The Olark Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Olark in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Olark
The Insider’s Guide
Live chat for websites, with an optional flat-fee AI agent
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among help desk and live chat tools, read from Olark’s own pages.
Made by Olark · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Olark’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Olark’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 25 of the 66 other help desk and live chat tools we grade
Olark is a live chat product for websites, sold per human agent seat. Its Standard AI Website Agent is a separate flat-fee package that answers visitor questions, captures and qualifies leads and hands off to a person in the same chat. The vendor says it charges by agent seat, not by AI usage.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Olark, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, and the chat widget and AI answers need setting up.
- 1
Best for plain live chat on a website
Olark is live chat for websites, priced per human seat, with a separate AI agent package.
- 2
Paid plans start at $29 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $29 per agent / month.
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial for Live Chat, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
Human live chat
Chat between visitors and your agents, with live handoff from the AI to a person in the same conversation thread.
- 7
Proactive engagement
Chats can be triggered by visitor behavior such as UTM source, return visits and time on page.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 25 of 66
That is against the other help desk and live chat tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Olark you would be making an AI model answering your customers from your own help articles. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Olark at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $29 per agent / month
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial for Live Chat, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Olark, since 2009
- Category
- Help Desks & Live Chat
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for plain live chat on a website
Olark is live chat for websites, priced per human seat, with a separate AI agent package. The AI package starts at $400 a month billed annually, about 14 times the seat price, and the pages show no ticketing or help center.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A 14-day trial of Live Chat with no credit card. There is no free plan. |
| Features | C | Live 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. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and the chat widget and AI answers need setting up. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web plus iPhone and Android apps, and 8 listed integrations. No desktop app on record. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Olark is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Small sites that want live chat priced per agent
- Teams that want an AI agent at a fixed monthly fee instead of per-resolution pricing
- Sales and lead-generation chat on a marketing site
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$29
A month to start, for each person
Olark is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $29 per agent / month.
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.
Custom
Custom
For power users and enterprise: regional routing, multiple teams, custom workflows and SLAs, and SSO. Sold through sales.
Trying it first
14-day free trial for Live Chat, no credit card required
Read from olark.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Live chat for websites, with an optional flat-fee AI agent. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: live chat, AI support agent, sMS marketing, whatsApp messaging, chatbots.
Live chat with human agents, and an AI agent as a separate package.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Zendesk
- Help Scout
- Front
- Mailchimp
- Shopify
- Zapier
Olark is made by Olark, and has been around since 2009.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
25/66
Other help desk and live chat tools it is graded above
Olark's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 25 of the 66 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 10.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 6 of 66) and worst on features (C, above 3).
Its paid plans start at $29 a month for each person, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 27 of the 57 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 16 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 67 help desk and live chat tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Olark’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 18 of 66
- CFree plan and trialAbove 18 of 66
- CFeaturesAbove 3 of 66
- CEase of useAbove 5 of 66
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 6 of 66
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 59 help desk and live chat tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Olark is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Olark you would be making an AI model answering your customers from your own help articles. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $348 a year.
What you could not
- An AI model answering your customers from your own help articles.
- The WhatsApp Business API, which Meta opens only through approved partners.
- Texts to thousands of numbers, registered with the carriers.
- A chat box on your site that reaches you the moment a customer types.
- A chatbot builder hooked into the messaging apps.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Salesforce, HubSpot and Zendesk among them.
What this rests on. Olark’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Text by LiveChat, tawk.to, Crisp, Tidio and Smartsupp
The 5 tools Olark is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Text by LiveChat
Free trial · from $19/mo
Website chat, ticketing and an AI agent from the LiveChat team.
- Only Text by LiveChat lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Olark also covers sMS marketing, whatsApp messaging and chatbots.
- Text by LiveChat also covers help desk.
- 3.0GPA
tawk.to
Free plan · from $29/mo
Free live chat, ticketing and help center, with paid add-ons.
- tawk.to has a free plan. Olark does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only tawk.to lists Windows and macOS apps.
- Olark also covers sMS marketing, whatsApp messaging and chatbots.
- 2.6GPA
Crisp
Free plan · from $45/mo
Live chat and shared inbox priced per workspace, not per seat.
- Crisp has a free plan. Olark does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Crisp lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Olark also covers sMS marketing, whatsApp messaging and chatbots.
- 3.2GPA
Tidio
Free plan · from $24.17/mo
Live chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations.
- Tidio has a free plan. Olark does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Tidio lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Olark also covers sMS marketing, whatsApp messaging and chatbots.
- 2.4GPA
Smartsupp
Free plan · from $17/mo
Live chat, WhatsApp and email inbox with the Mira AI shopping agent.
- Smartsupp has a free plan. Olark does not, though it has a free trial.
- Olark also covers sMS marketing, whatsApp messaging and chatbots.
- Smartsupp also covers shared inbox.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Olark free?
No, Olark is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial for Live Chat, no credit card required.
How much does Olark cost?
Olark lists 3 plans. Live Chat: $29 per agent / month, billing basis not shown.
What platforms does Olark work on?
Olark is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Olark have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Olark is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Olark have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Olark is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Olark open source?
Olark is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does Olark integrate with?
Olark's listing names Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Help Scout, Front, Mailchimp, Shopify and Zapier.
Who makes Olark?
Olark is made by a company of the same name. It dates from 2009.
What are the alternatives to Olark?
The closest alternatives to Olark in our directory are Text by LiveChat, tawk.to, Crisp, Tidio and Smartsupp.
How does Olark compare with other help desk and live chat tools?
Olark's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 25 of the 66 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 10.
Is Olark good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Olark C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $29 a month for each person, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 27 of the 57 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Olark?
To replace Olark you would be making an AI model answering your customers from your own help articles.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Olark’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Olark's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Olark. Prices change, so check olark.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Olark, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/olark
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Olark: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/olark
Know someone choosing between help desk and live chat tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/olark/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded help desk and live chat tools after Olark, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Help Desks & Live Chat Insider's GuideEvery one of the 67 help desk and live chat tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Desk Insider's GuideLow-cost ticketing help desk with a free plan for three users3.4 GPA
- Tidio Insider's GuideLive chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations3.2 GPA
- tawk.to Insider's GuideFree live chat, ticketing and help center, with paid add-ons3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Olark’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Olark is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Olark. Prices and plans change: check olark.com before you buy.