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Live Chat · head to head

Olark vs Richpanel

Olark logo

Olark

Live Chat

Make your business human

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Richpanel logo

Richpanel

Customer Support

AI-native helpdesk for e-commerce customer support

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; Richpanel primarily focused on e-commerce, not ideal for other industries
  • They diverge on capability: Olark covers Live chat, Richpanel covers AI-native agent.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Olark and Richpanel actually diverge.

Attributes where Olark and Richpanel differ
AttributeOlarkRichpanel
Starting price$29/month$99/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer-seat plus per-conversation for AI agents
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile, API
CategoryLive ChatCustomer Support
Founded20092020

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Olark

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

Only in Richpanel

  • AI-native agent
  • Multi-channel inbox
  • E-commerce integrations
  • QA Agent
  • Social Media Agent
  • Self-Service Portal
  • AI Safety features
  • Copilot mode

What people use each for

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

Olark

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

Richpanel

  • Automating e-commerce customer support with AInot Olark
  • Resolving returns and exchanges automaticallynot Olark
  • Responding to social media inquiries at scalenot Olark
  • Providing full customer context across all support channelsnot Olark
  • Reducing support costs while improving response timesnot Olark

Where each one falls short

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

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

Richpanel

  • Primarily focused on e-commerce, not ideal for other industries
  • AI conversation pricing ($0.20 per conversation) requires monitoring to control costs
  • Minimum $200 monthly charge for AI agents may not suit small businesses
  • Heavy emphasis on e-commerce integrations (Shopify, Recharge) limits flexibility
  • No published pricing for enterprise or custom plans

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Richpanel

$99/month
  • Helpdesk Seat$99/month
    • Unified inbox across all channels
    • Round-robin assignment
    • CSAT reporting
  • AI Agent$0.2/conversation
    • End-to-end conversation resolution
    • Multi-channel automation
    • Customer context from Shopify, Recharge, Loop, Yotpo
  • Returns & Exchanges$99/month
    • Automated returns and exchange policies
    • Exchange incentives
    • Fraud prevention

Which should you pick?

Choose Olark if

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

Choose Richpanel if

  • You need ai-native agent.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, API.
  • You also want multi-channel inbox.
Richpanel review

Questions people ask

Is Olark or Richpanel better?
Neither clearly leads. Olark starts at $29/month and Richpanel at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Olark or Richpanel?
Olark starts at $29/month and Richpanel at $99/month.
Does Olark or Richpanel run on more platforms?
Olark runs on Web. Richpanel runs on Web, Mobile, API.
What is Olark best used for?
Olark is most often used for live chat on a website with a small support team, running an ai agent on website conversations with human handoff. Of those, live chat on a website with a small support team and running an ai agent on website conversations with human handoff are not what Richpanel is typically brought in for.
What can Olark do that Richpanel cannot?
Olark covers Live chat, Chat transcripts, Visitor insights, Customization. Richpanel covers AI-native agent, Multi-channel inbox, E-commerce integrations, QA Agent.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Richpanel: What is the guarantee on AI automation?

Richpanel guarantees 50% automation within 30 days, or refunds every dollar back. The company also guarantees 30% lower bills compared to competitive AI and helpdesk stacks.

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
Richpanel: How much does AI cost per conversation?

AI-handled conversations cost $0.20 each with a $200 minimum monthly charge. This covers all AI features including QA Agent, Social Media Agent, and Copilot functionality.

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
Richpanel: Which e-commerce platforms does Richpanel integrate with?

Richpanel integrates with Shopify, Recharge, Loop, and Yotpo to provide full customer context during support interactions.

Source
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