Olark
tawk.to
| Feature | Olark | tawk.to |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $29/mo | Free / from $19/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.1 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | small-businesses, freelancers, sales-teams, support-teams | startups, small-businesses, freelancers, budget-conscious-teams |
| Founded | 2009 | 2013 |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Visitor Insights | ✓ | ✗ |
| Chat Transcripts | ✓ | ✗ |
| Custom Forms | ✓ | ✗ |
| Team Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automation Rules | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ticketing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Knowledge Base | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video Chat | ✗ | ✓ |
| Screen Sharing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Chat Pages | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ tawk.to Pros
- 100% free
- No agent limits
- Feature-rich for free
- Good mobile app
✗ tawk.to Cons
- Branding on free plan
- Interface could be cleaner
- Limited integrations
The Verdict
Olark is built for small businesses and freelancers, with a focus on live-chat and visitor-insights. tawk.to targets startups and small businesses and leads with live-chat and ticketing.
On pricing, tawk.to is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $19/mo compared to $29/mo for Olark. That $10/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
tawk.to 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.
Both tools are a solid fit for small businesses, freelancers — 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.