Best Trainual Alternatives 2026: Top Training & Documentation Software

Trainual has built a solid reputation in the employee training platform and process documentation space, but it's certainly not your only option. Starting at $249/month with some notable limitations around customization, integrations, and search, many teams find themselves looking for alternatives that better fit their specific needs and budgets.

Maybe you're hunting for more affordable pricing. Or perhaps you need stronger visual documentation tools. Whatever the reason, 2026 has brought several compelling Trainual alternatives worth exploring.

Top Trainual Alternatives at a Glance

Tool	Best For	Starting Price	Free Plan
Glitter AI	Visual process documentation with screen recording	$16/month (Free: 10 guides total)	Yes
Scribe	Quick step-by-step guide creation	$12-23/user/month (Team requires 5-seat min)	Yes (web only)
Whale	AI-powered SOPs with team collaboration	$99/month (up to 10 users)	Yes (up to 5 users)
Notion	All-in-one workspace for documentation	$10/seat/month	Yes (up to 10 users)
Confluence	Documentation for technical teams	$5.67/user/month (annual)	Yes (limited)
SweetProcess	Dedicated SOP management	$99/month	14-day trial
Process Street	Workflow automation with documentation	Custom pricing	Free knowledge base

Why Look for Trainual Alternatives?

Trainual handles plenty of things well, but users tend to bump into the same pain points:

High Cost for Small Teams That $249/month starting price for 10 seats stings for startups and smaller businesses. One Reddit user summed it up: "You are paying a significant convenience surcharge with them... For a small business, I think their pricing is wild." The per-seat model also means costs climb fast as your team grows, even when most people rarely log in. Another user shared: "It wasn't worth it. It's an empty platform to hold your SOPs for a monthly fee charged per person in your team. It was costly."

Limited Customization Options This frustration surfaces constantly in reviews. Users feel boxed in by "limited customization options" and "limited font options," making it tough to match company branding or create unique learning experiences. A G2 reviewer explained: "Formatting wasn't always super simple... There were also issues with adding PDFs, as updates to documents required manual changes in all areas."

Poor Search Functionality Search is probably the biggest gripe. One user put it plainly: "I don't like the current search functionality in Trainual. It's difficult to search for information by keywords effectively. People have different ways of phrasing topics, and as it stands, it's challenging to locate the necessary information."

Integration Limitations Users report that "integrations are not enough for a full experience." Connecting with communication platforms for automated reminders and progress tracking remains a weak spot.

Complex Administration The admin side feels clunky to many. Users mention needing exports to accomplish basic tasks, and "the dashboard can be confusing. Not intuitive." That translates to a steeper learning curve for administrators.

Feature Restrictions by Plan Want due dates for subjects? You'll need the Premium plan at $399/month. It seems odd that basic functionality requires an upgrade.

Mobile App Needs Improvement The mobile experience falls short. Users note "the mobile app needs improvement" and wish "the directory needs to be more accessible, so new hires will be able to use their smartphones before coming to the workplace."

1. Glitter AI - Best for Visual Process Documentation

Glitter AI stands out for teams wanting visual, step-by-step documentation without grinding through manual work. Rather than typing instructions and grabbing screenshots one by one, you record yourself completing the task. Glitter's AI takes it from there, transforming your recording into polished process documentation tools.

Key Features

Screen Recording to Documentation Record your screen while walking through any process on desktop apps, browsers, or mobile. Glitter watches your actions and listens to your narration, then generates numbered steps with screenshots and clear instructions. It works across pretty much any application: Excel, Salesforce, internal tools, whatever you use.

Video-to-SOP Conversion Already have videos collecting dust? Zoom recordings, Loom videos, screen captures? Upload them and convert them into searchable, step-by-step documentation. All common formats work: MP4, MOV, AVI, WebM, and MKV.

AI-Powered Features

• AI transcription in 99 languages
• Smart screenshot capture at key moments
• Automatic step detection
• Intelligent instruction writing
• Context-aware editing based on screen actions and voice

Visual Editor The built-in editor handles cropping, annotating, blurring sensitive data, adding arrows, highlights, and numbered callouts. Automatic redaction rules protect PII like emails and account numbers (available on paid plans).

Collaboration & Export Set up shared workspaces with role-based permissions. Export to PDF, HTML, Markdown, or Word. Embed your guides in 100+ platforms: Notion, Confluence, SharePoint, Google Docs, Zendesk, Intercom, and more.

Pricing

• Free Plan: 10 guides total
• Pro Monthly: $20/month
• Pro Annual: $16/month (billed annually)
• Enterprise: Starting at $8,000/year
• Note: Only creators pay; no viewer fees for embedded guides

Pros

• Documentation creation runs about 11x faster thanks to screen recording
• Converts existing videos into searchable docs
• 99-language support suits global teams well
• Built-in PII redaction helps with compliance (paid plans)
• No viewer fees for embedded guides keeps costs predictable
• Multiple export formats available
• Works with any application via desktop app or browser extension (Chromium browsers only)

Cons

• Newer platform compared to some established players
• Works best for visual, step-by-step processes
• Limited native training and quiz features
• Non-Chromium browsers require desktop app
• No GIF export
• AI voiceover/narration coming soon

Best For

Teams needing visual documentation created quickly from screen recordings or existing videos. Particularly useful for technical documentation, customer support guides, IT procedures, and onboarding materials.

2. Scribe - Best for Quick Step-by-Step Guides

Scribe captures your clicks and keystrokes and turns them into step-by-step guides automatically. It works especially well for web-based workflows and provides solid sharing options.

Key Features

Automatic Capture Hit "record" in the browser extension or desktop app, then walk through your process. Scribe watches your actions and creates written instructions with screenshots on its own.

Interactive Walkthroughs The Guide Me feature builds in-browser walkthroughs. Sidekick helps users discover and view relevant guides for whatever website they're browsing.

Document Builder Combine multiple Scribe guides with text, videos, links, and other content into comprehensive training documents.

Enterprise Security For larger organizations, there's SSO, SCIM user provisioning, IP whitelisting, AI-powered PII/PHI redaction, and API access.

Pricing

• Basic: Free (web apps only)
• Pro Personal: $23/user/month (solo users)
• Pro Team: $12/user/month with 5-seat minimum ($60/month minimum)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing (users report around $18,000/year for small teams)

Pros

• Quick guide creation for web-based processes
• Clean, professional-looking output
• Free plan gets you started
• Decent selection of integrations
• Good sharing and embedding capabilities

Cons

• Free plan only covers web apps
• That 5-seat minimum on team plans bothers smaller teams
• Enterprise pricing can surprise you. One Reddit user reported: "I called to get enterprise pricing and was given $39 per user plus an additional $1300 per month. So that is $18,000 per year for 5 users. I feel like this was a bait and switch."
• Annual billing is required
• Basic plan lacks desktop capture and export options
• Desktop app reliability issues. Users report "blank scribes" where nothing gets captured after recording

Best For

Teams running primarily web-based workflows who want fast documentation. Works well for SaaS tools, customer support, and internal process documentation.

3. Whale - Best for Structured SOP Management

Whale combines AI-powered SOP software and training features with an emphasis on automation and keeping documentation organized.

Key Features

AI-Powered Documentation Automated step recording, pre-built templates, and intelligent content suggestions speed up the documentation process.

Training Programs Automated training programs handle onboarding and ongoing development. Interactive modules include quizzes, challenges, and multimedia content to maintain engagement.

Integrations Connects well with Microsoft Teams and Slack, letting your team access docs and training materials within their existing workflow.

Process Tracking Monitor who's completed training, track progress, and identify knowledge gaps across your team.

Pricing

• Free Plan: Up to 5 users
• Scale: $99/month (up to 10 users)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Pros

• Interface feels fairly intuitive
• Training and onboarding features work well
• Gamification actually drives engagement
• Pre-built templates save setup time
• Pricing structure makes sense for small teams

Cons

• User limits on lower tiers may push you toward an upgrade sooner than expected
• Less flexible than general-purpose tools like Notion
• Focused heavily on SOPs, not broader documentation needs
• Editor limitations frustrate users: "The text editor feature in Whale is not perfect. Selecting fonts, font size, etc. is not possible with Whale" (G2 Review)
• Importing existing documents can be "messy" and "challenging," often requiring you to start from scratch

Best For

Growing teams wanting a structured, organized approach to SOPs and employee training with built-in automation.

4. Notion - Best for Flexible Documentation

Notion brings together notes, tasks, databases, calendars, and documentation into one customizable workspace. It handles a wide range of use cases reasonably well.

Key Features

Flexible Building Blocks Various content block types allow extensive customization. Build wikis, databases, project boards, and documentation all in one place.

Collaboration Real-time collaboration with granular permission controls. Comment, tag teammates, and work together on documentation.

Integration Ecosystem Connects with numerous external business apps to unify workflows and information.

AI Features Notion AI helps generate content, summarize information, and improve documentation quality.

Pricing

• Free: Up to 10 users
• Plus: $10/seat/month
• Business: $15/seat/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Pros

• Extremely flexible and customizable
• Clean, intuitive interface
• Strong collaboration features
• Reasonable pricing
• Handles far more than documentation alone

Cons

• Requires more setup time than specialized tools
• Can become messy without good organizational discipline
• Not designed specifically for training workflows
• Advanced features come with a learning curve
• Performance issues at scale. Users report lag with large workspaces and databases
• Support can be slow. Users describe a "black hole" for support tickets

Best For

Teams wanting a single platform for documentation, project management, and knowledge sharing. Best suited for organizations comfortable building their own structure.

5. Confluence - Best for Technical Teams

Confluence from Atlassian is built for documentation-heavy work, particularly for IT teams and organizations already using Jira, Trello, or other Atlassian products.

Key Features

Structured Documentation Content trees, templates, and organizational tools designed for technical documentation and project collaboration.

Team Collaboration Internal wikis, whiteboards, and collaborative editing support remote team documentation needs.

Atlassian Integration Deep integration with Jira, Trello, Bitbucket, and other Atlassian products creates smooth workflows.

Automation Automate repetitive documentation tasks and organize content so people can actually locate it.

Pricing

• Free Plan: Up to 10 users, limited features
• Standard: $5.67/user/month (annual) or $6.70/user/month (monthly)
• Premium: $10.83/user/month (annual) or $13.20/user/month (monthly)
• Enterprise: Custom quote
• Data Center: ~$28,000/year for 500 users

Note: Atlassian implemented significant price increases in October 2025

Pros

• Powerful for technical documentation
• Atlassian integration works exceptionally well
• Version control and collaboration are solid
• Mature, stable platform
• Scales well for large organizations

Cons

• Can overwhelm non-technical teams
• Interface feels dated next to newer competitors
• Costs accumulate with larger teams. One enterprise customer reported costs jumping from "$150k to $500k per year" over three years
• Overkill for straightforward training documentation
• Search functionality draws consistent criticism: "The search function on confluence is absolute shit" (Reddit user)
• Performance issues: "Confluence is painfully slow and the user interface is confusing"

Best For

IT teams, software development organizations, and companies already invested in Atlassian. Best suited for technical documentation and project collaboration.

6. SweetProcess - Best for Dedicated SOP Focus

SweetProcess concentrates on one thing: creating and managing standard operating procedures with simplicity at the core.

Key Features

SOP-Specific Tools Purpose-built features for documenting, organizing, and maintaining SOPs and procedures.

Task Management Assign procedures as tasks, track completion, and manage ongoing process execution.

Collaboration Tools Team members can comment, suggest improvements, and work together on procedure documentation.

Zapier Integration Connect with other business tools through Zapier for workflow automation.

Pricing

• Standard: $99/month (includes up to 20 active members)
• Additional Users: $5/month per active member beyond 20
• Annual Billing: $82.50/month (billed at $990/year)
• Free Trial: 14 days, no credit card required

Note: SweetProcess uses an "active member" policy. You only pay for users who actually use the system (logged in at least twice in the past 14 days)

Pros

• Simple, focused interface for SOPs
• Phone and 24/7 live support
• No per-user pricing complexity
• Good for compliance-focused organizations
• Straightforward implementation

Cons

• Limited features beyond SOP management
• No free plan (only a trial)
• Fewer integrations than trainual competitors. Relies heavily on Zapier
• Less visual than screen recording tools
• Base price can feel steep for micro-teams (1-5 users): "If you only have a couple of users, the base price of $99/month might feel steep"
• Mobile app has had reliability issues with images and attachments

Best For

Organizations prioritizing traditional text-based SOPs who want a dedicated, simple platform with strong support options.

7. Process Street - Best for Workflow Automation

Process Street positions itself as a Compliance Operations Platform, combining document management with workflow automation and AI monitoring.

Key Features

No-Code Workflow Engine Transform SOPs and policies into automated, structured task workflows with conditional logic.

Document Management Centralized, searchable hub for procedures and SOPs with version control.

AI Monitoring Embedded AI agent monitors activity in real-time for compliance and quality assurance.

Pages (Free Knowledge Base) Free, forever knowledge base tool for capturing and organizing operational knowledge.

Integration Capabilities Extensive third-party integrations including Zapier for automatic workflow triggers.

Pricing

• Pages: Free forever for knowledge management
• Workflow Plans: Custom pricing based on needs

Pros

• Automation capabilities are robust
• Free knowledge base option available
• Solid fit for compliance-sensitive functions
• Drag-and-drop editor works for non-technical users
• Intelligent, adaptive workflows

Cons

• Full platform pricing isn't transparent
• Advanced automation requires some learning
• May exceed what you need for simple documentation
• Complex features take time to master

Best For

Mid-market companies in operations, compliance, finance, and HR running repeatable processes like onboarding, contract reviews, and approvals. Particularly strong for compliance-sensitive industries.

Detailed Feature Comparison

Feature	Glitter AI	Scribe	Whale	Notion	Confluence	SweetProcess	Process Street
Screen Recording	✓	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗
Video-to-SOP	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗
Auto-Generated Guides	✓	✓	Partial	✗	✗	✗	✗
Training Programs	✗	✗	✓	Manual	Manual	✓	✓
Quizzes/Tests	✗	✗	✓	Manual	Manual	✗	✗
Workflow Automation	✗	✗	Partial	✗	Partial	✗	✓
Free Plan	✓ (10 guides total)	✓ (web only)	✓ (5 users)	✓ (10 users)	✓ (limited)	✗	✓ (Pages only)
Mobile App	✗	✓	✓	✓	✓	✗	✓
AI Features	✓	✓	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓
Multi-Language	✓ (99 languages)	✓	Limited	Manual	Manual	Manual	Manual
PII Redaction	✓ (paid plans)	✓ (Enterprise)	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗
Export Options	PDF, HTML, MD, Word	PDF, Link	Limited	PDF, HTML, MD	PDF, Word	PDF	PDF
Embed in Tools	100+ platforms	Good	Limited	Good	Good	Limited	Good

Pricing Comparison

Most Affordable Options

For Solo Users:

• Glitter AI: Free for 10 guides total, then $16-20/month
• Notion: Free for up to 10 users
• Confluence: Free plan available (up to 10 users), $5.67/user/month for Standard (annual)

For Small Teams (5-10 users):

• Glitter AI: $16-20/month (no viewer fees for embedded guides)
• Scribe Pro Team: $60/month (5 seats minimum at $12/seat)
• Whale: $99/month (up to 10 users)
• SweetProcess: $99/month (up to 20 active users, then $5/user)

For Growing Teams (10-50 users):

• Notion: $100-150/month (10-15 seats)
• Confluence: $283-340/month (50 users at $5.67-6.70/user)
• Trainual: $249-399/month (10 seats plus additional seat costs)

Value Analysis

Best Value for Visual Documentation: Glitter AI delivers the most cost-effective path to visual guides, with no viewer fees for embedded content.

Best Value for Traditional Documentation: Notion offers exceptional flexibility at $10/seat/month with no minimum seat requirements.

Best Value for SOP-Focused Teams: Whale and SweetProcess both charge a flat $99/month, which removes per-user cost concerns.

How to Choose the Right Trainual Alternative

If you need visual, step-by-step documentation created quickly...

Consider Glitter AI or Scribe. Both automatically generate documentation from your actions. Glitter AI has an edge with video conversion and multi-language support.

If you want a comprehensive training platform with quizzes and tracking...

Whale is worth a close look. It's purpose-built for structured employee training with gamification and automated programs.

If you need maximum flexibility and want one platform for everything...

Notion is probably your best bet. It's the most versatile option, combining documentation, project management, databases, and collaboration.

If you're a technical team already using Atlassian products...

Confluence makes the most sense. The deep integration with Jira and other Atlassian tools is tough to match.

If you focus solely on traditional text-based SOPs...

SweetProcess deserves consideration. Its dedicated focus and flat pricing make it simple to implement and manage.

If you need workflow automation with compliance tracking...

Process Street fits the bill. The combination of documentation and automated workflows suits compliance-sensitive operations well.

If cost is your primary concern...

Start with Glitter AI (free for 10 guides, $16-20/month for unlimited), Notion (free for up to 10 users), or Confluence (free plan for up to 10 users, then $5.67/user/month annual).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest Trainual alternative?

It depends on your team size. For small teams, Glitter AI ($16-20/month with no viewer fees for embeds), Notion (free for up to 10 users), and Confluence (free for up to 10 users, then $5.67/user/month annual) offer the most affordable options. SweetProcess and Whale both charge a flat $99/month for up to 10-20 users, which is considerably cheaper than Trainual's $249/month base price.

Can I migrate my existing Trainual content to another platform?

Most platforms let you export content from Trainual and import it into their systems. Notion, Confluence, and Process Street all support importing documentation. For platforms like Glitter AI and Scribe, you may need to recreate visual guides. This can actually improve your documentation by adding screenshots and step-by-step visuals.

Which Trainual alternative has the best mobile app?

Notion, Confluence, and Whale all offer solid mobile apps with good functionality. If mobile access matters for your frontline workers, these platforms provide better mobile experiences than Trainual based on user reviews.

Do these alternatives offer training analytics like Trainual?

Whale and Process Street provide the most comprehensive training analytics, including completion tracking, progress monitoring, and reporting. Notion and Confluence require more manual setup for tracking. Glitter AI and Scribe focus on documentation creation rather than training analytics.

Which platform is easiest to implement?

Glitter AI and Scribe are the quickest to get started with for basic documentation since you can begin creating guides immediately with minimal setup. For more comprehensive platforms, users report that Whale and SweetProcess have the most straightforward onboarding processes.

Can these tools handle video content like Trainual?

Yes, several alternatives support video. Glitter AI specifically converts videos into step-by-step documentation. Notion, Confluence, and Whale all allow embedding videos in documentation. If you primarily want video-based training, though, you might consider platforms built specifically for video learning management.

Which alternative is best for remote teams?

All of these trainual alternatives work well for remote teams, but Notion and Confluence stand out with their real-time collaboration features. Glitter AI's multi-language support (99 languages) makes it particularly strong for global remote teams.

Our Top Pick: Glitter AI

For most teams looking to move away from Trainual, Glitter AI offers the best mix of ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and capable features.

Here's why Glitter AI stands out:

Speed of Documentation: Creating a guide in Trainual means writing step-by-step instructions and grabbing manual screenshots. With Glitter AI, you record yourself completing the task once, and the AI generates professional documentation automatically. That's hours of documentation time you get back.

Cost Efficiency: At $16-20/month with no viewer fees for embedded guides, Glitter AI costs a fraction of Trainual's $249/month base price. Small teams can use the free plan (10 guides total) indefinitely.

Visual Quality: Automatic screenshot capture and built-in editing tools produce more visually compelling documentation than manually created guides. The ability to annotate, blur sensitive data (on paid plans), and add callouts ensures professional results without extra work.

Flexibility: Convert existing videos into documentation, support 99 languages for global teams, and export to any format. Integration with 100+ platforms means your documentation lives where your team already works.

No Vendor Lock-in: Export your guides to PDF, HTML, Markdown, or Word whenever you want. Your documentation isn't trapped in a proprietary system.

Privacy-First AI: Unlike some trainual competitors, Glitter AI never uses your data to train AI models. Your documentation stays yours.

That said, if you need built-in training programs with quizzes and completion tracking, Whale ($99/month) offers better native training features while still being significantly cheaper than Trainual.

For teams needing workflow automation alongside documentation, Process Street provides the most comprehensive compliance and automation capabilities.

Final Thoughts

Trainual works well for many teams, but it's not the only game in town for employee training and process documentation. The alternatives covered here offer different strengths at various price points.

The best choice depends on what you're actually looking for:

• Choose Glitter AI for fast, visual documentation at the lowest cost
• Choose Whale for structured training programs with automation
• Choose Notion for ultimate flexibility across documentation and project management
• Choose Scribe for quick web-based guide creation
• Choose Confluence if you're already using Atlassian products
• Choose SweetProcess for simple, dedicated SOP management
• Choose Process Street for workflow automation with compliance tracking

Most of these platforms offer free trials or free plans, so you can test before committing. Start by identifying your top priorities (visual documentation, training analytics, cost, automation) and test the 2-3 options that match best.

The right documentation platform can save your team hundreds of hours while cutting onboarding time and improving operational consistency. It's worth spending time finding the tool that fits your workflow, budget, and long-term goals.