Appcues vs Userpilot: Which Product Adoption Platform is Right for You in 2025?

November 25, 2025

Appcues vs Userpilot comes up constantly when product teams start evaluating adoption platforms. Both are solid tools with good onboarding capabilities, but they've made different trade-offs that make each a better fit for different situations.

This comparison breaks down what actually matters so you can figure out which one fits your product better.

Quick Comparison Overview

Feature	Appcues	Userpilot
Starting Price	$249/month	$249/month
G2 Rating	4.6 stars	4.6 stars
Best For	Mobile app support, integrations	Advanced analytics, customization
Mobile Support	Yes (iOS, Android, React Native)	No
Number of Integrations	20+	8
Analytics Depth	Basic	Advanced (funnels, trends)
Team Seats (Basic Plan)	3	5

What is Appcues?

Appcues pretty much invented the no-code onboarding category. Founded in 2013, they've been doing this longer than most competitors and it shows in the polish. The platform serves everything from early-stage startups to enterprises, with a reputation for being genuinely easy to use while still being powerful enough for serious work.

The core selling point is that product teams can build onboarding without bugging engineers for every change. The visual builder lets PMs, designers, and marketers create tours, tooltips, modals, and checklists right in the product using a Chrome extension. You can launch new flows in hours instead of waiting for the next sprint.

What sets Appcues apart is mobile. They have native SDKs for iOS, Android, and React Native with full feature parity to web. If you have both web and mobile apps and want consistent onboarding across both, that matters a lot. Their integration ecosystem is also extensive, connecting to 20+ tools including Segment, Amplitude, HubSpot, and Salesforce.

Key Strengths:

Pioneer in no-code onboarding with mature, battle-tested platform
Native mobile app support for iOS, Android, and React Native with full feature parity
Extensive integration ecosystem (20+ integrations) with bidirectional data flows
Strong brand recognition, extensive documentation, and active community support

What is Userpilot?

Userpilot positions itself as a full product growth platform, not just onboarding. Founded in 2017, they've focused on combining onboarding capabilities with serious analytics in one place. If you're tired of juggling multiple tools and want user experience and analytics in the same system, that's the pitch.

They have all the standard UI patterns (modals, tooltips, slideouts, checklists), but what stands out is analytics depth. Where competitors often treat analytics as an afterthought, Userpilot built sophisticated measurement directly in: trend analysis, funnel tracking, user flow visualization, session recordings on Growth plans. If you're data-driven and want to measure onboarding impact precisely, iterate based on actual numbers rather than gut feeling, this matters.

Resource centers are another differentiator. Built-in self-service hubs where users can find help docs, tutorials, and announcements without leaving your product. It reduces support load and makes users more self-sufficient. The platform also does well with dynamic content personalization based on segments, so experiences adapt to different user types without building separate flows for each.

Key Strengths:

Advanced analytics with trend analysis, funnel reports, and session recordings beyond basic onboarding metrics
Highly customizable UI patterns with extensive styling and behavior options
Dynamic content personalization based on sophisticated user segmentation
More generous base plan with 5 team seats, 2,000 MAUs, and unlimited segments versus Appcues' limitations

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Onboarding UI Patterns

Both Appcues and Userpilot offer comprehensive UI pattern libraries for creating onboarding experiences.

Appcues UI Patterns:

Product tours
Tooltips and hotspots
Modals and slideouts
Onboarding checklists
Banners and announcements
NPS surveys

Userpilot UI Patterns:

Interactive walkthroughs
Tooltips and spotlights
Modals and slideouts
Checklists with progress tracking
Banners
Full survey suite (NPS, CSAT, CES, custom)
Resource centers

Verdict: Userpilot offers a slightly broader range of UI patterns, particularly with its more comprehensive survey capabilities and resource center feature. However, both platforms cover the essential patterns most teams need.

Analytics and Tracking

This is where the platforms diverge significantly.

Appcues Analytics:
Appcues provides basic analytics focused on flow and checklist engagement. You can track:

How many users start and complete flows
Checklist completion rates
Step-by-step engagement metrics

However, Appcues lacks deeper product analytics features like cohort analysis, path analysis, or session recordings.

Userpilot Analytics:
Userpilot offers more robust analytics capabilities:

Trend analysis
Funnel tracking
User flow visualization
Feature usage analytics
Advanced segmentation
Session recordings (Growth plan and above)

Verdict: Userpilot wins decisively on analytics. If understanding user behavior deeply is a priority, Userpilot's analytics are significantly more feature-rich than Appcues' basic offering.

Mobile App Support

This is Appcues' standout advantage.

Appcues Mobile:

Native support for iOS
Native support for Android
React Native support
Full feature parity with web

Userpilot Mobile:

No native mobile app support
Web-only platform

Verdict: Appcues is the clear winner here. If you have a mobile app and need in-app onboarding for it, Appcues is your only option between these two platforms.

Integrations

Appcues Integrations (20+):

Segment
HubSpot
Salesforce
Slack
Amplitude
Mixpanel
Intercom
Heap
And more...

Appcues offers 9 two-way integrations, meaning data flows both into and out of Appcues.

Userpilot Integrations (8):

Segment
Amplitude
Mixpanel
HubSpot
Salesforce
Intercom
Google Analytics
Webhook

Verdict: Appcues has a significantly larger integration ecosystem. If you rely heavily on third-party tools and need tight integration, Appcues offers more options.

Segmentation and Targeting

Both platforms offer user segmentation capabilities, but with different approaches.

Appcues Segmentation:

Limited to 5 segments on the Essentials plan
More segments available on higher tiers
Standard segmentation by user properties

Userpilot Segmentation:

Unlimited segments on all plans
Advanced behavioral segmentation
Dynamic content based on segments
Company-level (account) segmentation

Verdict: Userpilot offers more flexibility in segmentation, especially for teams wanting to create highly personalized experiences without plan limitations.

Pricing Comparison

Appcues Pricing

Appcues structures pricing into three tiers:

Essentials - $249/month (1,000 MAUs)

3 team seats
5 user segments maximum
Basic analytics
Core UI patterns
Email support

Growth - $879/month (1,000 MAUs)

10 team seats
Unlimited segments
Checklists and launchers
A/B testing
Premium integrations

Enterprise - Custom pricing

Unlimited team seats
Advanced security
Dedicated success manager
SLA

Note: According to Vendr data, the median Appcues buyer pays approximately $15,234 annually.

Userpilot Pricing

Userpilot also offers three tiers:

Starter - $249/month (2,000 MAUs)

5 team seats
Unlimited segments
Core analytics
All UI patterns
Resource center

Growth - $799/month

Everything in Starter
Session recordings
Funnel reports
A/B testing
Localization

Enterprise - Custom pricing

Advanced security
Custom contracts
Dedicated support

Verdict: Both platforms start at the same price point, but Userpilot includes more features in its base tier (more MAUs, more seats, unlimited segments). However, Appcues' Growth plan is more affordable than Userpilot's Growth tier.

Implementation and Ease of Use

Appcues Implementation

Appcues can be implemented with a single line of code and includes a Chrome extension for no-code flow building. Most teams report being able to launch their first flow within hours of setup.

The interface is known for being intuitive, making it accessible to non-technical team members.

Userpilot Implementation

Userpilot also offers single-line implementation and a Chrome extension for building flows. The platform provides more customization options, which can mean a slightly steeper learning curve for teams wanting to leverage advanced features.

Verdict: Both platforms are relatively easy to implement. Appcues is often cited as slightly easier to use out of the box, while Userpilot offers more depth for teams willing to invest time in learning.

Real User Feedback

What Users Love About Appcues

"The product tours are incredibly easy to create"
"Mobile support is essential for our business"
"Integration with Segment makes data flow seamless"
"Great documentation and customer support"

What Users Love About Userpilot

"The analytics are far more comprehensive than competitors"
"Customization options let us match our brand perfectly"
"Resource center reduces support tickets significantly"
"Better value for features included"

Common Criticisms

Appcues:

Analytics are too basic for serious product analysis
Segment limits on lower tiers feel restrictive
Pricing scales quickly as MAU increases

Userpilot:

No mobile app support is a dealbreaker for some
Fewer integrations than competitors
Learning curve for advanced features

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Appcues If:

You have a mobile app - Appcues is one of the few platforms offering native mobile onboarding
You rely heavily on integrations - With 20+ integrations, Appcues connects to most tools in your stack
You need a proven, established platform - Appcues has been around longer and has extensive documentation
Your team prioritizes ease of use - The interface is particularly accessible for non-technical users

Choose Userpilot If:

Analytics depth matters - Userpilot's analytics are significantly more robust
You want more value at entry price - More MAUs and seats included in the base tier
Personalization is a priority - Better segmentation and dynamic content capabilities
You're building a resource center - Built-in self-service support features

Consider Neither If:

You need enterprise-grade security (WalkMe or Whatfix may be better)
You're primarily focused on employee training (Userlane or WalkMe)
You need extensive customization beyond no-code (custom build or Chameleon)

Migration Considerations

If you're switching from one platform to the other:

From Appcues to Userpilot:

Rebuild flows using Userpilot's builder (no direct import)
Reconnect integrations (fewer available in Userpilot)
Retrain team on new analytics features
Plan for mobile app onboarding alternative if applicable

From Userpilot to Appcues:

Export any custom analytics dashboards
Rebuild resource center content elsewhere
Adjust to more limited segmentation on lower tiers
Gain mobile app capabilities if needed

The Bottom Line

Both Appcues and Userpilot are good platforms that can genuinely improve onboarding. The right choice depends on what you actually need:

Appcues makes more sense if you have mobile apps, need lots of integrations, or just want an established platform that's been around longer with more community resources.

Userpilot makes more sense if analytics depth matters to you, you want better value at entry pricing, or you're building self-service experiences and need that built-in resource center.

Both offer free trials. Honestly, the best approach is to test each with your real product and team. Seeing how they feel in practice tells you more than any comparison article.

Looking for more product adoption platform comparisons? Check out our guides on Pendo vs WalkMe and Chameleon vs Userpilot.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between Appcues and Userpilot?

Appcues excels at mobile app support with native iOS, Android, and React Native SDKs, plus extensive integrations (20+). Userpilot offers stronger analytics with funnel tracking and trend analysis, plus more value at entry price with unlimited segments and more team seats.

Which is better for mobile app onboarding, Appcues or Userpilot?

Appcues is the clear choice for mobile apps - it offers native support for iOS, Android, and React Native with full feature parity to web. Userpilot is web-only with no mobile app support.

How much do Appcues and Userpilot cost?

Both start at $249/month. Appcues Essentials includes 1,000 MAUs and 3 team seats. Userpilot Starter includes 2,000 MAUs and 5 team seats with unlimited segments, offering more value at the entry tier.

Which product adoption platform has better analytics?

Userpilot wins decisively on analytics, offering trend analysis, funnel tracking, user flow visualization, and session recordings on Growth plans. Appcues provides only basic flow engagement and checklist completion metrics.

Should I choose Appcues or Userpilot for my SaaS product?

Choose Appcues if you have mobile apps, need extensive integrations, or want an established platform with easy setup. Choose Userpilot if analytics depth matters, you want more features at entry pricing, or you're building self-service experiences with resource centers.