How to Choose the Right User Manual Software for Your Business + Top 5 Tools

Over the years, I’ve seen dozens of user manuals that are more likely to gather dust than guide users. 

Dense paragraphs and technical jargon leave many products unused or misunderstood. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Knowing how to choose a user manual software platform can be the first step in the right direction.

Over the years, I’ve learned that finding the right software can empower you to transform your documentation from a dreaded chore into a valuable asset, enabling you to create user-friendly manuals that are both informative and engaging.

In this blog, I’ll share my insights on what to look for when choosing the best user manual tools. We’ll explore the essential features that will aid in creating documentation that users will actually want to read. 

What Is User Manual Software?

For the ones new to the concept, let’s first explore what a user manual is and how to create it with this insightful video:

User manual software provides a platform to create comprehensive, user-friendly products, services, or system guides. It streamlines the process of developing documentation that walks users through various aspects, from basic setup and operation to advanced features and troubleshooting.

It typically includes features like content creation tools (text editors, multimedia support), collaboration functionalities (co-authoring, version control), and publishing options (PDF generation, online hosting). It may also offer advanced features such as customizable knowledge base templates, branding options, and analytics to track user engagement.   

For example, user manual software can help you create a comprehensive guide for a new smartphone. It provides the tools to write step-by-step instructions on setting up the phone, using its features, and troubleshooting common problems.

How to Choose the Right User Manual Software for Your Business?

Choosing the right user manual software can significantly impact the effectiveness of your documentation and the overall user experience. Here are some key factors to consider:

Consider Core Features

Evaluate the software’s core features, focusing on content creation capabilities, content management functionalities, publishing options, and search functionality. 

Consider this small feature checklist:

• AI Editor: Assess the software’s text editor, its formatting options, and whether it supports AI capabilities and adding multimedia content like images and videos
• Content Management: Check if you organize and manage your user manuals with features like version control, categorization, and content reuse
• Publishing Options: Explore the publishing options, such as generating PDFs, online hosting, and mobile responsiveness, to ensure they align with your needs
• Easy Search: Check if it enables a robust search engine, which allows users to easily find the information they need in your manuals.

Explore All User Manual Software Features

Ease of Use

Choose software with a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and understand, even for non-technical users. Consider the software’s learning curve and the availability of training resources or tutorials. 

Assess how easy it is to collaborate with others on creating and editing user manuals. Teamwork is often crucial in documentation development. The platforms offering cloud-based models and customization features are usually beginner-friendly or at least to the ones who are as tech-savvy. 

Prioritize Forever Free Pricing

Understand the different subscription tiers and pricing models offered by the software. Evaluate the features and functionalities provided in relation to the price to determine the best value for your investment. 

User manual software offering a freemium version lets you test all the features and evaluate the software before you can commit to a full plan.

Vendor Support

When choosing user manual software, evaluating customer support’s availability and quality is crucial for a smooth and successful experience. 

Consider this small checklist:

• Does the vendor offer multiple support channels, like email, phone, and chat, with clear response time expectations?
• Check for comprehensive documentation, tutorials, and knowledge base articles to guide you through the software’s features and functionalities. 
• Are the resources easily accessible and provide clear, step-by-step instructions?
• Do they offer personalized onboarding sessions or dedicated account managers to help you get started and answer your questions?  

USP Features

Identify the software’s unique features or functionalities that differentiate it from competitors. These could include AI-powered features like content generation, translation, or summarization. 

Assess the software’s ability to integrate with other tools and platforms you use, such as help desk or CRM systems, to streamline your workflows.

Some knowledge base platforms or user manual software enable some unique features, like multi-branding, which allows you to create different versions of a single site by applying different branding styles to it. 

See how features like Multibranding help companies create differently branded knowledge bases in this insightful video:

Which Are the Top 5 User Manual Tools? 

Over the years, I’ve tested and evaluated a wide range of user manual tools, searching for those that truly deliver on their promises. I’ve compiled a list of my top 5 tools that stand out for their ease of use, powerful features, and ability to create truly exceptional user manuals.

1. ProProfs Knowledge Base – Best for Easily Creating Help sites, Manuals & Private Knowledge Bases

We’ve been using ProProfs Knowledge Base, with its AI-powered WYSIWYG editor and customizable templates, to simplify user manual creation. Features like version control and co-authoring facilitate collaboration and ensure accuracy, while the platform’s powerful search functionality empowers users to find the information they need quickly.

It also excels in customization and branding. Businesses can tailor the look and feel of their knowledge base to match their brand identity, creating a seamless and professional user experience. This includes adding custom domains, logos, color schemes, and CSS customization for a truly unique and on-brand knowledge base.

The platform also provides comprehensive analytics and reporting tools, allowing you to track key metrics, understand user behavior, and continuously improve your knowledge base content based on real-world insights.

What You Will Like:

• 100+ knowledge base templates to create error-free articles quickly
• Revision history to track up to 30 recent changes
• Multi-branding to create different versions of a single site 
• Powerful search functionality with auto-suggest and advanced filtering capabilities
• Allows administrators to set up roles and permissions.

What You May Not Like:

• No downloadable or on-premise version
• Dark user interface option is not available.

Pricing:

Forever Free Plan with all the premium features for small teams. Paid plan starts at $49/author/month.

2. HelpCrunch – Best for Creating a Structured Help Center

I like HelpCrunch‘s WYSIWYG editor for its easy formatting and content structuring capabilities. Features like categories and tags help users quickly navigate and find relevant information. Moreover, HelpCrunch’s AI-powered features, such as automatic content summarization and translation, can streamline the creation and maintenance of user manuals.

With HelpCrunch, you can personalize your knowledge base with your own branding, domain, and CSS styling, creating a seamless and professional user experience. This ensures that your user manuals align with your brand identity and provide a consistent user experience.

What You Will Like: 

• Seamlessly integrates its knowledge base with its other customer communication tools, such as live chat and email marketing
• Collaborate with your team using features like roles and permissions, internal notes, and revision history
• Create user manuals in multiple languages to cater to a global audience.

What You May Not Like:

• Lacks multilingual capabilities
• Cannot edit the message after it has been sent on the app.

Pricing:

Paid plan starts at $12/member/month.

3. Nuclino – Best for Fast Collaboration to Bring Knowledge, Docs, and Projects Together in One Place

I like how Nuclino’s unique graph visualization allows you to visually link related documents and create a network of interconnected knowledge. Imagine a user exploring your manual – with Nuclino, they can easily jump from a basic setup guide to a troubleshooting section or a more in-depth technical specification document, all within a few clicks. 

The platform also simplifies content creation with its real-time collaborative editor. Multiple users can work on the same document simultaneously, fostering teamwork and ensuring everyone is on the same page. The platform supports various content formats, including text, images, videos, and even embedded interactive elements, allowing you to create engaging and informative documentation. 

What You Will Like: 

• Features like Markdown support and a WYSIWYG editor streamline the writing and formatting process
• Powerful search functionality ensures that users can quickly find the information they need, even within a vast and complex user manual 
• Its intuitive interface and minimalist design minimize distractions, allowing users to focus on the content itself. 

What You May Like:

• Limited customization options when it comes to the visual appearance of documents
• New users may still need some time to learn the platform’s features and get accustomed to its interface.

Pricing:

Paid plan starts at $6/user/month.

4. GetGuru – Best for Connecting Company’s Collective Language

I love GetGuru for its different approach than traditional documentation solutions. It focuses on delivering the right information to users directly within their workflow rather than relying on them to search for it in a separate knowledge base.

Its ‘AI Suggest’ feature leverages artificial intelligence to analyze the user’s context and proactively suggest relevant knowledge cards, providing just-in-time guidance and support. It enables users with a timely suggestion with a link to a relevant help article or tutorial, right within their workflow.

What You Will Like:

• Seamlessly integrates with various communication and collaboration tools, such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Salesforce
• Semantic search, which understands the meaning behind your question, not just keywords
• Lets you configure custom AI models with specialized knowledge to give precise, tailored answers.

What You May Not Like: 

• Adding videos to Cards can be complicated 
• Limited UI customization options.

Pricing: 

Paid plan starts from $10/month.

5. Document360 – Best for Creating Online Documentation

Document360 helps you create dynamic and engaging user manuals that are easy to navigate and search. Its intuitive editor, coupled with customizable templates and a variety of formatting options, allows you to present information in a clear and visually appealing manner. 

The platform also simplifies the process of keeping your documentation up-to-date. Its real-time collaboration features allow multiple team members to work on the same document simultaneously, ensuring accuracy and consistency. The platform’s version control system tracks changes and allows you to revert to previous versions if necessary, providing peace of mind and facilitating seamless updates.

What You Will Like: 

• Multi-language support and built-in analytics empower you to cater to a global audience
• Supports integrations with popular tools like Intercom and Slack
• Enables SEO for articles, helping you capture your customers’ attention with apt article meta description and tide.

What You May Not Like:

• You have to manually save changes if you modify the custom code
• Sometimes, it becomes hard to find where a broken link is on a page.

Pricing:

Offers custom plans starting at $124/project/month.

Enhance Product Usage & Self-Service with Detailed User Manuals

Choosing the right user manual software is crucial for creating documentation that effectively empowers your users and enhances their experience with your product or service. By carefully considering your needs, target audience, content requirements, features, scalability, user experience, and vendor support, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your business goals.

Remember to prioritize a user-friendly platform that offers the necessary features and functionalities and provides excellent support and training. Well-chosen user manual software can streamline your documentation process, foster collaboration, and enhance customer satisfaction.

ProProfs Knowledge Base, with its AI-powered capabilities, helps you generate instant summaries of lengthy content, get improvement suggestions, and ensure your content is optimized for search engines, making it easier for users to find the information they need.