Help Scout
Olark
| Feature | Help Scout | Olark |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $25/mo | From $29/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | small-businesses, saas-companies, remote-teams, customer-focused-brands | small-businesses, freelancers, sales-teams, support-teams |
| Founded | 2011 | 2009 |
| Shared Inbox | ✓ | ✗ |
| Knowledge Base | ✓ | ✗ |
| Beacon | ✓ | ✗ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Workflows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Customer Profiles | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reporting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Visitor Insights | ✗ | ✓ |
| Chat Transcripts | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom Forms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Team Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Automation Rules | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Help Scout Pros
- Feels like email to customers (no ticket numbers)
- Excellent knowledge base (Docs)
- Beacon widget for contextual help
- Simple and fast — minimal training needed
✗ Help Scout Cons
- Limited automation compared to Zendesk
- No built-in phone or video support
- Reporting less advanced on lower plans
✓ 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
Help Scout is built for small businesses and saas companies, with a focus on shared-inbox and knowledge-base. Olark targets small businesses and freelancers and leads with live-chat and visitor-insights.
Pricing is close: Help Scout starts at $25/mo versus $29/mo for Olark — not a deciding factor on its own.
Help Scout has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Olark requires a paid subscription from day one.
Help Scout edges out on user ratings (4.5 vs 4.1). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Feature-wise, Help Scout offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Olark takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
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.
Bottom line: Help Scout has a slight overall edge — but if very easy to use matters most to you, Olark may still be the right call.