Olark

olark.com
Customer Support
Weekend Project

Provide 24/7 affordable customer service with AI-powered chat

How to Replace Olark

Overview

Olark is a live chat and AI-powered customer service platform that enables businesses to deliver support, drive sales, and capture leads through real-time messaging. It combines human agents with AI-powered chatbots, SMS capabilities, and automation tools to engage website visitors and customers across multiple channels. The platform is built with accessibility as a core feature, certified to WCAG 2.1 AA standards.

Features

25 features across 14 categories

AI & Automation(2)

AI-Powered ChatbotsAIPremium

Custom AI-powered assistant bots that handle easy tasks and routine customer interactions, designed to enhance agent skills rather than replace them

Flexible Automation BotAIPremium

Custom bots that can be configured to handle repetitive tasks and automate customer interactions

Also in: Ivanti, Ironclad, Chili Piper

Accessibility(1)

WCAG 2.1 AA Accessibility Certification

Third-party tested and certified compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards for both chat widget and agent software

Also in: Justinmind, Justworks, Notion

Add-ons(1)

PowerUpsPremium

Optional specialized add-on features for going the extra mile in sales, growth, and service with flexible monthly billing and one-click activation

Automation(2)

Automation Rules

Easy-to-configure live chat automation rules to engage customers, speed up workflow, greet customers automatically, send custom messages based on visitor behavior, route chats to departments, and show/hide chat box

Chat RoutingPremium

Intelligent routing of chats to appropriate departments or agents, with custom routing available on Pro plan

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

Communication(3)

Live Chat

Hands-on help from human agents answering questions in-context on your website with a robust platform built for teams

SMS TextingPremium

Mobile-friendly asynchronous messaging for agents and customers on the move

Video ChatPremium

Video calling capability for customer support

Also in: Jobber, Jira, Insightly

Customization(1)

Customizable Chatbox

Quick visual tweaks to make the Olark chat box match your brand identity with a few simple adjustments

Also in: monday.com, Obsidian, Smartsheet

Data & Insights(1)

Chat Transcripts & Search

Full access to complete transcript archive with user-friendly interface for searching, sorting, and filtering to uncover actionable insights and product feedback

Data Collection(1)

Custom Chatbox Forms

Drag-and-drop editor to build custom forms that collect visitor information before chat begins, including name, email, team size, product preferences, or problem type

Also in: Insider CDP, Lytics, monday.com

Integration(2)

API & Integrations

Flexible API and library of 100+ plugins and integrations to connect with other business tools and keep data synchronized across platforms

Basic Integrations

Included integrations with popular business tools on Standard plan

Platform(1)

Multi-Domain Support

Ability to install Olark on multiple domains and subdomains and manage chats across all domains from one account

Reporting & Analytics(2)

Advanced Reporting

Advanced reporting capabilities for deeper insights into chat metrics and performance

Live Analytics & Reporting

Detailed live chat reports that update in real-time to monitor chat volume, customer satisfaction, and agent activity with summary reports delivered to inbox

Security(1)

Comprehensive Security

Built-in comprehensive security features to protect customer data and conversations

Support(4)

Dedicated Account ManagerPremium

Dedicated account manager provided on Pro plan for personalized support

Email Support

Email support channel for customer assistance

Live TrainingPremium

Live training sessions provided on Pro plan to help team members get the most from Olark

Professional ServicesPremium

Professional services including legal and procurement support available on Pro plan

Team Management(3)

Agent Groups

Ability to organize agents into groups for chat distribution and team management

Role-Based Permissions

Two role permission levels - agents with basic access and agents with administrative access configured in account settings

Shortcuts & Canned Responses

Shared database of canned responses accessible to team members for quick and consistent replies

Pricing

Free Trial

Free for 14 days
  • Limited features
  • One agent
  • Maximum 20 chats per month

Free Account

Free
  • Limited features
  • One agent
  • Maximum 20 chats per month

Olark Standard

$29/month per seat
  • Customizable chatbox
  • Advanced reporting
  • Agent groups
  • Targeted chat
  • Basic integrations
  • Comprehensive security
  • Email and chat support
  • Built in WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility certification

Olark Pro

Popular
Custom pricing
  • Everything in Olark Standard
  • Powerful chatbots and AI & automation
  • All PowerUps included
  • Dedicated account manager
  • Live training
  • Professional services including legal and procurement
  • Video chat
  • SMS
  • Phone support
  • Custom chat routing
  • First priority in support queue
  • Custom contract terms

PowerUps

$29-$99/month (add-ons)
  • Optional specialized features
  • Flexible monthly billing
  • One-click activation

Cost Calculator

Keep Paying Olark

Monthly$29/mo
Yearly$348/yr
5-Year Total$1.7k

Build It Yourself

Est. Build Time~2 hrs
Hosting$20/mo
DifficultyVery Easy

Total Cost Comparison

1 YearSave $108
SaaS
$348
DIY
$240
3 YearsSave $324
SaaS
$1k
DIY
$720
5 YearsSave $540
SaaS
$1.7k
DIY
$1.2k

DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 25 features at very easy complexity.

Build vs Buy

Should you build a Olark alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 25 features.

Buy Olark

Better Value
Monthly cost$290/mo
3-year total$10,440
Time to deployDays

Build Your Own

Development cost$12,000
Maintenance$180/mo
3-year total$18,480
Dev time~1 months

Buying Olark saves ~$8,040 over 3 years vs building.

Estimates based on 25 features and a BuildScore of 5/5. Actual costs vary.

Integrations

4 known integrations

CRM SystemsGoogle AnalyticsHelpdesk SoftwareIssue Trackers