An API is a set of tools used to build software applications. These tools are important because they give developers the freedom to build what they want. This resource discusses the best documentation tools for developers, including documentation frameworks and custom content management systems.
Documentation is a basic need for any business or software project. Yet, few projects or products invest the appropriate time and effort to write good documentation. Like any project or product, your documentation needs an investment of time and energy to create something that looks good, is easy to read/follow and delivers on its promises as listed on your home page or news section.
Documentation leads to better software. Whether creating a new application or maintaining an old one, documentation is important. It helps you explain how the code works and what you need to do in order to use it.
Some people hate writing docs. Others love it—while others fall somewhere in between. When we developers read documentation, we discover and learn new things, or get reassurance about our decisions from past projects and previous contributors. But there are a lot of things to consider when choosing the best documentation framework for your next project…
What is Software Documentation?
Software documentation is an online document that explains everything about a software product, from what it is and how it is built to how it can be put to maximum use. It uses written text along with images and how-to videos to demonstrate how to execute steps and perform tasks. With all software information meticulously arranged in categories and subcategories, the document makes it easy for users to navigate through articles and get what they need instantly.
A software document serves both end-users and developers. While it walks end-users through the basics of the software, it helps developers update their software programs regularly.
Types of Software Documentation
You can build software documentation in different ways depending on your specific requirements. Keep it internal for your developers or make it public for your end-users – it’s all up to you.
Here are the different types of software documentation you can create for your software product:
1. End-User Documentation
This type of documentation is created for end-users. It has step-by-step instructions on how to install, configure, and use your software. Such documents have how-to tutorials, videos, troubleshooting guides, and other resources that end-users need, to use your software.
Let’s now look at the top software documentation tools for both developers and end-users.
2. Software Documentation for Developers
This documentation is for internal use only. Built for software developers, it documents the software’s code, API, algorithms, and other technical details. It also includes release notes for feature or software updates, installation process, architecture description, and much more.
Best Software Documentation Tools for End-Users
Well, that was all about the online documentation tools for developers. Let’s now look at the other side of the spectrum and explore tools for end-users.
1. ProProfs Knowledge Base
ProProfs Knowledge Base is a simple and versatile tool that helps you create software documentation of top-notch quality for your end-users. Packed with bespoke features, the tool simplifies software documentation and assists you at all stages of content creation, right from authoring to publishing.
If you are worried about where to start, fret not. The tool offers ready-to-use templates that give you a good starting point to build content. You can write and style the entire software documentation just the way you want with the wide array of formatting features ProProfs Knowledge Base provides.
In addition to this, features like single sourcing, revision history, import, and export, further improve the process of creating and managing online documentation.
Rating: 4.6/5
Pricing: Starts at $30/author/month
2. Process Street
Process Street is another tool for software documentation that deserves your attention. It comes with a simple interface that lets you build structured software documentation for your end-users. With intuitive keyboard shortcuts and drag and drop functionality, Process Street makes document authoring easy for everyone in your development team. You can also add visual and audio elements to your document and turn it into a media-rich information resource.
In addition to this, it allows developers to work in collaboration and take full accountability for the assigned software development tasks.
Rating: 4.6/5
Pricing: Starts at $25/user/month
3. Whatfix
Whatfix is carefully-designed to help you provide digitally-driven and contextually-relevant experiences to your end-users. With Whatfix, you can deliver in-app support to product users and take them through step-by-step instructions right inside your software product. It allows you to pack your software documentation in a small widget that points users towards relevant articles.
With such interactive guidance and contextual walkthroughs in real-time, right when users are exploring your software, Whatfix promises an exceptional experience. What’s even more interesting about this software is the automated personalization and conditional workflows that take the user experience to the next level.
Rating: 4.6/5
Pricing: Available on Request
4. Zoho Docs
Zoho’s documentation software is fully customizable and highly secure. It supports multi-branding, domain mapping, a powerful authoring system, and forums and communities. All these features and many more are designed to help you create, manage, and maintain your software documentation with ease.
What sets Zoho’s documentation software apart from others is that it allows your software users to engage in discussions, give and get suggestions, and share ideas on built-in forums and communities. This makes the ultimate user experience much better as they get the best of both the worlds – self-service as well as direct interaction with fellow users.
Rating: 4.5/5
Pricing: Starts at $10.75/agent/month
5. Bit.ai
Bit.ai is a document creation and collaboration tool comprising features across user management, customization, content authoring, and security. While developers can use the software to create code blocks and collaborate with one another, end-users, on the other hand, get a well-structured document that delivers information instantly.
Bit.ai supports Markdown editor, keyboard shortcuts, inline comments, and many other features that are vital for 360° management of your documentation. You can also create unlimited code blocks that are helpful for building technical documents such as reference guides, manuals, software documents, etc.
Rating: 4.7/5
Pricing: Starts at $8/member/month
Best Software Documentation Tools for Developers
Based on our research, we found out 5 software documentation tools that fit the bill perfectly if developers your target audience.
6. Read the Docs
Read the Docs automates the entire process of building, versioning, and publishing your software documentation. If you are looking for an open-source software documentation tool, Read the Docs is the ideal choice. It provides free docs hosting, supports downloadable formats, and helps you maintain multiple versions of your document. You can become a Gold member and avail yourself of all services of this software ad-free. It is a free software documentation tool, but you will have to pay if you want to keep your docs private.
Rating: 4.4/5
Pricing: Not available
7. GitHub
Another software documentation tool built for developers is Github. With features like collaborative coding, high-end security, and automation, GitHub gives your community of developers a smooth time creating and managing documentation. Developers can keep track of any changes made to the software’s code through its version control system.
With GitHub Pages, developers can convert the files in the repository into full-fledged websites in no time. The tool also offers team discussions and multi-line comments to help developers work in collaboration while writing and managing the software’s code.
Rating: 4.5/5
Pricing: Starts at $4/user/month
8. ClickHelp
ClickHelp is a help authoring tool that enables you to publish your software documentation to a variety of outputs. It offers easy imports from Madcap Flare, RoboHelp, MS Word and Confluence. ClickHelp is cloud-based and hosts your content and authoring environment. It is a structured authoring tool that allows you to reuse content as snippets, variables and conditional content. You can publish multiple projects and project versions from a single portal. Output formats include online documentation, PDF, Web Help and more. You have the ability to publish either public or password-protected documentation, all from the same portal. It includes a patented full-text search engine customized for documentation search so users can easily find content they’re looking for. You have the ability to create taxonomies and search customization features. ClickHelp also offers in-depth analytics and reporting with author contribution and reader behavior reports, 30+ content metrics that include readability, time to read, word count, etc, and topic ratings based on user votes. ClickHelp’s Essentials plan costs $55 per author per month.
Pros
- Feature-rich help authoring tool for a very reasonable price-tag.
- Allows you to single-source your documentation, saving time and money.
Cons
- Might be an overly complex tool for simpler documentation requirements.
9. iA Writer
iA Writer is a popular Markdown editor with a focus on writing. When you use iA Writer you will be impressed by its unique writing experience that allows you to hone and clarify your message. When writing in the editor, iA Writer highlights only the sentence or paragraph you’re working on, and uses syntax highlighting to help you spot superfluous adjectives, weak verbs, and repetitions. You can export your Markdown files to HTML, PDF, and Microsoft Word file format using custom templates. The interface is minimalist, eliminating distractions, and allows you to focus purely on the text. iA Writer is $29.99 on macOS.
Pros
- Makes writing a breeze due to the distraction-free interface.
- Works on MacOS, Windows, and iOS.
Cons
- Doesn’t offer any storage for your files so you will need to integrate with another service like Google Drive.
- Isn’t cloud-based so you won’t be able to share your documentation with anyone else
10. SimpleMDE
SimpleMDE is a WYSIWYG Markdown editor built on JavaScript. It’s free and open source, so you can take advantage of this software for your documentation without paying a penny. SimpleMDE has a focus on creating simple documentation that includes autosave and spell checking. If you don’t know Markdown then you can use the WYSIWYG editor to style and format your files using familiar toolbar buttons and shortcuts. The syntax is rendered while editing so you can preview the final result. SimpleMDE is free and open source.
Pros
- Simple editor for creating Markdown files.
Cons
- There is no way to host your documentation for end-users to share.
11. Tettra
Tettra is an internal knowledge base that organizes your scattered company knowledge so you can use it to answer your team’s repetitive questions right in Slack or MS Teams. It’s suitable for internal software documentation with a user-friendly and intuitive User Interface. This software is built in a Q&A style format so users can ask questions and get answers in Tettra. With the Slack and MS Teams integration, you can answer questions directly in these platforms by linking to existing content. Tettra allows you to define knowledge experts within the interface so the right people can answer questions. You have the ability to ask Subject Matter Experts to verify content according to a set schedule, so your content is never out-of-date. Teammates can also request new pages or request page updates so you can fill the gaps in your content. Tettra is $8.33 per user per month for the scaling plan.
Pros
- Tettra is a simple platform that streamlines all your documents in one place.
- It makes it easy to keep documents up-to-date.
Cons
- Drafts can only be worked on by one individual with no collaborative editing.
- It’s not possible to create a public knowledge base for your software documentation.
12. Whatfix
Whatfix is a Digital Adoption Platform that gives you the ability to create step-by-step walkthroughs that guide your employees through your software. If you already have a knowledge base, Whatfix allows you to display your site in a self-help widget so users never have to leave the platform. Whatfix helps companies to create interactive walkthroughs that display within web applications. The product increases user adoption, decreases training costs and provides self-service support for users of software applications. The form of this documentation can take interactive guidance, contextual walk-throughs, self-help FAQs and more. The platform provides in-depth analytics so you can figure out how users are engaging with your content and whether they are learning from it. Contact Whatfix for a pricing quote.
Pros
- In-depth platform highly tailored towards user learning.
- Flexible according to your organization’s needs.
Cons
- Might be overkill if all you want is a simple knowledge base for your documentation.
13. Dropbox Paper
Dropbox Paper is a good choice of software for internal documentation. You can use it to create a wiki for your employees to consult every time they have a question. You can also securely share your documents with anyone outside the company. You can link documents together easily, insert code blocks, add images, audio and videos, all from within the interface. Dropbox Paper makes it easy to collaborate with your team by inviting others to share your document or folder. They can comment on your documents and you can assign deadlines or milestones as well. Dropbox Paper is free if you already have a Dropbox account.
Pros
- Beautiful user interface and sleek design making this software a joy to use.
- Good integration between the web-based version of Paper and the mobile app.
Cons
- Only suitable for internal docs and is lacking when it comes to public software documentation.
- Limited folder system that is hard to use.
14. Bit.ai
Bit.ai is robust technical documentation software that you can use for your projects. It’s a knowledge management tool that enables companies to keep track of their documentation and make edits, all in one place. Bit documents allow developers to add code directly in the interface, and are more interactive than your standard Word docs. Bit.ai supports multiple collaborators on a document in real-time, so you never have version conflicts. It’s constructed like a wiki so users can easily interlink documents together and share knowledge properly. Bit.ai supports Markdown so developers can document their code without any distractions from the editor. You can easily share the work you complete in Bit.ai with other platforms like GitHub, or export as PDFs and Word files. Bit.ai’s pro plan starts from $8 per member per month.
Pros
- Bit.ai is extremely easy to get up and running with an intuitive interface.
- Comes with pre-made templates that provide a launchpad for new projects.
Cons
- Limited formatting and design options which means you can’t match your company’s branding.
15. Apiary
Apiary is a powerful software documentation tool for creating API documentation. It has a user-friendly interface that lets anyone get started with documenting their APIs, and supports powerful collaboration so teams can work together easily. It has a dedicated web-based team and API blueprint management dashboard, and features role-based access control over API documents. The roles available in Apiary are Admin, Editor and Viewer roles, so you can manage who exactly has access to your content. Apiary comes built-in with API Blueprint templates so you can quickly bootstrap new projects. It’s easy to transfer access between teams throughout the API design life cycle so you always have the right people contributing to the right designs. Apiary is free.
Pros
- Easy for users to get started documenting APIs even if they are complete beginners.
- Supported by thorough documentation.
Cons
- Not suitable for your project if you’re not documenting APIs.
- It’s not easy to transfer ownership of API documentation once it has been created
16. Typora
Typora is a minimalist Markdown editor that is perfectly suited to creating software documentation. When you open the editor it is completely clean and free of distractions, and it renders your Markdown as HTML while you type so you get a smooth viewing experience, being able to write and read in the same view. You can choose from many built-in themes and download new themes from the Typora Themes page, or even create your own theme. It’s not necessary to remember all the Markdown syntax since you can insert formatting from the top menu.
Typora allows you to export your documents to PDF, HTML, Word document, RTF, Epub, LaTeX and so on. Typora is free in beta mode.
Pros
- Provides support for inserting diagrams and mathematics
Cons
- Doesn’t host your documentation online so you will need to integrate with another tool.
17. KnowAll
KnowAll is the most popular knowledge base solution on WordPress and you can use it to create your technical documentation. The main advantage of KnowAll is that is a WordPress theme so you can create all your content using this familiar platform – it’s as easy as creating a blog post. It comes with Google-grade search so users can search for the content they need, also combined with auto suggest, making the searching process much quicker. You can restrict user access and require a login for users to view your site. You can customize the theme to make it match your company branding, and the software supports complex content hierarchy with multiple categories. You can customize the way categories are ordered, making them alphabetical or ensuring that the most useful articles remain at the top. KnowAll costs $149 per year.
Pros
- KnowAll comes with a wealth of analytics options to help you gauge your content’s performance.
- Takes advantage of the popularity of WordPress as a Content Management System.
Cons
- Customizations are limited without diving into the code.
Choosing the Right API Documentation Software
The existence of so many high-quality documentation tools has made it easier for technical writers to learn how to write API documentation.
However, there’s still the matter of finding the right API documentation software for your needs.
Here are some things you can do to ensure you have the right API documentation software for optimally describing what your API is all about.
- Focus on simplicity and ease of use. Developers shouldn’t have to create code snippets for every added feature. The tool should integrate automatically with multiple third-party services.
- Choose a platform that accommodates API documentation with several programming languages and syntax.
- Check if the platform can display your API documentation and allow you to review it with key stakeholders.
- Ensure the software can integrate an external search service such as Google Custom Search, Algolia, or Swiftype.
- Confirm if the software leaves some budget open for third-party hosting and documentation services or if it offers an in-built deployment option.
- Ensure that you get a platform that gives you technical leeway while still allowing you to make good API content.
- Emphasize the design as the primary quality of documentation software when looking to subscribe. Good API design will allow developers to create more visually-appealing documents that better explain API capabilities.
- Good documentation improves user satisfaction to a very high degree. The pleasure is not limited to a narrow audience either, as people of all technical expertise can read and use it.
Conclusion
Documentation can be a dull and boring process. Whether it’s for a blog post or web application, writing documentation takes hours if not days out of our busy lives. Good thing there are tools that can improve the quality and speed of your documentation efforts.
Your software can’t be shipped without appropriate documentation. Software documentation shows your dedication to your users, whether they be customers of your product or developers. You will greatly enhance the User Experience of your software and increase adoption.