If you’re trying to keep your B2B go-to-market (GTM) teams actually using your tools — and not pinging you for the same “how do I do X?” questions — you’ve probably looked at digital adoption platforms (DAPs). They all promise seamless onboarding, in-app help, and fewer headaches. But if you’re here, you know the reality: most DAPs are clunky, take forever to set up, and don’t actually change behavior for sales or customer-facing teams.
This guide is for enablement, ops, and RevOps folks who want the honest lowdown on how Spekit stacks up against the big names for B2B GTM teams. No fluff, no sales pitches. Just what works, what doesn’t, and what to pay attention to.
What Digital Adoption Platforms Claim to Do (and What They Actually Do)
Let’s get this out of the way: every DAP says it’ll help users “adopt” software faster, reduce support tickets, and make change management a breeze. In theory, you train less and people just...get it.
Here’s what’s real: - Most DAPs are just fancy tooltips and walkthroughs. - Adoption is about habit change, not just in-app popups. - GTM teams (sales, CS, SDRs) won’t read long guides or click through 10-step tours.
So, when comparing DAPs, focus on: - How fast can you get help in front of users? - Is it actually embedded where reps work? - Does it save you time, or just create another admin job?
Spekit vs. The Big Names: What Makes It Different
Let’s break down how Spekit compares to other tools you’ll see in the wild: WalkMe, Whatfix, Pendo, and Userlane. Here’s the real talk.
1. Ease of Setup and Maintenance
Spekit:
- Pretty quick to get live. You can create and push out “Speks” (bite-size help cards) in a few clicks.
- No dev required for most stuff. Non-technical folks can own it.
- Updates are instant — edit a Spek, it’s live everywhere.
- Chrome extension makes it easy to add help to third-party apps (think Salesforce, Outreach, HubSpot).
The Others:
- WalkMe/Whatfix: Powerful, but expect a long setup. You’ll need admin access, and sometimes devs, to get the most out of it.
- Pendo: Geared more for product teams and app owners, not sales enablement. Setup is better if you control the app.
- Userlane: Similar to WalkMe — customizable, but time-consuming.
Bottom Line: If you want your enablement team to own the DAP, Spekit is easier. The others are built for IT or product.
2. Content Delivery and Consumption
Spekit:
- Bite-sized content pops up contextually in the app (not just in a help center).
- Slack integration means you can answer questions where people actually ask them.
- Searchable, but not overwhelming — reps don’t have to dig through a knowledge base.
The Others:
- WalkMe/Whatfix: In-app tours and tooltips, but usually longer and more rigid.
- Pendo: Good for in-app guides, but not really tuned for quick “just tell me what this button does” moments.
- Userlane: Focuses on step-by-step walkthroughs. Helpful for new users, less so for daily “what does this do?” questions.
Pro Tip: Sales folks hate multi-step anything. The more clicks, the less they’ll use it.
3. Use Cases for B2B GTM Teams
Spekit:
- Built for fast-moving sales teams. Think “Just-in-time learning” — short, actionable, in the flow of work.
- Great for tool/process changes, new feature rollouts, and onboarding new reps.
- Realistic for high-turnover environments where nobody reads PDFs.
The Others:
- WalkMe/Whatfix: Shine for complex internal systems (like HR or ERP) or SaaS apps where you own the UI.
- Pendo: Best for product-led onboarding (i.e., onboarding your customers, not your sales team).
- Userlane: Good for process-heavy apps, but not as nimble for rapid-fire GTM changes.
What to Ignore: Promises of “engagement analytics” that don’t tell you what to do next. Focus on tools that actually change rep behavior.
4. Analytics and Insights
Spekit:
- Basic analytics: who’s looking at what, which Speks are popular, who’s ignoring stuff.
- Good enough for most enablement teams — lets you know if your content is being used.
- Not built for deep product analytics.
The Others:
- WalkMe/Whatfix: Deep analytics, but can be overkill. You’ll need someone to interpret the data.
- Pendo: Excellent product analytics, but again — aimed at app owners, not just enablement.
- Userlane: Decent usage stats, but less actionable for GTM teams.
Reality Check: If you have time to obsess over dashboards, great. Most teams just want to know, “Is anyone using this?”
5. Integration and Flexibility
Spekit:
- Chrome extension works on any web app (especially Salesforce, which is its bread and butter).
- Slack integration is genuinely helpful.
- API is there, but most teams won’t need it.
The Others:
- WalkMe/Whatfix: Integrates with major enterprise apps, but complex to set up.
- Pendo: SDK required for deep product integration.
- Userlane: Good for web apps, but less flexible if you’re in a hybrid stack.
What to Watch For: If you’re a Salesforce-heavy org, Spekit is built for you. If you need to support a custom ERP, WalkMe or Whatfix might fit better — but expect more overhead.
What Actually Matters for B2B GTM Enablement
Here’s where most buyers get tripped up: They think more features = better adoption. In reality, success comes down to a few things:
- Speed: Can you get answers in front of reps today?
- Context: Does help show up where the user needs it, or is it just another tab?
- Simplicity: Will your team actually use it, or will it gather dust?
Ignore: AI promises, “gamification,” or endless customization. If it takes six months to launch, it won’t help you hit this quarter’s numbers.
Honest Takes: Where Spekit Wins, Where It Doesn’t
Where Spekit shines: - Enablement for fast-changing GTM teams (especially sales). - Non-technical, “just get it done” setups. - Keeping process docs and tool tips fresh and visible.
Where it falls short: - Not for deep product onboarding (that’s Pendo’s turf). - Light on advanced analytics. - If your app isn’t web-based, or you need heavy customization, look elsewhere.
Don’t buy if: You want to run multi-step onboarding for complex internal apps, or if your IT team wants total control over every pixel.
How to Choose (Without Regretting It)
- List your real use cases. Not what you might need, but what your reps are actually struggling with.
- Test with real users. Don’t just watch a demo — put your sales team in front of it.
- Measure time-to-value. How long until reps find it useful?
- Check who will own it. If your enablement or ops team isn’t technical, avoid platforms that need IT.
- Ignore feature bloat. Most teams use 10% of what DAPs offer. Focus on what solves your immediate pains.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need the fanciest tool — you need something your team will actually use. Start simple, get feedback, and only add complexity when you have to. Spekit is a solid choice for B2B GTM teams who want to get up and running fast, without a six-month IT project. If that’s you, give it a spin. If not, keep looking — but don’t get dazzled by feature lists nobody will use.
Keep it simple, stay close to your users, and iterate as you learn. That’s the real secret to adoption.