Free entry vs paid base + add-ons

MyLiveChat vs Olark

Olark is a long-running, well-liked live chat tool — but there is no free plan: human live chat starts at $29/agent/month, feature add-ons (PowerUps) bill separately on top, and its AI Website Agent is a separate product at a much higher flat price. MyLiveChat starts free forever for one agent with unlimited chats, and the paid plans from $15/month include the features rather than selling them back as add-ons.

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Where Olark wins

A focused, mature chat product.

Olark has been a straightforward, reliable chat tool for years, with clean reporting and a no-nonsense agent experience that small teams like. Its new AI agent is a serious, unlimited-conversation offering for teams ready to pay for it.

Where MyLiveChat wins

Free to start, features included.

MyLiveChat’s free plan is a real plan — one agent, unlimited chats, forever. Paid plans cost less than Olark’s base seat price and include triggers, knowledge base, and optional AI without PowerUp-style add-on line items.

Decision rule

Included features versus a base price plus add-ons.

Pick MyLiveChat when you want a free start and an all-in flat price. Pick Olark when its specific agent experience or its unlimited-conversation AI agent justifies a paid base plus add-ons.

Side-by-side

How the two products separate in practice.

Buying factor MyLiveChat Olark
Free plan 1 agent, unlimited chats, free forever No free plan (trial only)
Paid entry price $15/mo flat $29/agent/mo human live chat
Feature add-ons Included in plans PowerUps billed separately per feature
Widget branding Removal on affordable paid plans Non-branded chatbox sold as an add-on
AI offering Optional AI on your content, predictable packs AI Website Agent at $400/mo (billed annually)
Knowledge base Built-in public help center Not the core product
Longevity Running since 2003 Founded 2009
Best-fit buyer Team that wants free entry and flat cost Team happy to pay per agent plus add-ons

Source check, July 17, 2026

  • Olark’s public pricing shows human-only live chat at $29/agent/month (no free plan), a Standard AI Website Agent at $400/month billed annually including one human seat, and feature add-ons (PowerUps) such as a non-branded chatbox billed separately.
  • Official source: olark.com/pricing. Competitor pricing changes over time — confirm current figures on that page before deciding.
  • MyLiveChat figures reflect our own pricing page: 1 agent free forever with unlimited chats, paid plans from $15/month, no per-conversation charge.
Choose MyLiveChat if

You want the flat, focused option.

  • You want to start free and only pay when the team grows.
  • You want branding control, triggers, and a knowledge base included rather than as priced add-ons.
  • You want optional AI at a predictable cost instead of a $400/month AI product.
Choose Olark if

Its model matches your plan.

  • Your team specifically prefers Olark’s agent console and reporting style.
  • You want its unlimited-conversation AI Website Agent and the price fits.
  • Per-agent pricing with à-la-carte PowerUps matches how you budget.
Run it yourself

How to compare an included plan with a base-plus-add-ons plan.

Two pricing shapes are being compared here: features in the box, or a base seat price with extras on top. Both can be reasonable. The way to tell which suits you is to build the same working setup in each and total it.

Step one

Total the setup you would actually run.

  • List the capabilities you consider non-negotiable: triggers, a knowledge base, reporting, and whatever AI you plan to use.
  • Mark which are included and which are an add-on, then price the complete setup per agent.
  • Do the same at the seat count you expect in twelve months, since add-ons usually scale with seats.
  • Note anything you would happily drop — that is the honest test of whether it belonged in the basket.
Step two

Then judge the day-to-day experience.

  • Run a week on each with matched hours, greetings, and routing.
  • Track first response time, missed chats, and how often a chat needs a second agent.
  • Ask the agents which console they would rather work a busy afternoon in, and take the answer seriously.
  • Log the questions that should have been answered by an article instead of a person.
Before you move

What switching actually involves.

Website chat migrates cleanly: the widget is a script tag, and the real work is your business hours, canned replies, routing, and the handful of help articles worth carrying across.

Because MyLiveChat’s free tier is one agent with unlimited chats, you can set the new widget up properly and leave it running on a quieter part of the site before you commit to a cutover date.

Export your transcripts before you cancel, and treat the export as part of the migration plan rather than an afterthought.

A step-by-step version of this lives in our guide to moving from another live chat provider.

Decision checklist

Questions to ask before you decide.

Ask about cost

The numbers that decide it.

  • What does the complete setup cost, add-ons included?
  • Which add-ons scale per seat?
  • What is included at the tier you would actually buy?
Ask about the work

The questions nobody demos.

  • How long does a new agent take to be useful?
  • What does the AI cost when it is answering a lot?
  • Can you start free long enough to test properly?

One caution about any comparison page, including this one: pricing and packaging move. The Olark figures above carry the date they were checked, and anything material to your decision is worth confirming on the vendor’s own pricing page on the day you decide. Our own plans are listed on the pricing page, and if you want a structured way through the shortlist, start with the the metrics that matter.

Verdict

Olark remains a solid paid chat tool, and its AI agent is a bold, unlimited-usage bet for teams ready to spend. MyLiveChat is the better fit when you want a genuinely free start, flat paid plans that undercut Olark’s base seat price, and the features in the box instead of on the add-on menu.

Searching for a Olark alternative? MyLiveChat covers the same core job — website live chat with optional AI, a built-in knowledge base, and human handoff — with 1 agent free forever, unlimited chats, and flat paid plans from $15/month. Start free and compare on your own site.

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