Replacement Guide

How to Build Your Own Inline Manual

Replace Inline Manual with a custom build. Turn New Users into Power Users. Automatically.

Weekend Project
47 features3 integrationsOne weekend

Estimated Timeline

Based on 47 features at Weekend Project difficulty, expect about One weekend with AI-assisted development.

1
Setup & scaffolding
2 hours
2
Core features
4-6 hours
3
Polish & deploy
2 hours

Recommended Tech Stack

Next.js 14

Full-stack React framework with API routes and server components

Supabase

PostgreSQL database, auth, and real-time subscriptions

Tailwind CSS

Utility-first styling for rapid UI development

Key Features to Replicate

Top features across 8 categories. See all 47 features

Content Management(8 features)

Articles

Create and manage support articles directly within the platform

Branching

Create multiple branches of content and give users the choice of the path to follow based on their answers

Checklist

Create checklists to help users complete multi-step processes

Environment Management

Work with multiple environments to test content on dev or staging while serving final version in production

Release Management

Make sure you have the right version of content on the right version of your app, create on staging and publish on live

+3 more in this category

Analytics(5 features)

Analytics

Track the performance of created content and understand how helpful it is to users

Bottleneck Identification

Identify product bottlenecks to pass feedback to UX teams and temporarily fix with additional help content

Detailed Content Analytics

Get detailed insights into the performance of walkthroughs and see where users are dropping off

Feedback

Collect feedback from users to identify bottlenecks in your application

User-Level Analytics

See detailed analytics on a user level to know exactly which users completed onboarding or where they dropped off

Integration(5 features)

3rd Party Analytics Integration

Export analytics data to third-party analytics solutions for deeper insights

iFrame Support

Embed Inline Manual content in iFrames within your application

JavaScript API

Use JavaScript API to integrate Inline Manual with your application programmatically

JS Callbacks in Editor

Configure JavaScript callbacks directly within the editor interface

Player Callbacks

Set up callbacks to trigger actions when player events occur

Localization(5 features)

Automatic Language Switching

Automatically serve correct language version based on user's language preference

Mass Translation Workflow

Export content to CSV, XLS or JSON for translators and import translations back easily

Multilingual Support

Serve users content in a language they will understand, supporting 70+ languages including right-to-left languages

Right-to-Left Language Support

Support right-to-left languages for users in Arabic, Hebrew and other RTL language regions

Translate in Editor

Add and edit translations directly in the Inline Manual authoring tool with instant preview

Automation(3 features)

Actions/Conditions

Create conditional logic to trigger different actions based on user behavior

Auto-launch

Automatically launch content based on criteria you specify to get content in front of users without manual intervention

Automation

Automate repetitive tasks and create click shortcuts so users aren't bothered by repetitive workflows

Communication(3 features)

Announcements

Notify users about training, downtimes, or product updates anywhere in the application

Banners

Display banner content to notify and engage users throughout the application

Modals

Use modals for announcements about webinars, trainings, feature updates, and in-app marketing promotions

Customization(2 features)

Custom Buttons

Add custom buttons to walkthroughs to launch another walkthrough or guide users anywhere else

Custom CSS

Use custom CSS to change the look and feel completely and make onboarding match your application

In-App Support(2 features)

In-App Help

Guide users through your application to get them to desired goals faster with contextual help content

In-App Help Center

Provide help articles directly in your app with search functionality and contextual content recommendations

Cost Calculator

Keep Paying Inline Manual

Monthly$3/mo
Yearly$36/yr
5-Year Total$180

Build It Yourself

Est. Build Time~4 hrs
Hosting$20/mo
DifficultyVery Easy

Total Cost Comparison

1 Year
SaaS
$36
DIY
$240
3 Years
SaaS
$108
DIY
$720
5 Years
SaaS
$180
DIY
$1.2k

DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 47 features at very easy complexity.

Ready to Build?