Top 7 Help Authoring Software

Adobe RoboHelp is an authoring tool designed for creating and publishing comprehensive help documentation, including policies, procedures, and knowledge bases.

What We Like: Adobe RoboHelp works on both Windows and Mac and integrates seamlessly with version control platforms like Git and SharePoint Online.

Best Features:

• Omnichannel publishing: RoboHelp allows you to publish content to various platforms including Responsive HTML5, PDF, Adobe Experience Manager, and Microsoft Help.
• Microcontent creation: It enables the creation of microcontent used in AI-powered chatbots and search engine snippets.
• Content reuse: Authors can create content once and reuse it across different channels and formats using rules and references.
• Dynamic filtering: End users can dynamically filter content based on their interests or profiles, enhancing their user experience.

We Recommend: RoboHelp is ideal for organizations and individuals needing a robust tool to create and manage help documentation for various platforms.

• Adobe is headquartered in San Jose, California, and serves over 800,000 users across 40,000 companies globally.

Archbee is a comprehensive online platform for writing, publishing, and maintaining documentation, equipped with a generative AI assistant to answer user queries based on your help documentation.

What We Like: We appreciate Archbee’s integration with third-party tools like Slack, Jira, and Zendesk, as well as its support for the documentation-as-code process using GitHub.

Best Features:

• AI-powered Write Assist: Generates documentation based on existing documents, API references, and GitHub code files, with customizable length and tone.
• Interactive AI Chatbot: Allows end users to search through documentation or get instant answers to their questions.
• Easy Customization and Collaboration: Custom blocks like images, API references, and changelogs can be easily dragged and dropped, while multiple collaborators can work simultaneously with instant feedback.

We Recommend: Archbee is ideal for product and engineering teams in companies of all sizes, particularly those needing robust documentation solutions integrated with their existing toolsets.

• Archbee was founded in 2019 and is used by over 3000 companies.

Author-it is a scalable, collaborative tool designed for creating, managing, translating, and publishing documentation, suitable for both technical writers and non-technical contributors.

What We Like: Author-it allows content to be written once and delivered across multiple platforms without rewrites. Its user-friendly interface supports easy writing and editing.

Best Features:

• Multi-channel publishing: Create content once and publish it across various document types and web formats, ensuring efficiency and consistency.
• Use of variables: Easily change specific objects across all documents or customize them for different teams, roles, and locations, enhancing flexibility.
• Real-time collaboration: Teams can review content, provide comments, and accept or reject suggestions in real time, fostering collaborative work.
• Built-in authoring assistance: Indexes every word used in documentation and provides triggered suggestions for writing additional content, streamlining the authoring process.

We Recommend: Author-it is ideal for teams of all sizes, from small groups to large enterprises, seeking an all-in-one documentation solution.

• Author-it Software Corporation was founded in 1996 in Auckland, New Zealand. Since then, the company has expanded to open offices in California, Sydney, and Dubai.

ClickHelp is a primarily cloud-based technical writing tool designed for creating, collaborating on, analyzing, and publishing documentation.

What We Like: We appreciate ClickHelp for its support of both cloud and on-premises hosting and its quick deployment, which allows teams to begin working rapidly.

Best Features:

• User-friendly interface: The Microsoft Word-like editor makes the platform easy to use without requiring additional training.
• Customizable workflows: Ensure the correct collaborators review documentation at the right steps in the process with adaptable workflows.
• Integration capabilities: Integrate with live chat software to embed AI chatbots and live agents into documentation pages.
• Flexible import options: Supports content import from Markdown, Swagger, Microsoft Word, HTML, and several other formats.

We Recommend: ClickHelp is best suited for teams that need to create various forms of documentation such as context-sensitive help, online tutorials, and user manuals. It is ideal for organizations with diverse content import needs and a preference for flexible deployment options.

• ClickHelp is a private company founded in 2010, and is used by software companies worldwide.

HelpNDoc is a help authoring tool designed for creating various types of documentation, such as help files, user manuals, and websites.

What We Like: We appreciate the range of supported output formats, and the ability to write content once and export it to multiple formats without the need for reformatting.

Best Features:

• Wide range of supported formats: Export your documentation to formats like Microsoft CHM, HTML5, Word, PDF, Qt Help, Markdown, and eBooks.
• Library functionality: Easily manage, reuse, and update media elements across multiple documents.
• Dynamic content loading: Automatically insert up-to-date content from external sources during documentation generation.
• Mobile-friendly templates: Use templates to generate documentation pages optimized for mobile devices.

We Recommend: HelpNDoc, is well suited to teams and individuals that need to create and manage documentation efficiently across various formats. Their pricing model supports both named and floating licenses with free use for personal, non-commercial purposes.

• IBE Software was founded in 2003 and has since launched multiple development components tools, and software for developers and Windows users – including HelpNDoc in 2004.

MadCap Flare is a comprehensive technical writing software designed for creating, publishing, and managing documentation across multiple platforms.

What We Like: We appreciate its diverse publishing capabilities and smooth integration with platforms like Salesforce, Zendesk, and ServiceNow.

Best Features:

• Flexible publishing: MadCap Flare supports documentation across web, print, desktop, mobile, and LMS/LRS.
• Easy content import: Import from Microsoft Word/Excel, Adobe RoboHelp/FrameMaker, Confluence, Author-it, Markdown, and DITA files.
• Customizable editor: The intuitive MS-Word-like editor is fully customizable, enhancing user experience.
• Context sensitive help: Delivers immediate, relevant help tied directly to the user’s current actions or needs.

We Recommend:  This solution is ideal for technical writers and documentation teams looking for a robust, customizable solution to create, manage, and publish content.

• MadCap Software is headquartered in San Diego, California, and was founded in 2005.

ProProfs is an online knowledge base software designed for creating help files, manuals, and other technical documentation.

What We Like: Custom branding options and over 40 ready-to-use templates are notable features. Integration with third-party tools like Zendesk, Freshdesk, and Google Analytics enhances its usability.

Best Features:

• Intuitive editor: The what-you-see-is-what-you-get editor ensures your documentation looks the same during creation and after publication.
• Contextual help: Add tooltips, lightboxes, and pop-ups to provide contextual support within the documentation.
• User management: Supports role-based access controls and user management, allowing you to assign different permissions.
• Versatile publishing: Easily publish help documentation as either an HTML help site or a PDF for varied accessibility.

We Recommend: ProProfs is best suited for businesses of all sizes looking to streamline their technical documentation process, particularly those needing third-party tool integration.

• ProProfs was founded in 2010 as a free quiz-making website. Since its acquisition of HelpIQ in 2015, ProProfs has focused on producing knowledge base and help authoring software, which they now offer to over 1 million users globally, including DHL, Dell and Sony.