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Software · head to head

Olark vs Zendesk

Olark logo

Olark

Software

Make your business human

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zendesk logo

Zendesk

Software

Champions of customer service

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Olark 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; Zendesk aI agents operate on per-resolution billing; customers pay only when an AI agent successfully resolves a ticket without escalation
  • They diverge on capability: Olark covers Chat transcripts, Zendesk covers Ticket management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Olark and Zendesk actually diverge.

Attributes where Olark and Zendesk differ
AttributeOlarkZendesk
Starting priceFree$19/month
Free tierYesNo
Founded20092007

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web), 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 Olark

  • Chat transcripts
  • Visitor insights
  • Customization
  • Offline messaging
  • Shortcuts
  • HubSpot
  • Zendesk
  • GDPR

Only in Zendesk

  • Ticket management
  • Omnichannel support
  • Knowledge base
  • Call center
  • Analytics & reporting
  • Automation
  • Customer satisfaction
  • Jira

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Salesforce
  • Slack
  • Mailchimp

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

Zendesk

  • Help desk and ticketing system managementnot Olark
  • Omnichannel customer supportnot Olark
  • Knowledge base and self-service portalsnot Olark
  • AI-assisted customer servicenot 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

Zendesk

  • AI agents operate on per-resolution billing; customers pay only when an AI agent successfully resolves a ticket without escalation
  • Copilot and Contact Center features available as separate add-ons at £50+/agent/month
  • Advanced routing, workforce engagement, and approval workflows limited to Enterprise tier
  • Highest tier requires sales consultation and custom pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Zendesk

$19/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Zendesk review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Olark if

  • You need chat transcripts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want visitor insights.
Olark review

Choose Zendesk if

  • You need ticket management.
  • You also want omnichannel support.
Zendesk review

Questions people ask

Is Olark or Zendesk better?
Neither clearly leads. Olark starts at Free and Zendesk at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Olark or Zendesk?
Olark has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Olark and $19/month for Zendesk.
Does Olark or Zendesk run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Olark for free?
Yes. Olark has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zendesk starts at $19/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 Zendesk is typically brought in for.
What can Olark do that Zendesk cannot?
Olark covers Chat transcripts, Visitor insights, Customization, Offline messaging. Zendesk covers Ticket management, Omnichannel support, Knowledge base, Call center. Both handle Live chat, Salesforce, Slack, Mailchimp.
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