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Live Chat · head to head

Olark vs Slimchat

Olark logo

Olark

Live Chat

Make your business human

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

Slimchat

Live Chat

Lightweight live chat solution for websites

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Slimchat has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Slimchat the vendor's own homepage as captured by the Internet Archive on 19 August 2018 (via Novosi, LLC) shows SlimChat was still pre-release at that date, offering an email signup for '3 months FREE' with an 'Expected release: summer 2018' notice and a $15 incentive to test a tour version; combined with the live site now serving a mismatched Squarespace certificate, this indicates the product likely never reached a stable commercial release
  • They diverge on capability: Olark covers Live chat, Slimchat covers Live chat widget.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Olark and Slimchat actually diverge.

Attributes where Olark and Slimchat differ
AttributeOlarkSlimchat
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile responsive
Founded20092016

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Live Chat).

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 Slimchat

  • Live chat widget
  • Lightweight design
  • Fast loading
  • Visitor information
  • Zapier
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • Mobile responsive support

Both cover

  • Web support

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 Slimchat
  • Running an AI agent on website conversations with human handoffnot Slimchat

Slimchat

  • Customer engagementnot Olark
  • Lead generationnot Olark
  • Customer supportnot Olark
  • Sales automationnot 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

Slimchat

  • The vendor's own homepage as captured by the Internet Archive on 19 August 2018 (via Novosi, LLC) shows SlimChat was still pre-release at that date, offering an email signup for '3 months FREE' with an 'Expected release: summer 2018' notice and a $15 incentive to test a tour version; combined with the live site now serving a mismatched Squarespace certificate, this indicates the product likely never reached a stable commercial release

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

Slimchat

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Live chat
    • 1 agent
    • Basic features
  • Pro$20/month
    • Multiple agents
    • Advanced options
  • Business$50/month
    • Unlimited features
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Olark if

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

Choose Slimchat if

  • You need live chat widget.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile responsive.
  • You also want lightweight design.
Slimchat review

Questions people ask

Is Olark or Slimchat better?
Neither clearly leads. Olark starts at $29/month and Slimchat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Olark or Slimchat?
Slimchat has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Olark and Free for Slimchat.
Does Olark or Slimchat run on more platforms?
Olark runs on Web. Slimchat runs on Web, Mobile responsive.
Can I use Slimchat for free?
Yes. Slimchat has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Olark starts at $29/month.
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 Slimchat is typically brought in for.
What can Olark do that Slimchat cannot?
Olark covers Live chat, Chat transcripts, Visitor insights, Customization. Slimchat covers Live chat widget, Lightweight design, Fast loading, Visitor information. Both handle Web support.

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
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
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
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