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Software · head to head

Groove vs Olark

Groove logo

Groove

Software

Simple, powerful support for growing businesses

From
$12/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Olark logo

Olark

Software

Make your business human

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Olark has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Groove billed per ticket at $1 rather than per agent, so support cost scales with how many customers get in touch; 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: Groove covers Shared inbox, Olark covers Chat transcripts.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Groove and Olark actually diverge.

Attributes where Groove and Olark differ
AttributeGrooveOlark
Starting price$12/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded20112009

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Groove

  • Shared inbox
  • Knowledge base
  • Automation rules
  • Reporting
  • Collision detection
  • Zapier
  • Trello
  • Jira

Only in Olark

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

Both cover

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

What people use each for

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

Groove

  • Shared inbox and help desk ticketing for small support teamsnot Olark
  • Handling email, chat and messaging support in one queuenot Olark

Olark

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

Where each one falls short

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

Groove

  • Billed per ticket at $1 rather than per agent, so support cost scales with how many customers get in touch
  • A minimum of 250 tickets a month applies, which is a $3,000 annual commitment before any usage
  • A quiet month still pays the 250 ticket floor
  • No mailbox limit is published

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

Groove

$12/month
  • Standard$12/month
    • 1 mailbox
    • Knowledge base
    • Live chat
  • Plus$20/month
    • 5 mailboxes
    • Full reporting
    • Rules
  • Pro$35/month
    • 25 mailboxes
    • Salesforce
    • Enterprise SSO

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 Groove if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want knowledge base.
Groove 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 Groove or Olark better?
Neither clearly leads. Groove starts at $12/month and Olark at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Groove or Olark?
Olark has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $12/month for Groove and Free for Olark.
Does Groove or Olark run on more platforms?
Groove runs on Web, Ios, Android. Olark runs on Web.
Can I use Olark for free?
Yes. Olark has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Groove starts at $12/month.
What is Groove best used for?
Groove is most often used for shared inbox and help desk ticketing for small support teams, handling email, chat and messaging support in one queue. Of those, shared inbox and help desk ticketing for small support teams and handling email, chat and messaging support in one queue are not what Olark is typically brought in for.
What can Groove do that Olark cannot?
Groove covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Automation rules, Reporting. Olark covers Chat transcripts, Visitor insights, Customization, Offline messaging. Both handle Live chat, Slack, Salesforce, SSL.
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Related pages

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