User manuals are serious sanity-savers for both your team and your customers. Not only do good user manuals boost customer satisfaction, but they also reduce the number of support tickets your customer support team receives about a product or service.
There’s just one little problem: Creating user manuals isn’t always easy. Technical documentation, legal requirements, and finicky formatting make it difficult to create step-by-step guides your customers and team will actually follow.
Fortunately, you don’t need to be a technical writer to compose an awesome user manual. You just need good user manual software. User manual software streamlines your workflows, empowers your support team, and improves the overall customer experience.
However, the quality of your user manual tool matters. Check out this complete guide to help you pick the right user manual software for your organization, plus our 10 favorite picks for 2024. ?
10 Best User Manual Software in 2024 (Reviews & Pricing)
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look For in User Manual Software?
User manual tools should make your life easier. Every solution is a little different, but these are the most high-value features to look for in a documentation tool:
- Ease of use: Instruction manuals can get a little bulky, so go for a user-friendly platform with a clean user interface and low barrier to entry. Drag-and-drop creation tools are a must, especially if both technical and non-technical team members will use the same software
- Templates and customization: Who has time to spend hours on formatting? Look for a platform with customizable user manual templates that suit your brand’s style. Drag-and-drop editors and CSS or HTML customization are also great for building professional-looking manuals
- Interactive elements: Some user guides are still printed on paper, but they’re increasingly going digital. If you offer online user manuals, look for user manual software that supports interactive elements. It should allow you to add embedded videos, clickable images, and step-by-step instructions for more interactive tutorials
- Workflow management: Creating user manuals is a team effort, so go with a platform that offers seamless workflow management. It should allow real-time editing, version control, and customizable permissions
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best User Manual Tools to Use in 2024
Whether you’re writing a new user manual from scratch or refreshing an existing manual, the right tool makes all the difference. Save time and produce professional-grade documentation with the 10 best user manual software of 2024.
1. ClickUp
That’s right: The most versatile project management platform in the world is also a reliable user manual tool. Create user manuals in ClickUp Docs in real-time with stakeholders from IT, customer service, marketing, HR, and more. Build Docs in ClickUp and quickly connect them to your workflows, tasks, and projects to create manuals at the speed of a click. ?
Oh, and did we mention our instruction manual templates? There’s no need to format a Doc—just pull a ClickUp template and you’re off to the races. Might we suggest the ClickUp Wiki template for building a DIY knowledge base? This free template includes helpful subsections, headings, and a table of contents to seriously streamline the writing process.
If you can’t think of the right words, try ClickUp AI. Just tell the AI writing assistant your role and what you want to create. It summarizes meeting notes, creates agendas, and even composes and edits user manuals for you.
ClickUp best features
- ClickUp has hundreds of templates for everything from wikis to reports
- ClickUp Docs includes interactive features like tables, code blocks, bookmarks, nested pages, and other styling options
- ClickUp AI handles spec notes, meeting summaries, user requirements, and more with little input
- Connect your ClickUp Docs to your ClickUp Workspace to see all tasks, metrics, and Chats for that project in one place
ClickUp limitations
- The platform has a lot of features, so it can feel like a lot at first
- ClickUp AI is only available on paid plans
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
- ClickUp AI is available on all paid plans for $5 per Workspace member per month
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (9,100+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (3,900+ reviews)
2. Paligo
Paligo is a different type of user manual creation software. This component content management system (CCMS) is designed for digital-first comprehensive user manuals. Paligo’s setup allows you to quickly switch out information, facts, steps, or technical specs in just a few clicks. Teams use it to create a single source of truth for everything from software manuals to knowledge management.
Paligo best features
- Need to change a number, phrase, or date? Quickly adjust it across all manuals in Paligo’s CCMS
- Paligo has integrations for GitHub, Microsoft Teams, GitLab, Zendesk, and more
- Manage images in multiple formats, including HTML and print
- Easily manage translated files without duplication problems
Paligo limitations
- You have to integrate Paligo with a third-party tool for project management
- Several users say they wish Paligo had more customizable permissions settings
Paligo pricing
- Contact for pricing
Paligo ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (50+ reviews)
- Capterra: 3/5 (1 review)
3. HelpDocs
HelpDocs is a self-service user manual software that allows you to build customizable knowledge bases. It includes HTML templates but also allows custom CSS or JavaScript if you want to build something more personalized. Users love HelpDocs’ robust analytics, which break down top-performing content, ticket submissions, top categories, and more.
HelpDocs best features
- Extend HelpDocs with integrations for BotPenguin, Pendo, Heap, and more
- Customize which users can see certain help documents or block customers from viewing internal content
- View customer support tickets in the HelpDocs Chrome browser extension
- Build a self-service widget on your site with HelpDocs Lighthouse
HelpDocs limitations
- Several users say formatting and tables are a challenge
- It doesn’t have CCMS features, so you need to manually adjust global variables
HelpDocs pricing
- Start: $55/month for five accounts, billed annually
- Build: $109/month for 15 accounts, billed annually
- Grow: $210/month for 50 accounts, billed annually
HelpDocs ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.2/5 (15+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.1/5 (8 reviews)
4. Scribe
Scribe bills itself as an all-in-one writing platform for everything from training documentation to internal SOPs. The awesome thing about Scribe is that it automatically documents step-by-step processes by recording your screen in real time. If you’ve been putting off documentation because it seems too daunting, Scribe’s automatic content creation could be a game-changer. ✨
Scribe best features
- Install the Scribe browser extension to automatically create step-by-step guides
- Adjust Scribe’s auto-generated manuals with text and additional screenshots
- Easily embed Scribe SOPs to your knowledge base or export it to PDF
- Scribe makes it easy to redact any sensitive employee or customer data
Scribe limitations
- Some users say the auto-generation feature isn’t truly automatic
- Scribe doesn’t include project management in its platform, so you’ll still need to flip between your user manual software and your to-do list
Scribe pricing
- Basic: Free
- Pro Team: $12/month per seat with a five-seat minimum, billed annually
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
Scribe ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.8/5 (60+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.9/5 (10 reviews)
5. Speach
Speach is a user manual software that specializes in internal SOPs and training videos. If your team doesn’t respond well to big walls of text during onboarding, Speach’s multimedia guides are a must. It isn’t a fit for customer-facing user manuals, but if you do a lot of internal training and need something to complement your learning management system (LMS), Speach is a great choice.
Speach best features
- Create screen recordings, slides, quizzes, and more
- Film and edit your videos without leaving the platform
- Speach offers one-click subtitles and translations
- Add annotations, links, text, and assignments to each video
Speach limitations
- It doesn’t have a lot of reviews
- Speach isn’t a true knowledge management platform. It’s more of a content-creation tool for internal purposes
Speach pricing
- Contact for pricing
Speach ratings and reviews
- G2: N/A
- Capterra: N/A
6. Document360
Document360 bills itself as AI-powered user manual software for both internal and external use. Use it to manage your SOPs, wikis, product launch documentation, and more. It even includes an SEO-friendly knowledge base. ?
Document360 best features
- Document360 integrates with Drift, Slack, Freshdesk, Intercom, and more
- Use the Knowledge Base Widget to offer 24/7 automated support for SaaS products
- Use Document360 Workflow to create trigger-based workflow automations
- Developers use Document360 for both internal and external API documentation as well as software documentation
Document360 limitations
- Some users say it can get pricey
- Others say article formatting is a little tricky
Document360 pricing
- Free
- Standard: $124/month per project, billed annually
- Professional: $248/month per project, billed annually
- Business: $331/month per project, billed annually
- Enterprise: $497/month per project, billed annually
Document360 ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (370+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (190+ reviews)
7. Nuclino
Nuclino is a “collective brain” that combines project management, documentation, and knowledge in one platform. This user manual software organizes all documents and knowledge with advanced filters. It even includes user manual templates for project tracking, meeting minutes, department-specific wikis, and more.
Nuclino best features
- Speed things up with Nuclino’s hotkeys and slash commands
- Trust Nuclino Sidekick for AI-powered brainstorming, summaries, and more
- Pull a use case-specific Nuclino template to create documentation in record time
- Nuclino uses industry-leading security, including encryption in transit and at rest, single sign-on, and two-factor authentication
Nuclino limitations
- It doesn’t have a lot of reviews
- Some users say Nuclino struggles to handle large datasets
Nuclino pricing
- Free
- Standard: $5/month per user, billed annually
- Premium: $10/month per user, billed annually
Nuclino ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (20+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (70+ reviews)
8. GitBook
GitBook is a specialized user manual tool designed for technical teams. Instead of storing critical technical documentation across different platforms, GitBook brings everything into one place for engineering teams. Compile troubleshooting guides, installation instructions, and operation manuals in one place for a better user experience. Its AI-first setup makes it a cinch to extract shareable knowledge from Slack messages, existing documentation, and more. ?
GitBook best features
- Trust GitBook AI to identify useful knowledge and add it to your knowledge base
- Ask GitBook AI to convert unstructured data, like Slack chats, into actionable documentation
- GitBook integrates seamlessly with GitLab to track release notes, logs, and more
- Gitbook AI automatically looks for conflicting or duplicate information
GitBook limitations
- Non-technical users won’t be able to use GitBook
- Some users report issues merging different versions of a document
GitBook pricing
- Personal: Free
- Plus: $6.70/month per user, billed annually
- Pro: $12.50/month per user, billed annually, plus a $82.50 monthly platform fee
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
GitBook ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (130+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (15+ reviews)
9. Dozuki
Are you on a manufacturing team? Streamline everything with Dozuki’s user manual software. All you need to do is document processes with photos and videos, and the platform digitizes, organizes, and shares that information with your team in just a few clicks. Rely on the platform to store and organize SOPs, training manuals, product requirement documents, and more in one place.
Dozuki best features
- Dozuki supports over 100 languages
- Quickly convert approved documentation into employee training programs
- Connect Dozuki to your LMS, ERP, and other systems for an all-in-one view
- Dozuki supports standardized processes and documentation for audits
Dozuki limitations
- Dozuki is only a fit for manufacturing businesses
- Some users say Dozuki limits the number of images and videos you can add to documentation
Dozuki pricing
- Contact for pricing
Dozuki ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (170+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (10+ reviews)
10. ClickHelp
Do you deliver A+ software to your clients? ClickHelp is a software user manual tool designed for technical writers and SaaS developers. Create videos, surveys, quizzes, forms, and more to gather information, collaborate with your team, and host your collective knowledge in this lightning-fast, cloud-based tool.
ClickHelp best features
- ClickHelp integrates with more than 20 third-party apps
- It supports unlimited version history and auditing
- Reuse content snippets across multiple platforms
- Track over 30 content metrics to see how effective your user manuals really are
ClickHelp limitations
- It doesn’t include project management
- ClickHelp is expensive
ClickHelp pricing
- Starter: $175/month for two users
- Growth: $285/month for five users
- Professional: $580/month for 10 users
ClickHelp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.8/5 (60+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (10+ reviews)
Summarize this article for me pleaseWrite Better User Documentation With ClickUp
High-quality user manual tools improve the customer experience and save your business a lot of time. Instead of trying to DIY your own manual writing system, go with reputable user manual software to streamline the entire process.
While there are some solid options on this top 10 list, ClickUp is the most time-saving option for busy teams. Instead of flipping through multiple platforms, you keep your manuals, communications, metrics, project management, training manual templates, AI tools, and more in one place. ?
Use ClickUp to write your next user manual. Create your ClickUp Workspace now—no credit card required.
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
