Best Trainual Alternatives: Find the Right SOP & Training Software

Trainual is solid for employee onboarding and SOP documentation, but at $249/month for just 25 users on their Small plan, it's not cheap-and it's not perfect for everyone. Maybe you need better analytics, a free tier to get started, or something that handles live task execution instead of just documentation.

I've tested and researched the top Trainual alternatives to help you find the right fit. Here's the breakdown.

Why People Leave Trainual

Before diving into alternatives, let's be clear about what Trainual does well and where it falls short:

What Trainual does well:

Common complaints:

If any of these hit home, here are your options.

The Best Trainual Alternatives Compared

PlatformBest ForStarting PriceFree Plan?
TalentLMSFull LMS with course creation$109/mo (up to 40 users)Yes (5 users, 10 courses)
WhaleAI-powered SOP documentationFree tier availableYes
ScribeAuto-documenting processesFree / $12-23/user/moYes
Process StreetWorkflow automation & compliance$100/mo (Startup plan)No (14-day trial)
SweetProcessSimple procedure docs$99/mo (20 users)14-day trial
CoassembleGrowing teamsCustom pricingTrial only
Document360Knowledge base + SOPsCustom pricingTrial only

1. TalentLMS - Best Full-Featured LMS Alternative

TalentLMS is arguably the most popular Trainual alternative if you want a complete learning management system, not just SOP documentation. It's designed for organizations that need to deliver actual training courses-not just store procedures.

Pricing:

All paid plans offer a 20% discount when billed annually compared to monthly billing, making the annual commitment significantly more economical.

What's good:

What's not:

Bottom line: If you need to train employees on courses (not just give them reference docs), TalentLMS is the upgrade. The free tier alone makes it worth testing. It's particularly strong for companies with 50-500 employees who need structured learning paths, progress tracking, and compliance documentation.

2. Whale - Best for AI-Powered SOP Creation

Whale is the closest direct competitor to Trainual. It's an AI-powered SOP platform focused on documentation, training, and knowledge management-essentially what Trainual does, but with a different approach and better AI capabilities.

Pricing:

Whale uses AI tokens for certain features like AI Quiz generation and converting videos to guides. Ask Alice (the AI assistant) does not consume tokens.

What's good:

What's not:

Bottom line: If you like what Trainual does but want better AI features and a more modern interface, Whale is worth a serious look. The free tier lets you test before committing. It's particularly strong for teams that want to reduce onboarding time (users report 59% reduction) and need contextual help delivered where employees actually work.

3. Scribe - Best for Auto-Documenting Processes

Scribe takes a completely different approach: instead of manually creating SOPs, you install a browser extension (or desktop app), click record, and Scribe automatically captures your screen, keystrokes, and clicks to create a step-by-step guide with annotated screenshots. It's like magic for software documentation.

Pricing:

Note: Enterprise pricing can be significantly higher-some users report quotes around $18,000 annually for small teams (5 users), which includes $39/user/month plus $1,300/month platform fee.

What's good:

What's not:

Bottom line: If you're documenting how to use software or digital tools, Scribe is magic. Users report creating documentation in days that would have previously taken weeks. For physical procedures, non-software processes, or full training programs with tracking and compliance, you'll need something else. The free plan is perfect for testing, but team pricing adds up quickly.

4. Process Street - Best for Workflow Automation

Process Street is a Trainual alternative that leans more into workflow automation and live execution than pure training. It's positioned as a "Compliance Operations Platform" for teams that need to turn policies into automated, auditable workflows-actually running checklists and tasks, not just documenting them.

Pricing:

Important note: The Startup plan is only available to businesses with fewer than 15 employees and under $2 million in revenue. There is a 14-day free trial available, no credit card required. Unlike many competitors, Process Street uses flat-rate pricing rather than per-user pricing, which can be beneficial or costly depending on your team size.

What's good:

What's not:

Bottom line: If you need live task execution and compliance tracking-not just documentation-Process Street is your answer. Trainual tells people what to do; Process Street makes sure they do it. It's ideal for inter-team processes like new hire onboarding where multiple departments need to complete tasks, compliance workflows, and recurring operational procedures. The Startup plan offers excellent value for qualifying small businesses, but the jump to Pro is significant.

5. SweetProcess - Best for Simple Procedure Documentation

SweetProcess is a no-frills option for teams that want straightforward procedure documentation without the bells and whistles (or the price tag) of Trainual. If you're overwhelmed by feature-heavy platforms, this might be your answer.

Pricing:

What's good:

What's not:

Bottom line: If Trainual feels like overkill and you just need clean, simple procedure docs with task assignments, SweetProcess delivers without the complexity. At around $99/month for 20 users, it's one of the most affordable options. However, the lack of video capabilities is a notable limitation-you'll need another tool if video-based training is important to you.

6. Coassemble - Best for Growing Teams

Coassemble positions itself as an online training, documentation, onboarding, and wiki solution in one. It's particularly popular with growing teams that need to scale their training quickly and want professional-looking course experiences.

Pricing: Custom pricing-contact them for a quote. No transparent pricing available on their website.

What's good:

What's not:

Bottom line: Worth exploring if you're a growing team that needs polished training content and don't mind custom pricing, but get pricing first before investing time in demos. The lack of transparent pricing makes it difficult to recommend without understanding your specific budget constraints.

7. Document360 - Best for Knowledge Base + SOPs

Document360 is an AI-powered knowledge base software that can double as an employee training platform. If you already need a knowledge base for customers or partners, this kills two birds with one stone.

Pricing: Custom pricing-contact for quotes. No transparent pricing available.

What's good:

What's not:

Bottom line: If you need a knowledge base anyway and want to add employee training SOPs, Document360 is efficient. If you only need internal training, other options are more focused. The dual-purpose nature (internal and external knowledge base) is its main differentiator.

Additional Trainual Alternatives Worth Considering

Beyond the main seven alternatives, several other platforms deserve mention depending on your specific needs:

Guidde

A budget-friendly option recommended by business owners, Guidde lets you generate annotated videos, screenshots, and text that can be shared directly or exported to Google Drive. Top plans run around $420/year per creator, making it cost-effective if you don't need many creators. However, it's primarily for documentation creation and may have limitations compared to full training tools.

Connecteam

Focused specifically on deskless and mobile workers, Connecteam offers a mobile-centric training and operations app. With aggressive pricing starting at $29/month for 30 users, it targets the small business segment with limited budgets. If your team is primarily mobile or field-based, this specialized focus could be valuable.

Waybook

A UK-based startup providing a playbook builder similar to Trainual. Often cited as an alternative for creating online manuals, Waybook combines documentation with training delivery. Limited information about specific pricing and features makes it harder to evaluate without direct contact.

Tettra

Positioned as a knowledge management platform with wiki capabilities, Tettra integrates well with Slack and other communication tools. It's less focused on formal training and more on creating a searchable knowledge base for internal use. Good for teams already using Slack who want contextual knowledge access.

Notion

While not specifically a training platform, many small teams use Notion for SOP documentation due to its flexibility and low cost. However, it lacks training-specific features like progress tracking, quizzes, and structured learning paths. Best for very small teams comfortable with DIY solutions.

Confluence

Atlassian's enterprise knowledge base solution is powerful for documentation but not designed for training workflows. It's overkill for small teams but valuable for larger organizations already in the Atlassian ecosystem (Jira, Trello). Scribe integrates natively with Confluence for guide exports.

How to Choose the Right Trainual Alternative

With so many options, how do you decide? Here's a structured approach:

Step 1: Define Your Primary Need

What's your main goal?

Step 2: Evaluate Your Budget

Be realistic about what you can afford:

Under $100/month:

$100-$300/month:

$300-$1,000/month:

$1,000+/month:

Step 3: Consider Team Size and Growth

How many people need access?

Step 4: Assess Technical Complexity

How technical is your team?

Step 5: Evaluate Feature Requirements

Must-have training features?

Must-have documentation features?

Must-have workflow features?

Must-have AI features?

Step 6: Check Integration Needs

What tools must connect?

HRIS/HR systems: Whale, TalentLMS, Trainual
Slack: Whale, Process Street, Tettra
Microsoft Teams: Whale, TalentLMS
Google Workspace: Most platforms
Zapier: Process Street (strong), TalentLMS, Whale
Salesforce: TalentLMS, Trainual
Confluence: Scribe (native integration)

Trainual vs. Top Alternatives: Head-to-Head Comparisons

Trainual vs. Whale

These are the most direct competitors, both focused on SOP documentation and training.

Trainual wins on:

Whale wins on:

Verdict: Whale offers better value with modern AI features and a more intuitive experience. Choose Trainual if you need the established platform with premium content library or if e-signatures are critical.

Trainual vs. TalentLMS

Trainual focuses on SOPs; TalentLMS is a full LMS for course-based training.

Trainual wins on:

TalentLMS wins on:

Verdict: If you're creating formal courses with quizzes and certificates, TalentLMS wins. If you just need SOP documentation with basic training, Trainual is more focused. However, TalentLMS offers significantly better value per user.

Trainual vs. Process Street

Trainual documents; Process Street executes.

Trainual wins on:

Process Street wins on:

Verdict: Different purposes. Trainual tells people what to do; Process Street makes sure they do it. Use Trainual for training content and reference. Use Process Street for recurring processes and compliance workflows.

Trainual vs. Scribe

Trainual requires manual creation; Scribe captures automatically.

Trainual wins on:

Scribe wins on:

Verdict: Use Scribe for rapid software documentation and Trainual for comprehensive training programs. Many teams use both: Scribe to create initial documentation quickly, then embed those guides in Trainual for structured training.

Real-World Use Cases: Which Alternative Fits?

Scenario 1: Small SaaS Startup (10 employees, tight budget)

Need: Document product workflows, onboard new hires, create support documentation

Best choice: Scribe free + Whale free

Why: Both offer generous free tiers. Use Scribe to automatically capture product workflows, then organize in Whale with training assignments. Total cost: $0/month initially, scale to paid plans as you grow.

Scenario 2: Professional Services Firm (50 employees, complex processes)

Need: Standardize client onboarding, document service delivery processes, ensure compliance

Best choice: Process Street Pro

Why: Live workflow execution ensures processes are followed. Audit trails provide compliance documentation. Conditional logic handles client-specific variations. $1,500/month for custom team size.

Scenario 3: Growing E-commerce Business (75 employees, high turnover)

Need: Rapid employee onboarding, role-based training, warehouse procedures

Best choice: TalentLMS Grow ($299/month for 500 users)

Why: Can handle current 75 and future growth to 500. Mobile app for warehouse workers. Gamification increases engagement. Course-based structure perfect for role-specific training.

Scenario 4: Remote-First Tech Company (30 employees, documentation-heavy)

Need: Document engineering processes, IT procedures, company policies

Best choice: Whale Scale ($149/month for 10 users) + add seats as needed

Why: AI features speed documentation. Ask Alice answers questions in Slack/Teams where employees work. Step recorder captures technical processes automatically. Contextual help reduces interruptions.

Scenario 5: Healthcare Practice (15 employees, compliance requirements)

Need: HIPAA training, procedure compliance, audit documentation

Best choice: Process Street Startup ($100/month)

Why: Compliance focus with Cora AI agent. Audit trails for regulatory requirements. Workflow automation ensures procedures are followed. Affordable for small practice.

Scenario 6: Franchise Organization (Multiple locations, 200+ employees)

Need: Standardize operations across locations, brand consistency, franchise training

Best choice: TalentLMS Enterprise or Trainual Custom

Why: Branch/location support. White-label branding. Scalable to hundreds of users. Central management with location-specific content.

Still Want Trainual?

If you've read through these alternatives and still think Trainual is the right fit, here's the current pricing to budget for:

Small Plan (1-25 employees):

Medium Plan (26-50 employees):

Growth Plan (up to 100 employees):

Custom Plan (100+ employees):

All plans include unlimited process documentation, AI-assisted search, mobile app, and browser extension. Higher tiers add features like additional seats, more storage, and advanced customization. Trainual offers a grandfathering policy protecting existing users from price increases, though duration is unclear.

Trainual also offers a 50% discount for non-profit organizations and a Premium Course & Compliance Library add-on with 390+ pre-built courses on HR, compliance, and employee development topics.

Try Trainual free for 7 days →

Common Questions About Trainual Alternatives

Can I use multiple tools together?

Absolutely. Many successful teams combine tools for different purposes:

Integration capabilities make this easier. Look for Zapier support or native integrations between your chosen tools.

How long does implementation take?

Quick wins (1-2 weeks):

Standard implementation (1-3 months):

Complex implementation (3-6 months):

What about data migration?

Moving from Trainual (or any platform) requires planning:

  1. Export existing content: Most platforms offer export to PDF or Word. Scribe and Whale allow imports.
  2. Restructure if needed: Your new platform may organize content differently.
  3. Migrate gradually: Start with high-priority content, expand over time.
  4. Test thoroughly: Verify content displays correctly, links work, images appear.
  5. Train users: New interface requires orientation even if content is familiar.

How do I get buy-in from my team?

For leadership:

For end users:

Should I choose based on current needs or future growth?

Balance both:

Platforms like TalentLMS offer excellent scaling (same price supports 5x user growth). Others like Scribe with seat minimums become expensive as you grow.

The Bottom Line: Which Alternative Should You Pick?

Here's the quick decision framework:

Choose TalentLMS if: You need a full LMS with courses, quizzes, certificates, and can leverage the free tier (5 users) or need to scale to 100+ users cost-effectively.

Choose Whale if: You want Trainual's capabilities with better AI, a more intuitive interface, and a lower entry price. The Ask Alice AI assistant is particularly valuable for reducing support interruptions.

Choose Scribe if: You're documenting software processes and want automatic capture to save massive time. The free tier is generous, but watch out for the 5-seat minimum on team plans.

Choose Process Street if: You need live workflow execution, not just documentation. Perfect for compliance-focused organizations and recurring operational processes where accountability matters.

Choose SweetProcess if: You want dead simple written procedure documentation without complexity or high costs. Best for small teams with straightforward needs.

Choose Document360 if: You need both internal training documentation and external customer-facing knowledge base. Kills two birds with one stone.

Stay with Trainual if: You value the established platform, need e-signatures for compliance, want the premium course library add-on, or are already heavily invested in the ecosystem.

Next Steps: How to Evaluate Your Alternatives

  1. List your must-have features: Create a checklist of non-negotiable requirements
  2. Set your budget range: Know your minimum and maximum monthly spend
  3. Sign up for free trials: Test 2-3 top contenders simultaneously
  4. Involve your team: Get input from people who will use the tool daily
  5. Test with real content: Don't just click around-create actual procedures
  6. Evaluate time to value: How long until you're productive?
  7. Check support quality: Reach out with questions, gauge responsiveness
  8. Calculate total cost: Include implementation time, training, and ongoing management
  9. Make a decision: Don't let perfect be the enemy of good-pick one and commit

Most of these platforms offer free trials or free tiers, so test 2-3 before committing. The right choice depends on whether you need training courses vs. reference documentation, and whether you need task execution or just content storage.

The training and SOP software market is competitive, which means you have excellent alternatives to Trainual. Whether you prioritize cost savings, advanced AI features, automatic documentation, or workflow execution, there's a platform designed for your specific needs.

Don't settle for a tool that's almost right. With free trials readily available, you can find the perfect fit for your team without financial risk.