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HelpSmith Reviews & Product Details

BH
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
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Validated Reviewer
Review source: Organic
What do you like best about HelpSmith?

I have found HelpSmith to be a very user friendly application for developing documentation for programs I have been writing. Everything from managing text to illustrations is very straightforward and robust. It also offers a wide verity of compiled outputs from HTML to PDF and Word. I like the ability to create templates to save time when creating multiple documents. I have tried other help file products and this has been the best that I have found. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about HelpSmith?

I haven't really found anything that I dislike. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is HelpSmith solving and how is that benefiting you?

I have been using HelpSmith to create help files for Access database programs I have written. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

HelpSmith Overview

What is HelpSmith?

HelpSmith is a help authoring tool that you can use to create HTML Help (CHM), Web Help, Printed Manuals, Adobe PDF, MS Word, ePub eBooks, and Markdown documentation from a single source. HelpSmith includes a rich feature set combined with an easy-to-use user interface with a slight learning curve. Among the advanced features available in HelpSmith is the built-in Image Tool that significantly simplifies the way of writing documentation for user interfaces. For example, you can easily capture screenshots, create various annotations for images (balloons, arrows, ellipses, text labels, etc.), add clickable hotspots, and also use control annotations for UI elements that can be exported into the help topic where you can provide a detailed description for each control.

HelpSmith Details
Product Website
Languages Supported
English
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Product Description

HelpSmith is a help authoring tool that you can use to create HTML Help (CHM), Web Help, Printed Manuals, Adobe PDF, and MS Word documents from a single source.


Seller Details
HQ Location
Vancouver, Canada
LinkedIn® Page
www.linkedin.com

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Recent HelpSmith Reviews

Verified User
U
Verified UserMid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
5.0 out of 5
"Easy working software"
Wery easy to work with and a nice output result.
BW
Brian W.Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
5.0 out of 5
"Helpsmith has been a Great Asset for me"
I want to start by saying I’m not affiliated with Helpsmith in any way, I’m just a satisfied user. I’ve been working with Helpsmith since around 20...
IG
Ian G.Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
4.0 out of 5
"HelpSmith is a great way to produce HTML and printed Help files."
HelpSmith is a simple to use, easy to follow, application for the creation of Help files. I mostly use HTML and printed PDF manuals to record all o...
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HelpSmith Media

HelpSmith Demo - Writing a help file in HelpSmith
Writing a help file in HelpSmith
HelpSmith Demo - Various annotations for images
Various annotations for images
HelpSmith Demo - Control annotations for UI elements
Control annotations for UI elements
HelpSmith Demo - Automatic topic generation for dialog windows
Automatic topic generation for dialog windows
HelpSmith Demo - Compilation into multiple output formats
Compilation into multiple output formats
HelpSmith Demo - Formatting program code with Syntax Highlighter
Formatting program code with Syntax Highlighter
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15 out of 16 Total Reviews for HelpSmith

4.8 out of 5
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15 out of 16 Total Reviews for HelpSmith
4.8 out of 5
15 out of 16 Total Reviews for HelpSmith
4.8 out of 5

Overall Review Sentiment for HelpSmithQuestion

Time to Implement
<1 day
>12 months
Return on Investment
<6 months
48+ months
Ease of Setup
0 (Difficult)
10 (Easy)
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BW
MD
Computer Software
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Verified Current User
Review source: Organic Review from User Profile
What do you like best about HelpSmith?

I want to start by saying I’m not affiliated with Helpsmith in any way, I’m just a satisfied user. I’ve been working with Helpsmith since around 2017, starting with version 6, and now I’m using version 10 (2024). I’m genuinely impressed with how the software has evolved over the years.

One of the things I really appreciate about Helpsmith is how user-friendly it is. I’ve found the online tutorials 'both video and text' to be incredibly helpful. They’ve made learning the ins and outs of the program a lot easier.

The regular updates and ongoing support are also big pluses. Helpsmith has been consistently updated and well-supported throughout my time using it, which is a huge relief as some programs I've purchased over the years have ceased trading or simply stagnated. Whenever I’ve had a question or needed some help, their support team usually gets back to me within 24 hours, which is fantastic.

What’s also worth mentioning is how open Helpsmith is to user feedback. I’ve submitted a few suggestions over the years, and it’s been great to see some of them actually implemented in newer versions.

If you’re curious to see Helpsmith in action, you can check out a project I’ve worked on. My website, [https://onsafelines.com/qhse.support](https://onsafelines.com/qhse.support), showcases nearly 500 pages created from Helpsmith files. The way Helpsmith converts these files into HTML pages so quickly is really impressive.

Overall, Helpsmith has been a reliable and efficient tool for my help file creation needs, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for solid software in this area. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about HelpSmith?

Although the basics are easy to grasp, some more advanced features can have a bit of a learning curve. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is HelpSmith solving and how is that benefiting you?

A key benefit of HelpSmith is its ability to quickly convert help files into HTML pages. This feature addresses the challenge of generating web-ready documentation from my files, making it easier to deploy comprehensive help resources online. The speed and accuracy of this conversion have streamlined my workflow and improved the accessibility of my documentation.

The ability of Helpsmith to create concide, professional looking, and easy to use navigation menu is a major problem solver for website page help support. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Computer Software
UC
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Review source: Organic
What do you like best about HelpSmith?

Wery easy to work with and a nice output result. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about HelpSmith?

Missing prewiev during working with a projekt. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is HelpSmith solving and how is that benefiting you?

Creating functional web based helpfiles. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

IG
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Verified Current User
Review source: Organic
What do you like best about HelpSmith?

HelpSmith is a simple to use, easy to follow, application for the creation of Help files. I mostly use HTML and printed PDF manuals to record all of the information needed to assist Users of my applications. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about HelpSmith?

I sometimes find the word processor a little annoying. Using Bullets and Numbering can be confusing at times especially when you wish to add blank lines or additional information within the Bullets and Numbering. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering HelpSmith:

Try the other programs first before using HelpSmith. Then try HelpSmith, you will be pleasantly surprised. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is HelpSmith solving and how is that benefiting you?

I use HelpSmith for producing help files and manuals for the applications that I provide. The help file is the best way of explaining how to use the application and how the application processes its data. I have tried a number of help authoring programs and by far, HelpSmith has made the task of creating help files the easiest to build and with its integration into various help file formats it is far and above other products. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Jeff A.
JA
President
Non-Profit Organization Management
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
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Validated Reviewer
Verified Current User
Review source: Organic
What do you like best about HelpSmith?

The program is designed to be similar to most programming environments. It is simple yet, meets nearly all of the needs of a good help authoring system. The program has a vast array of publication documents that can be created from the help document you create. I like the look of the compiled Web Help. The created web help file can easily be added to any system or web page. The compiled web help uses the function and navigation available with a standard web browser. The PDF compiled document utilizes the main menu to navigate around the help file. The Microsoft Word document is a basic text document formatted to Word specifications. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about HelpSmith?

The program does not handle the addition of videos as well as it should. The embedded video is attached to the page but, does not show correctly on all complied version of the created help document. The compiled help documents do not all look the same. I did find the word document is sometimes breaks pages with the header and/or footer on a separate page. The PDF compiled help sometimes adds an extra blank page to the document. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering HelpSmith:

Test out the various program available and see which best meets your needs. We found this product to be intuitive, easy to use and priced reasonably. The support staff is very responsive and made changes to the program just to meet my issues. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is HelpSmith solving and how is that benefiting you?

We created a help system for the enterprise version of our food plant MRP system. We upgrade the help on a regular basis with ease. We are using the printed, PDF and Web help compiled versions of the help file. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Steve N.
SN
Sr. Software Enginer
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
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Validated Reviewer
Verified Current User
Review source: Organic
What do you like best about HelpSmith?

I have used HelpSmith for a number of projects that I distribute on my own website. It is without a doubt the easiest to use Help System I have found among the many I have researched and tried over the years. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about HelpSmith?

I still have HelpSmith version 5.x and as far as I know it is still reliant on the Microsoft Help Workshop software. If it still reliant on such software, my suggestion would be to find a way to provide a different compiler for the product since with Microsoft's past history one never knows when this product may be pulled from distribution. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering HelpSmith:

Absolutely recommend this product. For those that are selling\distributing projects you cannot find an easier to use system for developing Help Files and Information than that which is HelpSmith Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is HelpSmith solving and how is that benefiting you?

I use HelpSmith for the very reason it was designed for; to create Help System for the projects that I distribute. In my view, a well defined Help File is still the best documentation format available for such work. They are easy to build with HelpSmith, compact and compartmentalized. And if a user would like to be able to print a hard-copy of the information, he or she can simply request a version for printing. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

DP
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Verified Current User
Review source: Organic
What do you like best about HelpSmith?

I was able to create a Help file that mirrored my user manual. HelpSmith organized my help information clearly and easily. Edits are a breeze and it keeps everything together for me in one place. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about HelpSmith?

Sometimes the fonts display a little small on my 4K screen, making it hard to read. But that is a small price to pay for how easy it is to use. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is HelpSmith solving and how is that benefiting you?

With Helpsmith we spend much less time maintaining the help portion of our application, which can be very time consuming. In fact, we really don't worry about it at all. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

EP
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Verified Current User
Review source: Organic
What do you like best about HelpSmith?

I find the program to be very intuitive and practical. The interface is presented in a familiar format so I am able to find things easily. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about HelpSmith?

When I first opened the program I would have liked to see a tour of the program that walks me through the various elements of the software. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is HelpSmith solving and how is that benefiting you?

We are creating help documentation for our software. The benefits of using HelpSmith are the time that it saves us in having to organize the information ourselves. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Michael P.
MP
Managing Director
Information Technology and Services
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Review source: Organic
What do you like best about HelpSmith?

Its easy to get along with HelpSmith - even new users can get up to speed intuitively to produce content. We have used the product for years for our product help documentation and will continue to do so Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about HelpSmith?

The earlier versions don't scale 4k screen grabs very well Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is HelpSmith solving and how is that benefiting you?

Our product is used by persons from many different cultures, so help content needs to be simple and include embedded diagrams and screen prints for easy communication of concepts and methods. We also rely on context sensitive help to focus the reader on a specific topic to avoid overwhelming them with detail. HelpSmith allows us to control this content and embed it in our applicaiton very easily Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

DO
Director Contracts & Estimating
Maritime
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Verified Current User
Review source: Organic
What do you like best about HelpSmith?

Organization is easy to achieve and maintaining consistent formatted information is super easy. Gone are the days of manual help system creation using the original Microsoft tool. Other tools do not have the suite of tools/methods contained in HelpSmith. Templates are helpful. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about HelpSmith?

Sometimes extra pages appear which take time to track down the source. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering HelpSmith:

Try the Demo. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is HelpSmith solving and how is that benefiting you?

Benefits are easily created help systems that are easily updated. Publishing hard copy manuals is also easy. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

RG
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Verified Current User
Review source: Organic
What do you like best about HelpSmith?

the timing of the topic with its explanatory texts Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about HelpSmith?

the context tool could export in addition to the code along the topic title Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering HelpSmith:

Do not waste time with other competing products, HelpSmith offers security and efficiency to edit the manual of your applications. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is HelpSmith solving and how is that benefiting you?

he helpsmith pretty much allows me to clarify very well the operation of my application, from there practically the support of my applications are benefited. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

HelpSmith