Both ScreenSteps and Scribe help teams capture and share know-how. They just take different approaches depending on what kind of knowledge you need to share and how people will use it.
This article will give you the information you need to make the right choice based on your needs.
Quick Summary
Scribe is best for quickly capturing simple, linear software tasks and sharing them as PDFs or links. The SOPs typically live in SharePoint, shared drives, or direct 1:1 communication.
ScreenSteps is built to clarify complexity. For organizations that need a structured, searchable knowledge base for complex or changing procedures, ScreenSteps guides are easy to find, easy to follow, and easy to update as things evolve.
Scribe: Ideal for quick tutorials. Record a workflow, and it instantly creates a visual guide with screenshots and text. Perfect for showing how to complete a few steps in one system.
ScreenSteps: Also supports creating short guides by:
For shorter guides that require screenshots, Scribe will be faster at capturing the screenshots. ScreenSteps will give you more flexibility and collaboration.
Scribe: Can only document linear flows. There is no ability to add optional content, reference material, or decision trees. This makes it harder to communicate complex procedures.
ScreenSteps: Built to clarify complexity. Digital guides can include:
This enables you to create articles that both experts and novices can utilize effectively. Experts aren’t bogged down with unnecessary detail, and novices can always dig deeper to get the level of detail they need.
Scribe: Focuses on linear workflows: one path from start to finish.
ScreenSteps: Adds decision trees that handle branching logic. Employees can choose the right path based on what they encounter, reducing errors and uncertainty. Decision trees have a major impact on reducing task time, errors, and escalations.
Scribe: Focuses on the “how" (what to click).
ScreenSteps: Combines foundational knowledge (why, what, and when) with actionable steps (how). This helps new hires understand not just what to click, but the reasoning behind procedures.
For example, a credit union teller can understand not just how to submit a request, but when it applies and why it's important, all in the same guide.
ScreenSteps also lets you create custom micro-courses and learning paths for deeper foundational understanding.
Scribe: Each SOP is exported or shared as a PDF, a link, or embedded. SOPs often live independently in knowledge bases, documents, or chats.
ScreenSteps: Guides are stored in a structured knowledge base, searchable and organized by role or task. Everything connects into a single source of truth that employees can access from the knowledge base or inside any website or web app using the ScreenSteps Sidekick browser extension.
The table of contents is automatically generated, and linking between articles is simple.
Plus, making changes to guides is made easy with feedback loops, collaborative authoring, and revision history.
Scribe: Since most articles end up as PDFs, it is impossible for end-users to provide feedback.
ScreenSteps: End-users and co-authors can provide direct feedback on the articles, ensuring that content is improved and updated over time. Feedback loops include:
Scribe is great when you need to quickly show someone how to do something in a straightforward system. It’s fast, easy, and works well for short, unchanging workflows.
ScreenSteps is the better choice when:
If you're in healthcare, finance, contact centers, or any fast-moving team that needs employees to perform with precision and confidence, ScreenSteps gives you the tools to do just that.
Schedule a demo with ScreenSteps to explore how teams clarify complexity and empower expert employees with trusted answers at their fingertips.