kitio.aiIntercom vs Olark
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Olark has the lower starting price: about $29 a month, against $39 for Intercom.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Shared omnichannel inbox
- Fin AI agent
- Copilot for human agents
- Help center builder
- Workflow automation
- AI website agent
- Learns from your site
- Lead capture and qualification
- Human handoff
- Proactive engagement
- Live chat
| Feature | Intercom | Olark |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Customer service help desk with messaging, tickets and a built-in AI agent | AI website agent that answers visitors and qualifies leads |
| Category | Customer support | Customer support |
| Pricing model | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starting price | $39/mo | $29/mo |
| Free plan | No, 14-day trial | No, 14-day trial |
| Made by | Fin (Salesforce) | Olark |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
Olark has the lower starting price: about $29 a month, against $39 for Intercom.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
3 plans
Essential
$39/mo
- Per seat
- Fin AI Agent at $0.99/outcome
- Shared inbox and ticketing
- Public help center
Advanced
$99/mo
- Per seat
- Workflows automation builder
- Multiple team inboxes
- 20 free Lite seats
Expert
$139/mo
- Per seat
- SSO and identity management
- HIPAA support and SLAs
- 50 free Lite seats
3 plans
Live Chat
$29/mo
- Per agent
- Human-only live chat
- 14-day free trial
Standard AI Website Agent
$400/mo billed yearly
- Unlimited conversations
- Lead capture and qualification
- One human agent seat included
- Extra agents $29/mo each
Custom
Contact sales
- Regional routing and multiple teams
- SSO
- Advanced integrations
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Intercom
- Polished messenger and inbox
- AI built into every plan
- Good in-app messaging tools
- Seat and AI costs add up
- Pricing pages change often
- Advanced reporting needs top tiers
Olark
- Unlimited AI conversations, no overages
- Trains from your site automatically
- Human-only live chat is cheaper
- AI plan costs $400 per month
- AI plan is billed annually
- Extra human agents cost $29 each
Which one should you choose?
Choose Intercom if you want:
- Polished messenger and inbox
- AI built into every plan
- Good in-app messaging tools
Watch out: seat and ai costs add up.
Choose Olark if you want:
- Unlimited AI conversations, no overages
- Trains from your site automatically
- Human-only live chat is cheaper
Watch out: ai plan costs $400 per month.
Intercom vs Olark FAQ
What is the difference between Intercom and Olark?
Intercom: Customer service help desk with messaging, tickets and a built-in AI agent. Olark: AI website agent that answers visitors and qualifies leads. Both are customer support tools.
Is Intercom or Olark cheaper?
Olark has the lower starting price: about $29 a month, against $39 for Intercom.
Do Intercom and Olark have free plans?
Intercom: No, 14-day trial. Olark: No, 14-day trial.
Who makes Intercom?
Intercom is made by Fin (Salesforce), based in United States.
Who makes Olark?
Olark is made by Olark, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Intercom or Olark?
Choose Intercom if you value polished messenger and inbox and ai built into every plan. Choose Olark if you value unlimited ai conversations, no overages and trains from your site automatically.