Softwr

Software · head to head

LiveChat vs Olark

LiveChat logo

LiveChat

Software

Customer service software that delights

From
$20/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: LiveChat the Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per 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
  • They diverge on capability: LiveChat covers Ticketing, Olark covers Chat transcripts.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LiveChat and Olark actually diverge.

Attributes where LiveChat and Olark differ
AttributeLiveChatOlark
Starting price$20/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, DesktopWeb
Founded20022009

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 LiveChat

  • Ticketing
  • Chat routing
  • Analytics
  • Canned responses
  • File sharing
  • Shopify
  • WordPress
  • Zapier

Only in Olark

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

Both cover

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

What people use each for

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

LiveChat

  • Live chat support on a website with agent routingnot Olark
  • Handling customer conversations across chat, SMS and messaging channelsnot Olark

Olark

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

Where each one falls short

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

LiveChat

  • The Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month
  • Pricing is per agent, so support cost scales with headcount rather than with conversation volume
  • AI reply suggestions are capped by plan, at 3 knowledge sources on Starter and 10 above it
  • Surveys and eye catchers are predefined rather than customisable below the Enterprise plan
  • SSO, white labelling and HIPAA compliance are Enterprise only

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

LiveChat

$20/month
  • Starter$20/month
    • 60-day chat history
    • Basic customization
    • Ticketing system
  • Team$41/month
    • Unlimited history
    • Advanced reporting
    • Branding removal
  • Business$59/month
    • Staffing prediction
    • Work scheduler
    • Apple Business Chat
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Product training
    • 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 LiveChat if

  • You need ticketing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want chat routing.
LiveChat 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 LiveChat or Olark better?
Neither clearly leads. LiveChat starts at $20/month and Olark at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LiveChat or Olark?
Olark has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20/month for LiveChat and Free for Olark.
Does LiveChat or Olark run on more platforms?
LiveChat runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop. Olark runs on Web.
Can I use Olark for free?
Yes. Olark has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. LiveChat starts at $20/month.
What is LiveChat best used for?
LiveChat is most often used for live chat support on a website with agent routing, handling customer conversations across chat, sms and messaging channels. Of those, live chat support on a website with agent routing and handling customer conversations across chat, sms and messaging channels are not what Olark is typically brought in for.
What can LiveChat do that Olark cannot?
LiveChat covers Ticketing, Chat routing, Analytics, Canned responses. Olark covers Chat transcripts, Visitor insights, Customization, Offline messaging. Both handle Live chat, Salesforce, HubSpot, GDPR.
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