It used to be almost impossible to work out how users actually interacted with your product, app, or service. Sure, analytics platforms like Google Analytics existed, but individual user activity was somewhat of a closely guarded secret.
That’s now a thing of the past. Digital adoption platforms like Pendo can uncover the data behind user experience and put it in your hands.
Features like session replays and user analytics give product teams a greater insight into behavior and activity, so you can design even better customer and employee experiences.
Pendo is well-known, but it’s not the only tool in this space. In this guide, we’re uncovering the 10 best Pendo alternatives for improving user experiences—plus an exciting tool that can change the way your team manages products forever. 👀
10 Best Pendo Alternatives for Product Teams in 2024
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat is Pendo?
Pendo is a popular product experience and digital adoption platform that empowers product teams to deliver better user experiences backed by real data and insights.
This product experience platform includes features like user analytics, session recording and replays, product roadmaps, product discovery and validation, user feedback, and in-app guides and support.
The software is an all-in-one platform that can be adapted for both user and employee experiences—making it a good contender for companies that want to focus both externally and internally. ✔️
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look for in a Pendo Alternative?
There are hundreds of alternative digital adoption platforms out there, which doesn’t make comparing them an easy task. Luckily, we’ve come up with a simple checklist to help you find the right analytics solution or Pendo alternative.
Here’s what to look for in an alternative to Pendo:
- Features: Which features matter most? Are you more focused on a wide range of data collection options or on how the software uses that data to offer insights?
- Pricing structure: Some tools have pricing plans that change depending on the number of users, sessions, events, or end users. Which works best for you?
- Ease of use: How easy is it to use the new app? Could your entire team use it successfully to collect user feedback or for user onboarding?
- Collaboration: Can you easily share data and insights with other teams or stakeholders?
- Artificial intelligence (AI): Does the tool make use of AI? Does this complement your workflows and processes?
The best Pendo alternative is the one that matches your needs the closest. Consider the points above, rank how important they are to you, and use this to guide you toward the best tool for your business.
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best Pendo Alternatives to Use in 2024
Pendo is a useful option for teams that want a better insight into user engagement so they can improve the experience even further. It’s not the only tool out there to offer similar features though, and it’s always worth exploring alternatives to Pendo to see if they’re a better match.
Here are 10 of the best alternatives to Pendo that we think are worth considering this year.
1. Whatfix
Whatfix is a digital adoption platform that’s designed to improve user productivity, process compliance, and feature discovery. With Whatfix, product teams can observe user behavior, track feature usage, get feedback, and offer support and guidance to customers in real time. ⌚
Whatfix best features
- Provide in-app training and customer support to end users
- Increase user adoption with walkthroughs and widgets
- Personalize the experience with intelligent segmentation and contextualization
Whatfix limitations
- Some users report finding it difficult to deploy Whatfix alongside other SaaS product providers
- The learning journey for Whatfix can be somewhat complicated, according to some users
Whatfix pricing
- Contact for pricing
Whatfix ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (300+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (70+ reviews)
2. Amplitude
Amplitude is a product analytics and event tracking software app. Teams can use this Pendo alternative to get highly relevant user insights, then apply this data to improve products. The platform includes features for analytics, experimentation and optimization, and customer data. ▶️
Amplitude best features
- Plan and deploy A/B tests to identify the best option
- Create customer profiles and audience lists with the built-in customer data platform
- Personalize future content with data-driven audience segments
Amplitude limitations
- Some users wish there were templates that you could customize in the setup process
- You can’t create a full historical panel, with data only going back to the last 365 days
Amplitude pricing
- Starter: Free
- Plus: From $49/month for unlimited users
- Growth: Contact for pricing
Amplitude ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (2,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (60+ reviews)
3. WalkMe
WalkMe is a digital adoption platform designed to get rid of friction in digital products. The software overlays your web app to identify potential challenges, then offers practical recommendations on how to improve workflows and product usage. 🙌
WalkMe best features
- Understand whether user flows are working as intended or not
- Deliver personalized digital experiences at the right time, thanks to automation
- Remove friction to drive higher productivity and increased feature adoption
WalkMe limitations
- Some users report that the platform is slow to load, which can impact website user experience
- Although it’s a no-code platform, users suggest that it’s helpful to have someone on your team that’s technically proficient in HTML and CSS
WalkMe pricing
- Contact for pricing
WalkMe ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (300+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (60+ reviews)
4. Heap
Heap is a digital insights platform that allows product teams to understand user journeys, then make swift changes to improve user retention, conversion, and experience. Product teams can use the software to understand what’s working and what isn’t, with real customer data to back it up. 📈
Heap best features
- Get the entire context behind a user workflow in one click
- Identify opportunities to improve your product with built-in data science capabilities
- Track and understand product engagement across multiple devices
Heap limitations
- Some users miss functionality that’s present in Pendo, like guided product tours and NPS surveys
- Heap only tracks front-end interactions, so you’d need another tool to track interactions with the backend
Heap pricing
- Free
- Growth: Contact for pricing
- Pro: Contact for pricing
- Premier: Contact for pricing
Heap ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (1,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (40+ reviews)
5. Userlane
Userlane is a digital adoption platform designed for product teams that want a full-picture view of their app experience, so they can understand user adoption and make improvements. This Pendo alternative can also be used to offer on-demand customer support in-app, with context-relevant content and highly engaging user guides. 📑
Userlane best features
- Understand user behavior in real time across different applications
- Analyze your customer behavior data to inform user experience improvements
- Create and deploy automatic, relevant content with in-app guidance
Userlane limitations
- Some users wish there were report download templates available to simplify reporting
- It can be difficult to manage if you have a large number of guides, according to some users
Userlane pricing
- Contact for pricing
Userlane ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (80+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (40+ reviews)
6. Smartlook
Smartlook is a digital platform that offers product analytics and visual user insights. The platform combines qualitative and quantitative data to give product teams a full view of how users experience their apps, so they can make better choices in the decision-making process when it comes to product development. 📄
Smartlook best features
- See what actions users take with session recording tools
- Use website and mobile app heatmaps to track user behavior
- Use mobile app and website analytics to understand user behavior
Smartlook limitations
- Some users report issues with sessions not recording fully
- The tool could benefit from more customization options for reports, according to some users
Smartlook pricing
- Free
- Pro: Starting at $55/month
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
Smartlook ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (800+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (100+ reviews)
7. Appcues
Appcues is a product adoption platform designed for product teams that want to improve the user onboarding journey. The platform allows teams to create tailored in-app experiences for new users with experience design, smart targeting, and user behavior tracking.
Appcues best features
- Design personalized onboarding flows and checklists for new users
- Increase engagement with slide-out messages, tooltips, and hotspots
- Collect user feedback with in-app surveys
Appcues limitations
- Some users find the autosave frustrating, as it can make it harder to test potential changes and revert them quickly
- Some users wish there were more detailed analytics available within Appcues
Appcues pricing
- Essentials: From $249/month for three user licenses
- Growth: From $879/month for 10 user licenses
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
Appcues ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (200+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (100+ reviews)
8. Glassbox
Glassbox is a digital customer experience analytics platform that enables teams to create more engaging experiences for app and digital product users. With this Pendo alternative, product teams can capture every user interaction, analyze customer journeys, and monitor performance. 🤖
Glassbox best features
- Collect user data and identify user trends over time
- Identify issues and deploy fixes to improve the user flow
- Collaborate with other teams to share information and prioritize the right improvements
Glassbox limitations
- Some users report that the onboarding experience and adding code to their website was a challenge
- Managing user access for multiple teams could be improved, according to some users
Glassbox pricing
- Contact for pricing
Glassbox ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.9/5 (500+ reviews)
- Capterra: 5/5 (40+ reviews)
9. Mixpanel
Mixpanel is a product analytics and data visualization tool that empowers product teams to make smarter decisions about improvements. The platform allows anyone to view user behavior data, share it across teams, and take the right path forward. 📊
Mixpanel best features
- Get live updates on how users are interacting with your app
- Analyze the user journey from start to finish
- Create boards that turn user data into highly visual charts and graphs
Mixpanel limitations
- Some users express a wish for better customization options for dashboards
- It can be challenging to extract raw data to use in other applications, according to some users
Mixpanel pricing
- Starter: Free
- Growth: From $20/month
- Enterprise: From $833/month
Mixpanel ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (1,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (100+ reviews)
10. Hotjar
Hotjar is a website heatmaps and behavior analytics tool that gives teams more insight into what’s happening on their website, beyond the basic numbers. Hotjar’s feature set includes heatmaps, recordings, surveys, user feedback, and interviews. 📣
Hotjar best features
- See which areas of your website visitors actually use with heatmaps
- View user sessions to identify friction in your user flow
- Ask for feedback or arrange one-on-one interviews with real website users
Hotjar limitations
- Some users wish the navigation and dashboard experience was more streamlined
- Some users found that adding Hotjar to their website negatively impacted page loading speeds and performance
Hotjar pricing
- HotJar Observe Basic: Free
- HotJar Observe Plus: $39/month
- HotJar Observe Business: $99+/month
- HotJar Observe Scale: $213+/month
- HotJar Ask Basic: Free
- HotJar Ask Plus: $59/month
- HotJar Ask Business: $79+/month
- HotJar Ask Scale: $159+/month
- HotJar Engage Basic: Free
- HotJar Engage Plus: $350/month
- HotJar Engage Business: $550/month
- HotJar Engage Scale: Contact for pricing
Hotjar ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (200+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (500+ reviews)
Summarize this article for me pleaseOther Business Tools
These alternatives to Pendo are great if you’re looking for a different tool for your user behavior and product analytics. Whether you stick with Pendo or choose one of its competitors, you’ll still need other product management tools to help you complete your tech stack.
ClickUp
ClickUp is the best digital platform for product teams that want to simplify the experience and ship updates faster. You can map out your product position and vision, get your team behind your goal, and iterate more quickly thanks to our all-in-one product management platform.
Use ClickUp to build smart product roadmaps and organize feedback, epics, and sprints all in one shared place. See your entire product life cycle with team-level views, workflows, and automations—no need for manual handoffs.
Thanks to ClickUp AI, you can streamline the entire product management process. Generate product documentation, organize user feedback, and ask for a summary that you can feature in product updates, strategic planning templates, and decision-making templates.
ClickUp is built for collaboration, so your product team can work with other in-house departments and stakeholders to brainstorm and share data within a product strategy template. The data you collect from your alternatives to Pendo can now live in one central place, where everyone can access and use it. 🌻
ClickUp best features
- Bring all your user behavior data to one visual project management software
- Create organized product roadmaps
- Use ClickUp as a goal-tracking app to motivate team members to reach their targets
- Plan, write, and share product information with ClickUp Docs
- Get a clear view of your product roadmaps and life cycles with ClickUp Dashboards
- Collaborate with your marketing and sales teams on product updates and launches
ClickUp limitations
- With so many features and plenty of customization options, some users may find ClickUp overwhelming at first
- Some highly anticipated ClickUp AI features, like project and standup summaries, aren’t available in-app yet but are coming soon
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
- ClickUp Brain: Available on all paid plans for $5/Workspace member/month
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (9,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (3,900+ reviews)
Summarize this article for me pleaseHarness the Power of User Behavior Data
When you consider all the digital adoption tools available, there’s a rich landscape of apps and platforms that can enhance the way your product team approaches user experience development. Use this guide to help you find the best alternative to Pendo for your needs—whether your goal is to get more detailed user data or find a better way to share what you have with your team.
As you dive deeper into the world of alternatives to Pendo, consider the other tools that can support your journey toward building the best products possible. Transform the way you approach product management with ClickUp. Sign up for free now. ✨
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