Have you ever wondered why Pendo seems to be the Holy Grail of most product design companies?
Well, Pendo is an open-source product analytic tool that most tech companies use to collect customers’ feedback and use this information to enhance product performance.
What Pendo basically does is that it allows you to discover new ideas for your product based on customer experience and engagement. The insights gotten from this are then used to update or advance product features or design. Pendo makes sure people adopt software in a quick time.
Though ladened with many innovative features, Pendo lacks in a few areas.
Pendo isn’t a beginner-friendly tool. It has limited customization and onboarding options and lacks a definite pricing system to name a few. These might prompt some users to look for alternative platforms.
If you are one of them too, then check this article. I have compiled a list of the best Pendo alternatives that get the job done perfectly.
Keep reading to find out which tools make it to our list and why.
Best Pendo Alternatives You Should Check Out
1. Amplitude Analytics
First on this list is Amplitude Analytics which is described by its company as “The Gold Standard for Product Analytics”. Just like Pendo, this is a product analytics and user engagement tool that allows product designers and managers to monitor their products and their customers’ reception.
Amplitude Analytics, mostly used by app developers, has a thorough analytical approach that provides all the answers you need to take your product to the next level. The tech team can also collaborate on tasks as it has a very user-friendly and interactive interface.
This tool also ensures that all of your data is secured and properly managed. While Amplitude Analytics works as well as Pendo, I especially like that this tool is free and easy to use.
Users can access this behavioral tool via a web browser on their PC or mobile phone (whether Android or iOS). Signing up is easy as you simply need to input an email address and create a free account.
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2. Google Analytics
Another Pendo alternative worth checking out is Google Analytics. It is one of the most popular analytical tools used by techies, business owners, and advertisers/marketers.
Google Analytics provides you with tools that allow you to create meaningful products/content, and track where your customers are from and how well they interact with your content.
One thing to like about this tool is that it gives you free tools that not only allow you to monitor user profiles but also track engagement on your site/app, and convert your insights to feasible goals for your project. This way, you can make better business decisions and create something your customers would love.
I also like that Google Analytics is very easy to use and understand, unlike Pendo. You don’t need coding or professional technical skills to operate this tool.
And you don’t have to pay a fee to access its analytical tools. You can access and use the tool once you sign up and all you need is a Google account or working email address. A mobile app is available for Android and iOS users.
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3. WalkMe
Easily a top Pendo competitor, WalkMe has been around for quite a while. It is a no-code digital adoption tool that’s mostly used for employee onboarding and third-party app adoption.
WalkMe is a very popular tool among many enterprise businesses because it provides user-related data that focuses on their needs/expectations. With this data, you can discover ways to make your enterprise application more user-friendly.
WalkMe also allows you to simplify and improve the employee onboarding process as you can also gain more insights into employees’ performance. That way, you can create more streamlined workflows that will increase productivity and efficiency.
The main difference between WalkMe and Pendo is that WalkMe is targeted at Digital Adoption Platform professionals and Enterprise businesses. It is also more affordable than Pendo, making it a great choice for medium and small businesses.
Users can access this tool via its official website or through WalkMe Mobile SDK. Signup is easy as you simply need to install the WalkMe Editor, after which you’d have to install the WalkMe Extension and then install its snippet to your digital platform.
Once that’s done, you simply need to create a Unique User Identifier and you’re good to go.
4. Mixpanel
Mixpanel is another innovative analytical tool that comes highly recommended. If you’re looking for a simplistic tool that provides the necessary data needed to connect, engage, and retain customers, think of Mixpanel.
It is a self-serve product analytical tool that provides information on customer behavior towards your product and how it is being used.
Mixpanel works for both web and mobile and also shares insights on who your key customers are as well as where a majority of them are located, conversion rates as well as where they’re struggling with your product.
Once you’re able to leverage this information, you can then create more simplified and user-friendly products that will cater to the needs of your customers and boost ROI.
One thing to like about Mixpanel is that it allows you to read and retrieve data directly from any database without the need to install SDKs.
You can also stream events directly from your apps or via Mixpanel SDK. While this tool works similarly to Pendo, I admire its live tracking feature and how it provides an in-depth product analysis to help you create targeted marketing funnels.
Users can access this tool via its website or mobile SDKs and signup are pretty breezy and free as you only need an email address or Google account.
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5. Whatfix
For fans of Digital Adoption platforms (DAP), Whatfix is another analytical tool to check out. Just like WalkMe, it is a no-code tool that helps businesses to increase user engagement as well as retain them in the long run.
This tool has a series of useful features that helps to boost both the user and employee experience. Features like Flows, Self-Help, Beacons, Pop Ups, and Task Lists all help to improve customer self-service, onboarding, and adoption process.
With Whatfix, you get automated analytical analysis for user information and real-time nudges to boost employees’ onboarding and productivity. This tool easily ranks on this list because it is simple to use, which can’t be said for Pendo.
Also bear in mind that with Whatfix, you can be sure to increase, engage, and retain your customer base, increasing revenue while cutting down on support ticket costs. The tool edges over Pendo because it is free to use.
You can access this tool via a web browser on your PC or mobile version for smartphones by installing the Whatfix Editor via Chrome or Firefox.
6. Userpilot
Another worthy analytical tool to look out for is Userpilot which is also a no-code product analytical tool that helps developers and product managers leverage customer information for better service.
One of the most distinguishable features of this tool is that it helps product teams gather enough data about users’ in-app experiences and use it to increase the product’s conversion rate.
With Userpilot, you can also track your product’s growth, spot issues that need fixing, and generally add value to your product. I really like that this tool offers user feedback and allows you to carry out product experiments like trial conversion to analyze user reception and determine the product’s success.
Userpilot also allows you to customize or personalize the onboarding process and boost secondary feature adoption. Most SaaS companies can also leverage this tool to reduce support ticket costs and improve overall output.
Userpilot is easy to use, affordable, and most importantly provides in-app feedback, unlike Pendo. You can access this tool via a web browser. Sign-up is free and only requires an email and password.
7. Gainsight PX
Whether you’re a beginner or an expert looking for a simple analytical tool to use, Gainsight PX should rank on your list. This product tool helps many product teams to discover the best opportunities to enhance productivity growth via viable user data.
Some of its useful features include carrying out in-app surveys, providing user feedback, and a simplified editor that makes it easy to manage in-app engagements. You also get to curate and oversee the effectiveness of your onboarding checklist.
One of the best things about using Gainsight PX is that you can always create streamlined funnels that will reflect and enhance user experience, which in turn will help increase your product’s growth metrics. You can send native serial campaigns and allow user feature discovery.
Gainsight also lets you integrate this product analytical tool with other CRM. While there’s almost no difference between Gainsight PX and Pendo, Gainsight is a better option because it is free and has several useful features without being overwhelming. You can access this tool via mobile (Android and iOS), ReactNative, or PC (Windows).
8. Appcues
Easily a favorite among many product teams, Appcues is a product adoption tool used to add value to products, improve user experience, and drive growth. It works by allowing you to set up welcome flows, personalized funnels, and targeted checklists for the right users at the right time.
With features like Slideouts, Hotspots, and Tooltips, you also get to create more awareness of product updates and gear users into discovering new features, hence saving time and the cost of advertising.
Appcues is easily a top-notch analytical tool because you can directly improve your product adoption on the tool without expert tech knowledge or engineering support.
It also carries out in-app surveys and NPS to provide useful insights on how to enhance your quality of service and add value to your product.
I also like that you can collect data directly from the tool and use them on other analytical tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, and even Hubspot. Appcues is the preferred choice because it is easy to use and free to sign up for.
You simply have to access the tool via a web browser, create your profile, create your first project, and add a task. From there, you can invite your team members and build flows to increase user experience, engagement, and retention while improving your product’s performance.
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9. Userlane
Userlane is another product analytical tool that should be on your ‘to-try’ list. This tool is beginner-friendly and easily recommended if you’re new to product design and management.
First of all, it requires no coding skills and works by helping teams create interactive funnels and guides within apps in just a few steps, saving time and effort.
Just like most analytical tools, Userlane works by improving customer support and experience but things are up a notch by allowing teams to create promotions and make instant updates to apps and products.
Userlane also helps provide meaningful insight through its concise data survey. Product adoption is a lot easier on this tool and doesn’t require expert developers to do this. You also cut down on support ticket costs.
One of the major reasons why this tool ranks on my list is that it works on every web-based software and allows for multiple hosting options. It is also highly secure due to its privacy-first system coupled with the fact that it is affordable compared to Pendo.
Users can access this tool via its official website and sign up for free.
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10. Smartlook
Smartlook is another impressive analytical tool that works for mobile apps and websites. Its most distinctive feature is that it allows for session recordings that help product teams view the real-time behavior of their users as well as their actions.
It also has an automated event tracking feature that gives you an overview of who your users are and what they are up to. You can also create conversion funnels, fix problems, and generally improve product quality and user experience.
One of the things I like best about Smartlook is its advanced filtering capabilities that work with its session recordings to ensure you only get the necessary insights needed. I also like that the automated event tracking feature is unlimited and you can always get to see what your users click on in real time.
User feedback is almost instantaneous and consistent. The most interesting part is that the setup is extremely user-friendly and anyone can start working with this tool just minutes after installation.
It also integrates with other analytical channels like Mixpanel, Intercom, and Google Analytics among others. Signup is free and you can access this tool via Android, IOS, Desktop, and ReactNative.
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11. Apty
With its main objectives being to Assist, Align, Adapt, and Accelerate, Apty is a Pendo alternative you should try out. This Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) tool is designed to help product teams manage product issues effectively.
Apty works by not only presenting you with tooltips and walkthroughs but also providing business processes and flows to accelerate growth while increasing employee productivity at the same time.
As long as you have a product transformation idea or goal in mind, Apty helps to tailor all of your tasks and processes toward the implementation of these goals. With its proactive DAP, digital software adoption is a lot faster and easier. You also get to save up on maintenance, training, and support costs when you use Apty.
You can customize and break down complicated software into simpler versions via Apty’s custom in-app and on-screen guidance. Doing this is quite easy as you don’t require a developer or write code to customize or adapt this complicated software.
Another thing to like about Apty is that it offers useful tracking and analytical tools to help with your business process and outcome. Its automation feature also allows you to share your adoption strategies and processes with team members and even the entire organization.
I also like that setting up Apty is very easy as you have in-app guidance to get you started and all of these don’t require engineering support.
With an Agile approach, you can rest assured that both your users and employees experience only the best. Apty is a better and lightweight alternative to Pendo because it is not only easy to use and offers useful features, but is also free to use.
You can access this tool via a mobile or PC web browser. All you need to sign up is to input your name, phone number, job title, and your reason for using the tool.
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12. Intercom
If you’re looking for an analytical tool that will boost your relationship with your customers, then Intercom is the way to go. Intercom is described as an Engagement OS that allows businesses to create an open channel between themselves and their users.
Whether this connection is via an app, website, or product, you can build a purposeful connection with your users at any time, based on their terms.
Through this engagement channel, you can then find ways to improve user experience and ensure that these users remain loyal to your brand.
Intercom works with tools like Chatbots, automated meeting scheduling, ABM, and a host of others to ensure that you increase your conversion rate and stay on top of your game.
You can also encourage user engagement by using the tool’s in-product and multi-product campaigns as well as tours and surveys for retention purposes.
Another impressive feature of Intercom is that you can always satisfy your users’ needs at any time as the tool provides users with personalized help in the form of proactive, human, and self-serve support.
Thus, you automatically cut down on the cost of support tickets. Intercom is a great alternative to Pendo because it is easy to use, has simple features, and gets the job done faster coupled with the fact that it is free to use.
To access this tool, you have to get started via its official site using a web browser.
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13. UserGuiding
UserGuiding is another meaningful analytical tool that helps businesses with their user onboarding processes. I also help most product designers create appealing walkthroughs in just free minutes with no need for codes or IT support.
UserGuiding is a very useful tool if you’re looking to create a sophisticated user onboarding element that is self-serving and with minimal support.
It helps you target your product at the right users, improve the in-app experience as well as guide both new and existing users throughout the period of using your product.
Unlike Pendo, UserGuiding is very easy to use and even if you still don’t understand the whole process, the tool provides a customer page where you can check out how other businesses are using the tool for their onboarding process.
That way, you can learn a lesson or two and also create streamlined walkthroughs according to how most companies in your industry are doing it.
You also spend less time creating new onboarding elements and checklists. Accessing this tool is quite easy as it works on both mobile and desktop web browsers and signup is breezy. You simply need a Google account to get started and start creating.
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14. FullStory
FullStory is a Digital Experience Intelligence (DXI) platform that helps businesses to create better digital experiences for their users to drive growth and increase value. This tool works by qualitative and quantitative user data to ensure that you make better business decisions.
Also, FullStory works by helping you improve your digital platform via useful features that will accelerate user increment, engagement, and retention.
You can also fix digital bugs and issues through surveys, real-time sessions, and feedback that details customer reactions to your product and its impact.
Another reason why FullStory is recommended is that it not only aims at user satisfaction but also increases employee efficiency by helping your workers identify loopholes and how to eliminate the issues in the best and fastest way possible.
Since FullStory has an open API, you can retrieve and send data across several tools and ensure that everyone on your team is in the loop. It works with Amplitude, Google Analytics, Intercom, and several others. Registration is free and this tool works via Android, IOS, and RealNative SDKs.
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15. Heap
The final analytical tool on this list is Heap which is a digital insights tool that helps businesses get a detailed look and understanding of their customer’s behavior. With Heap, you can be sure to achieve an increase in conversion as well as improve the digital experience and user satisfaction.
You can build a behavioral dataset with Heap by using its custom tracking, Autocapture, and server-side event tools to get a perspective on your user actions and product performance.
Heap also has a Session Replay feature that is intertwined with the tool’s funnel analysis feature to view sessions of meaningful events and create flows that are in sync with these sessions.
You also get more illumination on gray areas and what needs to be fixed to improve output and increase customer delight. This tool is free to use and can be accessed via a web browser on Android, iOS, desktop, and ReactNative.
Sign-up takes just a few steps requiring you to fill in your personal and company information as well as your reason for using the tool.
Summary
All of these analytical tools perform well and are all top choices when it comes to Pendo alternatives. My overall favorite is Appcues because it has an easy-to-use interface, and performs extremely well with its simplified but efficient features.
I also like it is beginner-friendly with no need for IT support or resources. Sign-up takes a few minutes and it generally gets the work done while ensuring you achieve digital growth and better user experiences.
