Popularity of the SaaS subscription model continues to grow exponentially, providing companies with easy-to-install and deploy solutions. The pay-as-go model means organizations of all sizes can subscribe, scale or adapt their SaaS tech stack in line with their individual business needs. But this abundance of new tech has also created a steeper learning curve for employees.
And that’s where digital adoption platforms come in. Implementing a DAP has been proven to increase the time to value of employees, accelerate employee onboarding, facilitate employee training, and boost employee productivity. In a nutshell, DAPs can sustainably increase employee digital adoption and increase the ROI of SaaS tools.
But with so many platforms on offer, the real challenge is selecting the right DAP for your business. WalkMe is now a market leader in the digital adoption platform space, it isn’t however the right fit for every business.
To help you decide, we created a comparative list of features and benefits you should be looking for in your DAP, using 4 great WalkMe alternatives you should consider in 2023.
TL;DR
WalkMe is a market leader with extensive features and customization options, but may not be the best fit for every company due to expensive pricing, unfriendly UX, technical integration, steep learning curve, and costly support.
Lemon Learning is a European DAP alternative to WalkMe with an easier-to-use UX, unlimited local support, and affordable pricing. Lemon Learning offers:
➡️ unlimited local support, a no-code editor, and advanced user analytics.
➡️ compatibility with all SaaS applications and third-party onboarding solutions.
➡️ pricing including a free trial, per-tool license, and corporate license.
Lemon Learning vs. WalkMe: Lemon Learning is more affordable, has an easier-to-use UX, includes unlimited local support, and requires no technical knowledge for set-up. Both offer no-code content creation and in-app messaging.
Pendo is a product experience platform with user behavior analytics and mobile solutions, but can be expensive. Pendo offers:
➡️ tools for user segmentation, behavior analysis, and identifying areas for development, can be installed quickly without coding knowledge and has a roadmap feature for sharing ideas.
➡️ an ideal solution for product managers looking for analytics and feedback, while WalkMe is better for in-app guidance and onboarding.
➡️ focused on user behavior analytics, while WalkMe is focused on digital adoption analytics.
SAP Enable Now provides advanced reporting and analytics, but it can also be expensive. SAP Enable Now offers:
➡️ context-sensitive guidance, and integrations with other SAP and non-SAP solutions.
➡️ a solution designed for large enterprises, offering mobile training and support, and multi-language support.
Intro.js is a budget-friendly alternative to WalkMe for developers with technical knowledge of JavaScript and CSS, with customizable styles and step-by-step guides. Intro.js offers:
➡️ a solution best suited to developers in smaller enterprises, while WalkMe is better for professionals in need of digital adoption analytics and large enterprises.
What does WalkMe do?
WalkMe is a cloud-based digital adoption platform that enables companies to onboard and train both employees and customers on in-house or third-party applications. Like most digital adoption platforms, WalkMe helps managers including product managers and customer success managers create in-application content workflows, to effectively measure the performance of their users.
Founded in 2011, WalkMe has since become the digital adoption market leader thanks to an impressive range of features, functionalities, and customization options as well as multiple acquisitions of usability, analytics, engagement, and AI companies.
The WalkMe platform is a great option for internal application training on leading market software (e.g., Oracle, Salesforce, and SAP) that has to lead to global enterprises including IBM, PWC, and Adobe adopting their tool.
But does this make WalkMe the right fit for your organization? An expensive market leader isn’t necessarily the best option for every company, and we’re going to break down some reasons why.
5 reasons to choose a WalkMe alternative
- Expensive pricing model
Being the digital adoption market leader comes with a price tag. Though WalkMe pricing isn’t public knowledge, review sites suggest WalkMe’s basic plan begins at around $9000 a year, with access to very limited features. For scaling companies in search of affordable pricing options, this might be unsuitable. For larger companies, WalkMe offers extensive customization options, but at additional and expensive costs. We also know that WalkMe offers exclusively annual contracts, committing companies to 12 months of service and upfront payment.
- Unfriendly UX
A digital adoption platform should facilitate instant software adoption, in part, thanks to good UX (user experience) and UI (user interface). WalkMe has received a variety of mixed responses regarding its designs.
| 👍 WalksMe Pros | 👎 WalkMe Cons |
|---|---|
| “A powerful tool with an amazing team behind it!” In-app help and walkthroughs are helping to cut support requests, and WalkMe enables us to tackle users issues quickly. We also use WalkMe to plug gaps in UX whilst waiting for in-app fixes to be completed by the development team. | “It’s feature rich, but bloated.” Pre-built templates are messy, have a poor UX to edit elements, and most areas need CSS knowledge to be truly powerful. |
- Technical and lengthy configuration
Depending on the specific requirements and complexity of a project, it can take WalkMe anywhere from days to several weeks to fully integrate and customize a platform. This is a result of WalkMe’s, particularly technical integration. In comparison to WalkMe alternatives such as Lemon Learning, where a simple plugin or JavaScript code is required for deployment, WalkMe may not be the best fit for enterprises moving at a fast pace.
- Steep learning curve
Reviews also reveal a steep learning curve during implementation that requires technical knowledge. WalkMe does provide an abundance of learning resources during set-up, including their LMS university. But the resources can be overwhelming, and the LMS itself does not feature WalkMe technology. If you’re looking for simplicity, it might not be the right option for you.
- Expensive support
WalkMe provides an excellent range of free learning resources but doesn’t however provide free support services. Assistance from WalkMe support teams will quickly escalate costs during implementation and later maintenance. You might also need to consider the need for multiple employees in your WalkMe project, which is understandable in larger companies with high-functioning IT departments, but less feasible for SMEs and startups.
WalkMe Pro and Cons comparative table
| 👍 WalkMe Pros | 👎 WalkMe Cons |
|---|---|
| Extensive software features | Steep learning curve and complex UX |
| Enterprise scale platform trusted by global brands | Not the best fit for startups or SMEs |
| Free/freemium version. Customizable plans with access to exclusive features | Annual contract commitment requiring upfront payment and costly customization |
| Robust product tours with great reviews | Complex product tour customization isn’t code free, and requires technical knowledge |
| Comprehensive learning resources available during set-up (e.g., LMS university) | Very long and technical set-up/configuration. LMS university does not feature WalkMe technology |
| Great customer support that’s responsive and quick to resolve issues | Expensive customer support costs additional to the product license and dependent on the plan chosen |
Top 4 WalkMe alternatives to look out for in 2023
- Lemon Learning
- Pendo
- SAP Enable Now
- Intro.js
Want a more detailed look at the top digital adoption platforms? Check out our list of the 11 Best Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs).
Using a comparative breakdown of 4 WalkMe alternatives, we’re going to highlight features, functionalities, reviews, and pricing to help you make the right decision.
WalkMe Alternative #1 Lemon Learning
Lemon Learning is a leading European digital adoption platform designed to be simple, affordable and reduce enterprise software training and support costs. Unlike WalkMe, Lemon Learning only provides employee onboarding, training, and performance support and is not yet available on mobile.
Easy integration: The all-in-one platform is easy to integrate (via JavaScript code or browser extension) and features a no-code editor for content creation that requires no technical skills or extended support from IT departments.
Unlimited local support: Unlike WalkMe, Lemon Learning provides unlimited local support. Whether it’s implementation, content creation, training or maintenance, companies benefit from weekly, monthly, and then quarterly follow-up workshops for optimal support.
Easy to use: Unlike other WalkMe alternatives, Lemon Learning is known for its simplicity and easy-to-use UX. Lemon Learning users can expect immediate adoption and autonomy over their tools.
Your ROI with Lemon Learning
Just like WalkMe, Lemon Learning is compatible will all SaaS applications, including in-house solutions, and third party employee onboarding applications such as Oracle.
Features & functionalities ⚙️
- No-code editor for in-house content creation
- Upload and repurpose existing LMS content
- Content creation support from a dedicated project manager, pedagogical engineer, and technical manager
- Unlimited local support (included in license), including project governance, training workshops, or on-site support
- Advanced user analytics
- Ready to use guides for leading market solutions
- Automate or manually translate content into 35+ languages
Lemon Learning reviews
| 👍 Lemon Learning Pros | 👎 Lemon Learning Cons |
|---|---|
| “Perfect to support users” Ease of handling, whether for administrators or end users. The “Wow” effect is assured and users are delighted to be accompanied step by step. | “Better communication between teams” We were missing a feature to edit the guide exactly as we wanted. But the teams were very responsive and created it for us in 24 hours, thank you. |
Pricing 🪙
Lemon Learning is one of the most affordable options on the market. Lemon Learning have 2 pricing options as well as free trial of the product. Get in touch for information or request a demo.
- Free trial
- Per tool license
- Corporate license
Lemon Learning vs WalkMe ✅
| Lemon Learning | WalkMe |
|---|---|
| Employee onboarding and training on in-house and third-party applications | Employees or customer onboarding and training on in-house and third party applications |
| Immediate adoption with easy-to-use UX | Steep learning curve and complex UX |
| Unique, unlimited local support included in the license fee | Implementation fee and additional support costs not included in the license |
| Suited to large, medium, or small enterprises | Best suited to large enterprises |
| Affordable pricing with no hidden fees or costs | Expensive pricing model, with additional and hidden costs |
| True code-free set-up requiring little to no technical knowledge | Technical set-up and configuration known to require installation support |
| No-code editor for in-house content creation | No-code editor for in-house content creation |
| In-app messaging for direct communication with users | In-app messaging for direct communication with users |
| Ready to use guides for leading market solutions | Ready to use guides for leading market solutions |
| Available on desktop | Available on desktop and mobile |
WalkMe Alternative #2 Pendo
Pendo is a highly effective solution for product teams seeking a deeper understanding of their users’ behavior. Unlike WalkMe Pendo is a product experience platform, specifically designed to measure user performance, and provide valuable insights that inform product development decisions. The Pendo platform includes a range of tools that enable teams to segment users, analyze their behavior, and identify areas for further development to enhance the overall user experience. This makes Pendo an ideal WalkMe alternative for product managers.
Quick integration: Like Lemon Learning, Pendo installation can be carried out completely code free. The installation process is efficient and can take between 10 – 30 minutes, but does however require some technical knowledge.
New features: The Pendo roadmap is a communication tool enabling teams to share and visualize broad ideas with multiple groups, including leadership, sales, or customers. It also groups direct requests from Pendo feedback to reveal ideas for new features and initiatives.
In-depth analytics: Like WalkMe, Pendo has an extensive in-depth analytics feature. It includes heatmaps, user segmentation, and session replays to understand user behavior. The analytics feature can also be integrated with tools such as Google Analytics, Salesforce and Mixpanel for more insights.
Both WalkMe and Pendo offer mobile solutions. If you’re in search of comprehensive analytics and a feedback solution for iOS or Android applications, Pendo is a great WalkMe alternative. If you want to focus on in-app guidance and onboarding, WalkMe could be a better fit.
Features & functionalities ⚙️
- In-depth user analytics for both website and mobile applications
- Reports and metrics on user engagement, feature adoption, and user feedback
- In-app messaging and guides to improve user engagement and onboarding
- A/B testing to optimize feature adoption and user experience
- Integration with tools such as Google Analytics, Salesforce, and Mixpanel
- User feedback and surveys to gather qualitative data on user experience
- Segmentation of users based on behavior and attributes
- Automated user insights and recommendations based on behavior.
Pendo reviews
| 👍 Pendo Pros | 👎 Pendo Cons |
|---|---|
| “Fantastic tool to track product usage and experience” The best feature about Pendo has been the constant collection of User clicks without the need to set up trackers via code. This enables us to tag the usage directly from the tool and start monitoring historic data without having to involve development teams. | “Good technology but difficult to get the support you need.” The caveat is that you can only get meaningful insights into your app usage if you set it up PROPERLY. And we have found it difficult to get the support we need and get our questions answered. |
Pricing 🪙
Pendo is considered to be one of the more expensive options on the market, with above average pricing. Contact Pendo to learn about their 4 pricing options.
- Freemium
- Growth
- Portfolio
- Premium
Pendo vs WalkMe ✅
| Pendo | WalkMe |
|---|---|
| Best option for product managers in need of product analytics | For professionals in need of digital adoption analytics |
| Primarily designed to improve customer experience | Designed to improve employee and customer software adoption |
| A/B testing capabilities (in-app messaging, features, guides, user segments etc.) | A/B testing capabilities (guides, onboarding workflows, user segments, etc.) |
| In-depth user analytics more focused on user behavior (heatmaps, session replays, reports integrations etc.) | In-depth user analytics more focused on user analytics (heatmaps, session replays, user engagement, ream-time data etc.) |
| Can only integrate with specific LMSs | Direct integration with an LMS |
| Exclusively onboards and trains employees on in-house or third party applications | Onboards and trains both employees or customers on in-house or third party applications |
| Integration with other tools (Google Analytics, Salesforce, Mixpanel) | Integration with other tools (Google Analytics, Salesforce) |
| User-friendly and smooth UX | Complex and clunky UX |
| Real-time data on user behavior and engagement | Real-time data on user behavior and engagement |
WalkMe Alternative #3 SAP Enable Now
SAP Enable Now, allows companies to create, manage, and deliver digital adoption and training content for their SAP employees, customers, and partners. It makes a great WalkMe Alternative if your company is heavily focused on internal training on SAP suite solutions, but are in need of a much simpler and non-technical solution.
Context-sensitive guidance: Both WalkMe and SAP Enable Now offer on-demand guidance and process support, but SAP Enable Now provides context-sensitive guidance directly within the application, while WalkMe focuses on providing interactive walk-throughs and tooltips.
Wide range of Integrations: SAP Enable Now can be integrated with other SAP and non-SAP solutions, such as Success Factors, and external systems such as SharePoint and LMS, which might be a good fit for companies that are already using these systems.
Advanced reporting and analytics: Both WalkMe and SAP Enable Now also offer authoring and management tools to create and deliver digital adoption and training content. However, SAP Enable Now has more advanced reporting and analytics capabilities to track and measure the effectiveness of digital adoption and training programs.
Just like WalkMe, SAP Enable Now targets companies that want to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their end-users to increase adoption of their software. SAP Enable Now is a good WalkMe alternative because it’s suitable for businesses of all sizes and industries.
Features & functionalities ⚙️
- Context-sensitive on-demand guidance and process support that provides users with step-by-step instructions and interactive guidance directly within the application.
- Authoring and management tools that enable businesses to create, manage, and deliver digital adoption and training content for their employees, customers, and partners.
- Reporting and analytics to track and measure the effectiveness of digital adoption and training programs.
- A library of predefined best practices, process templates and content that can be used to quickly create and deliver digital adoption and training programs.
- Enables the creation of interactive simulations, videos, and quizzes.
- Can be used to onboard and train external partners and customers.
- Integration with other SAP and non-SAP solutions such as Success Factors, and can also be integrated with external systems such as SharePoint and LMS.
SAP Enable Now reviews
| 👍 SAP Enable Now Pros | 👎 SAP Enable Now Cons |
|---|---|
| “Great for e-learning content” Creating and managing e-learning content is simple and very intuitive. One of the best features is the reuse of content in several training scenarios. | “Great for e-learning content” The only downside is the price of the licenses. It’s quite high. We haven’t been able to license all of our people. |
Pricing 🪙
SAP Enable Now charge €9.17 per user/month. SAP Enable Now is considered to be above average in pricing. Contact SAP Enable Now to receive a quote.
- Pay per user/ per month
SAP Enable Now vs WalkMe ✅
| SAP Enable Now | WalkMe |
|---|---|
| Employee training software | Designed to improve employee and customer software adoption |
| Best suited to large enterprises | Best suited to large enterprises |
| An employee onboarding and training tool for SAP suite software | Onboards and trains both employees or customers on in-house and third party applications |
| Mobile training and support accessible online and offline | Mobile training and support accessible online and offline |
| Immediate adoption with easy-to-use UX | Steep learning curve and complex UX |
| Multi-language support | Multi-language support |
| No code editor for in-house content creation | No code editor for in-house content creation |
| Expensive pricing | Expensive pricing model with reportedly hidden costs |
| Unable to track user support queries | Track user support queries and resolutions |
| Only available on desktop | Available on desktop and mobile |
WalkMe Alternative #4 Intro.js
Intro.js, a JavaScript user onboarding and product walkthrough library used to create interactive product tours. It is an excellent WalkMe alternative for startups and smaller companies with a limited budget, and even offers a free version for personal projects.
However, Intro.js is primarily designed for developers with technical knowledge including JavaScript and CSS languages and GitHub. Developers can use this DIY option to create step-by-step guides across website pages and mobile applications.
Step-by-step guides: The library allows developers to create step-by-step guides that walk users through processes, specific elements on a page and provide explanations.
Features & functionalities ⚙️
- Step-by-step guides: The library allows developers to create step-by-step guides that walk users through processes, specific elements on a page and provide explanations.
- Tooltips: Intro.js uses tooltips to display explanations for each step of a guide. Like WalkMe, developers can customize the appearance and behavior of the tooltips, by changing colors, position, and text.
- Event callbacks: Intro.js provides event callbacks that developers can use to trigger custom behavior when certain events occur, such as when a user moves to the next step of the guide.
- Customizable styles: The library uses CSS to style the guide, which means developers can customize the appearance of the guide to match the look and feel of their website or web application.
- Mobile support: Intro.js is designed to work on both desktop and mobile devices, but additional work may be required to make sure the guide looks and behaves well on mobile devices.
- Multi-language support: It also supports multiple languages, so it can be used to create guides in different languages.
Intro.js reviews
N/A
Pricing 🪙
Intro.js is the most affordable WalkMe alternative option, with 3 different packages.
- Freemium
- Starter pack: excluding support $9.99
- Business pack: 1 month of official support and code review $49.99
- Premium package: 1 year of official support, code review, and unlimited projects $299.99
Intro.js vs WalkMe ✅
| Intro.js | WalkMe |
|---|---|
| Best option for developers in smaller enterprises | For professionals in need of digital adoption analytics |
| Best suited to startups and smaller enterprise | Best suite to large enterprises |
| Exclusively onboards and trains employees on in-house or third party applications | Onboards and trains both employees or customers on in-house or third party applications |
| Free and affordable pricing options | Expensive pricing model with reportedly hidden costs |
| Customize styles e.g., guides to match your website interface and design with the CSS library | Basic color and design options |
