As a content marketer, I don’t manage IT rollouts or build training programs. Still, I’ve interviewed enough digital transformation leads and read enough adoption horror stories to know one thing: buying software is the easy part. Getting people to actually use it? That’s the uphill battle.
Whether it’s an internal tool your team barely touches or a customer-facing product that needs better onboarding, the best digital adoption platform (DAP) bridge that painful gap between “login” and “aha!” moment. And in a world full of clunky user manuals and overworked support teams, that bridge matters more than ever.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the best digital adoption platform available today, based on my market research, user feedback, and what real teams need to drive adoption at scale. Whether you're in IT, L&D, product, or ops, this list is designed to help you find the DAP that fits your workflows, users, and goals.
Because adoption shouldn’t be an afterthought, it should be the strategy.
*These are the top-rated products in the digital adoption platform software category, according to G2 Grid Reports. I have mentioned the starting price of their monthly paid plans for easy comparison wherever applicable.
When I started exploring digital adoption platforms (DAPs), it quickly became clear how essential they are. Most companies invest in great software, but teams often struggle to use those tools to their full potential. A DAP solves that by guiding users inside the app itself, making onboarding, training, and day-to-day tasks easier and more efficient.
Think of it like an in-app GPS. Instead of forcing users to rely on static help docs or endless Slack threads, a DAP walks them through processes in real time. Whether it’s setting up a CRM or navigating complex HR systems, it empowers users to get things done without frustration.
As I compared the best DAPs, a few traits stood out: ease of use, robust analytics, and deep integration across your tech stack. The top platforms let teams build flows quickly, track usage and drop-off points, and support users across multiple tools, all without heavy dev resources.
In my view, the best DAPs don’t just train; they drive adoption and deliver real ROI. They help teams move faster, reduce support costs, and finally unlock the full value of their software.
I kicked off my research by looking into G2’s category rankings for digital adoption platforms, filtering for tools with consistently high satisfaction scores and a solid volume of reviews.
From there, I evaluated each product’s feature set, paying close attention to in-app guidance options, customization flexibility, analytics depth, and how easily they integrated with other tools like Salesforce, Workday, and Microsoft 365.
I also looked at usability, how intuitive the builder was for non-technical teams, and compared pricing tiers to see which tools truly delivered value for the cost. I further used AI to summarize and analyze review content across G2. This helped me spot patterns like where users felt setup took too long, or where a tool nailed contextual guidance without overwhelming the interface.
In cases where I couldn't personally test the tool due to limited access, I consulted a professional with hands-on experience and validated their insights using G2 reviews. The screenshots featured in this article may mix those captured during evaluation and those obtained from the vendor's G2 page.
When evaluating the best digital adoption platforms, I focused on real functionality, flexibility, and user experience. Because if a tool doesn’t support both admins and end users, it’s not worth the investment. Here’s what I prioritized in my review:
After researching 20+ tools, I narrowed it down to the 5 best digital adoption platforms. While none check every single box, each one stands out for what it does best and offers a strong, well-rounded feature set.
The list below contains genuine user reviews from the digital adoption platform software category. To be included in this category, a solution must:
*This data was pulled from G2 in 2025. Some reviews may have been edited for clarity.
WalkMe really does what the name promises - it walks users through everything, step by step. From everything I’ve researched and based on extensive user feedback, it’s clear why WalkMe has become a go-to digital adoption platform for enterprises.
Now part of the SAP family, it’s widely used to guide employees through complex software in a way that’s both structured and scalable. What stood out to me first is how intuitive users find it, especially those building onboarding flows or training modules. Several reviewers mentioned that creating and testing walkthroughs is straightforward, even without a technical background.
From a use case perspective, I found WalkMe incredibly versatile. It’s used in HR to guide employees through performance review platforms, in finance to simplify ERP tasks, and in customer support to onboard reps faster into CRMs and ticketing systems.
Whether it's Salesforce, Workday, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or a custom-built app, WalkMe layers on top without disrupting the core UX. It even supports cross-application guidance, so users can move between tools while still getting contextual help.
That said, the learning curve is something to be aware of. While WalkMe doesn’t require coding, mastering its full capabilities, especially if you’re building more advanced experiences, can take time. Several users mentioned that the platform can feel overwhelming at first, particularly for non-technical admins.
There’s also some rigidity in how workflows are built; for example, every step must be uniquely named, which can make managing larger flows a bit cumbersome. It’s not a dealbreaker, but something to consider if you’re planning a high-volume deployment or managing multiple apps.
Where WalkMe really shines, in my opinion, is its enterprise readiness. It supports robust segmentation, integrates across major platforms, and handles complex organizational needs without a ton of custom code. For teams looking to reduce support tickets, improve feature adoption, or guide users through complex processes, it delivers real value.
If your team spans multiple departments, tools, and locations, and you want to guide everyone without flooding your help desk, WalkMe is hands-down worth a look. I’d recommend it to any ops or enablement leader looking to drive real software adoption across the organization.
"WalkMe solves the just-in-time-training problem the way no other application can. Instead of pulling users away from the desk, expecting rote memorization of a complex process, and inundating them with job aids, the instruction happens on the screen during real-time execution. No time away from the desk. No memorization. No maintenance of cumbersome job aids.
With this type of improved experience, you can do wonders for data integrity, change adoption, and improve the ROI of your entire tech stack. I've been in Change Adoption for 20 years. This is the only application that I've ever used that has actually created provable results. On a long enough timeline, all training looks like this. Do it now."
- WalkMe Review, Chris M.
"WalkMe is not without its challenges. One of the main downsides is the learning curve associated with fully unlocking its more advanced features, especially when it comes to designing complex logic-based flows or working with dynamic elements in applications. While basic deployments are straightforward, mastering the platform takes time and often requires more trial and error than expected.
Additionally, depending on the tech stack and system architecture of the application you're working with, there can be occasional compatibility or performance hiccups, especially with applications that are heavily customized or updated frequently.
Lastly, the licensing and pricing structure can be on the higher end, which might be a limiting factor for smaller organizations or teams with tight budgets."
- WalkMe Review, Verified user in consulting.
On a budget? Explore the top free digital adoption platform options.
Userpilot stood out to me as one of the strongest digital adoption platforms out there, especially for product and growth teams that want to create personalized onboarding and in-app experiences without relying on engineering.
At its core, Userpilot helps teams create code-free onboarding flows, in-app messages, and checklists that actually feel tailored. The visual editor is simple to use, and it’s great that you can customize everything to match your product’s branding right out of the box.
What stood out to me the most is how much users appreciate the combination of in-app guidance and behavioral insights.
You’re not just building tooltips blindly; Userpilot gives you product analytics, user segmentation, and even session replays, so you can understand exactly where people get stuck or drop off. That kind of context makes it easier to turn feedback into action. Several users praised how easy it is to get started, build flows, and update content as the product evolves.
That said, there are a few consistent caveats. Some users mention a learning curve, especially when getting familiar with all the product’s capabilities or trying to implement more advanced use cases. While the interface is designed to be intuitive, there’s still a bit of ramp-up time if you want to get the most out of it.
I also saw users mentioning occasional limitations around how much they could customize within the platform, for example, wanting more control over when and how certain flows trigger. It’s not a widespread complaint, but it’s worth noting if your team relies heavily on fine-tuned targeting or highly dynamic onboarding paths.
If you’re on a product-led team that needs to launch onboarding or in-app experiences, I’d definitely recommend checking out Userpilot.
Userpilot offers a 14-day free trial.
"Userpilot makes it incredibly easy to create in-app experiences that guide users seamlessly through our platform. The no-code editor is intuitive, so our team can quickly build and test onboarding flows, tooltips, and feature announcements without relying on engineering. The level of customization is great, and the ability to segment users based on behavior helps us deliver the right message at the right time."
- Userpilot Review, Jeeda M.
"Customization is a bit limited unless you’re okay with custom CSS. Would love more flexibility in branding to keep everything consistent. Also, the integrations could go deeper—better connections with analytics platforms like Amplitude or Heap would make a big difference. Pricing can also get steep as you scale."
- Userpilot Review, Maria C.
Learn everything about product-led growth and how to implement it for your SaaS product.
UserGuiding struck me as one of those tools that quietly does a lot of heavy lifting, especially when it comes to simplifying user onboarding and support. After reading through dozens of reviews, one thing became clear: users consistently love how easy it is to get started.
Whether it’s building tooltips, interactive product tours, or onboarding checklists, most people describe the platform as intuitive and fast to learn. I saw multiple mentions of how it helped teams reduce support requests and improve user self-sufficiency without adding more strain on developers.
What makes UserGuiding valuable, in my view, is its ability to centralize onboarding and support. Features to create resource centers, NPS surveys, and in-app announcements let teams offer help and collect feedback directly within their app.
I also appreciated the inclusion of personalization features like segmentation and hotspots, which allow for more contextual onboarding. While some DAPs feel overly complex or skew too enterprise, UserGuiding keeps things simple but still gives you plenty of room to scale.
That said, there are some things to note. I saw a few users pointing out that while UserGuiding is easy to use, it can feel a bit limited when it comes to customization or advanced logic. For example, configuring more complex conditions for when and how guides trigger can feel rigid at times.
There were also mentions that, although it handles core onboarding needs effectively, features like analytics and personalization might feel a bit basic for teams with more sophisticated requirements.
Still, if you're looking for a straightforward, no-fuss way to build guided product experiences, UserGuiding hits the mark. If someone on my team asked for a tool to create clean, effective onboarding flows with minimal ramp-up time, I’d definitely point them to UserGuiding.
"Once integrated into your website, it is extremely easy to use.
The creation of new guides or hotspots can be done completely by the functional team, marketing, or designers, without the need for intervention from the technical team. It also has tools to track user actions, which are basic but, for simple use cases, are useful. In addition, the online support is very fast and effective."
- UserGuiding Review, Facundo G.
"One downside of UserGuiding is that the pricing could be more affordable, especially for small businesses. Also, the customization options are a bit limited, so if you want to create highly personalized guides, it might not be ideal. Some integrations can be tricky to set up, and for users looking for more advanced features, the platform might feel a bit basic at times."
- UserGuiding Review, Arefeen A.
Related: Learn how AI enhances customer self-service, support and retention.
Pendo came up again and again in my research as one of the most capable DAP for combining in-app guidance with deep product analytics for SaaS products.
From everything I’ve read in user reviews, it’s especially appreciated by product and enablement teams who want more than just onboarding. People love how easy it is to get started: setting up guides, tagging features, and launching tooltips can be done quickly.
What really differentiates Pendo, in my view, is how well it brings together analytics and engagement. It’s not just about nudging users; it’s about understanding them.
With built-in NPS tracking, strong segmentation, and funnel analysis, you get a full picture of how users interact with your product. It’s particularly useful for companies managing multiple user types or roles across a complex interface.
There are, however, a few trade-offs. I saw a few users mention that while Pendo is feature-rich, it can feel slightly restrictive when it comes to design flexibility or customizing how guides look and behave. I noticed some users felt limited by certain missing or restricted features, often needing to request enhancements or upgrade plans to unlock more advanced capabilities.
Still, if you’re looking for a tool with full creative freedom right out of the gate, I'd say Pendo is something to weigh.
It offers a free plan for apps with 500 monthly active users.
"Pendo has completely changed the way I work, and honestly, I love everything about it!
Analytics – What a game-changer! Our organization used to have WalkMe, and pulling analytics was a nightmare. It was an all-day task—extracting reports, cleaning them up, putting them into Excel, and then creating Pivot charts just to make sense of the data. But the first time I saw Pendo’s Dashboards? Mind blown. Everything I needed was right there, beautifully organized and easy to analyze.
Guides Configuration – Next level! The flexibility Pendo offers here is incredible. The code block is hands down my favorite feature. Initially, I missed the auto-click trigger from WalkMe, but then Pendo introduced Automate, and wow—it’s not just auto-click, but auto-fill too. It’s like getting a bonus on top of a bonus!
Overall, Pendo is an absolute game-changer, and I couldn’t imagine my work without it now. 10/10, highly recommend!"
- Pendo Review, Rajat S.
"The polls feature is a bit lacking in options and guide orchestration could use improvement."
- Pendo Review, Jason S.
What impressed me most about Whatfix was how well it balances enterprise-grade functionality with personalized support.
What stood out to me in user feedback was how much value teams place on the platform’s analytics. You can track everything from flow completion and smart tip views to self-help engagement and task-level drop-offs, which makes it easier to continuously refine content. That’s especially helpful for companies with complex workflows or compliance-heavy processes where a missed step can’t be ignored.
Another area where Whatfix clearly shines is managed services and support. I came across multiple reviews that called out the responsiveness of their team and how hands-on they are in helping companies deploy and scale.
For teams with limited internal resources, this kind of partnership can make or break a digital adoption strategy. I also noticed reviewers consistently highlighting how easy it is to create walkthroughs, upload existing job aids, and adapt the content to different use cases, all with minimal friction.
That said, there are a few things to be aware of. Some users mentioned that while Whatfix is feature-rich, the interface isn’t always as intuitive as they expected, especially for first-time users trying to build or update flows without prior training.
Also, I understood from the reviews that there’s a learning curve when navigating between different setup options, which might require some hand-holding in the early stages. These weren’t raised as major concerns, but they suggest that teams looking for a one-click setup may need to plan for a bit more ramp-up time.
Overall, I'd say Whatfix seems ideal for large organizations that want both granular workflow analytics and high-touch support, especially in industries where precision and compliance matter.
"Overall, our company uses WhatFix for many things. Self-help, storing reference guides, pop-ups, user workflow assistance, etc., for our customers to use our product. It helps our customers better understand how to use our SaaS tool.
I recently used the WhatFix survey functionality to implement an NPS In-App survey for my company. There was a bit of a learning curve for me and a few tweaks we needed to make, but the survey was a success after testing well, and we are looking forward to using it again in the future. We did do some customization for our survey with their development team and she was really easy to work with and a great communicator.
Their customer success team and support live chat are exceptional."
- WhatFix Review, Cindy N.
"I graded Whatfix with 8 out of 10 on a satisfaction scale. While I appreciate the solution's analytics and real-time guidance, I dislike the very technical aspect of the process. It often requires IT support and cannot be completely standalone. From content creation with separators to analytics, it demands more learning by doing than I would prefer, given other business priorities."
- WhatFix Review, Helena D
Explore the best customer success software to e to drive retention, boost adoption, and support your users at every stage of their journey.
A digital adoption platform is a type of software that helps users learn, navigate, and use digital tools more effectively. It overlays in-app guidance, like tooltips, walkthroughs, and checklists, on top of software applications to support onboarding, training, and ongoing engagement.
Digital adoption software helps reduce onboarding time, improve feature adoption, lower support ticket volume, and increase productivity across teams. It’s especially valuable for organizations with complex tools or frequent process changes.
Unlike static onboarding documents or external training sessions, DAPs provide contextual, real-time guidance directly inside the software. This makes learning feel more intuitive and personalized based on the user’s behavior and role.
Look for no-code content creation, robust analytics, user segmentation, in-app surveys, and integration capabilities with tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Intercom. Some platforms also offer advanced onboarding modules, localization options, and detailed funnel analysis.
Digital adoption platforms are commonly used by product, customer success, HR, and training teams. They’re ideal for companies scaling software training, managing complex platforms, or looking to improve user experience across multiple tools.
Customer success teams use DAPs to proactively guide users through key features, reduce churn, and ensure customers realize the full value of the software. Features like NPS surveys, in-app messaging, and behavior analytics help tailor outreach and support efforts.
According to G2 reviews and feature analysis, leading DAPs in 2025 include WalkMe, Whatfix, Userpilot, Pendo, and UserGuiding. Each platform offers unique strengths, from advanced analytics to ease of use and personalized onboarding experiences.
After digging into the top digital adoption platforms, one thing became crystal clear: success doesn’t come from just buying the tool. It comes from actually using it. One of the most common things I heard from DAP users is that you only see results when teams fully commit to building, testing, and iterating inside the platform.
Even the best DAP won’t succeed without internal buy-in. If your product team is building guides, your support team is relying on analytics, and no one’s talking to each other, you’re going to end up with a very fancy layer no one fully uses.
My advice? Start with a clear use case, involve the teams who’ll own it day to day, and treat your DAP rollout like a product launch, not just a plug-and-play purchase. When you get it right, a digital adoption platform gets you less friction, faster onboarding, and insight into exactly where users need support.
So, choose wisely, align early, and may the flows be with you.
Want to take your product adoption strategy even further? Check out G2’s guide to unlocking customer-led growth with reviews and learn how real user feedback can fuel smarter decisions across onboarding, enablement, and beyond.
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