Oct 13, 2023
Top 10 User Onboarding Software for SaaS in 2023
Louis Darques
Product @ Jimo
In today's fast-paced digital landscape, first impressions are everything. Your choice of user onboarding software can have a significant impact on your customers' experience. It's not just about getting them to sign up; it's about keeping them engaged, satisfied, and most importantly, retained. In this comprehensive guide, we'll take you through the top 10 user onboarding software of 2023 that are revolutionizing the game. Plus, we'll explore how Jimo is leading the way with unique features that not only onboard users but also maximize retention. Let's dive in!
Why User Onboarding Matters
The Importance of First Impressions
First impressions play a crucial role in establishing a long-term relationship with your users. A seamless onboarding process can greatly influence their perception of your product and determine whether they will continue using it.
Retention and ROI: The Long-term Impact
Effective user onboarding goes beyond just creating an initial experience; it lays the foundation for long-term user retention and ultimately drives a higher return on investment (ROI).
The Cost of Poor Onboarding
A subpar onboarding process can result in high churn rates, low user engagement, and significant loss of potential revenue. These costs are too great for businesses to ignore.
What to Look For When You Have to Choose a User Onboarding Software
User Interface and Experience
The UI/UX of an onboarding software plays a vital role in how effectively it can guide new users through your product's initial stages.
Usability and Learning Curve
New users' ability to navigate the onboarding process easily is crucial. A steep learning curve can deter them from staying engaged with the product.
Integrations and Compatibility
Choose an onboarding software that seamlessly integrates with your existing systems, ensuring a smooth user experience from start to finish.
Pricing and ROI
While pricing is important, it's equally crucial to consider the software's ROI in terms of user retention and engagement.
Top 10 User Onboarding Software: An In-Depth Look
Jimo
Plotline
Apty
Userpilot
WalkMe
Intercom
Pendo
Appcues
GuideCX
Userlane
1. Jimo - The Revolutionary Leader
Jimo goes beyond being just an onboarding tool; it's a comprehensive platform that redefines the user experience. With a focus on product adoption and user engagement, Jimo offers a suite of features tailored to meet the needs of SaaS companies and tech startups.
Features
Jimo offers interactive product tours, in-app announcements, concept test designs, and real-time user feedback through its NPS & Survey feature. It's a one-stop solution for all your onboarding needs.
Pricing
With its value-driven packages, you get more than what you pay for, making it a cost-effective solution for enhancing user experience.
Jimo offers three main pricing tiers:
Startup: Priced at $99/month, it includes up to 2,500 MAU and 2 seats with unlimited product tours and 2 active surveys & NPS.
Growth: Costs $239/month, offering up to 10,000 MAU and 5 seats with additional features like multiple languages.
Scale: At $389/month, it accommodates up to 50,000 MAU and 10 seats, with dedicated CSM and no Jimo branding.
2. Plotline - The Expensive Option
Plotline offers three pricing tiers to cater to different needs. The Starter plan begins at $499/month, for apps that are just getting started. For fast-growing consumer brands, the Growth plan starts at $1,299/month. Enterprise-level organizations can opt for custom pricing with more flexible terms.
Features
Plotline allows you to create in-app videos, tooltips, and animations. It also offers in-built in-app surveys for collecting user feedback. Integrations include Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, Mixpanel, Slack, Clickhouse, Amplitude, Segment, and Rudderstack.
Pricing
Paid plans for Plotline start from $499 per month, and a 21-day free trial is available. This makes it a cost-effective solution for businesses that require robust but budget-friendly onboarding software.
3. Apty - The Analytics Powerhouse
Apty is not just an onboarding tool; it's an analytics powerhouse. It offers real-time analytics that help you understand user behavior, making it easier to tailor the onboarding experience. Apty is designed for medium to large enterprises and integrates seamlessly with a variety of platforms.
Features
Apty offers feature-rich analytics, in-app guidance, and workflow automation. It also provides detailed reports that can be customized to meet your specific needs.
Pricing
Apty's pricing starts at $700 per month, with custom enterprise solutions available. A free demo is offered to get a feel for the platform's capabilities.
4. Userpilot - The User Experience Specialist
Userpilot focuses on enhancing the user experience. It allows you to build sophisticated product experiences without any coding. The tool is designed for SaaS companies of all sizes and offers a range of templates to get you started.
Features
Userpilot offers a drag-and-drop interface, A/B testing, and a rich set of UI patterns. It also provides behavior-triggered product experiences, making it a dynamic tool for user engagement.
Pricing
Userpilot offers a free trial, with paid plans starting at $450 per month. Custom pricing is available for enterprises.
5. WalkMe - The Digital Adoption Leader
WalkMe is a pioneer in the digital adoption platform space, offering a comprehensive suite of features aimed at improving user onboarding, training, and customer experience. It's particularly well-suited for large enterprises that require robust, scalable solutions.
Features
WalkMe offers real-time analytics, in-app guidance, and a plethora of automation features. It also provides a Digital Adoption Center, a centralized hub for all your onboarding needs.
Pricing
WalkMe's pricing is custom-based, tailored to the needs of the enterprise. They offer a free demo to explore the platform's extensive capabilities.
6. Intercom - The Customer Communication Expert
Intercom specializes in customer communication, offering a unique blend of customer support and onboarding features. It's ideal for SaaS and e-commerce businesses looking for a multi-functional platform.
Features
Intercom offers live chat support, customer segmentation, and targeted onboarding campaigns. It also provides a series of automation features to streamline the onboarding process.
Pricing
Intercom offers three main pricing plans:
Starter Plan: Starting from $74/month, this plan includes features like Fin AI for customer service, Intercom Messenger, Shared Inbox, Tickets, Help Center, and basic chatbots and automations.
Pro Plan: Custom pricing. This plan builds upon the Starter features and includes advanced options like Custom Answers for Fin, Multiple Inboxes, Assignment rules, Ticketing system, and advanced analytics.
Premium Plan: Also custom pricing. This plan includes all Pro features plus Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Workload management, and custom analytics.
7. Pendo - The User-Centric Choice
Pendo is a product experience platform that focuses on user behavior analytics and in-app messaging. It's a great choice for companies that want to understand their users deeply and tailor the onboarding experience accordingly.
Features
Pendo offers robust analytics, in-app guides, and user surveys. It also provides feature tagging without requiring any coding, making it user-friendly.
Pricing
Pendo's pricing is custom and depends on the specific needs of your business. They offer a free trial to get a feel for the platform's capabilities.
8. Appcues - The No-Code Solution
Appcues is designed for product teams that want to create in-product experiences without writing any code. It's particularly useful for startups and small businesses.
Features
Appcues offers user onboarding flows, in-app surveys, and analytics. Its no-code platform allows you to create customized user experiences effortlessly.
Pricing
Essentials Plan: Starts at $249/mo, aimed at startups, includes 3 user licenses.
Growth Plan: Starts at $879/mo, for high-growth companies, includes 10 user licenses.
Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, for enterprises, includes advanced features.
Pricing scales with monthly active user count.
9. GuideCX - The Project Management Powerhouse
GuideCX is a client onboarding and project management tool that focuses on transparency and collaboration. It's ideal for B2B companies that have complex, long-term projects.
Features
GuideCX offers project timelines, automated tasks, and client portals. It also provides real-time updates and notifications to keep everyone in the loop.
Pricing
GuideCX offers a single license starting at $100 per month, which includes unlimited projects, team members, and customer users. The pricing is in USD and requires a minimum of 4 licenses. They offer different packages: Starter, Professional, Premium, and Advanced, each with varying features and integrations. For more advanced needs, you'll need to contact sales.
10. Userlane - The Automation Expert
Userlane is a digital adoption platform that specializes in automated, step-by-step user onboarding. It's particularly effective for SaaS companies looking to scale their user base without overwhelming their support teams.
Features
Userlane offers interactive guides, real-time analytics, and automated onboarding sequences. Its standout feature is the ability to create automated, personalized onboarding experiences for different user segments.
Pricing
Userlane provides custom pricing based on your specific needs and the size of your user base. They offer a free demo to help you understand the full range of their capabilities.
Why Jimo is the Future of User Onboarding
How Does Jimo Outperform Traditional Onboarding Tools?
Jimo is not just another onboarding tool; it's a comprehensive product adoption and success platform. Unlike traditional onboarding tools that focus solely on guiding new users, Jimo aims to increase user adoption, engagement, and retention.
It offers hyper-contextual targeting, allowing you to show relevant experiences based on user behavior or attributes. This means you can create highly personalized onboarding flows without needing to involve your development team.
Jimo's Unique Features: A Game-Changer
Jimo offers various features that set it apart from other onboarding tools. One of its standout features is the "Tailored Tours," which allows you to activate users more quickly with hyper-targeted onboarding flows. Additionally, Jimo offers "Insightful In-Product Surveys & NPS" to gather quality feedback directly from the users. It also provides "In-App Announcements" to keep your users engaged and informed about new features or updates. Another innovative feature is "Concept Test Design," which lets you build engaging in-app interactions to boost user engagement.
Real User Feedback: Why Customers Choose Jimo
Jimo has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from both product and marketing teams. Users appreciate its ease of use and the ability to create targeted content directly within the context of the information. It has also been praised for its ability to keep internal teams informed, thereby strengthening the link with users. The platform has been adopted by top product teams and has a rating of 4.9/5 based on over 100 reviews.
Conclusion: Making the Right Choice
Choosing the right onboarding software is a significant decision that can have long-lasting impacts on your product's success. With its innovative features, ease of use, and positive customer reviews, Jimo emerges as a compelling choice for any business looking to elevate their user onboarding experience to the next level.
Jimo not only offers traditional onboarding features but goes above and beyond to ensure user engagement and retention. Its unique features like "Tailored Tours" and "In-App Announcements" provide a personalized experience that is unmatched in the industry. The platform also offers valuable insights through its "In-Product Surveys & NPS," allowing businesses to continuously improve and adapt their strategies based on real user feedback.
