AAbout Olark
Olark is a live chat platform that lets businesses talk with website visitors in real time to answer questions, provide support, and capture leads. It's designed primarily for small to medium-sized businesses that want a straightforward, no-frills chat solution without the complexity of enterprise tools. Olark stands out for its simplicity and ease of setup — you can have a chat widget running on your site in minutes. It also offers useful features like automated messages, chat transcripts, and visitor insights, making it a practical choice for teams that want to be more accessible to their customers without overhauling their support stack.
BAbout Hiver
Hiver turns Gmail into a full-featured customer support helpdesk, allowing teams to manage shared inboxes like support@ or info@ without leaving their existing email workflow. It's built for teams that prefer the simplicity of Gmail over standalone ticketing systems, offering shared labels, email delegation, collision detection, and internal notes right inside the inbox. Hiver also includes analytics, SLA tracking, and customer satisfaction surveys, making it a practical choice for small to mid-sized teams. What makes it unique is that there's virtually no learning curve — if your team already uses Gmail, they can start using Hiver almost immediately.
Pricing Comparison
Feature Comparison
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Olark is a live chat solution that helps businesses connect with customers in real-time.
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Hiver transforms Gmail into a collaborative helpdesk, streamlining customer support.
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Score Comparison
Our Verdict
You need a straightforward live chat solution that connects your business with customers in real-time.
Your small team wants to transform Gmail into a collaborative helpdesk for efficient customer support.
Olark vs Hiver: The Bottom Line
Both Olark and Hiver are strong customer support tools, but they serve different needs. Hiver has a higher user rating (4.3 vs 4.2). On pricing, Olark is more affordable starting at $17/mo.
Still unsure? Check the full reviews for Olark and Hiver, explore Olark alternatives, or use our AI search to describe exactly what you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Olark or Hiver better?
It depends on your needs. Olark (4.2★) is from $17/mo, while Hiver (4.3★) is from $19/mo. Hiver has a higher user rating.
Can I switch from Olark to Hiver?
Yes. Most SaaS tools offer data export features. Check if Hiver has a migration guide or import tool specifically for Olark users. Many offer onboarding assistance for switchers.
Which is cheaper, Olark or Hiver?
Olark starts at $17/mo, which is cheaper than Hiver at $19/mo.
What are the main differences between Olark and Hiver?
Olark focuses on real-time chat with website visitors and automated chat greetings and responses, while Hiver emphasizes shared inbox for team collaboration and email assignment and tracking. Both are in the Customer Support category but serve slightly different use cases.