Olark vs Respond.io
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Olark | Respond.io |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $29/seat/mo | From $199/mo |
| Best For | Small to medium businesses needing basic live chat | Medium to large enterprises needing advanced automation and AI-powered customer engagement across multiple channels |
| Standout Feature | Visitor insights and chat targeting | Sophisticated AI agents that can handle complex customer conversations and automatically qualify leads through intelligent workflows |
| Free Plan | ✗ | ✗ |
| G2 Rating | 4.2 | 4.8/5 |
Olark and Respond.io target different aspects of customer communication. Olark provides straightforward live chat functionality with a focus on simplicity and ease of use, while Respond.io offers comprehensive messaging automation across multiple platforms.
The choice comes down to whether you need simple website chat or advanced omnichannel messaging with automation capabilities.
Feature Comparison
Olark excels in website live chat with visitor monitoring, chat transcripts, and basic automation. Its strength lies in simplicity - easy setup, clean interface, and reliable chat functionality without overwhelming complexity.
Respond.io provides comprehensive messaging automation with WhatsApp Business API, Instagram DM management, and sophisticated chatbot workflows. It's designed for businesses that engage customers across multiple messaging platforms.
Olark offers better simplicity and faster implementation, while Respond.io provides superior automation and multi-platform messaging capabilities.
Pricing Comparison
Olark's pricing ranges from $29 to $39 per seat monthly, making it one of the more affordable live chat solutions. The pricing is straightforward with no hidden fees or complex tiers.
Respond.io uses team-based pricing from $79 to $299 monthly, which includes multiple users but can be expensive for small teams only needing basic chat functionality.
For simple live chat needs with 1-3 agents, Olark is significantly more cost-effective. For teams needing advanced messaging automation across platforms, Respond.io's features justify the higher cost.
Olark
Pros
- ✓ Easy setup and customization
- ✓ Good visitor tracking
- ✓ Reliable uptime
Cons
- ✗ Per-agent pricing gets expensive
- ✗ Limited mobile app functionality
- ✗ No social media integration
Respond.io
Pros
- ✓ Comprehensive omnichannel support with deep integrations
- ✓ Advanced AI capabilities for automated customer interactions
- ✓ Powerful workflow automation with visual builder
Cons
- ✗ Complex setup and learning curve for advanced features
- ✗ Higher cost structure with per-agent pricing model
- ✗ WhatsApp API charges add significant ongoing costs
Verdict
Choose Olark for simple, effective website live chat with quick setup. Choose Respond.io for advanced messaging automation and omnichannel customer engagement.
Choose Olark if: You need straightforward website live chat with minimal complexity and budget constraints. Its 4.2/5 G2 rating reflects solid performance in simple chat scenarios.
Choose Respond.io if: Your business strategy involves multi-platform messaging and you need advanced automation features. Its 4.8/5 G2 rating demonstrates excellence in conversational commerce and messaging automation.
Alternative: Converge at $49/month flat rate bridges the gap between simple chat and complex messaging platforms, offering modern support features without per-seat pricing.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Olark comparisons and all Respond.io comparisons.