11 Best Olark Alternatives Marketers Should Try in 2024

Exemplary customer service is essential for a modern business to survive and thrive. Live chat in apps and on websites has proven to be an effective customer service strategy. Olark live chat software is a top live chat provider and has won five Stevie awards for customer service in its 10 years of service.

Olark live chat software supports your sales team and customer support team by providing them with real-time customer data captured via live chat. It feeds the data directly into your CRM or stores it in the live chat software system. It uses Google Analytics to derive insights about customer behavior from the data.

While Olark live chat software boasts many powerful features, it comes at a hefty price tag that small businesses may not be able to afford. This has led to the emergence of cheaper live chat software alternatives.

Before you start evaluating the top Olark alternatives, you need to know what these tools are competing against. So, we’ve listed the standout features of Olark live chat software, which you can use as a benchmark for comparison.

Here’s why more than 40,000 customers love Olark live chat software:

• Real-time dashboards give you a panoramic view of customer feedback.
• Its integration with Google Analytics gives you data to optimize your sales funnel.
• You get periodic performance reports of your sales and customer support teams via email.
• It’s synced with your CRM so that you can update customer records while chatting.
• Triggered messages and offline notifications to customers help boost conversions.

That is indeed an impressive list of features for a live chat platform provider. Let’s see which alternatives to Olark live chat software are capable of outperforming Olark.

Top Olark Alternatives: Reviews, Pros, and Cons

The marketplace is flooded with live chat software with varied features and prices. But not every live chat software platform can meet the needs of your business. You need to carefully weigh platforms and invest in one that fits your budget and objectives.

To help you make an informed decision, we’ve compiled a list of 11 alternatives to Olark and reviewed them thoroughly. Here we go:

1. Tawk.to

The first free Olark alternative on our list is tawk.to. You can add its plugin to your websites, apps, or blogs without worrying about the OS and browser.

It’s incredibly simple to set up. Just copy a snippet of JavaScript to your HTML and your chat platform is ready to roll.

Key Highlights

• It monitors live chat in real time and presents the analytics through an easy-to-read dashboard.
• It supports live chat in 27 languages, with an option for voice and video chat.
• You can pick from its pool of virtual agents, each equipped for sentiment analysis.
• The live chat software platform triggers chats proactively and allows agent-to-agent messaging.
• It archives live chat histories and secures them with encryption.

Pricing

This live chat software solution has no premium or freemium plan, just a single full-featured pack that’s free for life. If you don’t need the platform but only agents, you can hire one for rates as low as $1 per hour.

Image via tawk.to

2. Freshdesk

This Olark alternative is another robust live chat software solution. Apart from the standard features, it also has cloud enablement. This makes your platform scalable and accessible. As your business grows and visitor volume expands, the platform scales up in sync.

Key Highlights

• It converts customer emails to desk tickets automatically, ensuring prompt service.
• You can connect your social accounts to the platform for converting customer posts into tickets.
• Their built-in reports track the performance of your sales team and customer support team and identify the challenges that they’re facing.
• You can automate ticket assignment and use your time and agents productively.
• The live chat platform has seamless integration with ancillary services such as payment gateways and translation.

Pricing

After the 21-day free trial, you can sign up for one of their paid plans.

Image via Freshdesk

3. UserEcho

If you’re a smart business owner and marketer, you’ll know the importance of providing good customer service. This Olark alternative helps you do just that. It delights your website and app users with prompt answers and smart suggestions.

Key Highlights

• It lets you add the live chat platform to multiple domains so that you can serve your customers from everywhere.
• The live chat platform automatically redirects queries out of scope to relevant channels.
• A standout feature is that live chat queries that are unresolved are converted to help desk tickets. The software keeps customers informed about their query status via email.
• Its agents have prior information about a customer as a chat commences. This enables fast query resolution.

Pricing

The live chat solution is priced at $19 per month per agent if you pay annually.

Image via UserEcho

4. Pure Chat

Pure Chat is another handy Olark alternative that offers powerful features in its free plan.

Even non-technical folks can install the software easily. Simply export its plugin to your website or app, customize the chat interface, and start chatting.

You can meet your customers where they are and serve them well.

Key Highlights

• It has an unmatched free plan in which you get three agents and unlimited chats on one website.
• The simplistic editor lets you customize the widget interface as needed.
• You have the option of getting a Pure Chat iOS and Android mobile app to manage your live chat platform on the move.
• Pre-chat info forms, canned responses, and chat notifications are other featured designed to win over audiences.

Pricing

All of the above features are available in the free plan. If you need analytics and contact history, you can opt for their paid plans for $39 and $79 a month.

Image via Pure Chat

5. Intercom

Intercom is a multifaceted live chat platform with an affordable price tag. You can plug it into your web, iOS, and Android apps or websites.

This Olark alternative unifies communication touchpoints such as email, social, and apps to give you a panoramic view of your customer engagement.

Key Highlights

• The platform interface feels familiar and is loaded with features such as GIFs, emojis, voice and video chat, and screen sharing.
• It does automatic routing of customer queries to a relevant customer support team.
• The software offers a valuable add-on, Custom Bots. They identify and route live chat leads, answer routine questions, and serve customers 24/7.
• It maintains metrics that matter, such as team performance, customer acquisition, and response time.

Pricing

They have separate packages for lead generation, customer service, and customer engagement. There’s also an All-in-One package starting at $87 per month. At this price, you get live chat, analytics, customer data, and targeted messages.

Image via Intercom

6. Zendesk Chat

A good alternative to Olark is Zendesk Chat. This Olark alternative helps you keep your customers engaged.

Using it, you can solve their queries and move them along the funnel efficiently. Its proactive approach towards customer service can increase your sales revenue exponentially.

Key Highlights

• It triggers targeted messages when a customer gets delayed on the checkout page or abandons their shopping cart.
• The offline forms let customers converse with you even if your agents are away. Pre-chat forms collect contact information about customers for further correspondence and reporting.
• Its chat ratings invite feedback from customers.
• You can integrate AI chatbots by a simple modification to their API. Bots support your customer support team by handling simple queries.

Pricing

Their free plan offers one concurrent live chat, chat ratings, and history. The paid plans start from $14 monthly per agent.

Image via Zendesk Chat

7. Crisp.chat

Do you want to retarget customers with in-app messages and emails? Or offer customer support to customers across channels? Then Crisp.chat is the live chat platform you need. This Olark alternative can help you convert random visitors into warm leads and sureshot customers.

Key Highlights

• With its Live Translate feature, you can translate all your conversations in real-time. This feature can help you expand your customer base and communicate with and provide customer support to customers in their native language.
• The integrated knowledge base lets customers explore answers at their own pace. Queries get resolved from the live chat interface itself without investing more resources and time.
• It builds probable chatbot scenarios to tackle common problems and quicken customer onboarding.
• CrispyBird, an interactive game, keeps customers entertained during lulls.

Pricing

The Basic plan is free and includes two seats. Paid plans: Startups and small businesses can buy the Pro plan for $25 per month per website. Larger enterprises can opt for the Unlimited plan for $95.

Image via Crisp.chat 

8. LiveAgent

LiveAgent is an Olark alternative that provides omnichannel customer service through live chat and messaging. This great alternative helps brands nurture customers and build fruitful relationships with them. The live chat software has garnered favorable reviews for its high customer satisfaction rate.

Key Highlights

• You can configure rules to trigger live chat invites. This helps you seize opportunities to interact with customers and enthrall them with great service.
• Real-time typing view gives agents a heads up so that they’re prepared with answers.
• It has a powerful ticketing system. It offers over 175 help desk features including call center, social networks, automation, and more.
• The All-Inclusive plan bundles up call center and customer support resources in a pocket-friendly price tag.

Pricing

The software solution has two plans, Ticket+Chat and All-Inclusive, priced at $29 and $35 monthly.

Image via LiveAgent

9. Drift Chat

Your website can be a lively platform that engages visitors dynamically. Live chat by Drift Chat has the potential to do so. This Olark alternative is competitively priced and full featured, making it a formidable competitor to Olark.

Key Highlights

• Drift Playbook converts qualified site visitors into leads and schedules appointments with them automatically.
• It uses targeting to vet visitors for buying potential and intent and initiate chat only with the ones who are qualified.
• Routing ensures that a conversation is handled by agent(s) with requisite skills.
• It fast tracks chats of qualified site visitors so that they advance through the sales funnel rapidly.
• Its integration with LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Drift Intel provides agents with information about the people with whom they are chatting.

Pricing

For individuals and teams, plans start from $50 and $400 a month, respectively.

Image via Drift Chat 

10. Lucky Orange

Lucky Orange, the next Olark alternative, is a power-packed performer with a super-affordable price tag.

It’s fully responsive so that your customers can chat with your agents from any device. The chat widget is fully customizable and can be set to match your branding specifications.

Key Highlights

• The chat agents can see customers’ screens while chatting. By controlling the customer’s pointer, agents can co-browse the site and assist customers better.
• Typing preview lets agents prepare answers in advance.
• Agents can transfer chats to others in the network for better collaboration.
• The custom data API lets agents and owners know the details of customers on calls.
• Canned responses help resolve routine questions in minimum time.

Pricing

Their Starter edition is priced at $10 monthly and includes 25,000 monthly page views, one site, two operators, and unlimited recordings for 30 days.

Image via Lucky Orange

11. User.com

The last Olark alternative we’ll review is User.com. This chat platform works well on Android and iOS devices keeping all your team members on the same page.

You can customize the look and feel of your chat widget to match your website or app. You also get the option of using chatbots during your agents’ downtime.

Key Highlights

• The platform supports multiple languages so that you can serve a diverse customer base.
• Its advanced automation assigns agents automatically according to the workflow you specify.
• If you’re using their chatbot, you can tailor custom chat scenarios or use the built-in templates.
• It offers multiple chat modes to customers so that they can initiate conversations at their convenience.

Pricing

The Free plan offers live chat with 60-day record retention or 2000 messages. The paid plans start at $49 per month.

Image via User.com

Bonus Tool: Userlike

Userlike is professional live chat software that you can add to your website to stay connected with your target audience. It also allows you to reach out to them on messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Key Highlights

• It lets you add a website chat easily and also provides options for widget customization.
• It provides an all-inclusive integration option to keep you connected with your target audience on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and SMS.
• The tool automatically creates smart customer profiles once a user enters their email address.
• With the Sticky Chat option, Userlike favors connecting users to the same representatives that they have talked to before.
• Userlike gives users an instant option to rate their conversation for easy feedback.
• It lets you set up intelligent chats based on visitor data.
• Video Calls and a Screen Sharing function are now available from the Corporate plan onwards.

Pricing

Userlike offers a Free Plan which can give you access to all the core features, the Website Messenger, and one seat. Their paid plans start from € 90/month (approximately $105) and go up to € 720/month (approximately $845).

Pros

• Easy setup
• Centralized messaging center
• Integrations with messaging apps and other business tools
• Software program is available in different languages

Cons

• Userlike doesn’t offer a mobile app
• Chatbot options are only available with higher-tier plans

Tool/Platform/Software Level

• Beginner

Pro Tip: If you're interested in trying out some of the premium features of Userlike that aren’t included in the trial, start a chat with their customer support team. They are quite easy-going and eager to help you out.

Image via Userlike

Which Alternative to Olark is Best?

That’s our lineup of the best alternatives to Olark available today. You can carefully evaluate each tool on the yardstick of performance versus cost.

A smart approach would be to sign up for a free trial of your shortlisted tools. You can keep a close watch on the tool’s performance during the period and switch to another tool if need be.

Have you used any of these alternatives to Olark or other live chat solutions? Let us know your experiences and feedback in the comments below.