Dr.Explain vs Help+Manual
Dr.Explain
drexplain.comHelp+Manual
helpandmanual.comSide by side
| Figure | Dr.Explain | Help+Manual |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $24.17/mo | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 8 | 3 |
| Spec score · Help Authoring Tools | 8.5 (#4) | 7.9 (#10) |
| Spec score · Technical Documentation Software | 8.4 (#8) | 7.8 (#24) |
| Headquarters | New York, New York, USA | Salzburg, Austria |
| Intended users | The maker identifies technical writers, programmers and developers, business analysts and integrators, and technical support specialists as intended users. | The maker recommends Professional for professional authors, software developers and small authoring teams, and Basic for part-time authors, content contributors and private users. |
| Platform requirement | The downloadable desktop application runs on Windows 11, 10, 8, or 7 with 64-bit architecture. | The download page lists Windows 11, 10, 8 and 7 as supported operating systems and does not support Windows XP or older. |
| Product | Dr.Explain is a help authoring tool for creating user guides, operating instructions, help files, and manuals. | Help+Manual is an XML-based, single-source authoring environment for creating online help and PDF user manuals. |
| Support | The maker offers multilingual technical and sales support by email and toll-free voicemail. | Support options include user manuals, tutorials, public forums and direct email support. |
Plans
Dr.Explain
- FreeFree
- Business Temporary$290 a year
- Business Perpetual v.7$690, paid once
- Home Perpetual v.7$9,000, paid once
- Free Restricted LicenseFree
- Business License — Temporary$290 a year
- Business License — Perpetual for v.7$690, paid once
- Home License — Perpetual for v.7$9,000, paid once
Help+Manual
- Help+Manual v10, Basic Edition€569, paid once
- Help+Manual v10, Professional Edition€899, paid once
- Help+Manual v10, Floating License€1,569, paid once
In their own words
Dr.Explain
Dr.Explain is a Windows help authoring tool for creating user guides, operating instructions, help files, and manuals. It captures application windows or web pages and adds numbered callouts to interface elements. Documentation can be exported as HTML, CHM, PDF, or DOCX; imports include CHM, HLP, HTML, XML, DOC/DOCX, and TXT, with project structure and formatting preserved. For software integration, it supports Help Context IDs and creates map files in.h,.vb, and.inc formats. Multiple authors can work on a project through the free Tiwri.com service or a corporate server on the company's internal network. An in-program AI Assistant offers generation, translation, and proofreading. The desktop application requires 64-bit Windows 11, 10, 8, or 7. The free license has no time limit but restricts project size and watermarks exported images; it includes 20 topics. Business Temporary costs $290 a year for five users, and Business Perpetual v.7 costs $690, paid once for five users. Home Perpetual v.7 costs $9,000, paid once for one user and excludes commercial use.
Help+Manual
Help+Manual has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.