If you're trying to figure out whether Storylane or another interactive demo tool actually fits your B2B go-to-market (GTM) plan, you're already ahead of most teams. There are dozens of demo platforms out there, all promising more leads and “seamless handoffs.” But most of the marketing copy sounds the same, and it’s tough to know what really matters. This guide cuts through the noise and helps you compare Storylane and its competitors the way a skeptical operator would.
Whether you're a product marketer, a sales enablement lead, or just the unlucky person tasked with picking demo software, this is for you.
1. Get Clear on Why You Want an Interactive Demo Tool
Before you compare anything, figure out exactly what problem you’re trying to solve. Otherwise, you’ll end up shopping for features you’ll never use.
Ask yourself and your team:
- Who’s the main audience? (Buyers, sales reps, partners, customers?)
- What’s the goal? (More qualified leads? Faster onboarding? Fewer sales calls?)
- What’s broken today? (Are reps fumbling live demos? Are prospects dropping after sign-up?)
If you skip this step, you’ll get wowed by slick UIs and “AI-powered” nonsense that has nothing to do with your day-to-day.
Pro Tip: Write these answers down. Refer back to them every time a vendor pitches you a “game-changing” feature.
2. Shortlist the Tools (Including Storylane)
Let’s be honest: there are 10+ options, but plenty aren’t worth your time. Here are the main players you’ll hear about:
- Storylane
- Walnut
- Reprise
- Navattic
- Demostack
- Tourial
- Arcade (lighter-weight, more for PLG)
Ignore anything that hasn’t raised real money or has a confusing website. If you can’t figure out what it does in five minutes, your prospects won’t either.
Quick rundown: - Storylane: Known for its balance of customization and ease-of-use. Good for marketing and sales teams that want to build demos fast. - Walnut: Focuses on sales teams. Custom demo creation, but not as flexible on integrations. - Reprise: Strong in both “guided” and “sandbox” demos. Heavier setup. - Navattic: Simple, web-based demos. Easier for smaller teams, but less depth. - Demostack: More enterprise-y. Strong analytics, steeper learning curve.
3. Make a Real-World Feature Checklist
Ignore the 50-feature checklists from vendor websites. Instead, build your own, based on what your team will actually use this quarter.
Here’s a practical list to start:
- Demo Creation
- Can a non-engineer build a good-looking demo in under an hour?
- Can you update demos without breaking links?
- Personalization
- How easy is it to tailor demos for different personas?
- Can you insert prospect names/logos, or does it feel tacked on?
- Analytics
- Do you get clear insights, or just vanity metrics?
- Can you see drop-off points or just “views”?
- Integrations
- Does it play nice with your CRM and marketing stack?
- Any Zapier/webhook support for non-standard setups?
- Security & Compliance
- Can you redact sensitive info?
- SOC 2, GDPR, SSO—do you need these, or just think you do?
- Collaboration
- Can multiple people edit? Is version control sane?
- How’s the approval process?
- Support & Community
- Are there real humans on support, or just chatbots?
- Is there decent documentation, or are you stuck on hold?
Pro Tip: Ask your sales and marketing team to list their “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves.” Cut out anything that isn’t a dealbreaker.
4. Test-Drive with Your Actual Workflow
This is where most teams drop the ball. Don’t just take a vendor’s guided demo. Sign up for trials. Build a demo your team would actually use.
Run through these steps for each tool:
- Set up a basic product walkthrough.
- Personalize it for a real prospect.
- Share it with a teammate (and a sales rep if possible).
- Try updating it a day later—does it break?
- Pull analytics and see if you actually learn anything useful.
- Try integrating with your CRM (even if it’s just a test lead).
What to look for: - Does the builder make sense, or do you need hours of training? - Are there weird bugs, or does it “just work”? - Does updating a demo take 5 minutes or an afternoon? - Would your least technical salesperson survive using it?
Red flags: - “We’re still working on that feature” (translation: months away, if ever) - No way to export data or move off the platform - Aggressive upselling during your trial
5. Dig into Pricing (and the Stuff They Don’t Advertise)
Most demo tools hide their real pricing behind “Contact Us” buttons. Here’s what you should ask:
- How many seats do you actually get? Some vendors charge per user, which adds up fast.
- Are there limits on demo views or embeds?
- What’s the cost for integrations or advanced analytics?
- How painful is it to leave? Can you export your demos if you switch?
Honest take: If you’re a startup or have a small team, don’t get upsold on enterprise features you’ll never use. Most teams overbuy here.
Negotiation tip: Most vendors will discount or throw in onboarding if you push a little.
6. Weigh the Intangibles
These don’t show up on feature lists, but they matter:
- Speed of support: Can you get a human on the line when something breaks?
- Product roadmap: Are they shipping useful updates, or just hyping AI overlays?
- User community: Are there real users sharing tips, or is the Slack group a ghost town?
- Company stability: Will they be around in a year? (Check funding, headcount, and online chatter.)
If you’re betting your GTM on this tool, you don’t want to pick a vendor that ghosts you the moment something goes wrong.
7. Make the Call—and Don’t Overthink It
At this point, you should have enough to make a decision. Line up your notes against your original goals. Pick the tool that:
- Solves your top 2-3 problems
- Doesn’t require weeks of onboarding
- Fits your actual budget
If that’s Storylane, great. If it’s someone else, that’s fine too. Don’t get stuck in a 6-month evaluation cycle. Most teams switch tools every couple of years anyway. The perfect fit doesn’t exist—just something good enough for your next 12 months.
TL;DR: Keep It Simple, Stay Skeptical, and Iterate
Comparing Storylane and other B2B demo platforms isn’t about hunting for the “best”—it’s about finding something that actually fits your team and your workflow. Get clear on your goals, ignore the feature bloat, and pressure-test every tool with your real use case. Make the call, get moving, and don’t be afraid to switch if your needs change. That’s how you keep your GTM strategy sharp and your sanity intact.