Advanced Guide to 7 Best Userflow Alternatives (incl. free tools)

What Userflow Does Well

1- Various In-App Materials

Userflow has plenty of robust features to back you up during your journey to improve user experience.

Taking user onboarding as an example, this tool provides you with crucial UI (user interface) elements, including:

• guides,
• hotspots,
• checklists,
• resource center.

Furthermore, these features (and more!) enable you to not only build flows in your own application but also enhance feature adoption without letting users break their engagement bubble.

2- Non-technical Setup

Moving a little further away from the scope of engagement, the next point concerns the team behind developing the application: Userflow's setup takes less time than its competitors' because it's not as technical.

It asks you to copy and paste the installation code into your application; it runs smoothly from there.

Drawbacks of Userflow

1- Analytics and Reporting

In contrast to its long list of features, Userflow lacks one crucial feature: analytics.

Even though it has basic material interaction metrics, this tool should be used with an analytics provider for advanced analytics.

The reporting section for these metrics is also weak for a robust tool like itself.

2- Pricing

On top of this, Userflow's pricing structure requires a big budget, as its initial plan starts from $240.

This plan includes only 3,000 MAUs (Monthly Active Users); however, you can adjust the number of MAUs based on your user base, and the pricing will increase accordingly.

7 Best Userflow Alternatives

1. UserGuiding - best for those looking for a product adoption tool with more diversified and capable features

• Capterra ⭐ 4.7/5 (51 reviews)
• G2 ⭐ 4.7/5 (391 reviews)
• TrustRadius ⭐ 9.2/10 (4 reviews)

UserGuiding is a product adoption platform that creates in-app experiences to enhance user journeys.

Thanks to interactive and automated elements in each user process, users will follow a clear path to seeing the product value, which will increase feature adoption and user engagement.

UserGuiding Features

• Onboarding Checklists
• Product Tours
• Resource Centers
• Knowledge Base
• Segmentation
• Analytics
• Customization
• In-App Surveys
• Tooltips
• Hotspots
• Announcement Modals
• NPS Surveys
• Product Updates

Pricing

UserGuiding enables you to adjust the number of active users. The pricing plans on a yearly basis entail:

• Basic Plan: Starting from $69/month.
• Professional Plan: Starting from $199/month.
• Corporate lan: Custom quote.

UserGuiding vs Userflow

UserGuiding and Userflow both have something in common: MAU adjustable pricing. With pricing plans that scale with you, you can choose a plan that better fits your needs. From this aspect, UserGuiding offers better packages with more diversified and capable features than Userflow.

One of them is the Product Updates feature, which allows you to document every update through a standalone changelog, as Userflow doesn't have this feature. There is also Knowledge Base in UserGuiding, and you can implement it in your app.

Another component that greatly affects how you view data is the reporting capabilities of both tools. Although the reporting capabilities of both tools are identical, UserGuiding has a more comprehensive reporting dashboard with features that Userflow lacks, such as Goal Tracking.

2. Userpilot - best for those looking for a growth-booster with analytics and reporting capabilities

• Capterra ⭐ 4.6/5 (57 reviews)
• G2 ⭐ 4.8/5 (103 reviews)
• TrustRadius ⭐ 9.1/10 (4 reviews)

Userpilot is a product growth platform that enables you to understand user behavior.

To dig deeper into data, you can utilize this tool, which allows you to visualize several aspects through its dashboard— enabling you to create dashboards with different chart types on user trends.

Userpilot Features

• Guides
• Hotspots
• Checklists
• Resource Center
• NPS
• Surveys
• Banners
• Goal Tracking
• A/B Testing
• Product Analytics

Pricing

Userpilot's pricing plans on a yearly basis entail:

• Starter: $249/month (2,000 MAU).
• Growth: $749/month (Custom MAU).
• Enterprise: Custom quote.

Userpilot vs Userflow

What makes Userpilot shine when compared to Userflow is its analytics and reporting capabilities. Userflow has a reporting dashboard, but it displays basic metrics and can give insight into flow performances only without a third-party analytics tool.

Userpilot, on the other hand, has a reporting system that can generate custom reports on several aspects, including feature usage and funnel analysis.

Userflow and Userpilot share similar in-app elements. From guides to banners, they include components that can help enhance the user journey.

Another similarity between these tools is that they're both high-end in pricing. For example, Userflow's pricing starts at $240, while Userpilot's is $249 when subscribed yearly.

3. Appcues - best for those looking for a more powerful reporting section through the Event Tracker feature

• Capterra ⭐ 4.8/5 (102 reviews)
• G2 ⭐ 4.6/5 (305 reviews)
• TrustRadius ⭐ 9.1/10 (27 reviews)

Appcues is a product adoption platform that allows you to build in-app experiences that matter.

For example, processes like onboarding, welcome flows, product tours, and a guide that you create to walk users through a series of steps can be made with Appcues.

Appcues Features

• Drag-and-Drop Builder
• Guides
• Checklists
• Tooltips
• Hotspots
• Product Tours
• A/B Testing
• Segmentation
• Events Explorer

Pricing

Appcues' pricing plans on a yearly basis entail:

• Essentials: $249/month (2,500 MAU).
• Growth: $879/month (2,500 MAU).
• Enterprise: Custom quote.

Appcues vs Userflow

As Userflow lacks a powerful reporting system that includes crucial metrics, Appcues is a powerful alternative. It has a product analytics section where you can virtually accelerate the process to data-driven decisions. Through the Event Tracker feature, you can create events to track and manage later with appropriate data visualizations.

The difference between these tools is related to the setup process, which is relatively easier with Userflow. Appcues requires a more tech-savvy team for its setup, as it has a more technical installation part.

They have one thing in common: high pricing. Userflow's pricing plans start at $240 for 3,000 MAU, while Appcues starts at $249 for 2,500 MAU.

4. Usetiful - best for those looking for a more affordable platform with customer-focused features like Knowledge Base

• Capterra ⭐ 4.8/5 (8 reviews)
• G2 ⭐ 4.7/5 (154 reviews)
• TrustRadius ⭐ 0/10 (0 reviews)

Usetiful is a digital adoption platform that offers a variety of simple features for creating step-by-step processes.

Building steps that guide users via Usetiful leaves no room for confusion and enables them to explore your product without missing one element.

Usetiful Features

• Product Tours
• Guides
• Hotspots
• Tooltips
• Onboarding Checklists
• Banners
• Knowledge Base
• Surveys
• NPS
• Interactive Product Demos

Pricing

Usetiful's pricing plans on a yearly basis entail:

• Free: €0/month (2,000 MAU).
• Plus: €29/month (5,000 MAU).
• Premium: €69/month (10,000 MAU).
• Enterprise: Custom quote.

Usetiful vs Userflow

One of the biggest differences between these tools is that they are priced at opposite ends of the spectrum. Usetiful offers a free plan for up to 2,000 MAUs, while Userflow requires $240 for 3,000 MAUs, making the former much more affordable than the latter.

One downside of Usetiful is its simple features, including analytics. Compared to Userflow, Usetiful has an even less detailed analytics section, but it does have tour analytics, which helps you measure user engagement in your flows and campaigns.

Yet Usetiful has some features that Userflow doesn't contain. For example, it has a Knowledge Base feature that you can use to guide users to the solution directly.

5. Shepherd Pro - best for those looking for an open-source library to build, design, and customize product tours

• Capterra ⭐ It isn't on the platform.
• G2 ⭐ It isn't on the platform.
• TrustRadius ⭐ It isn't on the platform.

Shepherd Pro is a product tour platform that differs from the others by being an open-source library.

With Shepherd Pro, you can code your way through custom product tours that help users understand the value of your product sooner.

‎‎Shepherd Pro Features

• Product Tours

Pricing

Shepherd Pro's pricing plans entail:

• Alpha: $0/month.
• Enterprise: Custom quote.

Shepherd Pro vs Userflow

As Shepherd Pro is an open-source library, you can create, customize, and implement any design as you have total freedom in it; this isn't the same case for Userflow as it's a closed source.

One advantage of being open-source is that Shepherd Pro is free to use, making it affordable for startups and small businesses compared to Userflow's pricing structure.

One disadvantage of the same case is that you must maintain it yourself. Unlike using Userflow, you must have a solid technical background and coding knowledge to implement and run the platform.

When compared to Userflow, Shepherd has simple features and nothing more. For example, it doesn't include analytics or tracking unless you integrate a third-party tool. Userflow, on the contrary, has a simple analytics section that might be ineffective for experienced users.

6. Pendo - best for those looking for an analytics-focused tool that enhances user journey

• Capterra ⭐ 4.5/5 (215 reviews)
• G2 ⭐ 4.4/5 (1,421 reviews)
• TrustRadius ⭐ 8.3/10 (186 reviews)

Pendo is a product adoption platform that focuses on boosting user engagement.

Not only does this allow you to publish in-app guides, but it also allows you to monitor product usage, inspect user engagement, and see what metrics you could improve.

Pendo Features

• Analytics
• In-App Guides
• Session Replay
• Feedback
• Roadmaps
• Pendo AI

Pricing

Pendo has four plans with custom MAUs (Monthly Active Users); please contact Pendo's sales team for further information.

Pendo vs Userflow

Pendo doesn't reveal its pricing structure, but it's known to be a good fit for mid-sized companies with big budgets and development resources since it requires you to have some technical background to implement, use, and maintain as a digital experience platform that focuses more on analytics.

Pendo offers the whole engagement and analytics package. You can check any detail to improve the user journey, from product usage to user paths. However, Userflow lacks this specific area, as it only has a section with basic interaction metrics.

Pendo also has features like Session Replay, which provides visual proof of understanding and interpreting user behavior through actions, while Userflow doesn't have these features, which help you dig deeper into product data.

7. Stonly - best for those looking for a similar tool with the key in-app elements for knowledge management

• Capterra ⭐ 4.4/5 (11 reviews)
• G2 ⭐ 4.8/5 (124 reviews)
• TrustRadius ⭐ 6.7/10 (6 reviews)

Stonly is a knowledge management software for customer service for customers to reach help and how-to content without any hassle.

It also enables you to provide the right information in the right format by supporting features like guides, walkthroughs, and checklists.

Stonly Features

• Guides
• Hotspots
• Checklists
• Resource Center
• NPS
• Knowledge Base
• In-App Announcements
• AI Answers

Pricing

Stonly has two plans with custom quotes; please contact Stonly's sales team for further information.

Stonly vs Userflow

Stonly and Userflow have similar features; both tools include key in-app elements that simplify user journeys, such as interactive guides and checklists.

Moving on, both tools have innovative features like AI Assistant, yet Userflow doesn't contain one certain feature that helps you provide your users with instant and on-demand information: Knowledge Base.

However, Stonly falls short in customization as it doesn't include a wide range of components like Userflow.

Picking The Right Tool

Userflow is a great tool for teams just starting to explore the ways to improve their product experience, with its simple setup that gets you on the track quickly.

However, it might end up lacking in detailed analytics, or might be just too pricey for you.

If you're looking for an alternative, consider giving UserGuiding a try. It has deeper analytics, allows you to share in-app product updates, and offers greater potential to customize what you build. ‍

Get a trial today and see it for yourself! Trial accounts are free, so what have you got to lose?