Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Missive vs Olark

Missive logo

Missive

Customer Support

Team inbox and chat for productive teams

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Olark logo

Olark

Live Chat

Make your business human

From
$29/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Missive has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Missive each plan caps users rather than only pricing them, at 5 on Starter and 50 on Productive; 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: Missive covers Shared inbox, Olark covers Live chat.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Missive and Olark actually diverge.

Attributes where Missive and Olark differ
AttributeMissiveOlark
Starting priceFree$29/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, Mac, WindowsWeb
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat
Founded20152009

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 Missive

  • Shared inbox
  • Team chat
  • Email
  • Tasks
  • Calendar
  • WhatsApp
  • SMS
  • Asana

Only in Olark

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

Both cover

  • HubSpot
  • GDPR
  • SSL
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Missive

  • Shared team inbox across email, SMS and social messagesnot Olark
  • Collaborating on customer conversations with internal comments and tasksnot Olark

Olark

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

Where each one falls short

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

Missive

  • Each plan caps users rather than only pricing them, at 5 on Starter and 50 on Productive
  • Integrations, automation rules and API access all require the Productive plan at $24 per user per month
  • Rules are capped at 1,000 per workspace even on the paid tiers
  • SAML SSO and IP restriction are Business only at $36 per user per month
  • AI features need either Missive AI credits or a bring your own key arrangement rather than being included

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

Missive

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 users
    • Basic features
    • Email & chat
  • Starter$14/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Shared inboxes
    • Rules & automation
  • Productive$18/month
    • Starter + Calendars
    • WhatsApp
    • SMS
  • Business$26/month
    • Productive + API
    • SAML SSO
    • Priority support

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 Missive if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want team chat.
Missive review

Choose Olark if

  • You need live chat.
  • You also want chat transcripts.
Olark review

Questions people ask

Is Missive or Olark better?
Neither clearly leads. Missive 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, Missive or Olark?
Missive has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Missive and $29/month for Olark.
Does Missive or Olark run on more platforms?
Missive runs on Web, Ios, Android, Mac, Windows. Olark runs on Web.
Can I use Missive for free?
Yes. Missive has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Olark starts at $29/month.
What is Missive best used for?
Missive is most often used for shared team inbox across email, sms and social messages, collaborating on customer conversations with internal comments and tasks. Of those, shared team inbox across email, sms and social messages and collaborating on customer conversations with internal comments and tasks are not what Olark is typically brought in for.
What can Missive do that Olark cannot?
Missive covers Shared inbox, Team chat, Email, Tasks. Olark covers Live chat, Chat transcripts, Visitor insights, Customization. Both handle HubSpot, GDPR, SSL, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Missive: How much does Missive cost per month?

Missive charges $14/user/month for Starter (up to 5 users), $24/user/month for Productive (up to 50 users), and $36/user/month for Business (unlimited users).

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
Missive: Is there a free trial available?

Yes, Missive offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required to start.

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
Missive: Does Missive offer yearly billing discounts?

Yes, Missive provides a 20% discount for yearly billing compared to monthly pricing on all plans.

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
Missive: Which plan includes SSO authentication?

The Business Plan at $36/user/month includes SAML SSO, IP restriction, and advanced analytics features.

Source
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