Whale vs Trainual

by Gralio Feb 04, 2025

Whale and Trainual both offer solutions for knowledge management and employee training. Whale differentiates itself with AI-powered content creation tools, while Trainual emphasizes structured training dependencies and detailed progress tracking. Both cater to small and medium-sized businesses seeking to improve onboarding, training, and knowledge sharing.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 1327 reviews and 60 websites, saving 7 hours, 52 minutes of reading.

Whale

Trainual

About

Whale is an all-in-one platform for managing company knowledge and employee training. It helps you create, store, and share standard operating procedures, policies, and training materials. Whale offers features such as AI-assisted content creation, automated training flows, and progress tracking. Its aim is to streamline onboarding, improve employee knowledge, and ensure consistent execution of business processes.

Trainual is a software platform that helps businesses document their processes, policies, and procedures. It offers a central location to build a knowledge base, streamline onboarding and training, and track employee progress. This system is designed to help businesses scale efficiently, maintain consistency, and improve team accountability.

Summary

Main difference

Whale stands out with its AI-assisted content creation tools, simplifying the development of training materials and SOPs. Trainual excels in providing structured training dependencies and comprehensive progress tracking, ensuring employees follow prescribed learning paths and demonstrate competency.

Relative strengths of Whale (compared to Trainual)

AI-assisted content creation streamlines the development of SOPs, training materials, and other documentation.
User-friendly interface praised for ease of navigation and intuitive design.
Centralized platform provides a single source of truth for company knowledge, accessible via a Chrome extension for added convenience.

Relative weaknesses of Whale (compared to Trainual)

Limited integrations with third-party platforms may restrict flexibility for some users.
Text editor functionality lacks advanced features like auto-save, potentially hindering productivity.
Initial setup and information structuring can feel overwhelming for some users.

Who should use Whale VS. Trainual

Whale is a knowledge management and training platform ideal for small to medium businesses, especially in software/IT or professional services. It centralizes SOPs, training materials, and company knowledge, offering AI-assisted content creation and progress tracking. Users praise its intuitive interface and robust search, but some find the initial setup overwhelming and desire more text editor features.

Trainual is a user-friendly platform ideal for onboarding, training, and centralizing company knowledge. It simplifies creating interactive training content with videos and images, making it easy for employees to access information. While some users mention limitations with font options and photo editing, the platform is praised for its search functionality and ease of use.

Best for small to medium businesses aiming to streamline operations.
Ideal for software/IT and professional service companies.

Best for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) aiming to streamline operations.
Suitable for most industries, especially those with distributed teams or high employee turnover.

Whale and Trainual features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Timer

Not supported

Whale does not appear to have a built-in timer.

Partially supported

Trainual supports time tracking via integration with Time Doctor.
AI-assisted SOP creation

Supported

Whale supports AI-assisted SOP creation via AI writer, screen recorder, and templates.

Partially supported

Trainual offers AI-assisted SOP creation and templates, but lacks a screen recorder.
Training dependencies

Partially supported

Whale might indirectly link training to tasks via process documentation.

Supported

Trainual allows linking training materials to tasks and processes.
Onboarding features

Supported

Whale provides onboarding tools to automate workflows, customize templates, and track progress.

Supported

Trainual offers automated onboarding with customizable templates and progress tracking.
Process documentation

Supported

Whale fully supports documenting workflows and procedures.

Supported

Trainual allows documenting workflows and procedures with templates and training integration.
Document storage

Not supported

Whale is not designed for storing sensitive employee documents like contracts or performance reviews.

Partially supported

Trainual does not directly store documents, but allows linking to external storage.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

No data

+0

Neutral sentiment
Customer Service

+1

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.94

Strongly positive sentiment
Ease of Use

+1

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.92

Strongly positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

+0.5

Rather positive sentiment

+0.13

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Implementation

+1

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.49

Rather positive sentiment
Scalability

No data

+0.5

Rather positive sentiment

Whale and Trainual Pricing

Whale is an AI-powered software solution that offers three main pricing tiers: Free, Scale, and Enterprise. The Free plan is suitable for small teams starting with documentation, while the Scale plan caters to growing companies aiming for automation in onboarding and training. The Enterprise plan targets larger organizations seeking comprehensive control. Whale also provides various add-on features like AI Assist, integrations, and success services. Discounts are available for annual billing.

Plans

See full Pricing page

Trainual offers a tiered subscription model with plans for Small, Medium, Growth, and Custom. Each plan includes features such as group onboarding, implementation, and billing options. Additional add-ons are available to enhance functionality.

Plans

See full Pricing page

Whale and Trainual review insights

1312 reviews analysed from and

Users love

Intuitive and user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate.
Centralized platform for storing and organizing SOPs, training materials, and company knowledge.
AI-assisted features, such as content creation and quiz generation, streamline content development.
Robust search functionality allows users to quickly find the information they need.
Chrome extension enables users to access information within their workflow, improving efficiency.

User-friendly interface, praised for ease of use and navigation.
Search functionality allows easy access to specific topics and information within training materials.
Effective for onboarding and training new employees, providing a centralized knowledge base and tracking progress.
Flexibility to include videos, images, and GIFs within training content, enhancing engagement and visual learning.

Users dislike

Limited text editor functionality, with users desiring features like auto-save and better formatting options.
Occasional issues with search accuracy, requiring users to refine searches or navigate multiple results.
Limited number of integrations with third-party platforms.
Some users find the initial setup and structuring of information overwhelming.
Pricing can be a barrier for smaller teams or those with limited budgets.

Photo editing is no longer available directly within Trainual, requiring external tools and increasing training content creation time.
Limited font options; unable to add custom fonts like Proxima Nova.
Occasional issues with the document upload feature for creating subjects automatically; formatting inconsistencies require manual editing.
Limited ability to customize the organization of the org chart; lacks drag-and-drop functionality for rearranging roles.

Whale and Trainual Ratings

G2

4.7/5

(139)

G2

4.7/5

(716)
Capterra

4.8/5

(457)
TrustPilot

4.3/5

(15)
Glassdoor

5.0/5

(51)

Company health

Employee growth

5% increase in the last year

21% increase in the last year

Web traffic

2% decrease in the last quarter

6% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

January 2023 - $4M

June 2021 - $34M

How important is AI-assisted content creation?

AI-assisted content creation is a significant advantage for Whale, streamlining the development of training materials and SOPs. While Trainual lacks this feature, its strength lies in comprehensive onboarding and training features, making it suitable for businesses focused on structured training programs. Therefore, the importance of AI assistance depends on whether content creation efficiency or robust training features are prioritized.

Which product best tracks employee training progress?

Trainual is the better product for tracking employee training progress. While both products offer training and onboarding features, Trainual explicitly mentions features like user activity tracking, tracking course progress, and test results. Whale mentions progress tracking, but doesn't provide the same level of detail regarding specific tracking functionalities. Therefore, for businesses prioritizing detailed tracking of employee training, Trainual appears to be the more suitable choice.

What are the advantages of Whale?

Whale offers AI-assisted content creation features, including an AI writer, screen recorder, and templates, which can significantly streamline the development of training materials and SOPs. Additionally, Whale offers a free plan, making it more accessible to smaller teams or those with limited budgets compared to Trainual's paid plans. Whale users also praise its intuitive and user-friendly interface and robust search functionality. The Chrome extension offered by Whale allows for convenient access to information within a user's workflow.

What are the disadvantages of Whale?

Whale users have noted a few disadvantages. The text editor functionality is limited, lacking features like auto-save and robust formatting options. Search accuracy can be inconsistent, sometimes requiring users to refine search terms or sift through numerous results. Integrations with other platforms are limited, potentially hindering workflow connectivity. Some users find the initial setup and organization of information overwhelming. Lastly, pricing can be a concern for smaller teams or those with tight budgets.

Is Whale cheaper than Trainual?

Whale's pricing starts at $0/month, while Trainual's annual plans begin at $249/year. Therefore, Whale offers a free plan making it cheaper than Trainual for users who can work within the free tier's limitations.

Alternatives to Whale and Trainual

Rippling

Rippling is a comprehensive employee management platform designed for businesses of all sizes. It streamlines and automates various HR, IT, and finance processes, including payroll, benefits, device management, and expense tracking. By centralizing these functions, Rippling aims to simplify employee lifecycle management, reduce administrative burden, and improve operational efficiency for businesses. The platform is particularly valuable for companies with global operations, offering localized solutions for international payroll, benefits, and compliance.

Waybook

Waybook is a software platform designed to centralize company knowledge. It allows you to create and store training materials, onboarding processes, standard operating procedures, and other important documentation. Waybook aims to be a single, easily accessible repository for your team to access company information and improve operational efficiency.

Paylocity

Paylocity is a cloud-based HR and payroll software platform designed for mid-sized businesses. It offers a range of features including payroll, benefits administration, talent management, time tracking, and employee experience tools. Paylocity aims to streamline HR tasks, improve employee engagement, and provide data-driven insights for better decision-making. They emphasize strong customer support and a partnership approach to help businesses achieve their goals.

ClickUp

ClickUp is a comprehensive work management platform designed to consolidate various work processes into one centralized location. It offers a wide array of features including task management, project planning, document collaboration, communication tools, goal setting, and automation options. ClickUp aims to enhance team collaboration, improve visibility across projects, and streamline workflows for increased productivity regardless of team size or industry.

PlaybookBuilder

PlaybookBuilder is a cloud-based training and onboarding software that helps you create and share standardized procedures with your team. It offers pre-built templates, communication tools, reporting features, and video integration to simplify training. The platform aims to improve employee onboarding, sales training, and team-wide knowledge sharing. PlaybookBuilder also allows for the creation of client-facing materials to ensure customer satisfaction.

ChangeEngine

ChangeEngine is a software platform designed for mid-sized and larger businesses to improve employee experiences. It combines communication tools, automated workflows, and data insights to streamline HR processes like onboarding, employee recognition, and development programs. The platform features ready-made templates and integrations with existing HR systems, aiming to save time and centralize employee engagement efforts.

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