Olark vs Podium
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Olark | Podium |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $29/seat/mo | From $399/mo |
| Best For | Small to medium businesses needing basic live chat | Local businesses needing integrated messaging and payments |
| Standout Feature | Visitor insights and chat targeting | Integrated payment collection through messaging |
| Free Plan | ✗ | ✗ |
| G2 Rating | 4.2 | 4.3 |
Olark and Podium serve different segments of the customer communication market. Olark focuses on traditional live chat for websites, while Podium specializes in text messaging for local businesses and service industries.
This comparison highlights how each platform addresses distinct communication needs and business models.
Feature Comparison
Olark provides classic live chat functionality with visitor tracking, chat history, and team collaboration tools. It integrates seamlessly with websites and offers customizable chat widgets.
Podium revolutionizes local business communication through text messaging, enabling appointment scheduling, payment collection, and review requests via SMS. Its mobile-first approach suits field service businesses.
Olark's strength lies in real-time website engagement, while Podium excels at ongoing customer relationships through text-based interactions and reputation management.
Pricing Comparison
Olark's pricing starts at $29/agent/month with a free plan for single agents handling up to 20 chats monthly. Costs scale linearly with team size.
Podium uses location-based pricing starting around $289/month per location, making it expensive for multi-location businesses but comprehensive for single locations.
Olark offers better value for pure chat needs, while Podium's pricing reflects its all-in-one local business communication suite.
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
Podium
Pros
- ✓ Strong local business focus
- ✓ Integrated payment processing
- ✓ Comprehensive review management
Cons
- ✗ Expensive pricing structure
- ✗ Limited international messaging
- ✗ Complex setup process
Verdict
Choose Olark if you need website-focused live chat with traditional support features. Choose Podium if you're a local business prioritizing text messaging and review management.
Choose Olark if: You need affordable website live chat with standard support features and team collaboration capabilities.
Choose Podium if: You're a local business wanting comprehensive text messaging, review management, and customer engagement tools.
For businesses seeking modern communication without location-based pricing, Converge at $49/month flat rate provides flexible messaging features for any business size.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Olark comparisons and all Podium comparisons.