9 Best knowledge base software in 2024

As businesses evolve, managing vast amounts of information becomes a critical challenge. Whether it’s internal documentation or external customer support content, knowledge base software is now an essential tool for ensuring that the right information is available at the right time.

In 2024, the demand for streamlined knowledge management is higher than ever. But how do you choose the best knowledge base software for your business?

In this blog, we’ll break down everything you need to know, from what knowledge base software is to the best options available today.

Knowledge Base Software

Knowledge base software is a digital repository that stores and organizes information such as FAQs, guides, tutorials, and policies. It allows users—both employees and customers—to easily search for answers to their questions. This solution empowers teams by making data readily available, facilitating better decision-making and improving customer experiences.

This software falls under the Knowledge Management category and differs from tools like Microsoft SharePoint, which focus on internal collaboration.

Add-on or Enterprise Knowledge Bases

The knowledge base software market is rapidly expanding, replacing traditional paper-based resources and costly enterprise solutions.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Most knowledge base solutions are offered as SaaS, allowing businesses to provide 24/7 customer support through self-service knowledge bases. This subscription model eliminates upfront costs and ongoing maintenance, enabling limitless scalability as companies grow.

Categories of Knowledge Base Solutions

Knowledge base software comes in various forms, including:

Customer-Facing Knowledge Bases: Designed to provide customers with self-service options to find solutions to their issues without needing direct support.

Internal Knowledge Bases: Used within organizations to store procedures, guidelines, and documents that employees can reference for better collaboration and efficiency.

Open Source Knowledge Bases: These allow for greater customization and flexibility, enabling developers to modify the software to fit their needs.

Hosted Solutions: Cloud-based platforms that require no installation or maintenance by the user.

Self-Hosted Solutions: Installed on the company’s servers, giving complete control over data and customization.

Types of Knowledge Base Software

There are several types of knowledge base software available, each with its own features and capabilities. Here are some common types:

Software Documentations

Software documentation is essential for users learning to use a system, encompassing installation guides, troubleshooting help, feature explanations, onboarding materials, and more.

Product Documentation

Many companies sell products that need to be assembled or used in a specific way. Product documentation teaches your customers how to use your product correctly, which reduces the number of customer support tickets you receive.

User Manuals

A user manual is a guide that helps people learn how to use a product or service. It typically includes instructions on how to operate the product, as well as troubleshooting tips. User manuals are typically structured like books, with chapters and sections, so that users can easily find the information they need.

FAQ Pages

FAQ pages on websites provide a convenient way for customers to find answers to common questions, reducing the workload on customer support teams.

Troubleshooting Guide

A troubleshooting guide can help customers solve common problems with products. It provides different ways to diagnose and fix the problem.

Installation Guides

Installation guides help customers install new products on their systems by providing system requirements and step-by-step instructions.

Standard Operating procedure

A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a step-by-step guide that employees must follow to complete their tasks correctly and consistently. It includes all the necessary procedures and processes, as well as the desired outcome and required resources.

The Importance of Knowledge Base Software

Implementing knowledge base software offers several benefits:

Enhanced Customer Support: Customers can find answers to their questions instantly, reducing support tickets.

Increased Operational Efficiency: Employees have access to essential information, which streamlines workflows and enhances productivity.

Cost Savings: Reducing the number of support tickets can lead to significant savings in support costs.

Knowledge Retention: A well-maintained knowledge base ensures that valuable information is retained and easily accessible, even as staff turnover occurs.

Essential Features of Knowledge Base Software

When selecting knowledge base software, consider essential features such as:

Advanced Search Functionality: A robust search engine allows users to find information quickly.

Customization Options: The ability to brand and customize the knowledge base to align with corporate identity.

Analytics and Reporting: Insights into how often articles are viewed and which topics are most searched can help in content improvement.

Collaboration Tools: Features that enable team members to contribute and edit content collectively.

How to design an effective Knowledge Base for your business?

Designing a user-friendly knowledge base is crucial for enhancing content discovery and user experience. When you choose the right knowledge base software, it often comes preloaded with customizable templates tailored for optimal content organization and easy navigation.

You can personalize these templates to reflect your brand while ensuring a well-designed knowledge base that incorporates essential elements such as:

Visual Design: Use appropriate colors, fonts, spacing, and “white space” to make content more readable.

Formatting: Thoughtful use of headers, tables, call-outs, and interlinking ensures that your content is well-structured and easy to scan.

Navigation: Create an intuitive menu with clear categories and subcategories that reflect a logical information architecture.

Search Functionality: Leverage the software’s built-in search engine by using relevant keywords and intelligent tagging to enhance content discovery.

Knowledge base software typically includes these key design elements:

A homepage with a prominent search bar.

Top-level categories (at least three) displayed for easy navigation.

A navigation menu anchored at the top or left side of the page.

Collapsible categories with up to six levels for organized content.

These templates are crafted to deliver an exceptional user experience, enabling users to easily browse or search for information and access interconnected content. By designing your knowledge base thoughtfully, you provide a self-service solution that meets users' needs effectively.

9 Best Knowledge Base Software for your business in 2024

If you're interested in establishing a help center or wiki, or if you simply need a solution to better manage your work-related notes, here are 9 knowledge base software platforms that you should consider exploring.

1. Bullet.so

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“Notion website builder to build stunning websites”

If you’re looking for a best knowledge base software, Bullet.so is an excellent choice. It's perfect for both internal and external knowledge bases, offering essential features right from the start.

Bullet.so, a Notion-based Website builder, is a powerful content management system for storing, organizing, and retrieving content. It allows you to publish your content as webpages, making it easier for organizations to manage their content and increase productivity.

Bullet.so offers a comprehensive platform to manage and share knowledge seamlessly. Here are its standout features, organized by their benefits:

Efficient Content Organization

Bullet.so enables users to organize their knowledge base into categories, folders, and tags, simplifying content navigation. This structure makes finding, retrieving, and managing information easy, reducing time spent searching.

Centralized Information Storage

Store a variety of content—documents, notes, articles, and links—in one centralized repository. Bullet.so eliminates scattered data, ensuring all essential knowledge is accessible from a single platform, streamlining team operations.

Real-time Collaboration

Bullet.so supports team collaboration by allowing multiple users to contribute, edit, and update the knowledge base. This feature helps maintain up-to-date information and fosters team productivity, enabling smoother internal communication.

Custom Domain for Branding

With Bullet.so’s custom domain support, businesses can connect their knowledge base to a branded domain, enhancing professionalism and brand visibility in customer-facing portals.

Rich Media Integration for Enhanced Engagement

Bullet.so allows users to embed rich media—such as videos, images, and audio—within their knowledge base. This makes content more engaging and helps convey complex information more effectively.

Knowledge Sharing for Better Accessibility

Share your knowledge base easily with your organization or external users. Whether you need to share guides, FAQs, or training resources, Bullet.so ensures efficient knowledge dissemination, improving team workflow and customer satisfaction.

Pre-designed Templates for Quick Setup

Bullet.so offers pre-made templates to kickstart your knowledge base. These templates provide a structured format, helping you create professional, organized content without starting from scratch.

Advanced Security for Data Protection

Protect sensitive information with Bullet.so’s password protection and email verification features. These security tools ensure that only authorized users can access restricted content, maintaining confidentiality and trust.

With these features, Bullet.so simplifies the creation and management of your knowledge base, improving collaboration, security, and content accessibility—all while reinforcing your brand identity.

Overall, Bullet serves as a robust knowledge management solution, helping individuals and teams efficiently organize, access, and share information to enhance productivity and collaboration.

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Build your knowledge base today! Try Bullet.so for free!

2. Notion

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“Your all-in-one workspace for work, life, and everything in between.”

As said by Sachin Monga, (Co-founder of Cocoon), Notion is a user-friendly knowledge base platform for hosting projects, docs, and wikis for internal teams.

It offers a seamless experience for creating documentation, with flexible formatting options to ensure easy navigation and content discovery.

Notion combines knowledge base and project management features to boost productivity for your employees.

3. Bloomfire

Bloomfire is knowledge base software designed to eliminate organizational silos by centralizing knowledge. It deeply indexes all files, including videos, ensuring employees always have easy access to relevant information.

Personalized feeds deliver relevant knowledge, even content users didn't actively search for. Bloomfire fosters a community approach to knowledge, keeping employees engaged through Q&A interactions.

4. Zoho Desk Knowledge Base

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“Empower your customers with self-service”

Zoho Desk offers help desk software with an integrated knowledge base for user self-service. You can create multiple knowledge bases with custom designs to build a branded help center.

These knowledge bases can be public or private, depending on your content's purpose. Zoho Desk also supports forums and communities for user-driven assistance with product inquiries.

5. Zendesk Knowledge Base

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“Self-service support that delights your customers”

Zendesk Guide, included with Zendesk, is a knowledge base tool. It integrates with your help desk system, allowing you to craft articles for customers or support agents.

While it requires the purchase of a Zendesk help desk for access, it empowers you to create an appealing knowledge base with organized content. Zendesk Guide also maintains a history of changes, showing who made them and when.

6. Guru

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“Your company's all-in-one solution for trusted information”

Guru is a wiki tool that consolidates your team's knowledge, emphasizing the interconnectedness of information.

It offers seamless integrations with popular apps, simplifying access to data. Users can ensure content accuracy, and Guru can be customized to create visually appealing knowledge bases for various teams within your company, such as marketing, engineering, and support.

7. HelpCrunch Knowledge Base

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“Self-service support that scales with your business”

HelpCrunch provides an integrated knowledge base within its help desk software. It is user-friendly, linked to their product suite, and designed to reduce support tickets.

Unlike standalone knowledge bases, HelpCrunch includes analytics to measure article effectiveness, focusing on customer-facing solutions.

8. Document360

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“Your knowledge base software for empowering customers and teams”

Document360 is an ideal knowledge base tool for expanding businesses. It enables the creation of both public customer help centers and private employee knowledge bases.

The platform boasts a robust content creation system with a powerful editor and category manager. Additionally, it offers a "Knowledge Base Assistant" for immediate in-app customer support.

9. Helpjuice

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“Deliver instant knowledge to your team and customers”

Helpjuice is a user-friendly knowledge base tool that enhances team collaboration and simplifies customer support. Its versatile editor and customizable templates enable you to effortlessly craft a visually appealing knowledge base.

It supports managing multiple article versions, fosters team collaboration through comments, and offers performance tracking via reports.

Choosing the Right Knowledge Base Software

Selecting the right software depends on your business’s specific needs. Ask yourself:

Is the platform user-friendly and easy to navigate for both team members and customers?

Does the software allow multiple users to collaborate in real-time and keep documentation updated?

Can the platform optimize content for search engines to improve visibility and organic traffic?

How much flexibility does the software offer for branding and layout customization?

Does the software integrate with your existing tools, like CRM systems, help desks, or project management platforms?

Does the pricing model fit within your budget while offering the features you need?

Can the platform accommodate your future growth and handle an increasing number of users?

Does the software provide the security features necessary to protect your sensitive information?

These questions can help narrow down your options and ensure that you choose a platform that aligns with your long-term goals.

Help Desks vs. Knowledge Bases: What’s the Difference?

Understanding the distinction between help desk software and knowledge bases is vital for improving customer support and internal knowledge management.

Help Desk Software Defined

Help desk software, like Zendesk, acts as a ticketing system for support teams to manage customer inquiries. While feature-rich, these platforms often come with a high price tag.

Add-On Knowledge Bases

Many help desk solutions, such as Zendesk Guide, offer add-on knowledge bases. However, access typically requires a full subscription to their help desk software, which can increase costs.

Why Opt for Dedicated Knowledge Base Software?

Dedicated knowledge base software is often more cost-effective and tailored for self-service strategies. It allows for easier content creation and management, enabling users to find information quickly.

📢 If you’re looking for an intuitive and affordable way to build a comprehensive knowledge base, Give Bullet.so a try!

Relationship to Knowledge Management

Knowledge base software is a crucial component of knowledge management, which aims to gather, organize, share, and analyze an organization’s knowledge. By implementing effective knowledge base software, businesses can foster a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing.

Types of Knowledge Base Customers

Businesses that use knowledge base software fall into several categories:

Customer Support Teams: They use external knowledge bases to reduce support queries.

Internal Teams: Companies create internal knowledge bases for employee collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Freelancers and Small Teams: They prefer simple, affordable solutions like Notion or ProProfs.

EndNote

We hope this guide has provided valuable insights into selecting the right knowledge base software for your needs. Understanding your specific requirements is crucial in finding a solution that effectively meets them.

While knowledge base software is distinct from other categories like wikis and internal collaboration tools, many resources may not highlight these differences. It’s essential to conduct thorough research to distinguish between these types and their functionalities.

By applying the principles outlined in this guide, you can confidently choose a knowledge base software that enhances your organization’s efficiency and knowledge management.

📢 Create and organize your content effortlessly with our easy-to-use knowledge base software! Give Bullet.so a try today!

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