10 Best Knowledge base software in 2023
Discover the best knowledge base software in 2023 and its top features.
The daily grind of customer service tickets can leave any business feeling bogged down and unproductive. Dealing with a constant stream of inquiries and then passing the tough ones on to technical support takes time and attention away from the bigger picture.
Enter knowledge base software - a revolutionary tool changing how companies handle customer support and internal communication. As its popularity continues to rise, more and more businesses are discovering the benefits of utilizing a knowledge base platform to streamline their processes and deliver exceptional customer service.
What is a Knowledge Base?
A knowledge base is a powerful resource for businesses today. It serves as a centralized location where employees and customers can access the information they need when they need it. Whether you're looking to improve customer service, streamline internal communication, or reduce support tickets, a knowledge base can help. With the right knowledge base software, you can easily organize, publish, and manage your company's information in a way that is easily accessible to all.
What is Knowledge Base Software?
As mentioned above, a knowledge base is a collection of information organized in a way that makes it easy for end users to find and access the information they need. Knowledge base software is the tool that allows you to create, manage and publish this information to your employees, customers, and other stakeholders. Whether you're a small business just starting or a large enterprise looking to streamline internal processes, a knowledge base can help.
Why must you invest in a knowledge base Software?
Investing in a knowledge base software is a crucial step for any business looking to improve customer support and streamline internal processes. From reducing response times to enhancing collaboration and organization, a knowledge base platform offers many benefits that can drive business success.
Here are some key benefits of investing in a knowledge base software.
Improved customer support
A knowledge base leads to improved customer satisfaction, as they can find answers to their questions independently, and reduced workload for customer support teams, as they spend less time answering repetitive questions. Additionally, having a centralized knowledge base ensures that customers receive consistent and accurate information, reducing the risk of misinformation and improving the reputation of the company.
Increased efficiency
By providing employees with a central location to access and share information, leads to increased efficiency and productivity, as employees can not only access the information they need quickly but also make informed decisions. The ability to easily update and organize information in the knowledge base also ensures that employees are always working with the latest information, reducing the risk of errors and improving the quality of work. In addition, a knowledge base can automate processes and provide standardized information, reducing the need for manual intervention and freeing up employees' time to focus on higher-value tasks.
Reduced costs
By reducing the need for customer support and improving internal efficiency, a knowledge base can help lower business costs.
By centralizing information and making it easily accessible, a knowledge base, as mentioned above, can reduce the need for repetitive customer support inquiries, which means freeing up resources and reducing the workload for support teams. It can also increase the efficiency of internal processes by providing employees with quick access to relevant information and reducing the need for redundant meetings and email chains. Overall, a well-implemented knowledge base can help streamline operations and lower costs for a business.
Better organization
By organizing information into categories and subcategories, a knowledge base makes it easier for employees and customers to quickly find relevant information. Search functionality, tagging, and other tools also help users find information more efficiently, reducing the time and effort required to find the information they need. This helps improve productivity, saves time, and reduces frustration, contributing to a better overall experience for users.
Better scalability
A well-designed knowledge base is flexible and can accommodate a growing volume of information, making it an ideal solution for expanding businesses. New employees, products, processes, and customers can be easily added to the knowledge base, ensuring everyone can access the most up-to-date information. This can help to ensure consistency across the organization and reduce the risk of information becoming siloed or outdated. By providing a scalable solution for managing information, a knowledge base can support the growth of a business and improve its long-term success.
Increased self-service
A comprehensive knowledge base provides customers with a self-service option, allowing them to quickly find answers to their questions without having to reach out to support. This not only reduces the workload on support teams but also improves the customer experience by providing them with quick access to the information they need. Additionally, self-service options can be available 24/7, providing customers with access to information at any time, further reducing the need for live support. By empowering customers to find answers independently, a knowledge base can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the overall customer experience.
Better documentation
A knowledge base provides a centralized location for all company information, including policies, procedures, best practices, and other important documents. This helps to ensure that employees have access to the information they need to perform their jobs effectively and reduces the risk of information becoming lost or outdated. Easy-to-use search and categorization tools make it simple for employees to find the information they need, and version control and revision history features ensure that everyone is working with the latest information. By providing a platform for effective documentation, a knowledge base can help improve the consistency and quality of operations across an organization.
Overall, a knowledge base software can help your business operate more efficiently and effectively while providing a valuable resource for both customers and employees. By centralizing information and making it easily accessible, a knowledge base can improve internal processes, reduce the workload on customer support teams, and empower customers with the ability to find answers independently. With its ability to scale with a growing business and provide a centralized location for all company information, a knowledge base can support long-term success and efficiency. By providing a valuable resource for both customers and employees, a knowledge base can help a business operate more effectively and provide a competitive edge.
Factors to keep in mind when choosing a knowledge base software
When choosing a knowledge base software, it is important to carefully consider various factors to ensure that you select a solution that meets your specific needs and provides the most value for your business.
Features
When evaluating knowledge base software, it is important to consider the included features and whether they meet your specific needs. Key features to look for include:
- Search functionality: A robust search function is essential for making it easy for users to find the information they need in a large knowledge base.
- Categorization: The ability to categorize information and create a well-structured knowledge base makes it easier for users to find the information they need.
- Content creation and editing: The software should provide an easy-to-use interface for creating, editing, and maintaining the knowledge base content.
- Collaboration and approval workflows: If multiple people are contributing to the knowledge base, the software should provide tools for collaboration and approval workflows.
- Customization options: Look for software that allows you to customize the appearance and functionality of the knowledge base to meet your specific needs.
Pricing
When choosing a knowledge base software, it is essential to consider the cost and the pricing model offered. The software should be within your budget and provide value for the price. Some factors to keep in mind include
Subscription costs: Consider the monthly or annual subscription cost, as well as any additional fees for features or support.
Freemium versions: Some knowledge base software may offer a free version with limited features or a free trial period to try the software before committing to a paid subscription.
Volume-based pricing: Some software may offer volume-based pricing, where the cost increases as the number of users or the size of the knowledge base grow.
Customization and integration costs: Consider any additional costs for customization or integration with existing tools and systems.
By evaluating the costs and pricing models offered by different knowledge base software, you can select a solution that fits your budget and provides the best value for your business.
Ease of Use
Ease of use is an essential factor to consider. The software should have a user-friendly interface and simple navigation, making it easy for both employees and customers to find the information they need.
Integration
When choosing a knowledge base software, it is crucial to consider its ability to integrate with your current systems. Integration helps to streamline processes, increase efficiency, and eliminate data duplication..
Scalability
Scalability is a key factor in choosing a knowledge base software. It ensures the software can handle an increase in users and content as a business grows. A scalable software maintains performance and stability even as demand increases.
Security
Look for software that has robust security features to protect your customer's data and ensure compliance with any relevant regulations.
It's also a good idea to do a free trial or demo of the software before deciding to ensure it meets your requirements.
Top 10 knowledge base software
Let's dive in and explore the top 10 best knowledge base software options available today so that you can find the perfect solution for your business needs.
WowTo
WowTo is a video knowledge base software that allows you to quickly create and host a video-based knowledge base. WowTo vouches for the fact that most people are visual learners; that is why using videos to explain features can be an effective way for users to understand and remember them. The video creation process is simplified with WowTo's user-friendly interface, enabling anyone to create and host videos without any technical or video editing experience. Some of the key features of WowTo include:
- A super easy-to-use how-to video editor where you just bring the images/videos and add the text, and WowTo does the rest to create your video.
- A no-code video knowledge base builder that you can host on your website and update easily like you would update a word doc.
- AI Voices in multiple global languages for you to reach out to your global audience in their preferred language.
- In-app video widget for your users to find exactly what they want.
- Free Google Chrome extension to capture/record your screen to create workflow videos in minutes.
- Analytics for your video knowledge base that gives you clear insights on your most viewed videos, search terms, and other criteria.
- SEO-friendly video knowledge base
- Customization options for your knowledge base to align with your brand.
WowTo's pricing plan is inclusive for all users. It starts with a "forever free" option that allows users to build one knowledge base with 15 videos. Paid plans start at $25 per month.
Zendesk
Zendesk Guide is a knowledge management software that allows companies to create a library of articles and FAQs that both internal and external audiences can access. It also includes a web widget that allows the articles to be displayed within an application or on a website. You can track and enhance your customer service by gaining insight into what customers are searching for and if they are finding the appropriate responses with integrated reports. Its knowledge base feature offers information to reveal missing content and pinpoint areas where new knowledge base content is needed.
A free trial is available. Monthly plans that include Zendesk Guide start at $49 per user/month.
Help Scout
Help Scout is a user-friendly knowledge management software that allows you to quickly and easily create professional-looking articles using various formatting options in both WYSIWYG and HTML. Help Scout provides Beacon, which allows you to place a chat-style widget on any page of your website or application, enabling visitors to access your knowledge base library directly without leaving the current page. By subscribing to Help Scout, you can access the entire customer support portal at no additional cost.
Free trial is available. Plans start at $20/per user per month.
Freshdesk
Freshdesk is an all-in-one customer support tool that provides businesses with a comprehensive solution for managing customer interactions. It includes features such as a ticketing system, knowledge management, and more to help businesses offer effortless customer experiences, improve collaboration, and streamline business processes for better customer satisfaction. The software includes a rich text editor at no extra cost making it essential for simplifying support tasks. It offers a broader range of formatting options, better image embedding capabilities, and is easier to use than plain text editors.
Offers a free plan. Paid plan starts at $12/user/month.
Atlassian Confluence
Confluence, offered by Atlassian, is a remote-friendly team workspace where teams can collaborate and share knowledge. It features various page templates for teams of all sizes and provides a highly secure content management platform. It benefits teams that use Jira software and offers cloud storage and the option to host the workspace on your server. Confluence is particularly well-suited for managing internal knowledge bases and organizing team spaces, with the ability to set permissions for different articles.
Offers a free plan. Paid plan starts at $5.75 per user per month.
HelpDocs
HelpDocs is a knowledge base software designed for product-focused teams. It offers an easy-to-use and visually appealing platform for creating and maintaining support pages. With HelpDocs, you can ensure that your knowledge base is always up-to-date. You can experience the convenience of hosting your knowledge base with a custom-text editor, advanced caching, and smart integrations, all while utilizing SEO-focused templates to make it easy for your users to quickly find the answers they need.
Offers free trial. Paid plan starts at $69 per month.
Helpjuice
Helpjuice's user-friendly interface makes it easy for teams to quickly set up and create knowledge content and assemble their overall knowledge base. The easy-to-use editor allows you to edit the typeface, layout, and colors of your knowledge base to make it look like an extension of your brand. It enables multiple team members to work on knowledge-based articles, control versions, and manage editorial access. Helpjuice also allows for remote and real-time collaboration within its interface, making it easy for managers to assign tasks, make comments, and request revisions, as well as keep track of the version history for each piece of content created.
The starter plan is priced at $120 per month for up to four users.
Document360
Document360 is a knowledge management solution that allows you to create an online self-service knowledge base for customers and employees. It enables you to control access to your documents and optimize your content for access from multiple devices. The software is user-friendly, offering real-time search, remote access, analytics, and content categorization and customization. Document360 also includes version control functionality for your team to manage changes and editing capabilities for your documents.
Bloomfire
With Bloomfire, you can bring all of your company's knowledge together in one easily searchable platform, helping support agents provide high-quality service that is always contextually relevant. Some of the features that make Bloomfire stand out include AI-powered search, crowd-sourced FAQs, and support for rich media. The platform also allows users to interact with social media posts in a way similar to liking, sharing, commenting on, or following them.
Pricing starts for a minimum of 50 users and may not be best for small teams.
HelpKit
If your business uses Notion, this will be the best choice for you. You can enhance your company's productivity and efficiency by integrating Help Kit with Notion. HelpKit allows you to seamlessly transform your Notion documents into a comprehensive, self-service knowledge base for your customers, all without the need for any coding knowledge. Furthermore, you can personalize your site by connecting your custom domain and customizing the overall look and feel to align with your brand.
Offers a free trial. Paid plan starts at $19 per month.
Ready to choose your knowledge base software?
Choosing the right knowledge base software for your business is crucial for providing effective and efficient customer support. When deciding, consider the software's features, pricing, user reviews, ease of use, integration, scalability, and security. By taking the time to evaluate the options and select software that meets your specific needs, you can ensure that your customers have access to the information they need and that your support team can work more efficiently.
One of the best options available in the market is WowTo. It has all the features required to create a comprehensive, easy-to-use video knowledge base and is very user-friendly. Additionally, WowTo offers a free version so that you can get started with it without any financial commitment. Overall, WowTo is a great option for a knowledge base software for your business.
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