Olark vs Smartsupp (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Smartsupp grades higher than Olark: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Smartsupp grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Olark
Live chat for websites, with an optional flat-fee AI agent
Smartsupp
Live chat, WhatsApp and email inbox with the Mira AI shopping agent
Which one is for you
Pick Olark if
- Fits if you want live chat answered by people, priced per seat
- Works for a site that wants an AI agent with unlimited conversations at a flat fee
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need ticketing or a help center, as the pages show neither
- Pricey if you add the AI agent, which starts at $400 a month billed annually
- Watch out: the page doesn't say whether the $29 seat price is monthly or annual
- Watch out: SSO, regional routing and custom SLAs are only in the sales-only Custom package
Pick Smartsupp if
- Fits if you run a small WooCommerce or PrestaShop shop and want chat on it
- Works for two or three people sharing chat, since Plus covers 3 for $25 a month billed yearly
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, as 25 conversations a month and 14 days of history go quickly
- Not for you if you need a help center, ticketing or phone in the same tool
- Skip it if you want AI included, as Mira is a separate plan from $16 a month for 100 conversations
- Watch out: chatbot workflows and the API need Plus, and more than one website needs Expert at $83
- Watch out: prices exclude VAT, and Solo is $24 billed monthly against $17 a month billed yearly
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAOlarkFair | 2.4GPASmartsuppFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$29 per agent a month is the middle of the category. The AI agent package is $400 a month billed annually, about 14 times that. | BSolo is $17 a month billed yearly for one person, at the cheaper quarter of help desks, and Expert is $83 for up to 5 operators, about $16.60 a head. Plus covers 3 people for $25. The Mira AI agent is a separate plan from $16 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 14-day trial of Live Chat with no credit card. There is no free plan. | CA free plan with 1 operator, 25 conversations a month and 14 days of history, plus a 14-day trial with no card. Those 25 conversations go fast in a busy week. |
| Features | CLive chat with human agents, and an AI agent as a separate package. It does the chat job fully, but it is a smaller job: the pages show no ticketing or help center. | CLive chat with visitor details, one inbox for chat, Messenger, WhatsApp and email, the Mira AI agent, chatbot workflows from Plus and an API and MCP link. The gaps: no help center, ticketing or phone on the listing. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and the chat widget and AI answers need setting up. | CNo store rating on record. You add the chat box to your shop, connect email and WhatsApp, and train Mira on your site and products. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iPhone and Android apps, and 8 listed integrations. No desktop app on record. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with WordPress, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, WhatsApp and Messenger, plus an API from Plus. No desktop app, so it stops at a B. |
| Best for | plain live chat on a website | live chat for small European online shops |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Olark and Smartsupp. How we grade
Price against what you get
Olark starts at $29 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Smartsupp starts at $17 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Smartsupp starts $12 a month lower. Of the other help desk and live chat tools on the chart, 16 score higher than Olark for less, and 7 score higher than Smartsupp for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Olark also covers sMS marketing, whatsApp messaging and chatbots.
- Smartsupp also covers shared inbox.
At a glance
| Olark | Smartsupp | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $29 per agent / month | $17 per month for 1 operator, billed annually ($24 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | 1 operator, 25 conversations a month across live chat, WhatsApp and Messenger, and 14 days of chat history. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial for Live Chat, no credit card required | 14-day free trial of paid plans, no credit card needed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Olark | Smartsupp.com, s.r.o. |
| Price read from | olark.com | smartsupp.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Olark
- The AI agent starts at $400 a month, billed annually, which is far above the $29 live chat seat price.
- The pricing page does not say whether the $29 seat price is monthly or annual billing.
- Olark is a chat product; the pages here show no full ticketing or help center product.
- SSO, regional routing and custom SLAs are only in the sales-only Custom package.
Smartsupp
- The Free plan stops at 25 conversations a month and keeps only 14 days of history.
- The Mira AI agent is a separate plan from $16 a month billed annually ($20 monthly) for 100 conversations, up to 5,000.
- Chatbot workflows and API access need Plus; more than one website needs Expert.
- Prices exclude VAT, which is added based on the billing country.
Key features
Olark
- AI website agent
- The agent answers visitor questions from your site content, keeps its knowledge in step with the site, and qualifies leads. The in-app name for it is AI Assistant.
- Human live chat
- Chat between visitors and your agents, with live handoff from the AI to a person in the same conversation thread.
- Proactive engagement
- Chats can be triggered by visitor behavior such as UTM source, return visits and time on page.
- Lead capture
- Buttons, in-chat contact forms and booking links appear when the agent decides they help.
- Assistant split tests
- Traffic can be split between two assistant configurations to compare tone, openers and qualification approach.
- Channels and customization
- The features page lists WhatsApp and SMS, and chatbox colors and position can be matched to the site.
Smartsupp
- Live chat for online stores
- A website chat box with visitor details, browsing history, office hours, file sharing and satisfaction ratings.
- One inbox for several channels
- Live chat, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and connected email addresses are answered from the same dashboard.
- Mira AI agent
- Answers customers around the clock, learns from your site and up to 30,000 products, recommends items and hands over to a person.
- Chatbot workflows
- Automated chatbot scenarios from the Plus plan; Solo has basic automated messages only.
- AI reply assistant
- Helps operators rewrite and translate replies, with 50 to 500 assists a month depending on the plan.
- API, MCP and mobile SDK
- A REST API and an MCP link to AI assistants from Plus, and an SDK that puts the chat box inside your own app.
Plans
Olark
Live Chat$29
per agent / month, billing basis not shown
Full-featured live chat with human agents and no AI. The AI agent can be added later without reinstalling.
Standard AI Website Agent$400
per month, billed annually ($4,800 a year)
Unlimited AI conversations with no overages, lead capture and qualification, proactive engagement and one human agent seat. Extra human seats are $29 per agent a month.
CustomCustom
For power users and enterprise: regional routing, multiple teams, custom workflows and SLAs, and SSO. Sold through sales.
Smartsupp
Free$0
1 operator, 25 conversations a month on live chat, WhatsApp and Messenger, 14 days of history and 1 personal shortcut.
Solo$17
per month for 1 operator, billed annually ($24 billed monthly)
Unlimited conversations, 3 connected email addresses, a year of history, basic automated messages and 50 AI reply assists a month.
Plus$25
per month for up to 3 operators, billed annually ($35 monthly)
Adds 10 email addresses, automated chatbot workflows, API and MCP access, and 250 AI reply assists a month.
Expert$83
per month for up to 5 operators, billed annually ($117 monthly)
Adds 3 websites, 50 email addresses, 3 years of history, premium support and 500 AI reply assists. Extra operators cost $24 a month each, billed annually.
Ultimate$280
per month and up
Custom limits, setup and integrations, a dedicated account manager, data exports and payment by wire transfer. Sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
Olark
No public discounts listed.
Smartsupp
- Annual discount
Up to 30% off with annual billing
Smartsupp's pricing page says annual billing saves up to 30%: Solo is $17 a month billed annually against $24 billed monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Olark or Smartsupp?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Olark starts at $29 per agent / month, and Smartsupp starts at $17 per month for 1 operator, billed annually ($24 billed monthly). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Olark or Smartsupp?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Smartsupp has a free plan. Olark does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.