OlarkFacebook ChatOlark vs Facebook Chat

Olark vs Facebook Chat: live chat or Meta Business Suite inbox

A live chat software against a Meta Business Suite inbox: Facebook Chat is $145 a month cheaper for five people. The six differences, what five people pay on each, and a third option.

By Khalid Nouri, founder of SellioPricing check dates are listed with each vendor below

Try the third optionSellio pricing

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The short answer

Pick Olark if you want an AI chat agent at a flat monthly price with no usage meter. Pick Facebook Chat if customers only write on Messenger and Instagram and you have no budget. For five people, Facebook Chat is $145 a month cheaper than Olark ($145 a month on Olark against $0 on Facebook Chat), before AI. Sellio Mini is $45, which only Facebook Chat's figure comes under. Olark and Facebook Chat share no channel in the base price; only Olark has website chat; only Facebook Chat has Instagram. Neither Olark nor Facebook Chat includes email, WhatsApp and Telegram outright. Below, a third option for a team of two to ten that wants what Olark and Facebook Chat sell here at one price.

At a glanceOlarkOlarkFacebook ChatFacebook Chat
Built aroundA simple chat box · AI agent at a flat priceMessenger and Instagram DMs · free with a Page
Entry plan$29/agent/mo · human-only chat$0 · with a Facebook Page
Chat in the price$29/agent/mo · the whole product is chatNone · the website Chat Plugin was retired in 2024
AI agent$400/mo flat · unlimited AI conversations, 1 seatNone to buy · instant replies and FAQs
Copilot for agentsNoneMeta AI drafts · for some businesses
Free planNone · trial, no cardYes · the whole inbox is free

The six differences that decide it

Everything else on this page follows from these.

  1. 01

    Where a conversation starts

    OlarkOlark

    As a chat in the box on your site, with transcripts emailed afterwards. Facebook Chat has no ticket queue either.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    As a Messenger or Instagram message in the Business Suite inbox, with the customer's profile beside it. Olark has no ticket queue either.

  2. 02

    What the seat buys

    OlarkOlark

    $29 buys a human agent seat; the AI Website Agent is $400 a month flat with one seat included. $145 for five people, against $0 on Facebook Chat.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    There are no seats and no price; anyone with a Page role can answer. $0 for five people, against $145 on Olark.

  3. 03

    How the AI is billed

    OlarkOlark

    A flat $400 a month for unlimited AI conversations, with no token or per-outcome charge. Facebook Chat has no AI to bill (none to buy) instead.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    No AI agent to buy. Instant replies, away messages and FAQs are rules; Meta AI drafts replies for some businesses. Olark folds AI ($400/mo flat) into the plan instead.

  4. 04

    Channels in the price

    OlarkOlark

    Website chat only; no email inbox, WhatsApp, Instagram or Telegram. website chat is here and not on Facebook Chat.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    Messenger, Instagram DMs and comments; WhatsApp lives in its own app, and the website plugin is gone. Instagram is here and not on Olark.

  5. 05

    Beyond the inbox

    OlarkOlark

    Transcripts, reports and integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot and help desks. Facebook Chat is a Meta Business Suite inbox instead.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    Posting, scheduling and ads for the Page; nothing beyond Meta's own channels. Olark is a live chat software instead.

  6. 06

    Time to the first reply

    OlarkOlark

    Minutes: paste the snippet. Facebook Chat is none.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    None: it is already there when you have a Page. Olark is minutes.

Sources: Olark pricing · Facebook Chat pricing. Each vendor’s own comparison of the other is linked so you can weigh both sides against ours.

What each one looks like

A look at the agent workspace. Interfaces can vary by plan and product version.

The Olark agent console: the chat list and the conversation with visitor details
OlarkOlark. The Olark agent console: the chat list and the conversation with visitor details
The Meta Business Suite inbox: Messenger and Instagram threads in one list
Facebook ChatFacebook Chat. The Meta Business Suite inbox: Messenger and Instagram threads in one list

Pricing references: Olark pricing page (recorded 2026-09-13); Facebook Chat pricing page (recorded 2026-09-13). Prices change; confirm current terms with each vendor.

Olark, Facebook Chat and Sellio, side by side

Fifteen things a support team checks. A dash means the product does part of it or charges extra for it.

FeatureOlarkOlarkFacebook ChatFacebook ChatSellio

Pricing

Pricing model
Per agent; AI flat
Free
Per workspace; seats and channels are plan limits
Free plan
None; trial
The whole product
2 seats, 1 channel, 1 AI agent, no trial clock

Channels

Website live chat
The whole product
Website Chat Plugin retired in 2024
One script tag; guides for HTML, React, Next.js and more
Email in the inbox
Transcripts only
Not offered
From Mini: forward your support address; reply from the thread
WhatsApp
Not offered
Separate WhatsApp Business app
From Mini: WhatsApp Business API, several agents on one number
Instagram DMs
Not offered
DMs and comments
From Mini: Instagram DMs beside web chat
Telegram
Not offered
Not offered
From Mini: paste a bot token; the webhook is set for you
Slack, Discord, Teams (two-way)
Slack notifications
Not offered
From Mini: two-way threads; a reply there reaches the customer

AI

AI agent trained on your docs
AI Website Agent
Rules, not an AI agent
Crawl your site, upload PDFs and FAQs; answers only from those
How AI is billed
$400 a month flat
No AI to bill
Metered from an included credit, with caps you set
AI hands off to a person
Hands to a human seat
No AI to hand off from
On low confidence, a keyword, or a teammate taking over

Support operations

Tickets
Chats only
Labels and done state only
On Plus: raise from any chat; customer, back-office and tracker
Visual workflow automation
Chat rules only
Instant replies, away messages, FAQs
From Mini: 11 triggers, 18 actions, no code
Analytics and CSAT
Chat reports
Page insights
From Essentials: response times, resolution, CSAT; topics and email reports on Plus

Apps

Desktop app (Windows, macOS)
Browser only
Browser and mobile
Native Windows and macOS apps

Which one, for whom

Pick Olark if

  • You want an AI chat agent at a flat monthly price with no usage meter.
  • Website chat is the only channel and simplicity beats features.
  • You need website chat in the price, which Facebook Chat does not include outright.
  • Time to the first reply is minutes here and none on Facebook Chat.

Pick Facebook Chat if

  • Customers only write on Messenger and Instagram and you have no budget.
  • One or two people answer and you do not need assignment or tickets.
  • Five people cost $145 a month less than on Olark ($0 against $145), before AI.
  • You need Instagram in the price, which Olark does not include outright.

The third option: Sellio

  • You are two to ten people on Olark or Facebook Chat who answer chat, messaging and email, and want to compare workspace pricing with $145 a month on Olark against $0 on Facebook Chat for five people.
  • You want the AI bill known before the month starts: Olark folds AI ($400/mo flat) into the plan, Facebook Chat has no AI to bill (none to buy); Sellio includes a credit and lets you cap it.
  • You need Telegram and native Windows and macOS apps, which neither Olark nor Facebook Chat includes.

What two, five and ten people pay

Olark on Live chat: $58, $145 and $290 a month for two, five and ten people, before AI. Facebook Chat: $0 a month for five (free for anyone with a Page role); it does not print a per-seat rate to extend to two or ten. Sellio: Free for two seats; Mini at $45 for five, $100 less than Olark and more than Facebook Chat's $0 for five people; Essentials at $95 for ten, the AI credit included. At ten people, Essentials at $95 is $195 under Olark.

Where the two agree, and where they split

Olark is a live chat software built around a simple chat box; Facebook Chat is a Meta Business Suite inbox built around Messenger and Instagram DMs. Only Facebook Chat has a free plan (the whole inbox is free); Olark offers a free trial. Olark and Facebook Chat share no channel in the base price; only Olark has website chat; only Facebook Chat has Instagram. Neither Olark nor Facebook Chat includes email, WhatsApp and Telegram outright. Olark folds AI ($400/mo flat) into the plan; Facebook Chat has no AI to bill (none to buy). Neither Olark nor Facebook Chat has a ticket queue, and neither Olark nor Facebook Chat ships a desktop app. Olark is minutes; Facebook Chat is none.

What each price leaves out

Olark: AI Website Agent $400 a month flat, extra human seats $29 each. Facebook Chat: No AI agent; instant replies and FAQs are rule-based. Beside Olark's $400/mo flat and Facebook Chat's none to buy, Sellio includes an AI credit with each paid plan. Usage consumes that credit; additional credits cost extra, and you can set a spending cap.

How to decide in an afternoon

  1. Step 1

    Count agents and channels

    Anyone who replies is a seat. List the channels customers actually use.

    5 people reply5 seats
    Website chat61%
    WhatsApp27%
    Email12%
  2. Step 2

    Price the AI you would use

    Estimate monthly conversations the AI could close, then apply each vendor's per-resolution or per-session rate.

    1,200 conversations × 40% AI closes480
    OlarkOlarkAssumed $0$0
    Facebook ChatFacebook ChatSee vendorNot quoted
    Sellio$0.05$19

    Illustrative AI-only estimate; vendor units differ. Pack billing is rounded up. Sellio assumes Mini’s $5 credit and $0.05 per conversation.

  3. Step 3

    Trial the shortlist

    Check each vendor’s trial, free plan or demo terms. Where access is available, test one real channel before committing.

    OlarkOlark · Free trial, no card
    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat · Not applicable; free
    Sellio · Free plan, no card

    Confirm trial access and limits, then evaluate one real channel on each.

Continue your research

FAQ

Olark vs Facebook Chat: the questions people ask

Olark is a live chat software built around a simple chat box; Facebook Chat is a Meta Business Suite inbox built around Messenger and Instagram DMs. Neither Olark nor Facebook Chat has a ticket queue, and neither Olark nor Facebook Chat ships a desktop app.

  • Entry plan: Olark $29/agent/mo (human-only chat); Facebook Chat $0 (with a Facebook Page).
  • Chat in the price: Olark $29/agent/mo (the whole product is chat); Facebook Chat None (the website Chat Plugin was retired in 2024).
  • Sellio: email, WhatsApp and Telegram, which neither Olark nor Facebook Chat has outright, plus the rest of the five, on every paid plan.

Sellio's side of the Olark and Facebook Chat rows is on the shared inbox page.

Still have a question? Contact us or browse the docs.

Or the third option: one price, every channel.

Sellio puts website chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram and email in one inbox with tickets and an AI agent, for $45 to $295 a month per workspace.

Get startedRead the docs

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