Best Help Authoring Tools for Windows of 2025

Follow - A fast tool to create step-by-step tutorials, guides, and documentation. It's a desktop tool that allows you to capture steps with every click, customize screenshots, make annotations, and create the final guide in HTML or Word Document, PDF, PowerPoint slides and more. This app is ideal for anyone who wants others to be able to navigate products, applications and training. It's as simple as that: - Take screenshots from apps, any area on your desktop, or fullscreen. You can pause, adjust, or resume. Screenshots are available with every click - Give each step an appropriate name and description. You can reorder them, hide them and add new ones as you go. Guides can be organized in projects. Add shapes, lines, arrows and text to enhance your screenshots. Don't include sensitive information. Multi-step instructions can be facilitated by adding step icons. Export with just one click to simple HTML. Ready to be published to your help desk rich HTML, PDF, or other formats

FlowShare runs in the background, records every step you take in any software, then delivers a detailed guide on how to complete your task. You can focus on what really matters instead of wasting time with documentation. And get your staff trained in on complex tasks and processes in hours, instead of days or weeks. You get easy to distribute accurate information with all of your guides looking great - no matter who creates them! FlowShare AI-Powered assistant provides 24/7 instant help, ready to guide your end-users through troubleshooting and problem-solving independently. FlowShare Portal provides a Central Knwoledge Hub, making the solutions and step-by-step guides readily accessible, fostering an environment of continuous learning and collaboration.

Document360 is a smart Knowledge base platform. With powerful AI features and advanced tools, it helps businesses create, manage, and share high-quality documentation for diverse use cases. Use Cases Knowledge Base for Customers and Teams Create a centralized knowledge hub with AI-powered search and auto-tagging to ensure quick answers and improved team productivity. Analytics help identify gaps and optimize content. IT Documentation (Including API Docs) Streamline technical documentation with markdown support, version control, and features for developers like code snippet embedding. AI ensures content is always accurate and relevant. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Maintain consistent processes across teams with a central repository for SOPs. AI-driven categorization and content suggestions make creation and updates simple. User Manuals Design professional manuals with customization options, AI summarization, and localization tools to cater to diverse user needs.

With ClickHelp you can create online FAQs, help files, user manuals, knowledge bases, guides, etc. and publish them instantly. Also, you can create printed documentation in various formats. ClickHelp is easy to set up and use - no installation, runs in a web browser and supports multiple platforms: Mac OS, Windows, and Linux. Why ClickHelp? Here are some points: * Easy to use WYSIWYG topic editor, as well as HTML source mode. * Translation module to create a multi-language documentation site * Password-protected online help. * ClickHelp can import content from Microsoft Word, HTML, Markdown, RTF, CHM, ODT, etc. and export to CHM, HTML5 Web Help, PDF, DOCX, etc. * Powerful full-text search. * In-depth analytics and reporting. * Context help engine. * Branding options. * Global find and replace. * Automatic link validation and update. * Dynamic content support for single-sourcing - snippets, variables, conditional blocks. * Single Sign-On support for Google, Microsoft Azure AD, Salesforce and custom * OpenID Connect providers * Taxonomies * Readability scores and metrics. Integrations: Zapier, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Zendesk, AddThis, Google Translate, YouTube and much more.

Archbee is a lightweight, flexible docs tool. Build product documentation, internal wikis, knowledge bases, API references, developer guides, changelogs, diagrams — in one app. Archbee helps your team communicate asynchronously. This makes you effective and remote-ready—one of the fastest & smartest editors ever strapped on a documentation tool. If you have a complex product or your users are developers, you need product docs. We make it mega easy to set up branded docs on your domain with all the bells and whistles.

MadCap Flare lets you create and manage technical documentation for online Help, API documentation, policy and procedure manuals, knowledge bases, or user guides.

FastHelp is a versatile Windows Help File Generator that allows users to create both online and offline documentation effortlessly. With the capability to compile into various formats from a single source editor, you only need to type your content once and can convert it to any desired format with ease. To appreciate the user-friendly nature of FastHelp, check out the video located further down this page. The following list outlines the compilation formats available through FastHelp. Our product is repeatedly favored over competitors because it significantly reduces both time and costs, thanks to its remarkable intuitiveness and efficiency. Instead of navigating complex learning curves with other software, you can generate a fully functional help file in less than one minute using FastHelp; all you need to do afterward is input the help text. Our dedicated clientele includes a range of users, from independent developers to major corporations such as NASA, General Motors, 3M, and Motorola, demonstrating the trust and satisfaction that FastHelp has garnered in the industry. With such a diverse user base, it’s clear that FastHelp meets a variety of documentation needs efficiently.

The Help Generator offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed for creating CHM help files, web-based assistance, and printed user manuals. Its contemporary editing interface, influenced by Office aesthetics, is packed with features that enhance productivity and ensure high-quality results. You can utilize the WYSIWYG (HTML) Help Editor, which features a modern Windows fluent ribbon for seamless editing. With the Help Generator, you can create standard Windows help files, often referred to as CHM files or compiled HTML help, as well as online help for any Windows application. The accompanying add-in generates a detailed topic page for each form within your application, complete with a title, a screenshot featuring an image map, and sections dedicated to all controls. Notably, the pages produced by this add-in are automatically integrated with your application, providing immediate F1 support for context-sensitive help. Additionally, there are add-in versions compatible with Visual Studio .NET, Visual Basic 6, and Microsoft Access, making it a versatile option for different development environments. This flexibility allows developers to streamline the documentation process, ensuring that users have easy access to the information they need.

HelpScribble is a versatile and user-friendly help authoring tool designed to assist you in creating comprehensive help files from the ground up. With it, you can seamlessly generate WinHelp (.hlp) files, HTML Help (.chm) files, printed manuals, and online documentation for your website all within a single HelpScribble project. If you have prior experience with another help authoring software, you can easily incorporate your existing work by importing HPJ+RTF files produced by that tool or through the use of a help decompiler. The help files generated with HelpScribble can be utilized to offer context-sensitive assistance for your Windows applications, regardless of the development environment employed. Moreover, HelpScribble allows you to create standalone portable documents for distribution. This software is compatible with a wide range of Windows operating systems including Windows 98, ME, NT4, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10, and it even supports help file creation for older versions like Windows 3.1 and 95. You can easily download a complimentary evaluation version to explore its features and functionality firsthand. This tool is an excellent choice for anyone looking to streamline their help documentation process efficiently.

WinCHM is an intuitive and robust tool designed for creating help documentation. It allows users to effortlessly master the art of producing professional and visually appealing help files in formats such as HTML Help (CHM), web-based help, PDF manuals, and Word documents. With its advanced capabilities, you can generate a CHM file from the ground up or convert a collection of existing HTML files into a CHM format. Additionally, it offers the functionality to open and modify existing CHM files. The software supports templates, enabling users to create consistently styled HTML help files with ease. It also provides comprehensive features for web help development, including Contents, Index, Search, and Bookmark functionalities. An integrated WYSIWYG HTML editor eliminates the need for an external word processor, making editing CHM files straightforward. Moreover, the super table of contents hierarchy editor enhances organization, and features like multi-select moving and icon changes simplify the design process. WinCHM Pro is truly user-friendly, allowing anyone to utilize its powerful features without requiring extensive learning. Overall, it's an excellent solution for anyone looking to streamline the help authoring process.

HelpSmith is a comprehensive help authoring tool that enables users to generate CHM HTML Help files, Web Help systems, printed manuals, Adobe PDF documents, Microsoft Word documents, and ePub eBooks from one source. For those in search of a solution to create a CHM help file, an online Web Help system, or a PDF manual, HelpSmith offers an extensive array of features, including a robust word processor for drafting help topics and a built-in screenshot utility that can automatically capture help for dialog windows. With HelpSmith, you can effortlessly produce a CHM help file, a responsive Web Help system that works seamlessly on both desktop and mobile devices, a printed manual, a PDF document, an ePub eBook, and a Microsoft Word document all from a single source project. Additionally, the included word processor has a spell checker and supports dictionaries in various languages, making it easier to write clear and accurate content. This versatility makes HelpSmith an ideal choice for anyone needing to create comprehensive help documentation in multiple formats.

LockStep offers a user-friendly and swift authoring interface that incorporates all the integrated editors available in WinSequence Enterprise. It allows for direct image capture using compatible cameras, similar to WinSequence Enterprise. However, LockStep targets smaller businesses that require a straightforward, single-user desktop solution for creating and exporting formatted PDF instructions. Both LockStep and the enterprise offerings share the same data model, making it seamless to upgrade to the enterprise suite when necessary. This upgrade often occurs when there is a demand for a network-capable multi-user solution for writers, the need for electronic work instructions accessible via web browser in the production environment, or when integration with other IT systems is sought. Notably, WinSequence Enterprise maintains the same interface as the LockStep application, ensuring that only minimal additional training is needed to utilize the expanded functionalities of WinSequence. This makes the transition not only smooth but also efficient for users familiar with LockStep.

Your users can create effective help documentation by next week. Dr.Explain is a help authoring tool that allows you to create help files, user documentation, and online help manuals in HTML, PDF, WORD, WORD, and CHM formats. Your product is great, but users continue asking the same questions every day. Your support team is overwhelmed and your email inbox is full. You have to spend all of your time calling customers, even though your product is flawless. You receive constant requests for online demos. You can create user-friendly help documents for your customers using Dr.Explain in just two days. This will cut down on your support team's workload up to half. Your customers can make the most out of your product without you having to help. This saves you time, money, effort, and effort. You can create help documentation once with Dr.Explain, and then publish it in many formats, including a help center integrated into your mobile app or desktop, or an online repository integrated with your website.

HintEd makes it easy to quickly onboard new employees into digital platforms. It does this without the need for them to leave their workplaces. HintEd is a no-code tool. It includes plugins, standalone windows applications, and SDKs to create interactive in-app walksthroughs (hints popups, tooltips), for enterprise applications: desktop and web. Our services help companies reduce training costs by up to 2x, increase employee onboarding, and reduce support costs by 70%. HintEd replaces User handbooks, face to face training, and video guides. It is the ideal solution for SMBs as well as Enterprises looking to automate customer/software support and software training.

The WYSIWYG editor eliminates the necessity to learn HTML or any other markup language for its use. It features an array of integrated content elements such as images, code samples, step-by-step tutorials, videos, FAQs, and quizzes. Additionally, it accommodates various output formats, including Markdown, DocBook, and DITA. All languages can be managed within a single project file, removing the hassle of maintaining separate projects for each supported language. This tool comes equipped with several built-in utilities, such as a screenshot capture tool, tutorial creator, FAQ and quiz generators, and a GIF recorder, making it convenient for users. You can produce technical content professionally, even without prior experience in technical writing. The steep learning curves associated with traditional technical writing software are a thing of the past, as Helpinator simplifies complex tasks with an intuitive user interface. Features like the built-in phrase expander enhance writing speed, while step-by-step guides and annotated screenshots facilitate clearer documentation. Consequently, users can effortlessly generate visually appealing and effective documentation tailored to their needs. Ultimately, this tool empowers anyone to create high-quality documentation without the usual barriers.

FAR HTML is a suite designed for help authoring and file management, ideal for those who need to efficiently handle HTML, XML, and ASCII text files, as well as create help documentation for various formats like HTML Help 1.x and MS Help Viewer. Utilizing FAR HTML can lead to significant savings in both time and resources when working on help projects. It integrates seamlessly with MS Workshop and SDK, allowing for simultaneous use. Additionally, FAR HTML can function in batch mode, enabling unattended operations. You can try the full version with a 30-day free trial. It also supports the creation of WebHelp through straightforward HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The software boasts partial translations in Japanese, German, and Simplified Chinese, making it accessible to a wider audience. FAR HTML fills many gaps left by conventional tools, proving its worth in creating and maintaining high-quality documentation and help resources. Notably, while some competing tools are priced over ten times higher than FAR HTML, they often fall short in terms of features and reliability. Ultimately, FAR Tools are designed to enhance your productivity, allowing you to focus on your work with greater efficiency. Users can expect to experience a significant boost in their workflow due to the capabilities of FAR HTML.

Discover your go-to software for generating Help, policy, and knowledgebase materials, now available for Mac users. Start effortlessly with user-friendly authoring tools built on HTML5 and CSS3. Produce Microcontent that powers cutting-edge media such as AI-driven chatbot applications and beyond. Easily incorporate contemporary formats like Markdown, alongside traditional ones like Word and HTML5. Craft engaging content enriched with diverse media elements. Streamline your review processes through built-in online review capabilities. Efficiently handle document versions using top collaboration and source control tools. Enjoy single-source publishing across any screen, device, or format you prefer. Provide outstanding and interactive content experiences with Frameless Responsive HTML5 output. Experience the power of Adobe RoboHelp to create high-quality Help, policy, and procedure documentation, now also compatible with Mac. Additionally, develop Microcontent that enhances chatbots, featured snippets in search results, and much more, ensuring your content remains at the forefront of technology.

Help+Manual is a fully featured documentation tool. It is as simple as a word processor but much more powerful. It gives you the power and flexibility of an XML editor. This tool also includes powerful features to generate and edit help and documentation files, including full support of multimedia and complex modular projects. It doesn't matter if you want to publish documentation for desktop, mobile, iOS, Android, Windows help, or PDF user manuals. Help+Manual makes it easy! Single source documentation is more than simply putting the same information in different formats. Conditional tags can be used to mark content and create different outputs for each publication channel. No post-processing is necessary. Help+Manual takes care of the complicated aspects of documentation generation. However, power users can access the code to modify topic and layout templates, and much more. Help+Manual offers the best of both worlds.

Heretto is the ultimate AI-powered content operations platform for customer-driven companies. Empower users to resolve product issues independently with our end-to-end cloud-based CCMS, Deploy API, and Portal. Create, manage, and distribute personalized documentation seamlessly for exceptional content experiences.

OnPlan work instruction software makes it easy to efficiently create, maintain, and deploy maintenance instructions for large industrial equipment. AssetOn's OnPlan work instruction software is designed for maintenance departments that are frustrated by the time it takes build and manage maintenance documents. OnPlan software and services allow users to quickly create, manage, and deploy high-quality work instructions and inspection sheets using repeatable elements. This makes it easier to plan and execute jobs safely and efficiently, resulting in fewer injuries. The solution is specifically designed for asset managers and owners who own heavy industrial assets. You will receive detailed hazard and control alerts, stop-and-halt steps, and management of fatal risks. Document development and management costs can be reduced by up to 50% Clear instructions and job readiness checks can reduce execution time by as much as 20%