15 best knowledge management software and tools for 2023

We’ve said it before: The bigger the organization, the greater the knowledge.

When the business expands, there are more employees, more docs, more slide decks, more customers…you get the picture. The growth process can be chaotic, as companies try to organize their information and resources. That’s when knowledge management tools can help.

In this post, we’ll explain what knowledge management tools are and how to use them, and we’ll provide a list of the best knowledge management platforms. Let’s get started!

What is a knowledge management tool?

A knowledge management tool can be any digital tool that stores information, keeps it organized, and allows users to search and interact with it. Organizations use them to share information both externally and internally. A knowledge management tool can also be a learning management tool, a customer relationship management tool or simply a knowledge base. 

Why are more companies investing in knowledge management software?

Business leaders realize that as they grow, the knowledge will follow. To organize information and keep processes running smoothly, businesses use knowledge management tools. 

Knowledge management tools help companies:

• Centralize content
  
  
• Make information available to everyone
  
  
• Prevent information silos
  
  
• Improve collaboration 
  
  
• Maintain communication flow 

How to choose the best knowledge management software

Following are some points to consider when choosing a knowledge management platform.

Ease-of-use

If your employees don’t find it easy to work with a digital tool, they will be reluctant to use it, and your organization won’t see the positive impact of implementing it. 

Make sure that the knowledge management tool you choose is user-friendly and doesn’t require extensive training. Easy onboarding saves you and your employees time.

Feature set

Here are the features to look for when choosing a knowledge management software:

Document management

Digital document management is responsible for storing files, keeping a track of document versions and modifications made by the people who have access to them. The less paper copies, the better. The world is moving to digital. 

Knowledge base

Knowledge bases are computer systems that contain structured and unstructured information.

Learning management

Learning management is responsible for tracking the outcome of learning strategies. As employees get trained into new skills, it’s important to monitor their progress as they engage with new knowledge.

Centralized knowledge source

One of the most important functions of knowledge management software is to contain the knowledge and make it accessible. Employees should know where to look for information and be sure that it’s the single source of truth. 

Search functionality

The search functionality helps employees find the information they’re looking for. To do that, a good search function has to be able to search universally throughout the knowledge management system and email digest, as well as throughout third-party tools to deliver any result that could be possibly related to the information people are seeking. 

Collaboration capabilities

A good knowledge management tool allows  users to go a step further and share, exchange, and interact with the knowledge —  in other words, it allows for collaboration. 

Collaboration features are what create a system of interconnected apps and help you avoid using redundant tools. 

Communication channels

Knowledge management systems are co-communication hubs, and having both static and dynamic communication enables knowledge sharing. 

Static communication flow is established in the form of department pages that employees can use as a single source of truth. Dynamic communication happens when employees can share information, and provide feedback and insights. 

Lifecycle management

A lifecycle management feature notifies you when it’s time to update content. With the best knowledge management software, the lifecycle management feature automatically archives outdated content. 

Content and user analytics

Content and user analytics allow you to gain insight into:

• The most viewed pages and channels
  
  
• The most engaging posts 
  
  
• The MVP of content contributors
  
  
• The most-searched-for keywords

Leadership can use this information to understand what and how employees are searching, and know what content or features to provide to increase engagement.

Pricing

The purchase and maintenance of a knowledge management tool needs to fit within the budget. Knowledge management tools usually come with different pricing packages, which include different features and add-ons. Pricing can also depend on the number of users.

Security

When you’re working with all kinds of information — blog posts, customer data, contracts, and policy documents — you need a way to protect that content. The best knowledge management platforms offer enhanced security features, such as:

• Secure cloud-based storage
  
  
• ISO 27001 certification
  
  
• GDPR compliance
  
  
• SAML authentication to enable the use of SSO (Single Sign-On)
  
  
• Data minimization

Integrations

If your company already works with third-party tools, you don’t have to replace them just because you got new software. What you want to check here is the integration features — and specifically the API.

Will your knowledge management software integrate with the tool(s) you use every day? If so, are these integrations seamless? Or do you have to install add-ons? 

15 best knowledge management tools for 2022

We searched for the knowledge management tools that we believe offer the best features. Here’s what we found:

Happeo

Best for: Knowledge base, Internal Communications, document management

Notable customers: Randstad Sourceright, Pinterest, Decathlon, Virgin Red, Doctolib, State Auto, OneGoal, Marqeta, Trimble, Mint Dentistry

Happeo is a social intranet and a knowledge management tool that combines collaboration, communication, and a knowledge base in one system. It integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and the third-party tools that your company already uses. 

Happeo improves knowledge management while stimulating productivity — documents stored on Google Drive or OneDrive can be easily attached to Channel posts, which can be shared directly in Slack or Teams for everyone to be notified. 

Key knowledge management features:

• Universal search to browse throughout the entire platform, but also through your email or files in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365
  
  
• Federated Search goes a step further and lets you search across all company tools and databases
  
  
• Intranet Pages to host static communication
  
  
• Intranet Channels are the place to post, comment and engage in conversations
  
  
• Lifecycle management to archive outdated content or remind you to update it 
  
  
• Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 integration to make collaboration seamless
  
  
• Articles to write blogs, news or any type of content to publish in Channels
  
  
• Analytics to report on the metrics that matter 

Pricing: Happeo has three pricing plans – “Essential,” “Recommended,” and “Custom.” The pricing depends on the number of users, as well as the add-ons and features you choose. 

“Our onboarding experience has greatly improved thanks to Happeo’s Pages. Instead of having a quick meeting and sending out slides to new employees, we now have an entire Page they can easily refer to.”

Calene Horton
People Operations Manager

Document 360

Best for: Knowledge base 

Notable customers: Virgin Red, Whatfix, LightBox, Bluescape, AlgoSec, Singlify, Sweeten, AutoRABIT, Microgaming

Document 360 is a tool that enables organizations to create public and private self-service bases for both users and customers. Their knowledge base allows people to create, publish, and manage articles at any time. 

Key knowledge management features:

• Knowledge base site 
  
  
• Knowledge base portal
  
  
• Knowledge base assistant
  
  
• Platform API for reading and writing in the knowledge base
  
  

Pricing: Document360 offers four pricing packages: 

• Startup – $99/project/month
  
  
• Business – $299/project/month 
  
  
• Enterprise – $499/project/month
  
  
• Enterprise plus – available upon request

“The ability to quickly communicate and scale collaboration is second to none. Happeo users across the globe can receive information, connect and collaborate in real time – answer questions quickly and publicly to avoid duplicative emails.”

Molly Quinn
Director of Marketing and Communications

Confluence

Best for: Document management, Knowledge base  

Notable customers: Blend, HubSpot, Audi, Twilio, LinkedIn, The New York Times, NASA, Illumina, Docker, Morningstar, GoPro

Confluence is a wiki software that is used by businesses as a digital workspace for teams to exchange knowledge. It’s a knowledge base for storing, sharing, and reviewing information, as well as providing feedback. Confluence allows for third-party integrations and some add-ons and can search files. Users can produce new “topics” by putting files into the wiki.

Key knowledge management features:

• Search functionality
  
  
• Topic searches
  
  
• Document management
  
  
• “Best practice” templates
  
  

Pricing: Confluence has four pricing packages; annual pricing is:

• Free, for up to 10 users 
  
  
• Standard – $550
  
  
• Premium – $1,050
  
  
• Enterprise pricing available upon request

Tettra

Best for: Knowledge base, document management

Notable customers: Recteq, Everyday Speech, Techstars, Basis 365 Accounting, SmartBug

Tettra is a knowledge base that organizes enterprise knowledge so employees can reach it quickly and easily. What makes Tettra special is itsSlack wiki, which makes it possible to answer questions in Slack by using Tettra’s knowledge base. The seamless Slack integration allows users to search, save, and share Tettra pages in chats. 

Key knowledge management features:

• Content verification 
  
  
• Page and update request 
  
  
• Content suggestions
  
  
• Editor 
  
  
• Search functionality
  
  
• Content export
  
  

Pricing: Tettra offers three pricing packages:

• Starting – free, for up to 10 users
  
  
• Scaling – $8.33/user/month, for up to 250 users
  
  
• Enterprise – $16.66/user/month

SharePoint

Best for: Knowledge base, document management for large teams

Notable customers: NASCAR, Goodyear, M&S, Hershey, Qantas, Coles

The ancestor of intranets and knowledge management tools, SharePoint is a digital tool for employees to search, upload files, and share them with teammates. The platform links the user to shared documents or spaces like Teams or Microsoft 365, keeping enterprise knowledge in one place. 

Key knowledge management features:

• Search functionality 
  
  
• Content analytics
  
  
• File storage and sharing 
  
  
• Knowledge wiki
  
  

Pricing: You can choose from three different options that are automatically renewed on an annual basis:

• Sharepoint Online (Plan 1) –  $5/user/month
  
  
• Sharepoint Online (Plan 2) –  $10/user/month
  
  
• Office 365 E3 at $20/user/month

Helpjuice

Best for: Document management

Notable customers: Amazon, Glovo, World Health Organization, TCL, Virgin Mobile, Viking, Hertz, Vacasa, Upstart

Helpjuice is a cloud-based knowledge management tool. What’s interesting about this software is that it can create and manage knowledge bases both internally and externally. Aside from a knowledge base, businesses of all sizes use Helpjuice to enhance their collaborative culture and customer support. 

Key knowledge management features:

• Authoring and content formatting
   
• Analytics
  
  
• Search functionality
  
  
• Knowledge base
  
  

Pricing: Helpjuice comes in four pricing packages, each of them including a free two-week trial period:

• Starter – $120/month, for up to 4 users
  
  
• Run-up – $200/month, for up to 16 users
  
  
• Premium Limited – $289/month, for up to 60 users
  
  
• Premium Unlimited – $499/month

ProProfs

Best for: Learning management  

Notable customers: Adobe, Cisco, University of Phoenix, United Nations, Sony, Ford, Dell, Nestle, American Red Cross, Shell

ProProfs is a digital tool made for quizzes and training. Its analytics report the results back to the quiz creator so they can see how their learning process is scaling. The tool helps users create wikis, manuals, and documentation, and allows users to easily create a knowledge base. 

Key knowledge management features:

• Training maker
  
  
• Knowledge base
  
  
• Quiz maker
  
  
• Survey maker

Pricing: Starts at $19/month and includes a free trial 

Zendesk

Best for: Customer support and sales 

Notable customers: Mailchimp, Siemens, Stanley Black & Decker, Tesco, Khan Academy, Uber

Zendesk is a CRM tool designed to scale customer relationships. Their platform improves sales and customer communications by streamlining support with features like automations, triggers and cross-platform chat. It’s built with the end-user in mind, so it’s easy to use for both customers and support agents.

Key knowledge management features:

• Search functionality
  
  
• Real-time updates
  
  
• Agent collaboration
  
  
• Help desk automation
  
  

Pricing: Zendesk offers two different services. 

Zendesk for service:

• Suite team: $49/user/month
  
  
• Suite growth: $79/user/month
  
  
• Suite professional: $99/user/month
  
  
• Suite enterprise: $150/agent/month/billed annually
  
  
• It gets even more powerful: $215/agent/month/billed annually

Zendesk for sales:

• Sell team: $19/user/month
  
  
• Sell Professional: $49/user/month
  
  
• Sell Enterprise: $99/user/month

HelpCrunch

Best for: Customer support

Notable brands: Statcounter, SE Ranking, European Sperm Bank, Halebop locall, Fitlap, Revenue Grid

HelpCrunch is a customer communication platform that combines help desk, live chat, knowledge base, and marketing automation. It maintains the customer lifecycle from the point of conversion and helps organizations retain customers and drive sales. 

Key knowledge management features:

• Knowledge base
  
  
• Third-party integrations
  
  
• Help desk
  
  

Pricing: 

HelpCrunch offers three pricing packages – Basic ($12 per user/month), Pro ($20 per user/month), and Enterprise (contact HelpCrunch to discuss the most suitable custom option for your business)

Bit.ai

Best for: Document management 

Notable customers: New Zealand Post, Canon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Georgetown University, University of Michigan, The New York Stem Cell Foundation

Bit.ai is a document collaboration platform that brings document creation and management together in one place. Our favorite thing about their platform? Every company, department, and team has its own unique set of digital tools, files, and web resources that they use.

Key knowledge management features:

• Wiki/knowledge base
  
  
• Content library
  
  
• Content control
  
  
• Search functionality
  
  
• Document editor access
  
  

Pricing: 

Similar to most knowledge management tools on this list, Bit.ai comes in four different packages:

• Free plan – for up to 5 users
  
  
• Standard – $8/user/month 
  
  
• Business plan – $15/user/month
  
  
• Enterprise pricing available upon request; comes with a personalized plan for team deployment
  
  

SABIO

Best for: Knowledge base 

Notable customers: DPD, Commerzbank, Weleda, IONOS by 1&1, Deutsche Bahn

SABIO is a knowledge sharing tool designed specifically for customer service organizations. The software enables a new quality of information management and provides each customer service employee with the knowledge of all departments. 

Key knowledge management features:

• Self-learning search
  
  
• Search ranking
  
  
• Search filters
  
  
• Uploading file formats (Word, Excel, PowerPoint docs, PDFs)
  
  

Pricing: SABIO comes in three pricing packages:

• SABIO team for €8 user/month including free trial
  
  
• SABIO business €12 user/month including free trial
  
  
• SABIO enterprise – request a quote at https://www.getSABIO.com/pricing/
  
  

Bloomfire

Best for: Knowledge base

Notable customers: Conagra, Orvis, Insperity, Jackson Hewitt, DraftKings, Ogilvy, Vrbo

Bloomfire is a knowledge management system that organizes information to break down silos and make companies more efficient. Its knowledge sharing tool is used for social learning, customer service, and sales and marketing alignment.

Key knowledge management features:

• AI-powered search
   
• Publish text, charts, images, audio, and video
  
  
• Personalized feed
  
  
• Built-in analytics
  
  

Pricing: Bloomfire has two pricing packages:

• Basic – $25 user/month 
  
  
• Enterprise pricing available upon request
  
  

Notion

Best for: Document management, knowledge base

Notable customers: Pixar, TravelPerk, Cornershop, Spotify, Headspace

As you might have guessed from the name, Notion is note-taking software. It’s also  knowledge management software designed to help organizations navigate objectives and make them more productive.

Key knowledge management features:

• Note-taker
  
  
• Search functionality
  
  
• Knowledge base
  
  

Pricing: Notion offers four pricing packages:

• Personal – free, for up to 5 users
  
  
• Personal Pro – $4/month, including a free trial 
  
  
• Team – $8/user/month, including a free trial 
  
  
• Enterprise pricing available upon request
  
  

Quip

Best for: Document management

Notable customers: Amazon, Facebook, Amgen, Citi, 21st Century Fox, Cisco, Electronic Arts 

Quip is used as a platform to transform Salesforce processes. It’s designed to standardize, automate, and embed real-time, collaborative documents inside Salesforce records. It lets people form groups and work together on spreadsheets. Quip is accessible from both desktop and mobile devices, so it’s great for employees on-the-go. 

Key knowledge management features:

• Document creation
  
  
• Spreadsheet creation 
  
  
• Templates
  
  

Pricing: Quip has three pricing categories, all billed annually:

• Quip Starter – $10/user/month
  
  
• Quip Plus – $25/user/month
  
  
• Quip Advanced – $100/user/month
  
  

Elium

Best for: Knowledge base

Notable customers: L’Oréal, In Extenso, EURA NOVA, BVA, Le Groupe Groupama, Pepsol

Elium is a knowledge management tool that stores knowledge and helps organizations facilitate digital communication. Elium is both a mobile and SaaS solution, designed to keep knowledge and conversations flowing in any work environment.

Key knowledge management features:

• Web bookmarking
  
  
• Document sharing
  
  
• Categories
  
  
• User directory
  
  
• Feedback services
  
  

Pricing: 

Elium has three pricing packages:

• Team – €4/user/month
  
  
• Corporate – €8/user/month
  
  
• Enterprise pricing available upon request

Final thoughts

Happeo’s knowledge management tool makes it easy for your organization to find, share and retain knowledge. It provides your people with a single source of truth and encourages them to collaborate, while allowing you to analyze and optimize content. Click here to learn more.