Imagine you’re working on an email campaign, and the tool throws an error. You plan to contact chat support or email them, but that might take a while. Instead of waiting, you search for help guides and videos online—like a knowledge base for the tool.
Now flip the script. As a SaaS tool provider, you try giving support teams various options to help them do their jobs better. This also includes a self-serve repository of product documentation where customers can find answers whenever and however they want. And it works.
Self-serve tools like walkthrough videos, onboarding docs, learning centers, and use cases increase customer satisfaction, reduce churn, and free up support agents for other tasks. The benefits extend to internal teams that reference a centralized knowledge base to function correctly.
We at ClickUp understand the challenge of creating and organizing a knowledge hub, so my team and I explored the best SaaS knowledge base software and shortlisted ten that ticked all the boxes.
But first, let’s understand what you should look out for in SaaS knowledge base software.
10 Best SaaS Knowledge Base Software in 2024
- What Should You Look for in SaaS Knowledge Base Software?
- The 10 Best SaaS Knowledge Base Software to Use in 2024
- 1. ClickUp—Best for AI-powered knowledge management
- 2. Document360—Best for simplified knowledge bases
- 3. Helpjuice—Best for AI content search
- 4. Hiver—Best for Gmail integration
- 5. Notion—Best for wiki management
- 6. Papyrs—Best for internal knowledge base
- 7. Freshdesk—Best for support tickets
- 8. Zendesk—Best for intuitive recommendations
- 9. KnowledgeOwl—Best for creating targeted knowledge bases
- 10. Obsidian—Best for visualizing relationships between notes/concepts
- Create and Share with the Right SaaS Knowledge Base Platform
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look for in SaaS Knowledge Base Software?
Your SaaS knowledge base software should have some, if not all, of these features:
- Self-service accessibility: Ensure the knowledge base is available 24/7 without requiring support tickets, allowing users to find answers independently
- Robust search functionality: Look for powerful search capabilities that allow search within documents, enabling users to locate relevant information quickly
- Version control: Make sure the platform allows for tracking changes and maintaining different versions of articles to keep information up-to-date
- Editorial workflow: Look for features that support collaboration among team members, such as commenting, role permissions, and content approval processes
- Analytics and reporting: The knowledge management software should offer insights into user engagement, popular articles, and search queries to help improve the knowledge base over time
- Content variety: It should support various content types, including FAQs, tutorials, troubleshooting guides, and video demos
- Customizable templates: Check if the software provides pre-designed templates that can be tailored to fit your branding and content needs
- Integration capabilities: Ensure compatibility with other tools and platforms you use, such as customer support systems, CRM software, and communication tools
- Security features: Look for robust security measures to protect sensitive information and ensure compliance with data protection regulations
- User-friendly navigation: The software should have a clear and intuitive structure with well-defined categories and subcategories for easy browsing
- Mobile responsiveness: The knowledge base should be accessible and functional on mobile devices to cater to users on the go
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best SaaS Knowledge Base Software to Use
Based on extensive testing and research, these are 10 SaaS knowledge base software you can choose from in 2024:
1. ClickUp—Best for AI-powered knowledge management
ClickUp is my go-to tool because it ticks all the right boxes. Everything related to content creation begins with ClickUp Docs, which you can turn into a knowledge base by toggling the wiki button.
Once a document is marked as a wiki, it becomes more visible within your content dashboards, and your team can collaborate to edit and review the content. If you work with multiple clients and vendors, you can maintain everything within one platform by importing data to ClickUp.
Once that’s done, you can ask ClickUp Brain to suggest new tasks to get started.
Here’s how ClickUp Brain can help:
- Use ClickUp Brain’s AI Writer to quickly generate initial drafts of knowledge-base articles based on prompts and outlines
- Pull information from ClickUp Tasks, documents, relevant articles, and team expertise to ensure accurate and up-to-date content
- Benefit from tailored support through ClickUp Brain’s AI Knowledge Manager, which offers suggestions and improvements for content creation
- Automate project management tasks related to the knowledge base, such as sending updates, assigning tasks, and tracking progress with ClickUp Brain’s AI Project Manager
- Analyze user interactions and feedback to identify areas for new articles, highlight popular content, and flag complex topics for users
You can also save time by using ClickUp’s Knowledge Base Template. It’s a simple, ready-to-use doc that mimics the help center customer experience well.
Here are some of the key features that this template provides:
- Knowledge articles: This section allows you to create and organize your knowledge base articles
- Categories: The template includes sections such as ‘Onboarding,’ ‘How-To Guides,’ ‘Use Cases,’ ‘Templates,’ and ‘Community,’ helping you organize your content effectively
- Subcategories: Within each category, you can create subcategories like ‘For Beginners,’ ‘For Admins,’ and ‘Project Management’ to further organize your content
- FAQs section: A dedicated section for frequently asked questions, providing quick answers to common inquiries
- Contact form: A form for users to submit their questions or requests if they can’t find the information they need
ClickUp best features
- Folders and subfolders: Organize knowledge base articles into Folders in a hierarchical structure for easy navigation
- Tags: Apply ClickUp Task Tags to articles for quick filtering and searching
- Search: Efficiently find information within your knowledge base using powerful search capabilities with ClickUp Universal Search
- Version history: Track document history to see changes made and revert to previous versions if needed
- Integrations: Connect with other tools like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Slack to centralize information with ClickUp Integrations
- Whiteboards: Visualize complex information, brainstorm ideas, and collaborate on knowledge base content in ClickUp Whiteboards
ClickUp limitations
- New users might experience a learning curve due to ClickUp’s extensive features
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
- ClickUp Brain: Add to any paid plan for $7 per member per Workspace per month
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (9,500+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (4,000+ reviews)
Also read: Free Knowledge Base Templates
2. Document360—Best for simplified knowledge bases
Document360 is a knowledge-based software with a stable, no-fuss UI. Since its primary focus is on knowledge base and document management, it’s easy to create private and public libraries.
You can organize content up to six levels of subcategories, so if you’re dealing with large datasets, you’ll appreciate Document360.
Document360 best features
- Edit and embed content with WYSIWYG editor, keeping the user experience in mind
- Use rollbacks to prevent accidental overwriting and maintain up-to-date versions
- Store content assets in the drive and insert them quickly into your documents
- Restrict internal knowledge bases to specific IP ranges to avoid security incidents
Document360 limitations
- On-platform collaborations with third parties need improvement
- Important features are hidden behind add-ons that raise overall costs
Document360 pricing
- Free Forever
- Standard: $199/month per 3 users
- Professional: $299/month per 5 users (billed annually)
- Business: $399/month per 5 users (billed annually)
- Enterprise: $599/month per 10 users (billed annually)
Document360 ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (400+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (200+ reviews)
Also read: 13 Best AI Writing Tools for Content
3. Helpjuice—Best for AI content search
Helpjuice is another easy-to-use knowledge-base software that competes with Document360 in terms of features. Its powerful yet simple text editor allows you to format, edit, and update your content. But the best part of Helpjuice is its search function.
Helpjuice’s search feature can help you sift through all the documents to find relevant details. It’s like searching in Google but within your document management system. It can even fetch data from PDFs and images.
Helpjuice best features
- Use a drag-and-drop interface for intuitive content creation
- Measure the impact of your knowledge base tool on support tickets
- Work with multiple versions of the same article and switch between them from the side panel
- Improve customer success processes by integrating with CRM and communication tools like Slack and Salesforce for omnichannel support
Helpjuice limitations
- The editor might struggle with responsiveness while working on heavy documents and layered edits
- Import feature needs improvement
Helpjuice pricing
- Starter: $120/month for up to 4 users
- Run-up: $200/month for up to 16 users
- Premium Limited: $289/month for up to 60 users
- Unlimited: $659/month for unlimited users
Helpjuice ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (50+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (90+ reviews)
Also read: How to Use AI for Documentation
4. Hiver—Best for Gmail integration
Hiver is a Gmail-based help desk solution designed to streamline email management and enhance team collaboration without the complexities of traditional ticketing systems.
Hiver allows you to turn emails into actionable tasks, assign ownership, and ensure quick resolutions. This feature prevents missed customer queries and enhances response times. It integrates with various popular tools like Slack, WhatsApp, Salesforce, Asana, and more, allowing you to manage multiple customer support channels from your Gmail inbox.
Hiver best features
- Measure and track team performance metrics, such as response times and customer satisfaction
- Control editors, viewers, and activities all within the same dashboard
- Track emails in real time to know when they are opened and read
Hiver limitations
- The knowledge hub is an addition to core features and might not stand on its own
Hiver pricing
- Lite: $24/user per month
- Pro: $59/user per month
- Elite: Custom pricing
Hiver ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (1,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (100+ reviews)
5. Notion—Best for wiki management
A versatile productivity tool, Notion blends note-taking, task management, wiki, and database functionality into one platform. It’s highly customizable and adaptable to various use cases.
Notion allows teams to work together in shared workspaces, enabling efficient collaboration on projects and tasks. It offers a hierarchical structure with folders and subpages to help organize content and make information easily accessible.
With Notion AI, your customer support team can quickly find answers from your self-serve database, speeding up support and helping improve the customer experience.
Notion best features
- Combine different types of content (text, images, code, embeds, etc.) within a page for rich formatting
- Drag interlinked pages under a header to build a knowledge base within seconds
- Use pre-made Notion templates that fit your use cases
- Quickly access answers to frequent customer queries with Notion AI
Notion limitations
- Notion can be overwhelming for beginners
- Heavy databases take a while to process
Notion pricing
- Free Forever
- Plus: $12/seat per month
- Business: $18/seat per month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Notion ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (5,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (2,000+ reviews)
6. Papyrs—Best for internal knowledge base
Unlike Notion, which offers a wide range of features, Papyrs is focused solely on improving your company intranet. This includes a private knowledge base, wiki, and discussions.
Papyrs is a modern knowledge management tool with a simple UI and flexible intranet features. It offers drag-and-drop editing, which, combined with markdown mode, makes it easy to edit and review content.
Papyrs best features
- Enrich your documents with a wide range of flexible widgets
- Track internal discussions and link them with content updates for easy collaborations
- Integrate with major tools to scale data management in your workspace
Papyrs limitations
- The UI might glitch occasionally while working with remote teams
- Doesn’t stand out in terms of pricing against bigger knowledge base tools
Papyrs pricing
- Team Wiki: $99/month for 20 users
- Company Wiki: $386/month for 60 users
- Company Intranet: $999/month for unlimited users
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Papyrs ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
7. Freshdesk—Best for support tickets
Freshdesk’s core features focus on customer support and ticketing, and it uses a knowledge base to make information easier to find.
Freshdesk’s knowledge articles are nestled in folders, and you have to assign these folders to particular categories to organize them. The good thing about Freshdesk is that you can customize the folder visibility based on the access point (web widgets, iOS, Android, etc.). You can edit meta descriptions for external folders, which helps in search engine optimization.
Freshdesk best features
- Add multilingual knowledge bases to cater to a global user base
- Bulk export solution articles and update them with Freshdesk API
- Interact with customers across various channels like email, phone, live chat, social media, and more, from a unified platform
- Resolve common queries and automate recurring tasks with AI capabilities
Freshdesk limitations
- Users have observed that Freshdesk analytics lack refinement, hindering users from tracking solution feedback
- Tends to slow down with multiple tickets and heavy document edits
Freshdesk pricing
- Free Forever
- Growth: $18/user per month
- Pro: $59/user per month
- Enterprise: $95/user per month
Freshdesk ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (3,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (3,000+ reviews)
8. Zendesk—Best for intuitive recommendations
Zendesk Guide helps in creating smart knowledge bases for both customers and customer service agents.
The most helpful feature has to be the AI-powered recommendations inside support tickets. After analyzing the client’s concerns, the tool suggests relevant knowledge base articles or documents from the existing repository.
Zendesk best features
- Automate routine tasks like ticket routing, email notifications, and response suggestions to increase efficiency
- Offer real-time support through live chat and messaging channels
- Connect with other tools like CRM, marketing automation, and payment gateways
- Localize content in 40+ languages
Zendesk limitations
- The ticketing system glitches occasionally
Zendesk pricing
- Suite Team: $55/agent per month
- Suite Growth: $89/agent per month
- Suite Professional: $115/agent per month
- Suite Enterprise Plus: Custom pricing
- Advanced AI: Available as add on for US $50 per agent per month
Zendesk ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (5,500+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (3,500+ reviews)
9. KnowledgeOwl—Best for creating targeted knowledge bases
While testing KnowledgeOwl, I particularly liked its Reader Group feature. It allows you to make certain categories of your knowledge base accessible to only specific audiences.
KnowledgeOwl also boasts an easy-to-navigate interface that simplifies creating and managing knowledge base content. New users can quickly adapt without extensive training.
KnowledgeOwl best features
- Simplify search with its Google-style search function that requires no configuration
- Customize the look and feel of articles with themes, layouts, and color schemes to match your brand
- Set up ‘Needs Review’ automation to get reminders to review old articles after an interval
KnowledgeOwl limitations
- The process of setting up Reader Groups is complex and time-consuming
KnowledgeOwl pricing
- Standard: $100/month per user
- Business Extras: $275/month
- Enterprise Extras: $1150/month
KnowledgeOwl ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (100+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (200+ reviews)
10. Obsidian—Best for visualizing relationships between notes/concepts
Obsidians can transform unstructured thoughts into a structured knowledge base. It uses plain text files in markdown format, which allows for easy formatting and ensures that notes are portable and accessible across different platforms.
One of Obsidian’s standout features is the ability to link notes together, creating a web of interconnected information. This allows users to navigate between related notes, enhancing understanding and recall easily.
Obsidian best features
- Track version history for documents for up to a year
- Consolidate research, brainstorm, draw diagrams, ideate, and more on Canvas, a virtual blank space
- Have granular-level control over which files to sync with which devices
- Collaborate with team members to create online wikis
Obsidian limitations
- Steep learning curve
- Limited customization options for layouts
Obsidian pricing
- Personal use: Free
- Commercial use: $50/user per year
Obsidian ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
Also read: Obsidian vs. ClickUp
Summarize this article for me pleaseCreate and Share with the Right SaaS Knowledge Base Platform
From bootstrapped startups to Fortune 500, everyone requires organized, fast, and accurate information on processes, troubleshoots, and support. An online knowledge base not only brings order to the information chaos but also acts as a point of reference for the company.
After testing and reviewing various SaaS knowledge base software, I can say you should pick a tool that’s secure, easy to use, and supports both external and internal knowledge bases. ClickUp stands out by covering all the features you need to create and disseminate information to stakeholders. In addition, it offers AI-powered task management to help you improve your SaaS business efficiencies overall.
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
