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Olark’s $400/month AI plan is a steep step if your main need is ordinary live chat. The right replacement depends on why you’re leaving: free chat, messaging-app routing, a shared support inbox or AI-assisted sales. We’ve picked six alternatives from those use cases and included the published price signals. One caveat from Reddit: chat alone does not guarantee more sales, and staffing it alongside other support channels can become a burden.
01Why people leave Olark
Chat alone won’t lift conversions
One Reddit commenter says chat does not guarantee sales; another argues that answers and solid service—not the widget—create value.
Live chat can strain support teams
An r/startups commenter says the team shut chat down because it burdened support staff handling chat alongside email or phone.
Olark’s AI plan costs $400/month
The published pricing summary lists Olark’s AI plan at $400/month. That is hard to justify if you do not need AI with human handoff.
02The alternatives, ranked by fit
- Best free starting point
tawk.totawk.toIf the reason you’re leaving Olark is cost, tawk.to offers a free live-chat starting point and unlimited agent seats, according to the published summary. It also brings chat and CRM together, which may suit teams that want more than a standalone chat widget. Its starting price is listed as free, though paid extras are part of the tradeoff.
Trade-off: Paid extras apply, and support links need checking.
7.0/10from
Freefree plan - Best shared inbox
ChatwootChatwootChatwoot is a better fit if your team wants to move from a chat-focused setup to a shared multichannel inbox. The published summary lists a free plan and pricing from $19 per agent, with voice and automation available at extra cost. That gives teams a clear entry price while leaving room to add capabilities later.
Trade-off: Voice and automation cost extra.
7.8/10from
$19/mofree plan - Best chat and AI mix
LiveChatLiveChatLiveChat is worth considering if you want both AI and live-agent chat, or need to track chat-attributed revenue. Its listed starting price is $19, but the published summary says published pricing is annual-only and Essential has limits. It is a more direct fit for teams wanting a broad chat-and-AI toolkit than a free-first replacement.
Trade-off: Annual-only published pricing; Essential has limits.
6.5/10from
$19/mo - Best shared support inbox
CrispCrispCrisp bundles chat, CRM and a knowledge base in one shared inbox, with no-code AI workflows for teams that want to build automation. The published summary lists a free plan and paid pricing from $45. That broader toolkit may suit a team replacing Olark with a central support workspace rather than another standalone chat option.
Trade-off: The free plan includes no AI allowance.
6.8/10from
$45/mofree plan - Best messaging-app routing
ChatyChatyChaty suits smaller sites that want to route visitors to messaging apps instead of relying only on live chat. The published summary highlights channel and traffic targeting, plus contact forms for collecting leads. Pricing starts at $12, with a free plan; its visitor cap is worth checking before you move a busy site.
Trade-off: The free plan is capped at 500 visitors.
7.2/10from
$12/mofree plan - Best premium sales chat
DriftDriftDrift is a fit for sales teams qualifying high-intent visitors and routing leads, especially if they already use Salesloft workflows. The published summary lists pricing from $2,500 and puts the annual cost at $30,000. This is not a budget replacement for Olark; it makes sense only if premium sales software matches the job.
Trade-off: The $30,000 annual price is premium.
5.2/10from
$2,500/mo
03Side by side
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Olark Olark (current) | 6.8 | $29/mo | No | Teams needing AI with human handoff |
| tawk.to tawk.to | 7.0 | Free | Yes | Teams starting with free live chat |
| Chatwoot Chatwoot | 7.8 | $19/mo | Yes | Small teams starting with live chat |
| LiveChat LiveChat | 6.5 | $19/mo | No | Teams combining AI and live-agent chat |
| Crisp Crisp | 6.8 | $45/mo | Yes | Small teams wanting one shared support inbox |
| Chaty Chaty | 7.2 | $12/mo | Yes | Small sites routing visitors to messaging apps |
| Drift Drift | 5.2 | $2,500/mo | No | Sales teams qualifying high-intent web visitors |
Questions people ask
What is the cheapest Olark alternative?
Among these picks, tawk.to has a free starting plan and unlimited agent seats, according to the published summary. Chaty also has a free plan and starts at $12, while Chatwoot has a free plan and starts at $19 per agent. Check paid extras and plan limits before comparing total cost.
Does switching from Olark guarantee more conversions?
No. In one Reddit thread, commenters say live chat does not guarantee conversions; helpful answers and good service matter. One commenter recommends treating chat as support rather than assuming it will increase sales. Consider where chat is useful and whether you can staff it before switching tools.
Which Olark alternative is best for a small support team?
Chatwoot is a candidate if you want a shared multichannel inbox, with pricing listed from $19 per agent and a free plan. Crisp also offers a shared inbox with chat, CRM and a knowledge base. Compare the capabilities you need: Crisp’s free plan has no AI allowance, while Chatwoot charges extra for voice and automation.