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Software · head to head

Botpress vs Olark

Botpress logo

Botpress

Software

Open-source chatbot platform and framework

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Olark logo

Olark

Software

Make your business human

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Botpress managed cloud version (Botpress Cloud) availability and pricing not accessible; open-source deployment requires managing infrastructure; Olark the AI website agent is a $400 a month flat plan billed annually at $4,800, which is a large step from the $29 per agent human only plan
  • They diverge on capability: Botpress covers Visual bot builder, Olark covers Live chat.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Botpress and Olark actually diverge.

Attributes where Botpress and Olark differ
AttributeBotpressOlark
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
PlatformsOpen-source (self-hosted), Cloud-managed (Botpress Cloud)Web
Founded20162009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Botpress

  • Visual bot builder
  • NLU integration
  • Multi-channel support
  • Analytics
  • Teams
  • Messenger
  • WhatsApp
  • On-premise support

Only in Olark

  • Live chat
  • Chat transcripts
  • Visitor insights
  • Customization
  • Offline messaging
  • Shortcuts
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Botpress

  • Development teams building chatbots and conversational AI using MIT-licensed open-source frameworknot Olark
  • Organisations needing custom conversational interfaces with programmatic control via SDK/CLInot Olark

Olark

  • Live chat on a website with a small support teamnot Botpress
  • Running an AI agent on website conversations with human handoffnot Botpress

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Botpress

  • Managed cloud version (Botpress Cloud) availability and pricing not accessible; open-source deployment requires managing infrastructure
  • Dependent on OpenAI integration; users must provide and manage OpenAI API keys and costs

Olark

  • The AI website agent is a $400 a month flat plan billed annually at $4,800, which is a large step from the $29 per agent human only plan
  • That flat price covers only one human seat, with each additional seat at $29 a month
  • Regional routing, SSO and custom SLAs require a custom enterprise plan with no published price

Pricing, plan by plan

Botpress

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Botpress review.

Olark

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 20 chats/month
    • 1 agent
    • Basic customization
  • Standard$29/month
    • Unlimited chats
    • Chat transcripts
    • Integrations
  • Pro$undefined/month
    • Co-browsing
    • Chatbot
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Botpress if

  • You need visual bot builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Open-source (self-hosted), Cloud-managed (Botpress Cloud).
  • You also want nlu integration.
Botpress review

Choose Olark if

  • You need live chat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want chat transcripts.
Olark review

Questions people ask

Is Botpress or Olark better?
Neither clearly leads. Botpress starts at Free and Olark at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Botpress or Olark?
Botpress starts at Free and Olark at Free.
Does Botpress or Olark run on more platforms?
Botpress runs on Open-source (self-hosted), Cloud-managed (Botpress Cloud). Olark runs on Web.
Can I use Botpress for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Botpress best used for?
Botpress is most often used for development teams building chatbots and conversational ai using mit-licensed open-source framework, organisations needing custom conversational interfaces with programmatic control via sdk/cli. Of those, development teams building chatbots and conversational ai using mit-licensed open-source framework and organisations needing custom conversational interfaces with programmatic control via sdk/cli are not what Olark is typically brought in for.
What can Botpress do that Olark cannot?
Botpress covers Visual bot builder, NLU integration, Multi-channel support, Analytics. Olark covers Live chat, Chat transcripts, Visitor insights, Customization. Both handle Slack.
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