OpenAgent vs Olark at a glance
| Feature | OpenAgent | Olark |
|---|---|---|
| AI ticket resolution | Yes — majority handled automatically | No AI agent — human-staffed |
| Native Shopify order actions | Built in | Integration required, agent acts |
| Pricing model | Flat plans, no per-seat AI cost | Per-seat monthly ($29/seat+) |
| 24/7 coverage without staff | Yes | No |
| Human handoff | Built in with full context | Core feature |
| Accessibility features | Standard | Industry-leading (WCAG focus) |
| Chat routing rules | Yes | Yes — advanced routing |
| Product recommendations | Built in | Not available |
| Proactive chat triggers | Yes | Yes |
Why ecommerce teams choose OpenAgent over Olark
AI-first resolution, not just routing
OpenAgent's AI answers questions, looks up orders, processes returns, and resolves tickets end-to-end. Olark routes chats to the right human but doesn't resolve anything on its own.
Native Shopify integration
OpenAgent connects to Shopify natively — order status, return initiation, refund processing, and subscription management happen inside the chat. Olark requires a separate Shopify integration and still relies on the agent to act.
24/7 without staffing overhead
OpenAgent covers every time zone automatically. Olark's coverage is bounded by your agents' working hours — a structural disadvantage for ecommerce stores serving global customers.
Flat pricing, no per-seat scaling
Olark charges per seat; a growing team means a growing bill. OpenAgent's flat plans let the AI absorb volume growth without adding seats.
Pricing compared
Flat plans as of August 2026: Desk at $149/month, Front Desk at $399, Concierge at $1,200. Free tier available. Unlimited text conversations included — no per-seat charge for the agent.
Per-seat pricing starting at $29/seat/month (annual). Annual commitment required for best rates; month-to-month is higher.
A 3-agent Olark team costs ~$87/month minimum and grows with every hire — with no AI resolution, no Shopify order actions, and zero off-hours coverage. OpenAgent's $149 Desk plan stays flat no matter how volume or headcount grows.
Choose OpenAgent when
- You want the AI to handle the majority of support without staffing a full chat team
- You need Shopify order tracking, returns, and refunds in-chat
- You serve customers across multiple time zones and need 24/7 coverage
- Support headcount costs are growing faster than revenue
Choose Olark when
- Accessibility and WCAG-compliant chat are top requirements
- Your team prefers a simple, clean agent interface with no AI complexity
- You run a non-ecommerce business where human judgment drives every interaction
Switching from Olark
Moving from Olark to OpenAgent is a widget swap with a training step. Export any saved canned responses or shortcuts and feed them into OpenAgent's knowledge base along with your help-center URLs. Connect Shopify, replace the Olark snippet with OpenAgent's widget code, and your AI is live. Human agents move into OpenAgent's shared inbox and see the same kinds of conversations — just fewer of them, because the AI handles the repetitive volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to switch from Olark?
Join the ecommerce teams resolving more tickets, answering 24/7, and turning support into a revenue channel with OpenAgent.