Whether you’re a small start-up or a large established company, you’re going to have huge amounts of data to store. More importantly, you need to organize that data. This is essential for small businesses because you’re handling a lot of different tasks without a huge support network, and the last thing you want is to not be able to find the information you need quickly and efficiently. Here are our top 7 best knowledge management software for small businesses to keep your organization running smoothly.
Top 7 Best Knowledge Management Software for Small Business
- Notion – Best Knowledge Management Software for Small Business for Versatility
- ProProfs – Best Knowledge Management Software for Small Business for Customer Support
- ClickUp – Best Knowledge Management Software for Small Business for Collaboration
- Trainual – Best Knowledge Management Software for Small Business for Internal Training
- Document360 – Best Knowledge Management Software for Small Business for Search Functionality
- Guru – Best Knowledge Management Software for Small Business for AI Learning
- Confluence – Best Knowledge Management Software for Small Business for Integration
1. Notion – Best Knowledge Management Software for Small Business for Versatility
PRICING: Free base plan, paid plans start at $4 per month
Notion has a wide range of templates to choose from that makes it easy for businesses to find what fits their needs; it also utilizes a drag-and-drop UI to make using and building with those templates quick and easy. Notion keeps everything in one platform to make it a one-stop shop for your business’s knowledge base needs.
KEY FEATURES:
- Drag-and-drop interface
- Credit system can reduce cost of paid plans
REASONS TO BUY:
- Basic paid plan free for students and educators
- Large variety of templates to customize your knowledge base
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Set-up can be difficult and time-consuming
- Limited customization of the individual templates
2. ProProfs – Best Knowledge Management Software for Small Business for Customer Support
PRICING: Free base plan, paid plans start at $30 per month
If you are a customer-facing business, not only do you need an internal knowledge base, but you need one for your customers to access as well. ProProfs offers both solutions, so you can know you’re offering your customers the same quality organization that your internal team uses. It also provides over 40 free templates and support for over 90 languages.
KEY FEATURES:
- Can import pre-existing PDFs and documents
- Analytic reports built in
- Different platforms for customer and private team knowledge bases
REASONS TO BUY:
- Over 40 free built-in knowledge base templates
- Allows you to assign roles and permissions to team members
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Billed per author
- Limited number of pages/articles included in plan
3. ClickUp – Best Knowledge Management Software for Small Business for Collaboration
PRICING: Free base plan, paid plans start at $5 per month
ClickUp is a multi-functional platform that provides project and task management in addition to its knowledge management functionalities. Because it’s so team-focused, collaborating on creating and updating your knowledge base is a breeze.
KEY FEATURES:
- Customizable and ready-to-use reporting
- “ClickUp Docs” internal document editor
REASONS TO BUY:
- Highly customizable
- Privacy and editing controls
- Integrates knowledge base with project management and task assignments
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Steep learning curve because of the large number of features
4. Trainual – Best Knowledge Management Software for Small Business for Internal Training
PRICING: $49 per month
A huge part of any good knowledge base is training documentation, and that’s where Trainual shines. Not only is it easy to create, edit, and move around your documentation in the platform, it offers testing so you can ensure your team is up to date on all of your material.
KEY FEATURES:
- Testing tools to track team progress
- Available as a mobile app, desktop app, and Chrome browser extension
REASONS TO BUY:
- Alerts for any changes to completed training materials
- Integrates with wide range of productivity tools including Google Docs and LinkedIn
- Easy to add media and graphics to manuals
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Reporting not available in the base plan
- Due date functionality only available in top-tier plan
5. Document360 – Best Knowledge Management Software for Small Business for Search Functionality
PRICING: $99 per month
Having all of your knowledge in one place is helpful, but if you can’t find what you’re looking for when you need it most, you’re still in trouble. Luckily, Document360 has lightning-fast search speeds and uses AI to suggest relevant articles after only a few keywords, saving you and your customers a lot of time and hassle.
KEY FEATURES:
- Real-time search functionality using AI
- Multiple-version saving to prevent accidental document changes and deletions
- Preview mode lets you see a document before its published live
REASONS TO BUY:
- Fast and powerful search functionality
- Good customization and editing tools
- Integration with several third-party applications
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Limited alerts for draft changes
- Private knowledge base only available at upper tier plans
6. Guru – Best Knowledge Management Software for Small Business for AI Learning
PRICING: Free base plan, paid plans start at $5 per month per user
Not only does Guru make it easy for your team to collaborate on projects and organize your knowledge base as it grows, but it can actually help the building process by capturing your data for you through AI. Through tools like browser extensions, Slack integration, and customizable triggers, Guru’s AI captures the information your team is using and assigns, organizes, and tags everything in the appropriate place, all automatically.
KEY FEATURES:
- Machine-learning software
- Integration with Microsoft Teams and Slack
REASONS TO BUY:
- Analytics about knowledge base usage
- Real-time suggestions for content while serving customers
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Manual search can be lacking while AI learns your needs
7.Confluence – Best Knowledge Management Software for Small Business for Integration
PRICING: free base plan, paid plans start at $5.50 per month per user
If you’re already comfortable with certain plugins or APIs, but need more variety to enhance your knowledge management, Confluence is a great management software. It’s almost like a plugin hub with a small but powerful set of native tools on its own. Some may find the base power of Confluence lacking on its own, but it is easy to integrate software and plugins you’re already using into the fold of the Confluence software.
KEY FEATURES:
- Embedded version control
- Wide integration of 3rd party plugins
REASONS TO BUY:
- Automatic updates for linked content
- Highly customizable permissions and user access control
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Relies on 3rd party plugins and APIs for a number of basic features
References and Links
- https://blog.greyphin.com/blog/heres-a-review-of-guru-a-collaboration-app
- https://blog.hubspot.com/service/knowledge-managment-software
- https://financesonline.com/pros-cons-of-document360/
- https://obie.ai/blog/pros-and-cons-of-using-confluence-to-power-your-knowledge-base/
- https://project-management.com/pros-and-cons-of-using-notion-software/
- https://www.g2.com/categories/knowledge-management/small-business
- https://www.getapp.com/collaboration-software/knowledge-management/category-leaders/
- https://www.notion.so
- https://www.softwaretestinghelp.com/knowledge-management-system/
- https://www.trustradius.com/products/proprofs-knowledge-base/reviews