7 Best Guided Tour Software for Epic Product Experiences

Guided tour software, also called product tour or walkthrough software, enables you to create step-by-step demonstrations of your digital product's features. 

They serve as the first point of interaction between users and your product, setting the tone for the entire user experience. 

This article explores the top guided tour software options available in 2024, carefully selected based on their features, user reviews, market presence, and overall value proposition.

List of Top Guided Tour Software

Best Guided Walkthrough Software: In-Depth Review

1. Storylane

Best for: Creating affordable, no-code interactive guided product tours quickly and easily. You can create multi-flow tours or demo hubs to embed on your website, app, or share with prospects directly. 

Standout features:

• Continuous capture and auto-linking: This feature allows you to record your product interactions in real-time, automatically creating tour steps.
• Versatile guide types: Offers a variety of interactive elements, including hotspots, tooltips, and modals to create engaging tours.
• Multiple Editing Options: Edit text, images, and graphs within the tour interface. Allows for quick updates and customizations without leaving the tour builder.
• Demo capabilities: Supports creating demos through HTML capture, screenshots & video recording. 

Pros:

• Supports product-led growth with demo embed capability in addition to user onboarding, allowing users to experience your product before signing up.
• The intuitive interface makes it accessible even for non-technical team members.
• Extends the reach of your product tours beyond just in-app experiences.
• Ensure your tours match your brand identity seamlessly.
• Connect with tools like Zapier, Slack, Salesforce, HubSpot CRM, and Intercom for enhanced workflow efficiency.
• Includes Single Sign-On (SSO) and SOC-2 compliance.

Cons:

• As a newer product, it's still evolving with frequent updates. While this means continuous improvement, it may require users to adapt to changes.
• Doesn't offer in-app product guidance through product configuration. The focus is more on creating embeddable demos.

Pricing:

Generous free plan with paid plans starting at $480/year. 

Build your first guided tour in under 10 minutes with Storylane. Start free! 

2. Userlane

Best for: Enterprises focused on internal digital transformation and employee training, especially those needing real-time in-application assistance and centralized knowledge management.

Standout features:

• Real-time in-application assistance: Provides contextual help exactly when and where users need it.
• Centralized data, support channels, and documentation: Creates a unified knowledge base for users.
• HEART analytics: A standardized model to measure product adoption across enterprise software, evaluating Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention, and Task Success.

Pros:

• Enhances user engagement through interactive, game-like experiences.
• Multi-language support. Ideal for global enterprises with diverse user bases.
• GDPR compliant—crucial for businesses operating in or with the EU.
• Allows for quick implementation without extensive IT resources.

Cons:

• Occasional bugs that may disrupt workflow
• Limited integration options. It may not connect with all enterprise tools seamlessly.
• Some UI elements may not meet all user expectations: The design of certain features like hotspots and tooltips might feel limited to some users.

Pricing:

Starts at $10,000 per year

3. WalkMe

Best for: Comprehensive digital adoption solutions for both employee onboarding and customer experiences, particularly suited for large enterprises with complex digital ecosystems.

Standout features:

• User behavior analysis through recordings: Gain deep insights into how users interact with your product.
• Action Bot for instant answers and automation: Provides immediate support and can automate repetitive tasks.
• Context-intelligent algorithm for relevant tour delivery: Ensures users receive the right guidance at the right time.
• Non-linear guided tours: Allows for more flexible and adaptable user journeys.

Pros:

• Highly supportive team. Offers hands-on assistance for implementation and ongoing use.
• Provides detailed insights to optimize your digital adoption strategy.
• Ability to identify active users to optimize subscriptions. It helps manage costs by ensuring you're not over-provisioning licenses.

Cons:

• Creating effective tours may require significant time investment.
• Better suited for employee onboarding than customer onboarding.
• May require assistance from WalkMe's service team for complex tours. This can add to the overall cost and implementation time.
• No trial plans available. Makes it difficult to test before committing to a potentially significant investment.

Pricing:

Starts at $12,000 per year

4. Pendo

Best for: Combining product walkthroughs with robust analytics and customer feedback management, ideal for data-driven product teams looking to optimize user experiences.

Standout features:

• Wide range of tour elements: Includes banners, tooltips, lightboxes, and more for versatile tour creation.
• AI-powered personalization and product discovery: Leverages artificial intelligence to enhance user experiences.
• Comprehensive, retroactive data analysis: Allows for deep dives into historical user behavior and product usage.
• Shareable product-planning tool: Facilitates collaboration in managing customer feedback and feature prioritization.
• In-app messaging capabilities: Enhances communication with users directly within your product.

Pros:

• Custom pricing based on monthly active users (MAU)
• Provides a holistic view of the user experience. Integrates tours, analytics, and feedback in one platform

Cons:

• Interface may be challenging for inexperienced users
• Limited event-based triggering for experiences
• Some users report slow-loading designer function
• Pricing information only available upon request. Makes it difficult to quickly assess fit for your business.

Pricing:

• Free plan for up to 500 MAUs
• Customized pricing plans available upon request, likely scaling with number of users and features required

5. Appcues

Best for: Creating simple, linear onboarding product tours with minimal setup time, particularly suited for SaaS companies looking to quickly implement user onboarding flows.

Standout features:

• Wide range of UX elements for tour design: Offers various components to create engaging and informative tours.
• Conditional logic for customized flows: Allows for personalized user journeys based on user behavior or characteristics.
• Customer feedback collection through surveys: Integrated tools to gather user input and improve product experiences.
• Custom dashboards for comprehensive reporting: Provides insights into tour performance and user engagement.

Pros:

• Easy to get started with, no engineering expertise required
• Connects with a wide range of tools to enhance functionality.
• Known for responsive and helpful support.

Cons:

• May not be ideal for complex, non-linear product flows.
• Lacks certain transition actions for enhanced interactivity
• Essential plan has limited functionality. May need to upgrade to access all desired features.
• Unable to track certain user actions for criteria-building. This can limit the depth of user behavior analysis.

Pricing:

• Essentials: $249/month (suitable for small teams or simple products)
• Growth: $879/month (ideal for growing businesses with more complex needs)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing available (for large-scale implementations)

6. Whatfix

Best for: Creating comprehensive, context-aware digital adoption solutions, particularly suited for enterprises implementing complex software systems.

Standout features:

• Condition-based walkthroughs: Allows for highly targeted and relevant guidance.
• Robust product analytics capabilities: Provides deep insights into user behavior and tour effectiveness.
• Context-aware technology for automated content creation: Streamlines the process of creating relevant help content.
• Multiple content formats: Offers walkthroughs, tooltips, checklists, and more for varied learning experiences.

Pros:

• Easy installation via Chrome extension and JS snippet: Simplifies the implementation process.
• Built-in messaging system for support access: Enhances user support capabilities.
• Seamless conversion of guides to PDFs or videos: Allows for multi-channel content distribution.
• Works on web, desktop, and mobile platforms: Provides a consistent experience across different devices.

Cons:

• Lacks intricate customization for targeted experiences: May not offer the level of personalization some users desire.
• Users must restart flows if they miss a step: This can be frustrating for users in longer or more complex tours.
• Mixed reviews on customer support quality: Some users report inconsistent experiences with support.
• Pricing information only available via quote: Makes it difficult to quickly assess cost-effectiveness.

Pricing:

• Starts from $15,500 per year
• Customized pricing plans available based on specific enterprise needs

7. Chameleon

Best for: Creating highly customized guided walkthroughs for complex products with granular user segmentation, ideal for SaaS companies with diverse user bases.

Standout features:

• Real-time, data-driven experience triggering: Allows for highly contextual and relevant tour delivery.
• Integration with analytics tools: Connects with Mixpanel, Amplitude, and Heap for enhanced data analysis.
• Variety of display options: Includes walkthroughs, banners, lightboxes, and slideouts for versatile tour creation.
• Fine-tuning capabilities with custom CSS: Offers advanced customization for perfect brand alignment.

Pros:

• Provides a wide range of interactive elements. Includes micro surveys, checklists, hotspots, and labels
• Automatically pulls font styles from your product. Ensures visual consistency with your existing interface.
• Enables strategic timing of tour deployments by allowing scheduling of experiences

Cons:

• May have a steeper learning curve for new users.
• May not be ideal for primarily mobile-focused products.
• Limited resources for consultation and support.
• Custom coding may slow down deployment speed.

Pricing: 

Free - $15,000/year, Enterprise: Custom

Tips for Creating Effective Guided Product Tours

Besides the tools above, here are a few other things that can help you create effective product tours: 

1. Keep it concise: Aim for 5-10 steps for simple products, and no more than 15 steps for complex ones. Break longer tours into multiple, focused segments to prevent information overload.
2. Segment your audience: Tailor tours based on user roles, experience levels, or specific use cases. This personalization ensures users receive the most relevant information for their needs.
3. Focus on value: Highlight how each feature solves a problem or adds value for the user. Connect features to real-world benefits to increase engagement and adoption.
4. Use clear, action-oriented language: Write instructions that are easy to understand and follow. Avoid jargon and use active voice to guide users through each step.
5. Incorporate interactive elements: Use hotspots, tooltips, and other interactive features to maintain engagement. This hands-on approach helps users learn by doing.
6. Provide exit options: Allow users to skip steps or exit the tour if they wish. This respects user preferences and prevents frustration for those who may already be familiar with certain features.
7. Integrate calls-to-action (CTAs): Guide users towards the next logical step after completing a tour. This could be trying a feature, upgrading their account, or exploring related functionality.
8. Ensure mobile responsiveness: If applicable, make sure your tours work well on various devices and screen sizes. Test on different platforms to ensure a consistent experience.
9. Use visuals strategically: Incorporate screenshots, GIFs, or short videos to illustrate complex concepts. Visual aids can significantly enhance understanding and retention.
10. Test and iterate: Continuously gather feedback and analytics to improve your tours over time. Pay attention to completion rates, time spent on each step, and user feedback to identify areas for improvement.

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. What is product tour software?

Product tour software is another name for guided tour software. It creates interactive walkthroughs of a digital product's features, guiding users through its functionality to improve understanding and adoption.

2. How do I choose the right guided tour software for my needs?

Assess your specific needs, consider product complexity, evaluate features, check compatibility, review pricing, and test free trials when available.

3. What are the key features to look for in guided tour software?

Key features include customizable tour elements, user segmentation, analytics, integrations, mobile responsiveness, multi-language support, and A/B testing functionality.

4. What is the difference between self-guided and guided tour software?

Self-guided tour software, also known as click-through demo software, allows users to explore product features at their own pace, while guided tour software provides step-by-step walkthroughs with predefined paths. Guided tours offer more structure, whereas self-guided options provide greater user autonomy.