Great question — here are the messaging platforms startups most commonly pick to capture, qualify and manage leads, with short pros/cons and when to choose each.

Top picks (short summary + why it’s good for startups)

• Intercom — in-app chat, lead qualification, targeted messages, workflows and Salesforce/Clearbit integrations; strong for product-led SaaS that needs in-app engagement and qualified handoffs to sales. (intercom.com)

• HubSpot Conversations (HubSpot Chat + Chatflows) — free/low-cost entry, built-in chatbots, live chat and native CRM so chat leads automatically land in your CRM; great if you want chat + CRM in one stack. (knowledge.hubspot.com)

• Drift — enterprise-grade conversational marketing and buyer-intent tooling (chatbots, playbooks, routing); best for B2B sales-led startups with a DRIP-to-Sales process and budget for premium tooling. (research.com)

• Freshchat (Freshworks) — affordable, omnichannel chat + bots, good integrations (Slack, CRMs, Shopify); solid value for growth-stage startups that need bot-driven qualification plus human handoff. (freshworks.com)

• Zendesk Messaging (part of Zendesk Suite) — scalable omnichannel messaging with AI agents and strong ticketing/workflow; good when you need to combine support and sales conversations under one platform. (zendesk.com)

• Front — shared inbox + chat routing and CRM integrations; excellent for very small sales teams who work primarily by email/chat and want unified ownership, SLAs and collaboration. (front.com)

• ManyChat (and similar bot platforms) — powerful for Facebook/Instagram/WhatsApp campaigns and marketing-driven lead capture (chat-to-lead funnels); cost-effective for social/ad-driven lead gen but watch channel message fees. (twinstrata.com)

• Twilio (Programmable Messaging / Conversations / WhatsApp) — developer-first, fully programmable SMS/WhatsApp/browser chat and deep customization; pick this when you need custom flows, multichannel orchestration or to own the data/UX. (twilio.com)

• Crisp / Gist (lower-cost all-in-one chat + CRM features) — cheaper alternatives that bundle chat, bots, simple CRM and email drip for very early-stage teams. Good for minimal setup and tight budgets. (crisp.chat)

How to pick the right one quickly

• Channels: which channels do your leads use? (in-app/web vs WhatsApp/FB vs SMS). If you need WhatsApp/SMS, consider Twilio or ManyChat (with WhatsApp) for flexibility. (twilio.com)
• CRM / data: pick a solution that integrates or is the CRM you use (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive). If you want built-in CRM, HubSpot is convenient. (ecosystem.hubspot.com)
• Budget & scale: Drift/Intercom/Zendesk lean higher-cost at scale; Freshchat, ManyChat, Crisp, or HubSpot can be more startup-friendly. (research.com)
• Speed to lead: if response time matters, prefer tools with fast routing, notifications, auto-assign/round-robin and bot qualification (Intercom, Drift, Front). (intercom.com)
• Developer needs: if you require custom logic, analytics or multi-channel orchestration, use Twilio (developer APIs) or a Conversations API. (twilio.com)

Recommended picks by startup profile

• Product-led SaaS (in-app engagement & onboarding): Intercom or HubSpot Conversations. (intercom.com)
• B2B sales-led (high-value leads, intentional qualification): Drift or Intercom with Salesforce integration. (research.com)
• Ecommerce / marketing-driven (ads → messenger funnels): ManyChat or Freshchat (plus WhatsApp if needed). (twinstrata.com)
• Minimal team / tight budget: HubSpot free tier, Crisp, or Front (for email-heavy workflows). (ecosystem.hubspot.com)
• Custom/multi-region messaging (SMS/WhatsApp/SMS fallback): Twilio Conversations / Programmable Messaging. (twilio.com)

Practical next steps (30–60 minutes)

1. List must-have channels (web widget, WhatsApp, SMS, FB/IG DM).
2. Pick 2 finalists (one “no-code” like HubSpot/Freshchat, one “product-grade” like Intercom/Drift or Twilio if custom).
3. Run a 2‑week pilot: install widget, create a simple bot to capture name/email/intent, and auto-create leads in your CRM.
4. Measure speed-to-first-reply, conversion from chat → demo booked, and lead handoff accuracy.
5. Iterate or switch before you build deep automations.

Cost notes & compliance

• Many chat channels (WhatsApp, SMS) carry per-message or conversation fees and pre-approved templates — factor those into run-rate. (help.manychat.com)
• Enterprise-level features (advanced routing, AI conversation intelligence, SLA) usually require higher-tier plans (Drift, Intercom, Zendesk). (research.com)

If you want, I can:

• recommend the top 2 fits for your startup if you tell me (industry, typical channel, team size, budget), or
• produce a one‑week pilot checklist (technical tasks + KPIs) for whichever tool you pick.