Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

DEV.to VS Drift

Compare DEV.to VS Drift and see what are their differences

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DEV.to logo DEV.to

Where software engineers connect, build their resumes, and grow.

Drift logo Drift

A messaging app that helps you grow your business.
  • DEV.to Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-13
  • Drift Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-23

DEV.to

Website
dev.to
Pricing URL
-
Release Date
-

Drift

Website
drift.com
Release Date
2015 January
Startup details
Country
United States
City
Boston
Founder(s)
David Cancel
Employees
250 - 499

DEV.to features and specs

  • Community Engagement
    DEV.to offers an active and supportive community of developers where users can share knowledge, seek advice, and collaborate on projects. This fosters a sense of belonging and continuous learning.
  • Ease of Use
    The platform provides a straightforward and user-friendly interface, making it easy for users to publish content, engage with other posts, and navigate through various resources.
  • Content Diversity
    DEV.to features a wide range of topics related to software development, from beginner tutorials to advanced technical articles. This diversity makes it a valuable resource for developers at all skill levels.
  • Open Source and Transparency
    DEV.to is built on open-source software, which promotes transparency and allows users to contribute to the platform’s development. This aligns with the core values of many developers.
  • Cross-Posting Capabilities
    Users can easily cross-post articles from their personal blogs or other platforms, increasing their content’s reach and visibility without significant additional effort.

Possible disadvantages of DEV.to

  • Content Quality Variation
    Given its open nature, the quality of content on DEV.to can be inconsistent. Users may need to sift through a mix of high-quality and less useful posts to find valuable information.
  • Platform-Specific Features
    Some features and optimizations are tailored specifically for the DEV.to platform, which might not translate well if the content is shared elsewhere.
  • Limited Advanced Customization
    While the platform is user-friendly, it offers limited customization options for articles and personal profiles compared to more robust blogging platforms.
  • Visibility Challenges
    With a large user base, it can be challenging for new users or less popular posts to gain traction and visibility unless they are highly engaging or promoted.
  • Distraction Potential
    The platform's social features, such as discussions and notifications, can sometimes be distracting, potentially impacting productivity for users who are easily sidetracked.

Drift features and specs

  • Real-time Customer Engagement
    Drift allows you to engage with website visitors in real-time through live chat, helping to convert leads faster and improving customer service.
  • AI-Powered Chatbots
    Drift provides AI-powered chatbots that can handle basic customer inquiries and route them to the appropriate representative, saving time and resources.
  • Advanced Analytics
    Drift offers comprehensive analytics tools to track chat performance, customer behavior, and conversion rates, which helps businesses make informed decisions.
  • Integration Capabilities
    Drift integrates well with popular CRM systems, marketing tools, and other third-party applications, enhancing overall workflow and data synchronization.
  • Customizable Chat Widgets
    Drift provides customizable chat widgets that can be tailored to match the branding and specific needs of your website, offering a cohesive user experience.

Possible disadvantages of Drift

  • Cost
    Drift can be relatively expensive compared to other live chat solutions, making it less accessible for small businesses or startups with limited budgets.
  • Complexity
    The platform has a steep learning curve, especially for those who are not tech-savvy, which can make the initial setup and usage challenging.
  • Limited Features in Free Plan
    The free version of Drift offers limited features, which may not meet the needs of businesses looking for more advanced functionalities.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users have reported occasional performance issues, such as lagging or downtime, which can disrupt customer engagement efforts.
  • Over-Reliance on Automation
    While AI-powered chatbots are a significant advantage, an over-reliance on them can sometimes lead to a lack of personal touch, potentially alienating customers.

DEV.to videos

Ben Halpern founder of Dev.To & The Practical Dev

Drift videos

Drift Review | Adam LZ's 240sx

More videos:

  • Review - THE BEST CAR I'VE EVER DRIFTED! 489Whp C6 Corvette Drift Review
  • Review - YouTubers Drift Crashes

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to DEV.to and Drift)
CMS
100 100%
0% 0
Customer Support
0 0%
100% 100
Blogging
100 100%
0% 0
CRM
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare DEV.to and Drift

DEV.to Reviews

  1. It is a nice mini-blog, it's for free and such but

    As a mini-blog, it is a nice alternative for Medium to publish and share information about programming.

    However, the community and the organization are biased toward social justice (and they are open to it). You can read its Code of Conduct, it is so vague and politically leads (I prefer a term of service because it defines fair rules for everybody). So it alienates developers that we don't care about politics in pro of people that want to talk about any other topic such as sexuality, how women are unprivileged, and such. It even mandates to use inclusive language. Good grief.

    My main complaint is the quality of the community. It is not StackOverflow (so we don't want to ask for an answer here), and most of the top topics are clickbait, such as "how to become a rockstar developer in ... days", "100 tips to become a better programmer" (and it doesn't even talk about programming).

    Technically this "mini blog" site allows us to use markdown, and it is okay. However, the whole experience is really basic. Even the template is ugly.

    🏁 Competitors: Medium
    👍 Pros:    Free
    👎 Cons:    Social justice|Basic features|Quality of content

Best Forums for Developers to Join in 2025
The 'dev.to' forum is a great place for developers to find answers, share their knowledge, and learn from others. It's a place for people to talk about their projects, ask questions, and get feedback.
Source: www.notchup.com
Top 10 Developer Communities You Should Explore
One of Dev.to’s unique features is its focus on the human side of coding. Developers often share their personal stories, career journeys, and lessons learned, creating a sense of camaraderie within the community. The platform also encourages content creators by providing a clean and user-friendly interface for writing and sharing articles.
Source: www.qodo.ai

Drift Reviews

Top 14 AI Lead Generation Software & Tools: A Detailed Comparison
CIENCE offers a complete lead generation solution, combining human expertise with AI-driven tools like MemoryAI for multi-threaded outreach—something tools like Instantly.ai or Copilot.ai lack. Unlike Seamless.ai, which focuses on contact discovery, or Drift, limited to conversational AI, CIENCE covers the full process, from outreach to appointment setting.
Source: www.cience.com
10 best Manychat alternatives in 2024 (free & paid)
Drift is a platform for conversational marketing, sales, and service. You can use it to connect with your website visitors, answer their questions and get insight into their preferences, collaborate with teammates to sell faster, and more.
Source: chatfuel.com
12 Best Free Chrome Screen Recorder with audio 2022
Drift is also a noteworthy screen recorder for Google Chrome, with which you can easily record videos, screens, and GIFs. It also allows you to record voice and mouse movements from any window.
The 36 Best Marketing Automation Tools to Use in 2020
Drift is a conversational marketing and sales platform that helps you connect with the leads that are ready to buy. Drift is the first company to leverage the power of live chat and automated chatbots for sales purposes. Since their launch in 2014, they’ve established themselves as the best customer messaging platform to help you book more sales meetings, shorten your sales...
Source: encharge.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, DEV.to seems to be a lot more popular than Drift. While we know about 509 links to DEV.to, we've tracked only 1 mention of Drift. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

DEV.to mentions (509)

  • AI killed my coding brain but I’m rebuilding it
    Dev.to Good for sharing experiences, writing, and reading posts from devs across the spectrum. - Source: dev.to / 5 days ago
  • Level up your dev career with the T-shape strategy and why generalists don’t get XP boosts
    Dev.to Friendly dev content, especially helpful for beginners exploring horizontals. - Source: dev.to / 5 days ago
  • Unveiling the Checkstyle License: A Deep Dive into Fair Code, Open Source Sustainability, and Developer Compensation
    Insights from developers on platforms such as Dev.to shed light on the broader context of open source funding and licensing. For instance, in posts like "Unveiling the Nokia Open Source License – Balancing Innovation and Fair Developer Compensation" and "Unlocking Potential: Open Source Project Funding Platforms", industry experts discuss similar challenges and successes that resonate with the philosophy behind... - Source: dev.to / 5 days ago
  • Unveiling IBM Public License 1.0-rv: A Comprehensive Deep Dive into Open Source Fairness and Blockchain Implications
    This post delivers a comprehensive exploration of the IBM Public License 1.0-rv. We discuss its background, core legal principles, and developer-oriented compensation measures while comparing it with other popular open source licenses like MIT, GNU GPL, and Apache 2.0. In addition, we delve into emerging blockchain integration and dual licensing aspects. The post also highlights practical examples and challenges... - Source: dev.to / 6 days ago
  • Unveiling Erlang Public License 1.1: A Comprehensive Exploration
    Abstract: This post provides an in‐depth look at the Erlang Public License 1.1 (EPL 1.1) by exploring its history, core features, diverse applications, challenges, and future outlook. We discuss how this open source and fair code license protects innovative software projects built with Erlang while balancing community collaboration with commercial interests. Along the way, we provide tables, bullet lists, and... - Source: dev.to / 6 days ago
View more

Drift mentions (1)

  • Why is google chrome bypassing my firewall?
    I have a ZYXEL C3000Z modem/router and setup the "Website Blocking" for drift.com. When I use IE, Edge, Firefox, all have page block site from the router which is what I want. Source: almost 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing DEV.to and Drift, you can also consider the following products

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

Intercom - Intercom is a customer relationship management and messaging tool for web businesses. Build relationships with users to create loyal customers.

Medium - Welcome to Medium, a place to read, write, and interact with the stories that matter most to you.

Zendesk - Zendesk is a beautiful, lightweight help-desk solution.

Hashnode - A friendly and inclusive Q&A network for coders

Freshdesk - Freshdesk is a cloud-based customer support software that lets you support customers through traditional channels like phone and email, social channels like Facebook and Twitter, and your own branded community