The Whale Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Whale in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Whale
The Insider’s Guide
SOP documentation and employee training platform with AI
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among docs and wiki tools, read from Whale’s own pages.
Made by Whale BV · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Whale’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Whale’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 4 of the 51 other docs and wiki tools we grade
Whale is a platform for documenting SOPs and processes and training employees on them. Creators write procedures with an AI writer, a step recorder and a video-to-guide converter, then roll them out through training flows, quizzes and read assignments, while members find answers by asking Alice, the built-in AI assistant. Plans are flat monthly prices that include a set number of creators, and a free plan covers up to 10 members.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Whale, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No app rating on record, and this is a library to build and roll out: SOPs to write, creators and roles to sort, training flows to assign.
- 1
Best for SOPs and staff training with an AI helper
Whale is where you write SOPs and train people on them, with an AI writer, a step recorder and an assistant called Alice that answers from your own content.
- 2
Paid plans start at $249 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $249 per month, billed yearly ($399 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Free Forever: up to 10 members, 1 creator and 20 Playbook items across the workspace, with 20 AI credits a month. No PDF or Word export, version history or insights.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android, with a browser extension too.
- 5
AI SOP writer and importers
AI drafts new procedures, polishes wording and gives each SOP a health score, and existing PDF and Word documents can be imported and turned into editable SOPs.
- 6
Step and screen recorders
The Step Recorder captures a process on screen as a visual step-by-step guide, and recorded or uploaded videos are transcribed by AI into written SOPs.
- 7
Ask Alice
Members put questions to Alice, an AI assistant trained on the workspace's own content, to find an SOP or learn how to do something. Asking Alice does not use AI credits.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 4 of 51
That is against the other docs and wiki tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Whale you would be making a search engine with an AI model behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Whale at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $249 per month, billed yearly ($399 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- Made by
- Whale BV
- Category
- Docs & Wikis
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for SOPs and staff training with an AI helper
Whale is where you write SOPs and train people on them, with an AI writer, a step recorder and an assistant called Alice that answers from your own content. The free plan stops at 1 creator and 20 Playbook items. Paid plans start at $249 a month billed yearly, or $399 monthly, with 3 creators, and SSO, the API and approval flows sit on dearer plans.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Scale is $249 a month billed yearly, or $399 monthly, which is deep in the dearest tenth of this category, and it includes just 3 creators, with extras from $29 each. Enforced SSO and the video editor need Advance at $499, and the API is Enterprise only. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free forever for up to 10 members, with the step recorder, screen recorder, video-to-SOP converter and checklists. The caps arrive fast: 1 creator, 20 Playbook items across the whole workspace, 20 AI credits a month, and no PDF or Word export, version history or insights. |
| Features | B | It covers the whole SOP and training job: AI drafting with a health score per SOP, PDF and Word importers, a step recorder, videos transcribed into written SOPs, training flows with AI quizzes, read assignments with due dates, and Alice answering questions from your own content. |
| Ease of use | C | No app rating on record, and this is a library to build and roll out: SOPs to write, creators and roles to sort, training flows to assign. Importing the PDFs and Word files you already have saves some of that, and staff just scan a QR code. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone, Android and a browser extension, connected to Slack, Zapier, Google Drive, OneDrive, HubSpot, Salesforce and BambooHR, with Whale MCP from Scale. No desktop app, and API access is Enterprise only. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Whale is for
- Fits if many people read your SOPs and a few write them, as plans are priced around creators
- Works for frontline or warehouse staff who need instructions from a QR code or their phone
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you're a small business, with paid plans from $249 a month billed yearly and extra creators from $29 each
- Tight if you're staying free, with 1 creator, 20 Playbook items, 20 AI credits and no export or version history
- Not for you if you need approval flows, SCIM or the API, which are Enterprise only
- Watch out: enforced SSO and the video editor need Advance at $499 a month billed yearly
- Watch out: Whale's pages disagree on members, with plan cards saying limited and its pricing file saying unlimited
Good to know
Good for
- Companies documenting SOPs and training staff on them in one tool
- Frontline and warehouse teams opening instructions by QR code or phone
- Organizations with many readers and only a few content creators
- Nonprofits, which get a 20% discount
Worth knowing
- The Free plan is capped at 10 members, 1 creator and 20 Playbook items, and has no PDF or Word export, version history or insights.
- Paid plans start at $249 a month billed yearly with 3 creators; extra creators on Scale cost $29 each a month, or $39 on monthly billing.
- Enforced SSO and the video editor need Advance, and API access, SCIM provisioning and approval flows are Enterprise only.
- Vendor pages disagree on members: the plan cards say limited on Scale and Advance, while the machine-readable pricing file says unlimited.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$249
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Whale has a free plan. Paid plans start at $249 per month, billed yearly ($399 billed monthly).
Free
$0
Up to 10 members, 1 creator and 20 Playbook items, with the step recorder, screen recorder, video-to-SOP converter and checklists.
Scale
$249
per month, billed yearly ($399 billed monthly)
3 creators included, with extra creators from $29 each a month, unlimited documentation, 5 training flows, AI quizzes and Whale MCP access.
Advance
$499
per month, billed yearly ($799 billed monthly)
5 creators included, with extra creators from $39 each a month, adding the video editor, AI voiceovers, enforced SSO and granular permissions.
Enterprise
Custom
Priced on request with yearly billing only. Adds approval flows, automatic redaction, SCIM user provisioning, HRIS integrations and API access.
The free plan
Free Forever: up to 10 members, 1 creator and 20 Playbook items across the workspace, with 20 AI credits a month. No PDF or Word export, version history or insights.
Read from usewhale.io on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save about 37% with yearly billing
The pricing page marks yearly billing as saving 37%: Scale is $249 a month instead of $399 billed monthly, and Advance $499 instead of $799.
Stated on usewhale.ioNonprofit
20% off for nonprofits
Whale's pricing FAQ says nonprofits get a 20% discount on all of its subscriptions.
Stated on usewhale.io
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: Web, iOS, Android and Browser extension
SOP documentation and employee training platform with AI. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, AI search, wiki, templates, screen recording, reports.
No desktop app, and API access is Enterprise only.
- AI SOP writer and importers
- AI drafts new procedures, polishes wording and gives each SOP a health score, and existing PDF and Word documents can be imported and turned into editable SOPs.
- Step and screen recorders
- The Step Recorder captures a process on screen as a visual step-by-step guide, and recorded or uploaded videos are transcribed by AI into written SOPs.
- Ask Alice
- Members put questions to Alice, an AI assistant trained on the workspace's own content, to find an SOP or learn how to do something. Asking Alice does not use AI credits.
- Training flows and quizzes
- Training flows assign content by team and role, and AI generates quiz questions from Whale content. Scale includes 5 flows and 15 quizzes; Advance removes the limits.
- Sharing where work happens
- SOPs are shared by link, QR code or read assignment with a due date, opened in the iOS and Android apps, and consulted from the CoPilot browser extension.
- Insights and access control
- Paid plans add knowledge-use and team performance insights, user groups, user roles and version history. Approval flows are limited to Enterprise.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Slack
- Zapier
- Google Drive
- OneDrive
- HubSpot
- Salesforce
- BambooHR
- Claude
Whale is made by Whale BV.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
4/51
Other docs and wiki tools it is graded above
Whale's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 4 of the 51 other docs and wiki tools we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on features (B, above 21 of 51) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $249 a month, against a middle price of $16.50 for the category: 40 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 11 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 52 docs and wiki tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Whale’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 51
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 51
- BFeaturesAbove 21 of 51
- CEase of useAbove 9 of 51
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 10 of 51
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 47 docs and wiki tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Whale is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Whale you would be making a search engine with an AI model behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 39 of the 51 other docs and wiki tools grade higher. It costs $2,988 a year.
What you could make
- Wiki, templates and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A search engine with an AI model behind it.
- Recording the screen with its sound, and somewhere to keep the video.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Slack, Zapier and Google Drive among them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Whale’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Trainual, Waybook, SweetProcess, Scribe and Tango
The 5 tools Whale is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
Trainual
Paid
Training and SOP platform for onboarding and running teams.
- Whale has a free plan. Trainual does not.
- Whale also covers wiki and reports.
- Trainual also covers documents.
- 2.2GPA
Waybook
Free trial · from $99/mo
SOP, onboarding and training playbook for growing teams.
- Whale has a free plan. Waybook does not, though it has a free trial.
- Whale also covers screen recording.
- Waybook also covers screenshots and diagrams.
- 2.0GPA
SweetProcess
Free trial · from $82.50/mo
SOP, process and policy documentation with task tracking.
- Whale has a free plan. SweetProcess does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Whale lists iOS and Android apps.
- Whale also covers AI search, screen recording and reports.
- 2.4GPA
Scribe
Free plan · from $23/mo
Step-by-step guides captured automatically as you work.
- Only Whale lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Scribe lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Whale also covers AI search, wiki, templates, screen recording and reports.
- 2.4GPA
Tango
Free plan · from $15/mo
Captures workflows as step-by-step guides with screenshots.
- Only Whale lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Tango lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Whale also covers AI search, wiki, templates, screen recording and reports.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Whale free?
Whale has a free plan. Free Forever: up to 10 members, 1 creator and 20 Playbook items across the workspace, with 20 AI credits a month.
How much does Whale cost?
Whale lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Whale work on?
Whale is available on Web, iOS and Android. It also has a browser extension.
Does Whale offer any discounts?
Whale publicly lists the following: Save about 37% with yearly billing; 20% off for nonprofits.
Does Whale have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Whale is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Whale have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Whale is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Whale open source?
Whale is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
What does Whale integrate with?
Whale's listing names Slack, Zapier, Google Drive, OneDrive, HubSpot, Salesforce, BambooHR and Claude.
Who makes Whale?
Whale is made by Whale BV.
What are the alternatives to Whale?
The closest alternatives to Whale in our directory are Trainual, Waybook, SweetProcess, Scribe and Tango.
How does Whale compare with other docs and wiki tools?
Whale's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 4 of the 51 other docs and wiki tools we grade, and level with 8.
Is Whale good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Whale D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $249 a month, against a middle price of $16.50 for the category: 40 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Whale?
To replace Whale you would be making a search engine with an AI model behind it.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Whale’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Whale's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-18.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Whale BV. Prices change, so check usewhale.io before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Whale, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/whale
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Whale: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/whale
Know someone choosing between docs and wiki tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/whale/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
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- Google Docs Insider's GuideBrowser-based word processor, free with a Google Account3.4 GPA
- ONLYOFFICE Insider's GuideOpen-source office suite for documents, sheets, slides and PDFs3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Whale’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Whale is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Whale BV. Prices and plans change: check usewhale.io before you buy.