Introduction
If you’re in the market for a user documentation tool, chances are you’ll be lost in the crowd. There are way too many tools to try and compare, making your documentation process longer and pretty tiring.
But it doesn't have to be that way. We've done the legwork to analyze multiple user documentation software—popular and unpopular—to select our top 15 picks. This comprehensive roundup will first tell you the deciding factors for shortlisting any tool.
By the end, you’ll have a clear idea of the platforms you want to consider. So, let’s dive in!
15 best user documentation software in 2022
- Scribe
- Document360
- ProProfs
- Whatfix
- Read the Docs
- Typora
- Bit.ai
- Confluence
- Process Street
- HEFLO
- Docusaurus
- Tallyfy
- Doxygen
- Stonly
- Clickhelp
What is user documentation?
User documentation is product information compiled to help end users make the most of the product. It gives users a better understanding of the product functionality and enables faster adoption. This documentation typically includes resources like user guides, knowledge bases and instruction manuals.
User documentation tools simplify the process of capturing and sharing this product information. But choosing the best software of the many available options isn't easy.
Here’s a handy list of features to look for in user documentation software:
- Easy content creation and editing tools to speed up the process.
- Search engine functionality to offer ease of knowledge discovery.
- Integration capabilities to add the tool to your current setup.
- Real-time collaboration to keep everyone in the loop of the latest updates.
- Customization options to create a brand-aligned interface.
- User feedback analytics to understand what’s working and what’s not.
Now that you know the best features of a user documentation creator, let’s jump to our handpicked list of tools you can consider.
Here’s our list of user documentation software you need
We tried tens of tools to curate this list of the 15 best user documentation software. Let’s look at each tool’s features and how it fares against the rest.
1. Scribe
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G2 rating: 5 out of 5
Scribe pricing: Free, Pro at $29/user/month and Enterprise at custom pricing
Scribe is a documentation tool designed to auto-generate step-by-step guides with a combination of text, images, gifs, and other media. Once you create a Scribe, you can customize it, and even brand it with Pro accounts.
The user documentation generator also comes with version control and access management settings for seamless collaboration.
Scribe key features
- Easily embed a Scribe in documentation, collaboration, and project management platforms like Notion, HubSpot, Miro, Zendesk, and more.
- Compile all documents in a single place with text, video and more in Pages.
- Publish Scribes online or export them in multiple formats, including PDF, HTML and Markdown.
2. Document360
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G2 rating: 4.7 out of 5
Document 360 pricing: Free, Startup plan at $99, Business plan at $249, and Enterprise plan at $499
Document360 is a knowledge management tool for creating user manuals and help centers. Its drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to design a customized documentation platform from scratch. You can create up to six categories and subcategories to organize all the information for easier knowledge discovery.
Document360 key features
- Offers advanced analytics to collect user feedback and assess the effectiveness of your documentation.
- Has a user-friendly editor to create more readable content with callouts, code blocks, and multimedia.
- Integrates with ticketing systems and chat software to connect customer service with self-serve user documentation.
3. ProProfs
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G2 rating: 4.6 out of 5
ProProfs pricing: Essentials at $1080/year, Premium at $1440/year and Enterprise at custom pricing
ProfProfs is a knowledge base software designed to create searchable and easy-to-read documents for end-users. The tool has intelligent and intuitive search functionality that delivers the correct information exactly when needed. You can make responsive docs compatible with different devices.
ProProfs features
- Gives ease of navigation with crosslinking within the document through a table of contents.
- Comes with features like lightboxes, pop-ups, and tooltips to highlight important information and improve scannability.
- Has easy permission and access control features with options to define roles.
4. Whatfix
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G2 rating: 4.6 out of 5
Whatfix pricing: N/A
Whatfix is a digital adoption platform that guides users with in-app instructions for any query. It offers an interactive solution for user documentation — you can create step-by-step instructions for different questions or topics and users will get a quick demo of every guide with in-app guidance.
Whatfix key features
- Simplifies user onboarding and troubleshooting with a guided support experience beyond static content.
- Is available for web-based enterprise applications and consumer-facing websites.
- Increases user engagement and reduces 45 percent of customer support costs.
5. Read the Docs
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G2 rating: N/A
Read the Docs pricing: Free
Read the Docs is a software documentation tool with a unique "docs like code" functionality. This open-source software is ideal for more technical documentation that you'd want to deploy on platforms like GitHub and BitBucket. The tool also has a powerful search functionality based on various search operators.
Read the Docs key features
- Has a robust version control system to moderate different versions of any document.
- Available for downloading in formats like Zipped HTML, PDF, and ePub.
- Gives detailed traffic analytics to assess the impact of your user guides; it can also be integrated with Google Analytics for page-wise review.
6. Typora
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G2 rating: 4.1 out of 5
Typora pricing: One-time license fee of $14.99
Typora is a markdown editor that you can use to create distraction-free user documentation. Unlike most other tools in this list, this user documentation generator works like a notepad with advanced features to customize the interface. You can create an intuitive outline for your resources, categorize files, and download the documents in many formats.
Typora key features
- User-friendly software with a minimal learning curve and advanced design elements.
- Comes with a huge library of themes that you can customize per your branding.
- Store and organize files on the cloud to sync updates anytime you modify a document.
7. Bit.ai
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G2 rating: 4.2 out of 5
Bit.ai pricing: Free, Pro at $8/user/month and Business at $15/user/month—all billed annually
Bit.ai is a workplace collaboration tool with powerful documentation capabilities to share and manage product knowledge. The tool comes with a suite of features for effective documentation, such as a content management system, a document editor, multiple workspaces, and customizable workflows.
Bit.ai key features
- Supports content management from a single place with smart search, content library, and document editor access control.
- Offers a complete set of editing functions, such as interlinking, table of contents, markdown, file previews, inline comments, and visual embeds.
- Enables varied document sharing with advanced features like link tracking and lead capture.
8. Confluence
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G2 rating: 4.1 out of 5
Confluence pricing: Team Collaboration at $10/month, Team Collaboration + Calendars at $20/month, Team Collaboration + Q&A at $20/month and All-in at $30/month
Confluence is a project management software packed with features for effective end-user documentation. You can create a space with multiple pages covering different product features and a page tree will bring everything together into a unified structure. Other options for permission control and page versioning accelerate collaboration.
Confluence key features
- Seamlessly integrates with a range of third-party apps to make your user guide more accessible.
- Supports advanced ideation and content creation processes because of easy integrations with Atlassian products.
- Available on mobile for users to find answers on-the-go.
9. Process Street
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G2 rating: 4.7 out of 5
Process street pricing: Free, Pro at $25/month and Enterprise at custom pricing
Process Street is a workflow management software with advanced features to create process-based user guides. It's ideal for creating step-by-step instructions and dynamic guides to answer a question from multiple angles. The best part: you can collect data from users about their queries and convert them into valuable resources.
Process street key features
- Easily integrates with over 1000 apps to automate the documentation process.
- Contains authorization and versioning features to control who can modify and update any document.
- Comes with a drag-and-drop editor to intuitively design user guides without spending too much time.
10. HEFLO
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G2 rating: N/A
HEFLO pricing: N/A
HEFLO is a business process documentation software designed to create useful guides and workflows for end users. This free tool focuses on the agility approach to optimize documentation and give users the best possible information about any query. It primarily relies on diagrams and flowcharts to explain any concept or feature.
HEFLO key features
- Follows an ergonomic design approach to maximize readability and ease of understanding for the end users.
- Integrates with multiple tools to create a seamless flow between self-serve user documentation and customer support.
- Has versioning and approval features to moderate updates in any document.
11. Docusaurus
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G2 rating: N/A
Docusaurus pricing: Free
Docusaurus is a documentation tool specifically designed for developers. If your product targets tech teams, Docusaurus is a great solution to capture knowledge and share it correctly. You can embed React components and create publish-ready HTML files. Besides, you can also add a search function to your library of resources.
Docusaurus key features
- Designs a documentation website to store and share all product information.
- A user-friendly and exciting tool for developer-focused product companies.
- Easy to put all information into writing and in markdown and deploy it on GitHub and other platforms.
12. Tallyfy
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G2 rating: 5 out of 5
Tallyfy pricing: $30/user billed monthly
Tallyfy is a task automation software with a neat interface and no-code documentation framework. Anyone can create resources for end users and automate the entire process without struggling with the nuances of documentation design. Tallyfy explains complex information in the simplest formats to boost product adoption and reduce support tickets.
Tallyfy key features
- Enables team collaboration at a large scale to ensure your end-user documentation is always updated.
- Puts documentation on auto-pilot with customized workflows to do most of the heavy lifting for you.
- Has integrations available in multiple formats, including API-first, CRM and Identity.
13. Doxygen
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G2 rating: N/A
Pricing: Free
Doxygen is another great user documentation creator for developer-focused products. It generates resources from C++ sources and supports various programming languages, such as Java, PHP, Python, and others. You can create resources in different formats, primarily in HTML.
Doxygen key features
- Offers ease of search through its configuration feature to extract the code structure.
- Is a highly portable tool designed to work on macOS and Linux.
- Is considered the gold standard for technical documentation of any kind.
14. Stonly
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G2 rating: 4.8 out of 5
Stonly pricing: Starter at $124/month, Business at $249/month and Enterprise at custom pricing
Stonly is a knowledge management tool for creating interactive guides on any topic. Instead of the standard knowledge base format, Stonly takes user documentation to a new level with a dynamic interface. Users have to pick the most relevant option among all the choices available to them and the tool will lead them to different resources based on their preference.
Stonly key features
- Creates a more specific and effective way to share knowledge with the end users.
- Available as a site-wide widget to help users exactly when they need it.
- Offers detailed analytics of how people consume the resources to identify gaps and opportunities in your documentation.
15. ClickHelp
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G2 rating: 4.6 out of 5
ClickHelp pricing: Essentials at $55/author, Startup at $69/author, Team at $99/author, and Enterprise at $139/author—all billed monthly
ClickHelp is an authoring tool for documenting technical content. The tool gives you a collection of templates and CSS settings to produce clear and consistent resources. You can also customize the interface to align it with your branding. What’s more, you can reuse and interlink content across your entire documentation platform.
ClickHelp key features
- Offers a powerful text-based search engine and integration with Google Translate to simplify knowledge discovery.
- Gives access to over 30 metrics to determine the performance of your content, such as readability, session time, etc.
- Has multi-channel publishing features and download options in various formats.
Simplify the user experience with seamless documentation
User documentation can make or break your customer experience. It’s a surefire way of empowering users to learn more about the product and drive adoption. But without the right tool to deliver all the information, you’re leaving money at the table.
Thankfully, you don’t have to look far to find the perfect tool. Just give this roundup a double read and you’ll have a short list of tools to consider. Check out tools like Scribe, today!
