Groove
Olark
| Feature | Groove | Olark |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $16/mo | From $29/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | small-businesses, startups, small-support-teams, saas-companies | small-businesses, freelancers, sales-teams, support-teams |
| Founded | 2012 | 2009 |
| Shared Inbox | ✓ | ✗ |
| Knowledge Base | ✓ | ✗ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Assignments | ✓ | ✗ |
| Collision Detection | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reporting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Visitor Insights | ✗ | ✓ |
| Chat Transcripts | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom Forms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Team Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Automation Rules | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Groove Pros
- Very simple to use
- Feels like email not a ticket system
- Good for small teams
- Knowledge base included
✗ Groove Cons
- Limited automation
- Basic reporting
- Not suitable for large teams
✓ Olark Pros
- Very easy to use
- Great for small teams
- Good customization
- Accessible chat widget
✗ Olark Cons
- Limited features vs competitors
- No chatbot builder
- Basic reporting
The Verdict
Groove is built for small businesses and startups, with a focus on shared-inbox and knowledge-base. Olark targets small businesses and freelancers and leads with live-chat and visitor-insights.
On pricing, Groove is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $16/mo compared to $29/mo for Olark. That $13/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Neither tool offers a free plan, so factor the subscription cost into your decision from the start.
Both tools are a solid fit for small businesses — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.