7 Best Confluence Alternatives for Documentation in 2025
by ClickHelp — professional help authoring tool
As companies sharpen their knowledge management game, many are realizing that the standard playbook might need a refresh. For a long time, Atlassian’s Confluence has been the go-to hub for team collaboration and documentation.
But let’s be real; even the most reliable tools can sometimes feel like they’re not quite hitting the mark anymore, right? Perhaps the user interface feels a bit like navigating a maze, or maybe the customization options leave you wanting more…
Let’s take a look beyond the familiar and see what the modern landscape of Help Authoring Tools (HATs) has to offer.
What Is Confluence?
Confluence is a team workspace platform developed by Atlassian, designed to help teams collaborate and share knowledge efficiently. Launched in 2004, it has become one of the most widely used collaboration tools. Its tight integration with other Atlassian heavyweights like Jira has made it a cornerstone for many teams, particularly in the software development world.
Key Features of Confluence
- Page Hierarchy. Keep your content neatly organized with spaces acting as containers and pages nesting within each other — think of it as a well-structured digital filing cabinet.
- Rich Text Editor. Unleash your creativity with formatting options, the ability to embed tables, and seamless integration of images and videos.
- Templates. Hit the ground running with pre-designed page layouts for common documentation needs, saving you time and ensuring consistency.
- Version History. Never fear making changes! Track every edit and easily revert to previous versions if needed — it’s like having a digital time machine for your content.
- Integrations. Easily connect with Jira and other Atlassian buddies, making information flow smoothly between your development and documentation workflows.
- Macros. Supercharge your pages with built-in and custom add-ons that extend functionality, from displaying Jira issues to embedding dynamic content.
- Permissions. Control who can see and do what at the space, page, or even group level, ensuring the right information gets to the right people.
- Comments and @mentions. Spark discussions and get direct feedback within your documents by leaving comments and tagging specific team members.
- Search. No more hunting through endless pages! Confluence’s search helps you quickly locate the information you need across all your spaces and pages.
ClickHelp: Top Confluence Alternative
ClickHelp is a powerful documentation platform specifically designed for creating, managing, and publishing professional technical documentation. Unlike Confluence, which is a general collaboration workspace, ClickHelp specializes in documentation with purpose-built features for technical writers, documentation teams, and developers.
Key Features
- Advanced Document Management. Imagine a well-structured library where information is easy to find and understand. Advanced document management features, like hierarchical organization of topics with strict categorization and tagging, allow you to create one. This makes it easier for both your team and your users to navigate and locate the specific information they need.
- Reach Your Audience in Their Preferred Way. Why limit your documentation to just one format? Offering multiple output formats, such as web-based documentation, PDFs for offline access, and other formats, all generated from a single source, ensures that your audience can consume your content in the way that best suits their needs and preferences.
- Single-Sourcing. Tired of updating the same information in multiple places? Single-sourcing is the answer. By creating content once and reusing it across multiple documents and projects, you can maintain consistency, reduce the risk of errors, and significantly streamline your content updates.
- Version Control. A comprehensive versioning system, complete with comparison tools and rollback capabilities, allows you to track every change, understand how your content has developed, and easily revert to previous versions if needed.
- Personalize the User Experience. Not all users need the same information. Conditional content allows you to display different content to different audiences based on specific variables, such as their role, product version, or subscription level.
- Analytics Dashboard. Wondering how effective your documentation is? By tracking metrics like page views, search terms, and user navigation, you can identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to enhance the quality and usefulness of your documentation.
- Collaboration Tools. This allows team members to provide feedback, manage tasks, and ensure that the documentation creation process is efficient and collaborative.
- Custom Branding. This creates a cohesive and professional experience for your users.
- Document Your APIs with Confidence. Built-in tools for API documentation, including support for industry standards like OpenAPI/Swagger, simplify the process of creating and maintaining accurate and interactive API references.
- Multilingual Support. This enables you to create and manage your documentation in multiple languages, ensuring that your information is accessible to a wider audience and breaking down language barriers.
- Control Access and Maintain Security. Granular permission settings for team members and readers allow you to control who can access, view, and modify your documentation. This ensures that sensitive information is protected.
- Get Started Quickly and Easily. Don’t want to start from a blank page? An extensive collection of templates for various documentation types provides a head start in the content creation process.
- Ensure a Great Experience on Any Device. Responsive design ensures that your documentation automatically adapts to different screen sizes and devices, providing an optimal viewing and reading experience for users on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
Why Use ClickHelp?
ClickHelp is ideal for organizations that need a specialized documentation solution rather than a general collaboration platform. It particularly excels in scenarios requiring sophisticated technical documentation, user manuals, knowledge bases, and API documentation.
Documentation teams appreciate ClickHelp’s intuitive interface designed specifically for content creation, which significantly reduces the learning curve compared to more general tools like Confluence.
For companies concerned about security and compliance, ClickHelp offers both cloud-based and on-premises deployment options with advanced security features. Its enterprise-grade permission system ensures sensitive information remains protected while still being accessible to authorized users.
Pricing
- Starter: $175/month
- Growth: $285/month
- Professional: $580/month
- Free 14-day trial available for all plans
Other Notable Confluence Alternatives
Notion
Notion is a flexible all-in-one workspace that combines notes, documents, wikis, and project management features in a highly customizable interface.
Key Features
- Blocks-Based Content Editor. Users can easily add and arrange various types of content blocks, such as text, images, lists, and more, allowing for flexible page layouts and content structuring.
- Real-Time Collaborative Editing. The platform allows for efficient co-creation of documents and information sharing.
- Cross-Platform Availability for Accessibility. Notion offers applications for various platforms, including web browsers, desktop operating systems (Windows and macOS), and mobile devices (iOS and Android).
Why Use It?
Notion is perfect for teams looking for a flexible tool that can adapt to multiple use cases beyond documentation. Its customizable nature makes it suitable for startups and small to medium-sized businesses that want to consolidate their tools into one platform.
Pricing
- Free plan with limitations.
- Plus: €9.5/user/month (billed annually).
- Business: €14/user/month (billed annually).
- Enterprise: Custom pricing.
Document360
Document360 is a knowledge base platform designed to help companies create, organize, and share documentation both internally and externally.
Key Features
- Flexible Content Editors. Both Markdown and WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors provide flexibility for content creators, allowing them to choose the editing environment that best suits their technical skills and preferred workflow.
- Integrated Version Control. This feature allows for easy comparison of different versions and the ability to revert to previous states, ensuring content accuracy and facilitating content management.
- Support for Multiple Languages. Document360 offers multilingual support, enabling companies to create and manage their knowledge base in multiple languages. This is essential for reaching a global audience and providing localized support.
Why Use It?
Document360 works best for teams focused specifically on knowledge base creation and management. It’s particularly suitable for customer support teams and organizations that prioritize self-service support options.
Pricing
- Three plans with a 14-day trial and a discount for startups. Contact the Sales for an actual price.
GitBook
GitBook combines Git-based version control with an intuitive interface for creating and publishing documentation.
Key Features
- Git-Based Workflows. GitBook’s foundation on Git allows development teams to manage their documentation using the same version control principles they apply to their code.
- Integrated Version Control: By utilizing Git, GitBook provides the version control for documentation.
- Dedicated API Documentation Tools. GitBook includes specific tools designed to assist in the creation and publication of API documentation.
Why Use It?
GitBook is ideal for development teams already using Git who want a documentation solution that fits their existing workflow. It works particularly well for open-source projects and teams that prefer working with Markdown.
Pricing
- from $65/month (billed annually); free for open-source and personal use.
Archbee
Archbee is a modern documentation platform designed specifically for technical teams to create, organize, and share knowledge.
Key Features
- Collaborative document editor
- API documentation support
- Knowledge graphs
- Version history
- Integrations with development tools
- Custom domains
Why Use It?
Archbee is particularly well-suited for software development teams that need to create both internal and external technical documentation. Its specialized features for API documentation make it a strong choice for developer-focused teams.
Key Features
- Dedicated API Documentation Support. The platform offers specific features and tools to support the creation and management of API documentation.
- Interconnected Knowledge Graphs. This allows users to navigate and discover related information more intuitively, providing a richer understanding of complex topics.
- Professional Custom Domains. This provides a professional and branded experience for users accessing the knowledge base, enhancing credibility and user trust.
Pricing
- Starts at $50/month (billed annually).
Slite
Slite is a collaborative documentation platform designed to centralize team knowledge and improve internal communication.
Key Features
- Clean, Minimalist Interface. Slite offers a user interface that is characterized by its clean and minimalist design. This contributes to a more focused and less cluttered writing and reading experience.
- Organized Collections and Channels. The platform utilizes collections and channels as organizational structures for grouping related documents and information.
- Real-Time Collaborative Editing. Slite supports real-time collaborative editing, allowing multiple team members to work on documents simultaneously.
- Pre-Designed Templates for Common Use Cases. The platform offers a selection of pre-designed templates for various documentation needs, such as meeting notes, project briefs, and team guidelines.
Why Use It?
Slite is best for teams looking for a straightforward, distraction-free documentation tool with strong collaboration features. It’s particularly good for remote teams that need to build and maintain an internal knowledge base.
Pricing
- from $8/user/month (billed annually).
Tettra
Tettra is a knowledge management system designed to help teams document and share information within their organization.
Key Features
- AI-Powered Suggestions. Tettra incorporates AI-powered features that can provide suggestions to users as they create and edit documentation. This helps improve the quality, completeness, and consistency of the information within the knowledge base.
- Integration with Slack. The platform offers integration with Slack, a popular communication tool, allowing teams to easily access and share knowledge directly within their existing communication channels.
- Verification Workflows for Content Accuracy. Tettra includes verification workflows that allow designated individuals to review and confirm the accuracy of information within the knowledge base. This system helps ensure that documentation remains current and reliable, particularly in organizations where information changes frequently.
Why Use It?
Tettra excels at internal knowledge management for teams using Slack as their primary communication tool. Its verification system ensures documentation stays current, making it ideal for fast-moving organizations with frequently changing information.
Pricing
- from $4/user/month (billed annually).
How to Choose the Right Confluence Alternative
When selecting an alternative to Confluence for your documentation needs, consider these factors.
- Primary Use Case. Determine whether you need a general collaboration platform or a specialized documentation tool.
- Documentation Complexity. Assess the complexity of your documentation needs and ensure the platform can handle them.
- Team Structure. Consider the size and composition of your team, including technical expertise levels.
- Integration Requirements. Evaluate how the platform needs to integrate with your existing tools and workflows.
- Customization Needs. Determine how much you need to customize the appearance and functionality.
- Content Reuse Requirements. Consider whether you need single-sourcing capabilities for content reuse.
- Publishing Options. Assess whether you need multiple output formats beyond web-based documentation.
- Security and Compliance. Evaluate the security features and compliance certifications required for your industry.
Conclusion
While Confluence continues to be a popular choice for team collaboration and basic documentation, specialized alternatives like ClickHelp offer more robust features for technical documentation needs. ClickHelp stands out for its comprehensive documentation capabilities, advanced content management features, and flexibility in publishing formats.
The ideal choice ultimately depends on your organization’s specific requirements, team composition, and documentation goals. We recommend taking advantage of free trials offered by these platforms to evaluate which solution best addresses your particular documentation challenges. Starting with ClickHelp’s 14-day one.
Good luck with your technical writing!
Author, host and deliver documentation across platforms and devices.
