Market Trends: According to Verified Market Research, the global market share of knowledge base management software was valued at $22.45 Billion in 2020 and is expected to rise up to $58.81 Billion by 2028 with a growing CAGR of 12.67%.
There are many factors that lead to the increase in the market share of this software. Some of them are a reduction in call handling time, increased customer satisfaction, and so on.
What Is Knowledge Base Software?
In essence, a knowledge base system is a digital platform designed to empower users—be they staff or clients—to independently seek out solutions to their inquiries. It acts as a comprehensive digital repository pertaining to a specific subject, product, or organization. This resource is often stocked with instructional materials, step-by-step guides, FAQs, and other helpful content tailored for its users.
For numerous businesses, the advent of web-based knowledge base systems has marked the decline of traditional, tangible user manuals and guides. These physical resources often proved cumbersome to navigate and challenging to maintain with current information.
Essential Attributes of Top-Tier Knowledge Base Platforms
Crafting an efficient knowledge base requires integrating features that bolster its functionality. Here's what to check for in your knowledge base software to ensure it's up to the task.
Efficient Search Capability
A pivotal element of a top-tier knowledge base is an efficient search facility. It's vital for users to quickly pinpoint the articles and guides they need to address their queries. Hence, a robust and responsive search function is non-negotiable.
User-Friendly Admin Interface
While focusing on the end-user experience is paramount, the administrative side should not be neglected. As the curator of numerous pieces of content, from articles to FAQs, the ability to manage these with ease via a user-friendly admin dashboard is essential for delivering optimal customer support.
Organized Content Classification
A knowledge base brimming with content can become overwhelming. Implementing an organized method for sorting and categorizing information helps in maintaining an orderly knowledge base and simplifies the user experience when navigating through it.
Support for Attachments
Enhancing articles with additional resources, such as PDFs, templates, and videos, can be pivotal in conveying knowledge. Attachment support in your knowledge base software means these resources can be included right where they're most relevant.
User Feedback Tools
User input is a goldmine for improving your knowledge base. A straightforward feedback tool, like a thumbs-up or thumbs-down feature, can quickly tell you the effectiveness of your content from the user's perspective.
Insightful Analytics and Reporting
Analytics play a critical role in understanding content performance. They help identify which sections of your knowledge base engage users and which may need revision, guiding you in crafting more impactful and helpful content.
By embedding these essential attributes into your knowledge base, you'll be well-positioned to create a resource that is not just user-centric but also fosters customer satisfaction and ensures seamless access to information for all visitors.
The 15 Best Knowledge Base Software Providers
Exploring the best knowledge management systems for 2024, featuring HelpLook and others. Dive into a curated selection of platforms celebrated for their powerful capabilities in managing information, user-friendly interfaces, and versatile features.
1. HelpLook
Take your knowledge management to the next level with HelpLook. Optimize your support operations, enhance your team's performance, and delight your customers with our extensive range of knowledge management tools. HelpLook is your collaborator in refining customer interactions, boosting team effectiveness, and exploiting SEO advantages to the fullest.
Designed with the user in mind, HelpLook simplifies content generation and retrieval, creating a strong and approachable knowledge hub. Ideal for crafting both internal and external knowledge bases, HelpLook's AI-powered search mechanism guarantees quick and precise access to the information you need.
What Makes Helplook a Great Knowledge Base for Teams
Harness the power of an AI-driven knowledge hub featuring ready-to-use AI prompts, rapid search capabilities, and round-the-clock chatbot assistance.
Enhanced tools for editing and styling private or internal documents, images, and videos, including markdown compatibility, quick-access shortcuts for adding content, and a sleek, simplified editing interface.
Facilitate effortless knowledge exchange within teams by providing members with vital information access while protecting confidential data with tailored access controls.
Establish a powerful analytics reporting mechanism to track and enhance the effectiveness of your knowledge management infrastructure.
Integrates with cloud storage solutions such as Google Drive to synchronize files seamlessly.
Easily distribute content to a variety of social media channels including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, VK, WhatsApp, LINE, Reddit, Messenger, and Pinterest.
Pricing
Kick off your journey for free with a plan. Starting at just $7 monthly for each project, HelpLook offers an affordable solution for companies large and small to enhance their knowledge management strategies. Explore our variety of plans to find the one that best suits your company's unique requirements.
2. Confluence
Atlassian Confluence, first developed for software documentation, now also serves as a comprehensive internal knowledge base. It integrates well with other Atlassian tools like Jira and BitBucket, making it a preferred choice for users within that ecosystem. Established in 2004, Confluence has grown into a feature-rich platform, though it may seem too complex for smaller teams. Larger organizations, however, value its versatility. New users should note that it has a learning curve, so initial training will be necessary.
What Users Will Like
You can effortlessly keep track of updates and current projects with a personalized home page.
Dedicated mobile apps for iOS and Android ensure you get support.
3. Nuclino
Nuclino offers a streamlined knowledge base solution designed for efficient team collaboration. My experience with the tool highlights its ability to facilitate fast, seamless teamwork and project management. It provides a unified workspace that simplifies information access and reduces task-switching.
What Users Will Like
The board-style document layout provides a visually-driven and user-friendly approach to organizing content.
Improved synchronization with project management applications guarantees that documentation efforts are in step with key project benchmarks.
4. Document360
Document 360 serves as a dual-purpose platform, functioning as an integrated knowledge base and document management system. It boasts a range of content management tools, including a markdown editor for streamlined formatting, and file management with security measures.
What Users Will Like
Document360 ensures the integrity of documentation with its version control feature, enabling teams to monitor revisions and preserve accurate historical data.
Users adept in technology can utilize Markdown to format and present technical material with exacting detail.
5. GitBook
GitBook serves as a documentation platform tailored for software development teams, providing an array of tools that developers find valuable. This includes the use of Markdown for formatting, the inclusion of code snippets, branching akin to Git, seamless integration with GitHub, among other features.
What Users Will Like
GitBook presents a versatile platform that enables the seamless handling of both internal documentation and external knowledge bases, all under one roof.
For those leading a software development team and seeking a unified repository for all your informational assets and documentation, exploring what GitBook has to offer is a move that could be very beneficial.
6. Notion
Notion streamlines productivity by combining tasks, notes, and wiki creation within one user-friendly platform. This tool has been instrumental in forging a cohesive workspace that enables team collaboration on project management, document organization, and real-time updates.
What Users Will Like
Ready-made layouts for a swift start in crafting content.
Simultaneous editing and in-line commentary to enhance teamwork.
7. SharePoint
If you're already harnessing Microsoft products within your company, adding a SharePoint-driven internal knowledge repository can be an excellent expansion of your resources. SharePoint effortlessly meshes with other Microsoft applications like Teams, OneDrive, and Power BI Reports, facilitating a synchronized and streamlined work environment.
What Users Will Like
SharePoint Knowledge Base seamlessly integrates with Office apps like Excel and Word, allowing users to create and link documents directly to the SharePoint site.
It serves as a centralized hub for employees to find all relevant information, guidelines, and processes, simplifying cross-departmental collaboration and sharing.
8. Zendesk
Zendesk's customer support software empowers teams to provide exceptional service and assistance to their clients. It facilitates seamless self-service options as well as enhanced direct support, ensuring that customers have rapid access to the necessary information to achieve their immediate objectives, and even more.
What Users Will Like
Experience your personal touches in a live preview before making them public.
Enjoy around-the-clock assistance with our automated response bot, ready to provide instant self-service support.
9. Zoho
Zoho reigns as a multifaceted customer support platform, adeptly merging ticket-based help desk functionality and self-help options with the power of artificial intelligence. As an integral component of its comprehensive customer assistance package, Zoho Desk incorporates a knowledge base, ensuring that users have access to an exhaustive reservoir of information.
What Users Will Like
Patrons can easily file support requests and join discussions via the help center.
Live chat with support agents is also accessible within the same platform.
10. Papyrs
Papyrs serves as a versatile instrument, adaptable for various functions such as a knowledge repository, corporate intranet, or customer gateway, among others. It may not boast the same level of robustness and adaptability as some well-known knowledge base systems, but it compensates with its ease of use.
What Users Will Like
- Papyrs provides a comprehensive knowledge base toolkit including a simple drag-and-drop editor, search capabilities, and user-specific permissions.
- You have the option to publicly share parts of your knowledge base for customer interaction or external collaboration.
11. MediaWiki
MediaWiki stands out as a celebrated open-source wiki software, providing a rich environment for collective knowledge building. Perfectly suited for both team collaboration and community engagement, it enables participants to jointly craft detailed wikis and document repositories.
What Users Will Like
MediaWiki's customizable extensions cater to specific project needs.
Its thorough edit history preserves content accuracy and allows for easy reversion.
12. Guru
Guru serves as a software solution dedicated to managing internal knowledge resources. It employs a system of boards and cards to structure your data effectively, while also emphasizing the role of designated knowledge "experts" in overseeing the curation of your informational content.
What Users Will Like
Seamlessly record knowledge through Slack interactions and transform them into Card entries.
Robust compatibility with platforms such as Confluence and Slack enhancing your workflow with powerful integrations.
13. WordPress
WordPress stands out as a highly adaptable CMS, making it a top choice for developing a practical knowledge base. Its intuitive interface and diverse toolset enable users to design tailored knowledge repositories, streamlining information storage and accessibility for teams.
What Users Will Like
WordPress's open-source nature allows for extensive customizability.
Hosting your knowledge base on WordPress means keeping content and security in your own hands.
14. Freshdesk
Freshworks provides a suite of solutions for customer engagement, encompassing CRM, live chat, call center operations, among thers. Notably, the company's knowledge management tool is branded as Freshdesk, which integrates seamlessly with their ticketing system.
What Users Will Like
Freshworks features a range of support tools including CRM and live chat, anchored by Freshdesk—a knowledge base with built-in ticketing.
Freshdesk is user-friendly, with a WYSIWYG editor, SEO options for articles, and multi-language support.
15. Proprofs
Proprofs boasts outstanding capabilities for creating, designing, and distributing content. With its array of immediate-use templates and adaptable options, you can construct a knowledge base that seamlessly matches your company's brand identity.
What Users Will Like
Detailed analytics for optimizing your knowledge base.
Clear, straightforward pricing with no hidden costs.
Discover the Ideal Knowledge Base for Your Business
Selecting the ideal knowledge management system is a tailored process, as the array of choices is broad and diverse, with no one-size-fits-all solution. Different teams will gravitate towards distinct systems that align with their specific requirements. However, there are a few critical attributes that distinguish exceptional knowledge management systems:
A robust and agile search function.
A user-friendly content management interface.
A clearly structured and easily navigable content architecture.
The value of a knowledge management tool is fundamentally linked to its user-friendliness. Advanced software such as HelpLook requires a suite of capable tools, including advanced AI for search capabilities, automated suggestions, and AI chatbot support functionalities. Moreover, such a system should offer flexible editing options, supporting both markdown and WYSIWYG editors, to ensure a fluid user experience.
Selecting the appropriate software is merely the first phase. The true value of a knowledge base is derived from the excellence of its content. Alongside an easy-to-use system that streamlines maintenance, establishing robust content management protocols and investing time to fill the knowledge base with precise and helpful information is essential for its success. Why not explore what HelpLook has to offer with a free trial today?