Head to head · Evaluated September 2026
Scribe vs Whale: Which SOP Software Fits Your Team?
Best SOP Software reviewers · From vendor pricing, help-centre and product pages · Evaluated September 2026
Plain answer
Whale scores higher overall on our weights (7.35 against 6.25). Scribe scores higher on Capture and authoring speed and Integrations and export; Whale scores higher on Version control and approvals, Training and acknowledgement tracking and Search and findability; they tie on Audit trail and compliance and Pricing transparency. Both publish prices: Scribe from Free; Pro Team $13/seat/month (yearly), Whale from Free; Scale $249/month (yearly).
Whale is the stronger all-round SOP tool on our weights; Scribe is stronger where Capture and authoring speed (9 vs 8) and Integrations and export (8 vs 7).
Scribe
Best for capturing across web, desktop and mobileRank 5 of 9 · Rank 3 of 3 among step-by-step guide tools
What is each tool built for?
Scribe: A capture tool that records a workflow as you work and turns it into a step-by-step guide, with enterprise controls on its top plan. Best for: Documenting processes across web, desktop and mobile apps.
Whale: An SOP platform for documenting, sharing and training on procedures, with capture tools, an AI assistant, quizzes and approval flows. Best for: Teams that want SOPs, quizzes and read assignments in one tool.
How do they score criterion by criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | Scribe score | Whale score | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capture and authoring speed | 20% | 9 / 10 | 8 / 10 | Scribe |
| Version control and approvals | 15% | 3 / 10 | 7 / 10 | Whale |
| Audit trail and compliance | 15% | 6 / 10 | 6 / 10 | Tie |
| Training and acknowledgement tracking | 15% | 4 / 10 | 8 / 10 | Whale |
| Search and findability | 10% | 5 / 10 | 7 / 10 | Whale |
| Integrations and export | 10% | 8 / 10 | 7 / 10 | Scribe |
| Pricing transparency | 15% | 8 / 10 | 8 / 10 | Tie |
Why each score
| Criterion | Scribe | Whale |
|---|---|---|
| Capture and authoring speed | Automatic capture in any web app on Basic; web, mobile and desktop apps on Pro. | Step Recorder, Video Screen Recorder, Video to SOP converter and an AI Writing Assistant are all listed. |
| Version control and approvals | Version history and approval workflows are not listed on the pricing page we reviewed. | Version history on paid plans (90 days on Scale, 1 year on Advance, unlimited on Enterprise); Approval Flows start on Advance. |
| Audit trail and compliance | States SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA compliance; SSO, SCIM, role-based access and data governance are Enterprise features. | States SOC 2 certification, HIPAA readiness and GDPR compliance; Experts and Review Intervals prompt periodic re-checks. No regulated e-signature feature found. |
| Training and acknowledgement tracking | Advanced insights on Pro; no quizzes, assignments or acknowledgement described. | Training Flows, AI-generated quizzes and Read Assignments, with completion reporting. |
| Search and findability | Shareable links and embeds; Scribe describes putting answers in connected tools through integrations, MCP and API, without detail on search. | Alice, an AI assistant that answers team questions, plus a browser extension for in-context access. |
| Integrations and export | Integrations, MCP and API are listed; export and embed on Pro. | Slack and Zapier on paid plans; SCIM, HRIS and API on Enterprise; listed apps include BambooHR, ADP, monday.com and ClickUp. |
| Pricing transparency | Pro Personal ($25/month yearly, $35 monthly) and Pro Team ($13 per seat yearly, $17 monthly, 5-seat minimum) are published; Enterprise is custom. | Scale ($249/month) and Advance ($499/month) are published, billed yearly; monthly prices and member allowances on paid plans are not stated on the page we reviewed; Enterprise is custom. |
What do Scribe and Whale cost?
Scribe
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | Works with any web app, quick customization, share by link and embed |
| Pro Personal | $25/month billed yearly or $35 monthly | Per seat, 1 seat minimum; web, mobile and desktop apps, company branding, edit and redact screenshots, export |
| Pro Team | $13/seat/month billed yearly or $17 monthly | Minimum 5 seats; adds comments |
| Enterprise | Custom | Auto-redaction of PII and PHI, SSO, Creator, Viewer and Admin roles, data governance, central user and document management, language translations, SCIM |
Source: scribe.com · Fetched 27 Sep 2026
Whale
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | 1 creator, SOP creation, 20 AI credits a month, 1 training flow, 1 quiz, read assignments, browser extension, SSO login |
| Scale | $249/month billed yearly | 3 creators (+$29/month per additional creator), 5 training flows, 15 quizzes, 90-day version history, Slack and Zapier |
| Advance | $499/month billed yearly | 5 creators (+$39/month per additional creator), unlimited training flows and quizzes, 1-year version history, approval flows, enforce SSO |
| Enterprise | Custom, yearly billing only | Unlimited members, unlimited version history, SCIM, HRIS, API |
Source: usewhale.io · Fetched 27 Sep 2026
Seat counts and billing rules differ. The calculator applies each vendor's published minimums to your seat count.
Which one should you choose?
Choose Scribe if
- Choose Scribe if you want the fastest route from doing a task to a first draft. Scribe scores 9 / 10 on Capture and authoring speed: Automatic capture in any web app on Basic; web, mobile and desktop apps on Pro.
- Choose Scribe if SOPs must reach other tools, such as a wiki, HR system, Slack or a learning system. Scribe scores 8 / 10 on Integrations and export: Integrations, MCP and API are listed; export and embed on Pro.
Choose Whale if
- Choose Whale if you need to assign SOPs, test people and keep proof they read the current version. Whale scores 8 / 10 on Training and acknowledgement tracking: Training Flows, AI-generated quizzes and Read Assignments, with completion reporting.
- Choose Whale if you need every change kept and a named approver before a version goes live. Whale scores 7 / 10 on Version control and approvals: Version history on paid plans (90 days on Scale, 1 year on Advance, unlimited on Enterprise); Approval Flows start on Advance.
Frequently asked questions
Is Scribe or Whale better overall?
On our SOP management score, Whale (7.35) is ahead of Scribe (6.25). The largest weighted difference is Version control and approvals, where Whale scores 7 against 3.
Is Scribe cheaper than Whale?
Both publish prices: Scribe Free; Pro Team $13/seat/month (yearly); Whale Free; Scale $249/month (yearly). They count seats differently, so compare them in the calculator at your seat count.
Which has stronger version control and approvals?
Whale scores 7 against 3 on version control and approvals. Scribe: Version history and approval workflows are not listed on the pricing page we reviewed. Whale: Version history on paid plans (90 days on Scale, 1 year on Advance, unlimited on Enterprise); Approval Flows start on Advance.