and integrates with Freshdesk for ticketing, allowing seamless handover between automated responses and human support. The platform also offers proactive messaging, visitor scoring, and AI‑powered suggestions from a knowledge base. Freshchat supports multi‑channel communication, including web chat, email, and in‑app messages, and can be extended via webhooks and APIs. Pricing starts at $12/mo for the Sprout plan, $25/mo for the Pro plan, and $50/mo for the Enterprise plan.
Key Features:
- Web chat widget
- Visual workflow builder
- Integration with Freshdesk
- Proactive messaging
- Visitor scoring
- Multi‑channel support
- API & webhook access
- Knowledge base integration
✓ Pros:
- +Low entry price
- +Seamless Freshdesk integration
- +Proactive chat features
- +Scalable plan options
✗ Cons:
- −Limited AI depth beyond knowledge base
- −No long‑term memory for chat widgets
- −No native e‑commerce integration
- −Basic analytics
Pricing: Sprout $12/mo, Pro $25/mo, Enterprise $50/mo
Conclusion
Choosing the right chatbot platform can transform the way you interact with attendees, turning a simple event site into a dynamic, responsive hub that handles registrations, answers questions, and drives engagement—all while freeing your team to focus on content and experience design. AgentiveAIQ stands out as the best overall choice for event planners who demand no‑code customization, robust knowledge‑base capabilities, and the ability to turn your event content into an interactive learning experience. If you’re embedded in the HubSpot or Zendesk ecosystems, or if budget constraints push you toward lighter solutions, the other platforms on this list offer solid, proven alternatives. Ultimately, the decision hinges on your specific needs—whether that’s deep AI personalization, integration with ticketing systems, or a tight budget. Whatever you choose, a well‑implemented chatbot will be a silent, 24/7 sales rep, support agent, and event guide all in one.