Effective customer onboarding is crucial for business success, but finding the right tools without straining your budget can be challenging. That’s why we’ve tested a range of customer onboarding solutions to bring you this list of the best free options available. From user-friendly interfaces to powerful features, these free customer onboarding tools can help streamline your processes and enhance the new user experience. Whether you’re a startup or an established company looking to optimise your onboarding strategy, our guide will help you find the perfect solution to welcome and retain your customers effectively.
UserGuiding
UserGuiding offers a user-friendly platform for creating interactive product tours, onboarding checklists, and in-app messages without any coding knowledge. This tool is particularly useful for SaaS companies and digital products looking to improve user adoption and reduce churn.
UserGuiding’s intuitive interface allows teams to design and implement onboarding experiences quickly, with features like segmentation and analytics to help tailor the experience to different user groups. The platform integrates seamlessly with popular tools like Segment, Intercom, and Google Analytics, making it a versatile addition to existing tech stacks.
Key Features
- No-code product tour builder
- Customisable onboarding checklists
- In-app messaging and announcements
- User segmentation
- Analytics and reporting
- Multi-language support
- Integration with third-party tools
UserGuiding offers a 14-day free trial that provides full access to all features. After the trial, pricing starts at £69 per month for the Basic plan, with higher tiers available for more advanced features and higher usage limits.
Whatfix
Whatfix is a digital adoption platform that specialises in creating interactive walkthroughs, tooltips, and task lists to guide users through complex software applications. It’s particularly well-suited for enterprises implementing large-scale software solutions like CRMs or ERPs.
Whatfix’s strength lies in its ability to provide contextual guidance, ensuring users receive help exactly when and where they need it within an application. The platform also offers powerful analytics tools, allowing businesses to track user engagement and identify areas where additional support may be needed.
Key Features
- Interactive walkthroughs and guided tours
- Context-sensitive help
- Multi-format content creation (videos, PDFs, slideshows)
- Analytics and user behaviour tracking
- Multi-language support
- SCORM compliance for easy LMS integration
- Self-help widget
Whatfix provides a free trial (duration not specified) that allows users to explore its full range of features. Pricing is customised based on specific business needs and is available upon request from their sales team.
Appcues
Appcues is a powerful user onboarding and product adoption platform that enables companies to create personalised in-app experiences without requiring extensive coding knowledge. It’s particularly effective for SaaS businesses looking to improve user activation and retention.
Appcues allows for the creation of various onboarding elements such as modals, tooltips, and slideouts, which can be targeted to specific user segments. The platform’s strength lies in its ability to help companies create and iterate on onboarding flows quickly, allowing for rapid experimentation and optimisation of the user experience.
Key Features
- No-code flow builder
- User segmentation and targeting
- A/B testing
- Analytics and goal tracking
- Integration with popular analytics and CRM tools
- Mobile app support
- Localisation options
Appcues offers a free trial (duration not specified) that provides access to its core features. After the trial, pricing starts at £249 per month for the Essentials plan, with custom pricing available for enterprise solutions.
WalkMe
WalkMe is a comprehensive digital adoption platform designed to help organisations maximise the value of their digital assets. It’s particularly well-suited for large enterprises with complex software ecosystems. WalkMe’s technology uses AI and machine learning to understand user behaviour and provide contextual guidance across multiple applications.
This makes it an excellent choice for businesses looking to improve employee productivity and streamline software adoption. The platform offers a wide range of tools for creating interactive walkthroughs, tooltips, and task lists, as well as powerful analytics capabilities to measure and optimise digital adoption efforts.
Key Features
- AI-powered contextual guidance
- Cross-application support
- Advanced analytics and insights
- Customisable UI elements
- Integration with enterprise software (SAP, Salesforce, etc.)
- Automation capabilities
- Multi-language support
WalkMe offers a free trial (duration not specified) that allows users to explore its features. Pricing is customised based on specific business needs and is available upon request from their sales team.
Intro.js
Intro.js is a lightweight, open-source JavaScript library for creating step-by-step guide and feature introduction. It’s an excellent option for developers who want fine-grained control over their onboarding experiences and are comfortable with coding. Intro.js is highly customisable and can be easily integrated into existing web applications.
While it doesn’t offer the same level of no-code functionality as some other tools, its simplicity and flexibility make it a popular choice among developers. Intro.js is particularly well-suited for creating simple product tours and highlighting new features in web applications.
Key Features
- Step-by-step guide creation
- Customisable themes and styling
- Progress bar
- Keyboard navigation
- RTL support
- Mobile-friendly design
- API for programmatic control
Intro.js is free and open-source, available under the MIT license. There are no usage restrictions or paid tiers, making it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes looking for a cost-effective onboarding solution.
Shepherd.js
Shepherd.js is another open-source JavaScript library for guiding users through your app. It offers a more modern and flexible approach compared to Intro.js, with a focus on creating highly customisable tour experiences.
Shepherd.js is designed to be lightweight and easy to integrate into existing projects, making it a favourite among developers who want to add guided tours to their web applications without the overhead of larger, more complex solutions. Its API allows for dynamic tour creation and modification, which is particularly useful for creating adaptive onboarding experiences.
Key Features
- Flexible step positioning
- Customisable themes and styling
- Progress indicators
- Responsive design
- Event hooks for custom behaviour
- Support for single-page applications
- Accessibility features
Shepherd.js is completely free and open-source, distributed under the MIT license. There are no paid plans or usage limits, making it an excellent choice for developers and companies looking for a flexible, cost-effective onboarding solution.
Chameleon
Chameleon is a versatile user onboarding and product adoption platform designed to help SaaS companies create personalised in-app experiences. It offers a range of tools for building product tours, tooltips, and surveys without requiring extensive coding knowledge.
Chameleon’s strength lies in its ability to segment users and deliver targeted experiences based on user behaviour and characteristics. This makes it particularly effective for companies looking to create highly personalised onboarding journeys. The platform also offers A/B testing capabilities, allowing teams to optimise their onboarding flows for maximum impact.
Key Features
- No-code tour builder
- User segmentation and targeting
- A/B testing
- In-app surveys and feedback collection
- Analytics and goal tracking
- Integration with popular tools (Segment, Intercom, etc.)
- Localisation support
Chameleon offers a free trial (duration not specified) that provides access to its core features. After the trial, pricing starts at £279 per month for the Startup plan, with custom pricing available for larger organisations.
Pendo
Pendo is a powerful product experience platform that combines user analytics, in-app guidance, and feedback collection. It’s designed to help product teams understand user behaviour, provide contextual help, and gather insights to improve their products.
Pendo’s strength lies in its comprehensive approach to product analytics and user engagement, making it a popular choice for medium to large SaaS companies. The platform allows for the creation of in-app guides, tooltips, and walkthroughs, all informed by rich user data and segmentation capabilities.
Key Features
- Product analytics and user tracking
- In-app guides and walkthroughs
- User feedback collection
- Feature adoption tracking
- User segmentation
- NPS surveys
- Integration with popular tools (Salesforce, Zendesk, etc.)
Pendo offers a free plan with limited features, including basic analytics and up to 500 monthly active users. For more advanced features and higher usage limits, paid plans are available with pricing upon request.
Userpilot
Userpilot is a product adoption and user onboarding platform designed to help SaaS companies improve user activation, engagement, and retention. It offers a no-code solution for creating interactive walkthroughs, tooltips, and in-app messages.
Userpilot’s strength lies in its ability to create highly targeted and contextual onboarding experiences based on user behaviour and characteristics. The platform also offers advanced analytics and A/B testing capabilities, allowing teams to continuously optimise their onboarding flows and product adoption strategies.
Key Features
- No-code experience builder
- User segmentation and targeting
- A/B testing
- Analytics and goal tracking
- NPS surveys and microsurveys
- Resource centre creation
- Integration with popular tools (Segment, Mixpanel, etc.)
Userpilot offers a 14-day free trial that provides access to all features. After the trial, pricing starts at £199 per month for the Traction plan, with higher tiers available for more advanced features and higher usage limits.
Apty
Apty is a digital adoption platform that focuses on improving software adoption and employee productivity within large enterprises. It offers tools for creating interactive walkthroughs, tooltips, and task lists to guide users through complex software applications.
Apty’s strength lies in its ability to provide contextual guidance across multiple applications, making it particularly useful for organisations with complex software ecosystems. The platform also offers powerful analytics capabilities, allowing businesses to track user engagement and identify areas where additional support may be needed.
Key Features
- Interactive walkthroughs and guided tours
- Cross-application support
- Analytics and user behaviour tracking
- Process compliance tracking
- Data validation
- Multi-language support
- Integration with popular enterprise software
Apty offers a free trial (duration not specified) that allows users to explore its features. Pricing is customised based on specific business needs and is available upon request from their sales team.
How to choose the best customer onboarding tools for you
Assess your specific onboarding needs
Start by identifying your company’s unique onboarding requirements. Consider factors such as your industry, target audience, and the complexity of your product or service. Determine which features are essential for your onboarding process, such as user segmentation, progress tracking, or interactive tutorials. This will help you narrow down your options and focus on tools that align with your specific needs.
Evaluate integration capabilities
Look for customer onboarding tools that seamlessly integrate with your existing software ecosystem. Check if the tool can connect with your CRM, marketing automation platform, and other relevant systems. Smooth integration ensures a cohesive workflow and allows you to leverage data across different platforms, enhancing the overall onboarding experience for your customers.
Consider scalability and customisation options
Choose an onboarding tool that can grow with your business. Assess whether the free version offers enough features to meet your current needs and if there are affordable upgrade options for the future. Additionally, look for tools that allow customisation in terms of branding, content creation, and user interface. This flexibility will enable you to create a tailored onboarding experience that reflects your company’s identity and resonates with your target audience.
Which Customer Onboarding Tool Is Best?
UserGuiding offers an excellent starting point with its 14-day free trial for businesses seeking an all-encompassing onboarding solution. This tool provides a user-friendly interface for creating interactive guides and tooltips, making it suitable for companies of various sizes looking to enhance their customer onboarding process. We recommend UserGuiding for small to medium-sized businesses that want a straightforward, easy-to-use platform.
Appcues free trial allows you to explore its feature-rich set, including segmentation capabilities and detailed user behaviour tracking, which can be invaluable for tailoring onboarding experiences to specific user groups. Appcues is great for larger enterprises that require advanced customisation options and in-depth analytics.
Developers and tech-savvy teams might find the open-source options Intro.js and Shepherd.js to be cost-effective solutions. These tools offer flexibility and control over the onboarding process, allowing for seamless integration into existing web applications. While they require more technical know-how, they provide a foundation for creating bespoke onboarding experiences without ongoing subscription costs. We recommend these options for development teams looking for complete control over their onboarding implementation.
Frequently Asked Questions about Free Customer Onboarding Tools
What are customer onboarding tools?
Customer onboarding tools are software solutions designed to guide new users through the features and functionalities of a product or service. They help streamline the process of familiarising customers with your offering, increasing user adoption and reducing churn.
Are there truly free customer onboarding tools available?
While many customer onboarding tools offer free trials, fully free versions are less common. However, some open-source options like Intro.js and Shepherd.js are available at no cost. Additionally, some providers offer limited free plans or extended trial periods that can be useful for small businesses or startups.
How long do free trials typically last for customer onboarding tools?
Free trial periods vary between providers, but they commonly range from 7 to 30 days. For example, UserGuiding and Userpilot offer 14-day free trials, while others like Whatfix, Appcues, and WalkMe may offer different trial lengths.
What features should I look for in a customer onboarding tool?
Key features to consider include user segmentation, analytics, customisable tooltips and walkthroughs, integration capabilities with your existing tech stack, and the ability to create interactive guides. The specific features you need will depend on your product complexity and target audience.
Can I use multiple onboarding tools together?
Yes, it’s possible to use multiple tools together, especially if you’re combining different types of onboarding solutions. For instance, you might use an open-source tool like Intro.js for basic guidance and a more comprehensive solution like Pendo for advanced analytics and segmentation.
How do open-source options like Intro.js and Shepherd.js compare to commercial products?
Open-source tools are free and offer more flexibility for customisation but typically require more technical expertise to implement and maintain. Commercial products like UserGuiding or Appcues often provide more user-friendly interfaces, robust features, and dedicated support, but at a cost.
What is the difference between a free trial and a free plan?
A free trial offers full access to a tool’s features for a limited time, after which you need to purchase a plan to continue using it. A free plan, like the one offered by Pendo, provides ongoing access to a limited set of features at no cost, with the option to upgrade for more functionality.
Are these onboarding tools suitable for all types of businesses?
Most of these tools can be adapted for various business types and sizes. However, some may be more suited to specific industries or product complexities. It’s important to evaluate each tool’s capabilities against your specific needs and target audience.
How difficult is it to implement these onboarding tools?
Implementation difficulty varies. Open-source solutions like Intro.js require more technical knowledge. Commercial products like UserGuiding or Chameleon often offer no-code or low-code solutions that are easier to implement. Many provide documentation and support to help with the setup process.
Can I customise these tools to match my brand?
Yes, most of these tools offer customisation options to align with your brand. This typically includes the ability to adjust colours, fonts, and styles of onboarding elements. The extent of customisation may vary between different tools and plan tiers.
