Tools research
AI Chatbots & Conversational Marketing
One major shutdown, one pending $3.6B acquisition, and real gaps between marketed and actual resolution rates
Before anything else in this category: Drift is being shut down. If you're comparing chatbot tools and Drift appears on any list you've found (including, until this update, this site's own launch tracker), skip it — see our Drift entry for the full timeline and migration guidance. This is exactly the kind of fast-moving fact a static "best of" list can get dangerously stale on, which is why every review here carries a dated "Last researched" stamp.
Current ranking
AI Chatbots & Conversational Marketing, ranked
Equal scores share a rank. Every name opens the full evidence record.
| Rank | Tool | Score | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intercom Fin | 6.6 | SaaS support with genuine multi-step resolution |
| 1 | Tidio | 6.6 | Ecommerce/Shopify, easiest setup, real free tier |
| 3 | Zendesk AI | 6.2 | Enterprises with formal SLA-driven support |
| 4 | Ada | 6.0 | Enterprise multi-channel (chat/email/voice/SMS) |
Scores use our documented methodology and reflect the date on each review.
Decision framework
How to actually choose
- Shopify or ecommerce, want the fastest setup? Tidio — but model your bill carefully given its triple-metered pricing.
- SaaS support team needing genuine multi-step resolution (refunds, cancellations, account changes)? Intercom Fin — with realistic expectations about the actual (not marketed) resolution rate.
- Enterprise with formal SLAs and existing Zendesk investment? Zendesk AI — budget for the real jump to the Enterprise tier.
- Enterprise contact center needing chat, email, voice, and SMS from one platform? Ada — confirm your knowledge base formats are supported first.
- Currently on Drift? Start migration planning now — see the Drift entry for next steps.
Research signal
A pattern worth naming
This category has the widest gap between marketed and independently-verified performance of anything reviewed on this site so far. One detailed practitioner test found Intercom Fin's real resolution rate (38%) meaningfully below its marketed "up to 50%" figure — and separately found that Intercom's own dashboard counts a customer who simply stops replying as "resolved." Tidio's own cited resolution accuracy ranges from 67% to 89% depending on which source you check. Every "resolution rate" statistic in AI customer service should be treated as a starting point for your own testing, not a number to budget around directly — this is a category where vendor-marketed performance and independently-measured performance diverge more than almost anywhere else covered on this site.
Buying questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Drift still worth considering? No. It's being actively sunset following Salesloft's acquisition and subsequent merger with Clari, with 1mind named as the official successor. See the full entry before making any decision involving Drift.
Why does Intercom Fin cost more as it performs better? Its pricing charges per successful AI outcome ($0.99/resolution) on top of seat fees — a structural quirk where improving AI performance directly increases your bill, unlike flat-rate competitors like Tidio's Lyro.
Can I trust vendor-published resolution rates in this category? Treat them skeptically. Independent testing has found real, meaningful gaps between marketed and actual performance for more than one tool in this category — run your own pilot with real tickets before committing to a resolution-rate-dependent budget.
Next steps