Live chat and messaging
Olark - the practical guide.
Olark is a no-frills live chat product that has been around since 2009. It's deliberately simple - install the widget, route chats to your agents, transcripts go to email or your CRM. Popular with small businesses and accessibility-conscious teams (Olark has long been ahead on WCAG compliance).
What Olark does
Olark is a no-frills live chat product that has been around since 2009. It's deliberately simple - install the widget, route chats to your agents, transcripts go to email or your CRM. Popular with small businesses and accessibility-conscious teams (Olark has long been ahead on WCAG compliance).
Who it's for
Small businesses, education and non-profits that want straightforward chat without learning a platform. Also a fit for teams with strict accessibility requirements. Less suitable for high-volume support, AI deflection or complex routing.
Pricing, in rough terms
Standard plan around USD 29 per agent per month billed annually (USD 55 monthly). Add-on PowerUps - co-browsing, transcripts, visitor insights - billed separately, often around USD 29-99/month each.
When Olark is the right fit
Right when simplicity, accessibility and predictable cost matter more than features. Wrong fit when you want bots, omnichannel or rich reporting - look at Tidio, Intercom or Zendesk.
Watch-outs
PowerUp add-ons can quietly double the bill - decide upfront which you actually need. Reporting is light. AI features are limited compared with newer competitors; this is a deliberate product positioning, not a roadmap gap to wait out.