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Software · head to head

Crisp vs Olark

Crisp logo

Crisp

Software

Customer messaging platform for startups and SMBs

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: Crisp free tier includes only 2 agents and no AI credits; AI capability requires paid tier; 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: Crisp covers Shared inbox, Olark covers Chat transcripts.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Crisp and Olark actually diverge.

Attributes where Crisp and Olark differ
AttributeCrispOlark
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsCloud-based SaaSWeb
Founded20152009

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 Crisp

  • Shared inbox
  • Chatbots
  • Knowledge base
  • Video calls
  • CRM
  • WordPress
  • Shopify
  • Zapier

Only in Olark

  • Chat transcripts
  • Visitor insights
  • Customization
  • Offline messaging
  • Shortcuts
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Zendesk

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Slack
  • GDPR
  • SSL
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Crisp

  • Growing startups needing affordable all-in-one customer support with AI automationnot Olark
  • Teams seeking omnichannel support consolidating email, chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagramnot Olark

Olark

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

Where each one falls short

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

Crisp

  • Free tier includes only 2 agents and no AI credits; AI capability requires paid tier
  • Free tier customer profile limit of 100; higher limits require upgrade
  • Omnichannel support and workflow automation excluded from Free and Mini tiers
  • White labelling only available in Plus tier ($295+/month)

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

Crisp

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Crisp 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 Crisp if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want chatbots.
Crisp review

Choose Olark if

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

Questions people ask

Is Crisp or Olark better?
Neither clearly leads. Crisp 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, Crisp or Olark?
Crisp starts at Free and Olark at Free.
Does Crisp or Olark run on more platforms?
Crisp runs on Cloud-based SaaS. Olark runs on Web.
Can I use Crisp for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Crisp best used for?
Crisp is most often used for growing startups needing affordable all-in-one customer support with ai automation, teams seeking omnichannel support consolidating email, chat, whatsapp, messenger, instagram. Of those, growing startups needing affordable all-in-one customer support with ai automation and teams seeking omnichannel support consolidating email, chat, whatsapp, messenger, instagram are not what Olark is typically brought in for.
What can Crisp do that Olark cannot?
Crisp covers Shared inbox, Chatbots, Knowledge base, Video calls. Olark covers Chat transcripts, Visitor insights, Customization, Offline messaging. Both handle Live chat, Slack, GDPR, SSL.
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Related pages

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