Technical writing provides relevant content for your product or service; however, getting that content to the people is always the question. That’s where knowledge base software comes in.
Knowledge management software is an easy way to bring all your technical documentation and content in one place. Today, using the best knowledge base software has become a necessity rather than an option.
This article will cover the six best knowledge base software you can use in 2025.
Let’s start.
What is Knowledge Management Software?
Knowledge base software, otherwise known as knowledge management software (or help desk software), are programs that allow you to develop a knowledge base for your audience and team members.
Knowledge management software is a database (sometimes known as a wiki) for knowledge sharing and management. It’s where all the relevant information regarding your product, service, and company can be found, along with answers to typical questions and queries.
Some companies consider them to be self-help or self-service portals. That’s because they’re available 24/7, provide faster customer support, and take some load off the customer support team. The best part about knowledge base software is that you have all your information in one place. Furthermore, you achieve customer service automation and additional organic visits to your website.
There is a lot of knowledge management software in the market today. However, some typical features are or should be present in all of them.
- Straightforward text editor
- Developing custom reports
- Adding categories, sections, and folders
- A wide array of customization options
- Search feature
- Multilingual support
- SEO support
You can create an online knowledge base for your customers and team using knowledge management software with the features above. That way, the next time someone searches for a specific query, they will find your knowledge database first.
That’s another reason why you should specifically focus on discoverability. Some companies develop internal knowledge bases for their employees; in that case, discoverability isn’t a factor. However, if you’re building external knowledge bases, you should put a sizeable effort into making it user-friendly and easy to find.
6 Top Knowledge Base Software and Knowledge Management Solution Options
Organizations of all sizes must have a complete CRM (Customer Relationship Management) process. That’s how you ensure a great customer experience and maximum customer satisfaction.
The best way to achieve great CRM is to use a knowledge management system. It’s mainly for small businesses and startups that can’t afford to hire entire support teams and support agents. The ideal way is to use knowledge base tools to write multiple articles and develop a directory.
An internal knowledge base ensures you can handle all support requests and tickets. However, you also need a proper content management system to ensure your knowledge base is easy to access and use.
That’s where the following knowledge management software comes in.
1. HelpJuice
Built to provide a seamless user experience, HelpJuice helps you develop an easy-to-navigate knowledge base. With HelpJuice, the text editor has several features and tools that make it intuitive and offer complete customization as a knowledge management system.
Collaboration features ensure that multiple technical writers and authors can work on the same article without overlapping each other’s work.
The best thing about the software is that you can set up various access levels to the knowledge management software, including the following.
- Public – This access is for the general customers and the public.
- URL-Based – Only people with the URL can access the knowledge base if you create URL-based access.
- Internal – This access is for internal employees and team members within the department or organization.
- Specific Users – You can also set up access to particular users so they can access only a part of the knowledge base.
Besides that, you can also take advantage of multiple pre-made templates for the content. The fully customizable templates save time spent designing, formatting, and managing.
Furthermore, the software has knowledge base analytics that lets you track the performance of relevant articles. You can check out different metrics, use graphs, standard search terms, author activity, etc.
Pros and Cons & Pricing
As a startup or small business, it’s safe to say you can’t spend a hefty amount on support systems. In that case, HelpJuice is an excellent option for developing a knowledge base for passive support.
Pros:
- Complete appearance customization options
- Wide text editor functionality
- Individual options for internal and external knowledge bases
- Comprehensive analytics and reports development systems
Cons:
- No third-party integrations
- Relatively high prices
Pricing:
Basic subscription plan with four users – $120 per month
Premium account with unlimited users – $660 per month
You can learn more about HelpJuice here.
2. ProProfs
A little old-fashioned compared to HelpJuice, ProProfs is a robust knowledge management software offering many tools to users. That includes training makers, live chat, and brain game development.
However, their text editor is for people who are used to typical writing software like Microsoft Word. Authors are comfortable with its Word-based look. Along with a familiar UI, it has several styling, formatting, and editing tools.
People who are used to newer word formatting styles, such as the block editor from WordPress, may feel that it’s a little outdated. However, other options and features from ProProfs make it worthwhile. For example, you can directly make your knowledge base available for search engines so that you can develop and specify meta descriptions for each article and page.
Most importantly, you can import docs and files and track up to 30-page revisions.
You can also choose from various knowledge base themes and customize them with your brand logo, color scheme, and more. You’ll find specific templates and samples for wikis, technical documentation, user manuals, internal knowledge bases, and more.
If you opt for ProProfs’ premium version, you can assign specific permissions and roles for better internal collaboration.
Pros and Cons & Pricing
Whether in finance, SaaS, marketing, or any other industry, ProProfs can be a viable solution. The different levels ensure that it’s available for businesses of all sizes.
Pros:
- Familiar text editor
- Can be integrated with other software
- Several themes and templates based on the knowledge base’s purpose
- Pay per page system
- Free version allows for up to 20 pages
Cons:
- Pay per page system can get very expensive with massive knowledge bases
- Text editor can feel outdated to people accustomed to contemporary editors
Pricing:
Up to 20 pages – Free
Per page free – $0.40 to $0.60
Premium subscription with private access mode – $0.60 per page per month
If you want to learn more about ProProfs, you can do so here.
3. Zendesk
Zendesk has had a head start in developing a complete knowledge base software, one of the oldest customer service solutions in the market. That’s why you’ll find practically every relevant feature in their knowledge base toolset.
If you’re looking for additional answers, Zendesk’s help center and community forums are very active, too. It has the usual features like a complete text editor with custom themes and templates. However, what people like the most about Zendesk is that you can import Google Docs directly into Zendesk.
With multi-language support, your customers can switch to other languages seamlessly. You can also find features like access control, content history, content restoration, and publishing permissions.
Once you integrate Zendesk Support (ticketing), you can also leverage the Knowledge Capture app, which provides automatic content suggestions based on typical customer questions.
Pros and Cons & Pricing
Over time, Zendesk has created a reputation as the ideal customer service solution for enterprises. Especially since it offers a complete support suite. However, the company does provide various plans for businesses of all sizes.
Pros:
- Complete integration with all Zendesk products
- Multi-language support
- Superb content management, including content history and restoring features
- Google Docs import feature
- AI Answer Bot that can automatically reply to emails
- Has a free version
Cons:
- Not the best option for creating internal knowledge bases
- Lack of customizability in SEO settings
- Live chat, Answer Bot, and other features can rack up the overall cost
Pricing:
Basic customer service solution – Free
Zendesk Guide tool – $19 per month
Enterprise subscription – $34 per month per agent
Answer Bot – $50 per month
You can learn more about Zendesk’s knowledge base software and help center here.
4. Atlassian
Most people who have worked with or used agile methodology are familiar with Atlassian, the company behind the issue-tracking software Jira.
The company has a complete knowledge management solution called Confluence that allows you to store company plans, notes, and information.
Confluence offers a wide range of templates for various industries, different kinds of organizations, and projects. You can find project plan templates, competitive analysis samples, and how-to article templates.
Each plan offers unlimited pages with the option of checking the complete history of each page. You can also roll back to previous page versions with a button.
Other features like access and user permissions, analytics, and more, are available at higher-level plans. Furthermore, you’ll also have the option to enact anonymous access, allowing you to make your new knowledge base public.
Pros and Cons & Pricing
Confluence is a go-to knowledge base software for small businesses and startups. You can essentially create an entire database of knowledge for free.
Pros:
- Multiple templates for different industries, organizations, tasks, and purposes.
- Integration-ready with other Atlassian products
- Free version allows access to up to 10 people
Cons:
- Not ideal for developing a public knowledge base
- Little to no customization options for appearance
- Gets expensive for bigger teams
Pricing:
For up to 10 people – Free
For teams with more than 10 people – $5 to $10 per user per month
You can learn more about Atlassian’s Confluence knowledge base software here.
5. Freshdesk
Freshworks offers various customer service solutions, including CRM, live chat, call centers, and more. However, their knowledge base software is known as Freshdesk, which comes with the company’s ticketing system.
You’ll find that Freshdesk is straightforward to use; it has a WYSIWYG editor with basic styling and formatting features. It allows you to include meta descriptions and titles for all the knowledge-base articles. You can also translate said articles into multiple languages.
There is a complete category system to organize your articles’ folders systematically.
Keeping it simple, the feedback system shows you the total views per article and whether your customers found each article helpful.
Pros and Cons & Pricing
Freshdesk is a rudimentary knowledge base software tied with a complete ticketing system. It’s a relatively specific offering that won’t work for everyone, but if you need a ticketing system and knowledge base software, Freshdesk is a decent option.
Pros:
- Integrated ticketing system
- Customizable SEO settings
- WYSIWYG editor with complete functionality
- Free version is available
Cons:
- Not many options for appearance customization
- Not a lot of options for reports
- Multi-language support features are expensive
Pricing:
Basic features without the ticketing system – Free
Basic subscription with ticketing system – $19 per month per agent
Garden subscription with multi-language features – $35 per month per agent
To learn more about Freshdesk, you can go here.
6. HelpSite
If you’re looking for a simple knowledge base software to keep your data up-to-date, HelpSite is an excellent option. It has a simple text editor similar to Microsoft Word and older WordPress interfaces.
With relatively limited customization options for appearance, you can set up custom domains and custom HTML/CSS layouts.
You can also add simple contact forms for smoother support team workflows. It also helps reduce overall support requests. More importantly, you can streamline customer support with third-party integrations with Groove, Desk.com, Zendesk, and other support tools.
The downside of HelpSite is that there are no real-time or passive tracking systems or reports.
Pros and Cons & Pricing
HelpSite isn’t for large companies; if you have a small or medium-sized business and need knowledge-based software, it’s a great option, especially if you want to set up custom domains.
Pros:
- Multiple integration support with customer service tools
- A built-in contact form allows for a smoother support experience
- Can create internal knowledge bases
- Free for the first 25 articles
Cons:
- No reports or tracking system
- Little to no customization options for appearance
- Old-school text editor
Pricing:
Up to 25 articles with one team member – Free
Basic plan with 250 articles and 4 team members – $14.99 per month
Gold subscription with unlimited articles and users (and custom HTML/CSS features) – $49.99 per month
You can learn more about HelpSite here.
Choosing the Right Knowledge Base Software for Your Business
Answering queries on social media, website forums, or Slack groups can become hectic and time-consuming. That’s why it’s best to opt for a knowledge base, as it requires no onboarding for the customer while providing the necessary support.
When choosing knowledge base software, it’s all about what your team is comfortable with. Technical writing is a delicate process, so you need to provide your team with the right software and equipment.
For example, if you have a team of authors and technical writers accustomed to modern tools, you need a modernized knowledge base software with widgets, UX-optimized, and more.
In any case, you should choose your knowledge base software based on your team, industry, company, and budget.
FAQs
Here are the most frequently asked questions about knowledge base software.
What is knowledge base software, and how does it support the knowledge management process?
Knowledge base software is a digital tool that helps businesses organize, store, and share information efficiently. It plays a crucial role in the knowledge management process by centralizing data, making it easier to access, update, and maintain. This improves productivity and ensures that teams and customers can quickly find the necessary information.
How can a SaaS knowledge base software benefit businesses?
SaaS knowledge base software provides a cloud-based solution for managing and distributing information without requiring on-premise infrastructure. It enables businesses to scale effortlessly, integrate with other platforms, and ensure real-time updates, making it an ideal choice for organizations seeking flexibility and efficiency.
Can I create multiple knowledge bases within a single platform?
Yes, many knowledge base software solutions allow businesses to create multiple knowledge bases. This is especially useful for companies with different departments, products, or customer segments, ensuring that each audience receives relevant and organized information.
How does knowledge base software enhance customer self-service?
Knowledge base software empowers customers to find answers independently by providing a well-structured online repository of information. This reduces dependency on support teams, improves customer satisfaction, and streamlines issue resolution, leading to a more efficient customer self-service experience.
What is a self-serve online library, and why is it important?
A self-service knowledge base is a digital collection of resources that users can access independently. Within a knowledge base, it ensures that employees, customers, and stakeholders can find relevant documentation, guides, and FAQs without assistance, improving efficiency and reducing support costs.
What are standard operating procedures (SOPs), and why are they important?
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are detailed, step-by-step instructions that guide employees in performing specific tasks consistently and efficiently. They help ensure compliance, improve productivity, and maintain quality standards across an organization.
If you are new to document control management and are looking to learn more, we recommend taking our Knowledge Manager Certification Course, where you will learn the fundamentals of creating and managing a knowledge base.