O 
Olark
Simple live chat, in the last era where simple live chat was enough.
YES
why this verdict
Cancel it — switch to Tidio
Tidio now covers the same core job on a free tier, so the $29/mo is optional.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- AI chat deflection and free live-chat alternatives. OpenAI, May 13, 2024 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers all of it editorial call
- The whole core job — the thing the subscription was actually for.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 1 of 2 listed replacements have a usable free tier: Tidio.
- What the call is worth $348/yr
- $29/mo at the entry paid tier — $348 a year per seat.
Reason composed from the fields above missing: announcement linked recorded: free replacement listed recorded: two or more escape hatches
- Threatened by
- OpenAI
- Since
- May 13, 2024
- List price
- $29/mo
- Per year
- $348
The backstory
Olark is a long-lived, no-frills live chat widget. Simplicity was the pitch. The market moved to AI-first support where the widget answers questions on its own, and the free tiers of newer tools cover the human-chat basics. There is no version of the market where Olark is now the right answer.
Escape hatches
switching could free up $348/yr T 
Tidio Free tier with AI.
tidio.com open_in_new C 
Chatbase Answer from your docs.
chatbase.co open_in_new1 of 2 replacements have a usable free tier.