16 rules in 5 groups, worth 100 points in all. They were set before any product was scored and apply the same way to all 11.
Version 1, published 9 Oct 2026
In short
Each rule is a yes-or-no fact, a list (such as the systems with an app) or a number with published thresholds, read from the vendor's own pages.
A fact the vendor does not publish earns nothing. A feature in beta or preview does not count.
The list follows the points. A tie goes to the lower price on "cheapest paid plan", then to the name.
Software that publishes a public help centre, knowledge base or product-documentation site. Internal-only wikis are left out unless the vendor documents a public mode. Help desks and live chat tools that bundle a help centre are not listed. Features count if offered on at least one plan; prices count one editor.
Price 18 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Cheapest paid plan
Cheapest paid plan that can publish a public help centre, for one site and the fewest editors allowed (per-site and per-editor fees added), in US dollars a month at its regular price: yearly billing per month if offered, else monthly. Free software counts as $0 (hosting not counted). Tiers: $10, $30, $80, $150, $300. Quote-only pricing is not scored.
12
Free plan
A plan that costs nothing, is not a time-limited trial, and can publish a public help centre or knowledge base. Free open-source software counts.
6
Publishing 28 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Help centre on your own domain
The public help centre can be served from the customer's own domain or subdomain, on at least one plan.
8
Multiple languages
One help centre can offer articles in more than one language, with a language switcher or translated versions of an article, on at least one plan. Separate, unlinked sites per language do not count.
7
Article version history
The vendor documents saved versions of each article that an editor can compare or restore, on at least one plan.
6
Review and approval workflow
An article can be sent to a named reviewer and must be approved before it is published, on at least one plan. A plain draft-and-publish switch does not count.
7
Readers and reports 18 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Search reports
Built-in reports list what readers searched for, including searches that returned no result, on at least one plan.
6
Reader feedback on articles
Readers can rate an article (for example helpful or not helpful) and editors see the results in a report, on at least one plan.
4
Help widget for your site or app
An official widget or embed that shows help articles and search inside the customer's own website or app, on at least one plan.
4
Login-only articles
Some articles or sections can be limited to signed-in readers or chosen groups while others stay public, on at least one plan.
4
Access and data 28 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Single sign-on (SAML or OIDC)
The vendor documents SAML or OpenID Connect single sign-on for editors or readers, on at least one plan. Google or Microsoft social login alone does not count.
7
API to read and write articles
A documented public API that can create or update articles, not only read them, on at least one plan.
7
Bulk export of articles
The vendor documents exporting many articles in one action (a whole book, space, project or site, not one article at a time) to files such as Markdown, HTML, PDF or Word, on at least one plan.
5
Editor roles and permissions
The vendor documents at least three distinct team roles with different permissions (such as admin, editor and reviewer or viewer), or lets an admin create custom roles with chosen permissions, on at least one plan.
4
Open source
The source code of the product itself (not only its connectors or command-line tools) is public under an open-source licence.
5
Security 8 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001
The vendor names a SOC 2 Type II report or an ISO/IEC 27001 certification for this product or the company running it.