Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Help Scout vs Olark

Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Customer Support

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Olark logo

Olark

Live Chat

Make your business human

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Help Scout has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Help Scout the free plan caps contacts at 100 a month, so it is a volume trial rather than a standing free 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: Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Olark covers Chat transcripts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Help Scout and Olark actually diverge.

Attributes where Help Scout and Olark differ
AttributeHelp ScoutOlark
Starting priceFree$29/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat
Founded20112009

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Help Scout

  • Shared inbox
  • Knowledge base
  • Customer profiles
  • Workflows
  • Reporting
  • Jira
  • Shopify
  • SOC2

Only in Olark

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

Both cover

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

What people use each for

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

Help Scout

  • Shared inbox and help desk for customer support teamsnot Olark
  • Publishing a knowledge base alongside email and chat supportnot Olark

Olark

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

Where each one falls short

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

Help Scout

  • The free plan caps contacts at 100 a month, so it is a volume trial rather than a standing free tier
  • Inboxes are rationed by plan, at 1 on free, 5 on Plus and 10 on Pro
  • Each plan also caps users, at 25 on Standard and 50 on Plus
  • The Pro plan at $75 per user per month carries a 10 user minimum, so the entry cost is $750 a month
  • SSO, SAML and HIPAA compliance are Pro only
  • AI Answers is billed separately at $0.75 per resolution on top of the seat price

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

Help Scout

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 5 users
    • 1 Inbox
    • 1 Docs site
  • Standard$25/month
    • Multiple inboxes
    • Live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger
    • Multiple knowledge bases
  • Plus$45/month
    • Standard features plus advanced workflows
    • Two advanced SLAs
    • Secure portal
  • Pro$75/month
    • Plus features plus unlimited workflows
    • Unlimited SLAs
    • SSO/SAML

Olark

$29/month
  • Standard AI Website Agent$400/month
    • One human agent seat included
    • Unlimited AI conversations
    • Automatic FAQ and knowledge updates
  • Live Chat Only$29/month
    • Human operators only
    • No AI component
    • Upgradeable to AI later
  • Custom Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Regional routing
    • Advanced integrations
    • Custom workflows

Which should you pick?

Choose Help Scout if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want knowledge base.
Help Scout review

Choose Olark if

  • You need chat transcripts.
  • You also want visitor insights.
Olark review

Questions people ask

Is Help Scout or Olark better?
Neither clearly leads. Help Scout starts at Free and Olark at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Help Scout or Olark?
Help Scout has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Help Scout and $29/month for Olark.
Does Help Scout or Olark run on more platforms?
Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android. Olark runs on Web.
Can I use Help Scout for free?
Yes. Help Scout has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Olark starts at $29/month.
What is Help Scout best used for?
Help Scout is most often used for shared inbox and help desk for customer support teams, publishing a knowledge base alongside email and chat support. Of those, shared inbox and help desk for customer support teams and publishing a knowledge base alongside email and chat support are not what Olark is typically brought in for.
What can Help Scout do that Olark cannot?
Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Customer profiles, Workflows. Olark covers Chat transcripts, Visitor insights, Customization, Offline messaging. Both handle Live chat, Slack, Salesforce, HubSpot.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Help Scout: How much does Help Scout cost?

Help Scout offers a free plan for up to 5 users. Paid plans start at $25/user/month (Standard), $45/user/month (Plus), and $75/user/month (Pro).

Source
Olark: How much does Olark's Standard AI plan cost?

Olark's Standard AI Website Agent plan costs $400 per month when billed annually ($4,800/year). This includes one human agent seat, unlimited AI conversations, automatic FAQ updates, lead capture, and white glove support with no token limits or overages.

Source
Help Scout: What is included in the Pro plan?

Help Scout Pro at $75/user/month includes unlimited workflows, unlimited SLAs, SSO/SAML, HIPAA compliance, up to 50 light users, dedicated onboarding, and a strategic account manager.

Source
Olark: What is the cost for additional agent seats on Olark?

Additional human agent seats on Olark cost $29 per agent per month. This rate applies when upgrading from the Standard AI plan.

Source
Help Scout: Does Help Scout offer a free trial?

Yes, Help Scout offers a 15-day free trial for Standard and Plus plans with no credit card required. Pro plan requires booking a demo.

Source
Olark: Does Olark charge based on token usage?

No, Olark explicitly states 'No token costs, ever.' The Standard AI plan charges per agent seat with no usage-based overages or token limits, avoiding unexpected cost spikes during peak traffic periods.

Source
Help Scout: What is the cost of Help Scout's AI Answers add-on?

Help Scout's AI Answers add-on costs $0.75 per resolution with a 3-month free trial included.

Source
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