Dr.Explain vs Heretto
Dr.Explain
drexplain.com
Heretto
heretto.comSide by side
| Figure | Dr.Explain | Heretto |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $24.17/mo | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 8 | 6 |
| Spec score · Help Authoring Tools | 8.5 (#4) | 8.1 (#7) |
| Spec score · Technical Documentation Software | 8.4 (#8) | 8.1 (#16) |
| Spec score · Knowledge base software | 8.0 (#81) | 8.4 (#42) |
| AI assistant | The product’s AI Assistant offers generation, translation, and proofreading within the program. | Etto is Heretto's generative-AI copilot for creating DITA content, improving productivity and maintaining consistency. |
| Headquarters | New York, New York, USA | Rochester, New York, USA |
| Support | The maker offers multilingual technical and sales support by email and toll-free voicemail. | Heretto's help site says users can submit a support request, check existing request status, or email the support team. |
Plans
Dr.Explain
- FreeFree
- Business Temporary$290 a year
- Business Perpetual v.7$690 a month
- Home Perpetual v.7$9,000 a month
- 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
Heretto
- CCMSPriced on request
- DeployPriced on request
- Heretto CCMSPriced on request
- Heretto DeployPriced on request
- Heretto PortalPriced on request
- PortalPriced on request
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.
Heretto
Heretto is a DITA-based platform for enterprises to create, manage, publish, and personalize documentation. Its CCMS combines authoring, version control, branching, workflow management, publishing, and translation management; multiple authors can work in the same file at once without file locking. Governance features include content history, customizable workflows and roles, taxonomy, and metadata. Heretto Deploy distributes centrally stored content through an API for headless publishing. Portal provides a branded self-service site with personalization and granular permissions. Heretto describes CCMS as a SOC 2 Type II certified cloud platform. The web application is compatible with macOS, Windows, and Linux, with Chrome and Firefox officially supported. Heretto lists Deploy, CCMS, and Portal plans, with pricing on request. Portal includes one production and one non-production site, with additional sites available. Heretto says its clients include organizations in high-technology software, manufacturing, insurance, and medical devices. The platform is not designed or optimized for mobile devices or tablets and is not designed for offline use.