2024's Best & Free SOP Creator Apps For Small Businesses

Operations
General
Published on:
June 13, 2024
Read Time:
12
min

Providing specific standard operating procedures (SOPs) to your staff is one way to ensure safety, compliance, and high performance.

However, after you've produced the SOPs, it may be difficult to figure out how and where to record and distribute them with your team in order to keep everyone on the same page.

Fortunately, with the right and ideally a free SOP creator app, streamlining different types of operations is easy. However, getting the best SOP creator app requires a lot of research and due diligence on business owners' part.

Seeing to that, this post highlights not only different aspects of standard operating checklist software, but also drills down on some of the core issues associated with the term, in general.

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When an employee decides to jump ship, 42% of role knowledge is lost, which means that recruits must relearn everything from the beginning.

An SOP creator app will make it simple to get that information out of your workers' minds and into your system before they go.

SOP creator app allows you to write and keep your policies and procedures in one location, making them easily accessible to your personnel.

Unfortunately, disseminating too much knowledge might exhaust your team. A standard operating procedure software may assist in centralizing data on a single platform, making procedures easy to build, update, understand, and discover and keeping your team on track.

Best & Free Writing AI Software in 2024 

Here's a detailed drill down on the best and free SOP writing software that you can potentially use for your business. Read on...

Our Top Picks
#1
Xenia
The Workforce Operations Platform for Frontline Teams
#2
SafetyCulture
Ideal for multi-sized businesses
#3
Coassemble
Good for small organizations

1. Xenia - Overall No. 1 Best AI SOP Writing Software For Procedures

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Xenia is the best SOP creator app and training tool out there. 

Our AI-powered SOP writing tool has completely revolutionized how businesses manage, document, and share your company's standard operating procedures.

What does that mean for frontline team leads?

The answer is simple: Xenia's AI powered sop creation is a one-of-a-kind feature that enables anyone to create SOPs instantly. The system works by having users input an SOP requirement around a given use case, and then all you need to do is create the SOP. The best part is the overall sense of customization that can be done to have those SOPs come off as a tailor made solution to any range of industries out there.

Furthermore, as one of the best AI SOp creator App, Xenia offers shareability of SOPs and files through a simple share button to keep external stakeholders informed.

The process makes streamlining information a breeze without having to sift through piles of documentation and paperwork by utilizing AI, checklists, and templates to make SOP and documentation easy and automated.

With Xenia, you can build your SOP playbook more efficiently, cut training time in half, and constantly scale up your operations.

Key Features

  • Operations Templates: With cutting-edge AI capabilities, Xenia can help you develop SOPs in seconds with pre-built templates from Xenia's public template archive.
  • Tasks & Work Orders: Plan and access extra categorization features ahead of time to keep track of your SOPs. With customizable views, you get to track task status and get alerts for late SOP assignments.
  • Chats: Directly communicate with team members and address significant issues related to an assigned SOP.  Respond to employee requests promptly to guarantee transparency and accountability.
  • Ready-made Templates: Design SOPs and checklists from a broad range of configurable templates tailored to each department and procedure for every industry.
  • Corrective Actions: Create resolution processes based on SOPs using conditional logic and track completion.

Pricing 

  • Free Forever: Start now at $0 for up to 5 users, and access to all the basic features.
  • Starter Plan: Starting at $99/month for the first 15 users, includes a work calendar view, work reports,  template reports, sub-assets, and sub-locations.
  • Premium Plan: Starting at $199/month for the first 15 users, includes reporting dashboards, time and cost tracking, template branding, public form submissions, automated templates, and more.
  • Custom Plan: You get unlimited users, a dedicated account manager, onboarding and implementation, and integrations. 

Feel free to Book a Demo

Rated 4.9/5 stars on Capterra
Free Version:
Pricing:
Supported Platforms:
Available for up to 5 users
Starter for $99/month for the first 20 users (with free trial period)
Available on iOS, Android and Web
Free Version:
Available for up to 5 users
Pricing:
Premium for $99/month for the first 20 users (with free trial period)
Supported Platforms:
Available on iOS, Android and Web
Download Xenia app on

2. SafetyCulture

Android Apps by SafetyCulture on Google Play

With SafetyCulture, you can create thorough SOPs that your team members can access while on the go. 

SafetyCulture's standard operating procedures cover all areas by asking users questions at every stage of the journey while providing a thorough workflow.

SafetyCulture also provides integrated, highly configurable, scalable, and simple-to-use in-app solutions that improve productivity. This guarantees that the whole organization is always totally compliant. 

Adding comments, annotating photographs, and exporting reports to third-party applications are just some of the other valuable SafetyCulture features. Aside from making it easier to standardize safety culture operations, this app removes the paper safety work culture by keeping all critical documents in the cloud.

Key Features

  • Template Builder: Browse a free collection of best practices and inspection templates for a wide range of locations, procedures, and industries.
  • Training and Upskilling: Deliver training in bite-sized chunks that fit into the flow of your team's work, regardless of the device or location.
  • Analytics: You can create bespoke dashboards to help you make sense of your data and spot improvement opportunities and trends.

Pricing 

  • Free Plan: For up to 10 users, you get the following features: unlimited digital inspections, assigning and executing tasks, delivering workplace training, capturing and reporting issues, and managing workplace communications and assets.
  • Premium Plan: Starting at $24/user/month when billed annually, you get unlimited team members, including lite seats, insight with analytics, seamless integrations, secure access with SSO, customized reports, advanced access rules, and free guest access for external users.
  • Enterprise Plan: Visit their pricing page for a quote.

3. Coassemble

Coassemble - Create and deliver training online | AppSumo

Coassemble is mainly a teaching platform, although it can compete very well in the SOP creator app space.

This tool is specifically built for small organizations and works especially well for basic documents such as a team charter. 

Your team members may view key procedure papers, easy checklists for working together, and other documents by using custom and templated modules.

Key Features

  • Training: Pre-built training modules teach new employees about your standard operating procedures and other established team knowledge that will help their job.
  • Accessibility: Flexible permissions structures guarantee that the appropriate persons have access to the appropriate SOPs.
  • Visual Charts: Its visual focus implements standard operating procedures more appealing for users.

Pricing 

  • Pro 20: $120/month
  • Premium 20: $160/month
  • Pro Unlimited: Custom quote required

4. Trainual

Employee Onboarding, SOP & Training Software | Trainual

Trainual is a standard operating procedure (SOP) tool that enables users to create standard operating procedures and convert them into staff training manuals, which can then be changed, shared, and monitored over time.

Managers can create manuals, playbooks, and other papers to communicate with their staff, and appropriate information can be immediately sent to onboarding personnel. 

Trainual is more costly than some other alternatives. Furthermore, since its primary emphasis is on training, it may not provide all of the capabilities that a business wants.

Key Features

  • AI document production and screen recording skills
  • Create "collections" of material based on team, department, or other category
  • Time tracking and process time estimation
  • Quizzes and training materials

Pricing 

  • Starts at $99/month 
  • Trial: Yes 
  • Free Plan: No

5. Process Street

Process Street Software Reviews, Demo & Pricing - 2023

Process Street uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help users streamline process management by creating SOPs and automating tasks. 

Why I chose Process Street: Users can use the document editor to create and edit SOPs and then use AI to create workflows for their teams. Leaders can use forms and surveys to gather SOP information or integrate them into workflows to request feedback from employees.

Key Features

  • Document editor with drag-and-drop functionality
  • Analytics and reporting capabilities
  • Any device may access a centralized repository.
  • Connects to other applications

Pricing 

  • Starts at $30/user/month 
  • Trial: Yes 
  • Free Plan: Yes

6. Tallyfy

Pricing - Enterprise - Tallyfy

Tallyfy is a SOP software that helps you document and automate any processes inside the company.

It has earned its spot as one of the best SOP software alternatives available, handling everything from forms to approvals, onboarding, and even client-facing duties.

The software's concept is simple. Capture your most critical and effective SOPs in a single system and generate blueprints so that everyone understands what to do. Then, develop self-automating procedures to ensure that your task is done correctly every time.

Key Features

  • Tallyfy's approach to SOP improves collaborative work.
  • Its greater transparency enables everyone in the company to see not just your SOPs but also how the platform implements them on a regular basis.
  • Its quick and efficient customer service assists you in customizing your own SOP software platform utilizing the Tallyfy platform.
  • Task automation based on your SOPs converts theoretical best practices into real-world productivity gains.

Pricing 

  • Tallyfy Docs: $5/month per user
  • Tallyfy Pro: $30/month per user

7. JobRouter

15 Best Standard Operating Procedure Software for 2024 | SOP Software

The value proposition of JobRouter is built on three pillars: process automation, document management, and data management. 

This platform seems to be the ideal instrument for serving as standard operating procedure software.

Key Features

  • Its simple and straightforward implementation enables you to begin using the software within days.
  • It provides excellent customer service to both new and returning customers.
  • Building forms and procedures is adaptable, particularly when moving outside the GUI to update underlying templates.

Pricing 

Contact for pricing

8. MaintainX

MaintainX | Software Reviews & Alternatives

Lastly, on our free Sop creator app recommendations list, we've got MaintainX.

As one of the leading and industry's heavyweight platform, it enables organizations focusing on maintenance and operations to convert pen-and-paper procedures into digital workflows, alongside with the addition of SOPs etc.

Businesses can keep their rules and procedures in a single location, and cloud storage allows for access and changes from anywhere. 

MaintainX could assist executives in maintaining track of previous audits, as well as escalations or failures to follow protocols. Furthermore, the direct messaging tool allows managers to discuss team updates or adjustments. 

Key Features

  • SOPs and policies are centralized
  • Maintains a record of previous audits, escalations, and failures
  • Make and access checklists using the cloud
  • There are free templates available

Pricing 

  • Starts at $8.33/user/month 
  • Trial: Yes 
  • Free Plan: Yes

9. Acadia

Built specifically for Construction professionals, Acadia offers a vast and indispensable set of features that completely streamline the project management process SOPs from conception to execution. 

This one of the best & free SOP creator app user interface is so easy to use and you can leverage all of the amazing features that are built into it. Every task for a project is in one easy-to-access spot.

What impressed us about Acadia was its fantastic project management features. It’s easy to see how far along your project is, delegate tasks, and work with other members of your team. 

Also, the app links up to ProCore which is a widely used construction IT system.

This is important.

 It means that you can send reports and access files on ProCore easily and efficiently and needn’t worry about transferring data manually which is such a faff!

On top of the basic features of Acadia, it also offers the ability to do automated workflows, real-time reporting, and compile dashboards. The addition of these tools brings about additional control and visibility, enabling educated decision-making and successful projects.

Key Features 

  • Seamless conversion of standard operating procedures (SOPs) into actionable task lists, simplifying the implementation process and ensuring clarity in project execution.
  • Enables users to monitor adherence to established procedures and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulations.
  • Offers robust tools for reviewing and assessing the effectiveness of SOPs, allowing users to identify areas for improvement and optimize operational workflows.

Pricing 

  • Contact Vendor

10. Document360

In terms of the best free SOP creator tool, the next one on our list is Document360.

It’s great for businesses of all sizes as it was made to fit a variety of business needs. With an intuitive UI and plenty of practical features for SOP management, it’s efficient and flexible and it caters to all of your SOP requirements in a unified system.

Adding to it, built upon its intrinsic AI technology, an advanced knowledge management system allows teams to create and keep SOPs effectively.

You no longer need to struggle when documenting the process. Hierarchical structure lets capture processes, protocols, and procedures and same time gives responsibilities and controls.

Oh yeah, with Eddy-AI Assistant, you can generate your outlines, titles, and abstracts. The coherence and precision are validated throughout the workflow, making your creative process simple.

In addition to its content creation capabilities, Document360 makes it easier for teams to collaborate by allowing you to tag and comment on every part of your documents.  This encourages continuous improvement—SOPs are always up-to-date with the most current thinking and best practices.

Key Features 

  • Document360 simplifies deployment so that no technical skills are necessary.
  • It includes user-geared analytics to illustrate data in an informative way.
  • Documents can be tagged effortlessly, and content can be grouped for ease of navigation.
  • Fine-tune SOP accessibility with customized access permissions.
  • Assign strict user permissions with control access restrictions.
  • Track version history and make seamless rollbacks.
  • Transition with the aid of dedicated migration support and personalized customer service.

Pricing 

  • Free
  • Standard:$149
  • Profesional:$299
  • Bussiness:$399
  • Enterprise: Custom

11. Scribe

Coming in at number 11 is Scribe . A radical SOP creator app that will automate the whole documentation procedure and change standard operating procedure (SOP) into an inclusive visual guide. 

Scribe, record your job process, and produce a compilation of videos, screenshots, and an abundance of automation functions to generate step-by-step guides. 

Why is this beneficial?

No matter whether you are producing inner procedures such as SOPs, serving clients, answering inquiries or even producing inner staff's guidelines, and enhancing new employee training methods, Scribe will let you get your papers in order as simply as possible.

In addition, the tool offers customization abilities that permit users to design their copy, process, and images to fit their specific one-of-a-kind requirements and choices. If you want to add some notes, highlight important points, or fine-tune your style, the tool offers enhanced freedom, providing clear and engaging instructions for users.

Moving on to the key point, the platform makes it easy to share your SOPs with a single click, making it easy to work together and share knowledge across teams and departments. 

Ideal for sharing guides with employees or providing support to customers, it ensures information is easy to access and always available when and where you need it.

Key Features 

  • Simplifies the creation of SOPs with automated documentation.
  • Customize text, step instructions, and images in minutes.
  • Simply send a share link to customers or teammates with one click.
  • Scribe easily integrates into every workflow and knowledge base.

Pricing 

  • Basic
  • Pro Team:$12
  • Pro Personal:$23

12. Dozuki

Dozuki is not a typical SOP creator app. Going beyond documentation, it offers a framework for process management and training modules, enabling you to effectively digitize your operations.

Excelling in industries with hands-on work: frontline of an assembly line, technicians working within heavy machinery or dangerous industrial factories, and high-end food and beverages, Dozuki is a powerful tool in creating frontline training campaigns. Yet it may not be ideal for companies outside of their target industries such as automotive, food and beverages, heavy equipment, etc.

Dozuki's user-friendly interface is a big plus. Teams can get up and running quickly, with minimal training. Whether you're authoring SOPs or sharing dozens of documents with clients, Dozuki simplifies your work and improves collaboration and productivity.

Additionally, Dozuki makes version control easy, offering simple methods to monitor adjustments and verify document accuracy. As a result, this is advantageous for group-oriented initiatives or for situations in which you have to modify SOPs frequently because it makes revision control easy and maintains the precision of your document.

Key Features 

  • The interface is easy to use and allows seamless navigation and utilization.
  • Dozuki makes sharing multiple documents with clients simple, allowing for collaboration and productivity.
  • The version control of Dozuki is straightforward, facilitating excellent change tracking while maintaining document integrity.

Pricing 

  • Contact Vendor

What is a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)? 

A standard operating procedure (SOP) is a step-by-step approach that lays out the requirements for doing any regular job successfully. It is a kind of documentation that helps to avoid stress, errors, and misinterpretation. 

SOPs guarantee that normal work operations are reliable, efficient, and meet standards of quality on a constant basis.

SOPs can be referred to as a playbook, operations manual, or organizational handbook. Having clear, updated SOPs for each process could help a company's worth since organizations with excellent playbooks can be seen as profitable assets by future stakeholders.

The 3 Types of SOP Format

  1. Simple SOP Format

Best for simple and uncomplicated standard operating procedures. A straightforward SOP format highlights important procedures in an easy-to-digest summary. With a basic SOP structure, restrict the document length to three to five parts and include:

  • A statement of purpose
  • A summary of what needs to be done, alongside roles and assignees details
  • Step-by-step instructions 
  • The assigned person for each step is held accountable for completing his/her task, work order or process
  1. Hierarchical SOP Format

Best for extensive, sophisticated, or technical SOPs. This is a more formal structure that contains a table of contents and headers to assist in organizing the material into bite-sized chunks. It is also known as a complicated SOP format. When utilizing a hierarchical structure, add a table of contents and divide the method into parts that comprise:

  • A mission statement
  • A summary or overview of step-by-step instructions with information on how each work should be accomplished and links to any standards, checklists, or action plan(s)
  • Each step's responsible teams or stakeholders communicate through a top down approach to get things done
  1. Flowchart SOP Format

It is ideal for standard operating procedures with a broad reach. Using a flowchart The SOP format may be used to explain both basic and complicated operations. The length of SOPs with flowcharts might vary. They need a few fundamental components, which include: 

  • A statement of goal or introduction
  • An easy-to-follow flowchart or graphic explaining
  • What occurs in different circumstances
  • The persons accountable for each stage

What Should Be Included in a Standard Operating Procedure?

Most SOPs should comprise a few elements:

  1. Select a Clear, Specific Title

First and foremost, the title of the SOP needs to allow users to determine instantly what information it includes. Vague identities such as "Invoicing Issue 1" or "Opening Procedure A" can make it difficult for employees to locate the document they want. Instead, make your titles more precise. 

We noticed that rapidly determining which process to read, "Opening Procedure — Weekend" and "Opening Procedure — Weekday" would be more useful.

  1. Include Specifics like Dates and SOP Owner

The way we work evolves. Including a date and modification dates allows you to re-evaluate SOPs and guarantee that staff always receive the most up-to-date version.

Including the names of those who wrote, maintained, or authorized the SOP may also be beneficial so that workers know where to provide comments or ask questions if they are having difficulty using the document.

  1. Identify the Scope of a Procedure

By quickly stating who is equipped or prepared to carry out the operation, when it should be used, what particular needs or inputs are required to finish the method, and so on. 

In essence, this explanation should guarantee that no one attempts to begin the method without having everything they need to finish it properly.

  1. Enlist the Procedure with Detailed Steps

Consider your audience carefully when you describe the technique. Define any words they may not be familiar with, avoid jargon, and pretend they are completely new to the task. 

Being detailed oriented - and that too with thorough due diligence on the SOP creator's part, the team can be easily set up for success.

  1. Add Visual Aids

While the major purpose of designing an SOP is to outline the process in detail, integrating images may assist the SOP user in comprehending their job more quickly. 

Simple flowcharts, floor layouts that illustrate where particular jobs are accomplished in your facility or how a room is organized, or even diagrams that explain which buttons are on a piece of equipment might all be useful graphics.

Benefits of a Free SOP Creator App

  • Cost: Before committing to paid plans, use best free online SOP creator features to evaluate features. Xenia's free pricing model enables you to explore SOP documentation with a free trial that requires no credit card.
  • Helpful tutorials: Simple project and process documentation helps for more efficient corporate operations.
  • Collaboration: Cloud-based knowledge sharing makes your knowledge base and a summary of your work procedures accessible to all of your workers.
  • Ready-to-use templates: A collection of pre-existing SOP creator app templates for quick implementation.
  • Integration: Direct access to your task management software, allowing for integrations such as automatic task reminders based on your SOPs.
  • Easy SOP maintenance: The ability to quickly develop operational procedures for personnel onboarding and knowledge management.

In a Nutshell: Try One, Or Try Them All!

Developing and documenting standard operating procedures is an excellent approach to keeping track of individual and team operations. SOPs can be simply stored in one single consolidated location using Xenia, keeping everyone in the loop.

SOP creator apps also enable instant access to critical information and instructions, making it simple for team members to remain on track with their work.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of the SOP creator app?

SOP creator app improves operations by standardizing processes, increasing consistency, decreasing mistakes, assuring regulatory compliance, and boosting staff training. It improves productivity, quality, and safety while also making audits easier and adaptation to changing company demands possible.

Why is SOP used?

They are critical for maintaining consistency, quality, and compliance with industry rules. SOPs enable organizations to digitize and centralize their standard operating procedures, making them more accessible, up-to-date, efficient, and simple to follow. They are especially useful in businesses with stringent regulatory standards, where compliance assures quality and safety.

What is the difference between SOP and work instruction software?

SOP software focuses on recording and monitoring standardized procedures for wide processes, guaranteeing uniformity and compliance throughout an organization. Work instruction software, on the other hand, is task-specific, providing thorough instructions for particular job activities, typically with visual aids, and is often used in manufacturing and maintenance for exact task execution.

What is an SOP checklist?

An SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) checklist is a tool used to guarantee that all essential stages and criteria mentioned in a SOP are followed appropriately. It acts as a fast reference tool to maintain compliance and uniformity while carrying out duties or activities. 

The checklist usually comprises a list of objects or activities that must be done, checked, or recorded throughout the execution of the SOP. It assists in maintaining quality control, improving efficiency, and reducing mistakes by offering a systematic and standardized method to follow SOPs. 

What is the difference between an SOP and work instruction?

SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) give broad recommendations for complicated processes, while work instructions provide particular, comprehensive instructions for individual jobs inside those procedures. SOPs are higher-level and more flexible, while work instructions are more detailed and rigorous.

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