Flare

Still a rather young product when compared to its major competitors, but extremely powerful and professional. Certainly not a tool for occasional users but clearly with the professional full-time technical writer in mind. Comes with its own XML/WYSIWYG editor, but can also integrate Microsoft Word or FrameMaker as an editor. The optional add-on product Feedback Server allows you to obtain live user feedback on your documentation. You can view and track reader activity, and readers can comment blog-style directly in documentation, as well as rate individual topics.

Advantages: high performance integrated editor with excellent view of the XML-structure; excellent single source publishing features; very efficient for power-users

Disadvantages: high price; high complexity

Price: approx. $900; Feedback Server approx. $2,500

http://www.madcapsoftware.com

RoboHelp

For a long time RoboHelp was the unchallenged market leader of help authoring tools. Today, some of its competitors are more innovative, but RoboHelp is still one of the major tools. RoboHelp Server lets you easily deploy and manage up-to-date online content and control and monitor the use of web-based help systems in real time.

Advantages: very large scope of functions; efficient and powerful integrated HTML-editor; full control over the HTML code; can also use Microsoft Word as the editor (RoboHelp for Word); workflow and multi-author support; conditional text; clear Microsoft Word export including paragraph and character styles

Disadvantages: high price; not as efficient and easy to use as some of its competitors; only limited single source publishing capabilities

Prices: approx. $1000 / €1,400 as a standalone product; RoboHelp Server approx. $2,000

http://www.adobe.com/products/robohelp/

Help & Manual

Extremely efficient, very professional and easy to use tool with an excellent price-performance ratio. Particularly recommendable if several product versions need to be documented from one common source, and printed manuals (PDF) must also be supplied with minimum effort. The software comes with an efficient and powerful screen capture and graphics tool.

Advantages: excellent support for single source publishing (user-defined builds, embedded topics, conditional text with IF THEN ELSE statements, variables); efficient and powerful integrated manual generator (PDF) without the need of using external text processing such as Microsoft Word (Adobe Acrobat is not required either); HTML templates; style sheets; Unicode; efficient support for XML-based translation processes; automatic syntax highlighter for source code citations

Disadvantages: layout for printed manuals (PDF) can be customized easily with the supplied print manual designer, however some advanced features such as automatic hyphenation, margin annotations or multi-column layouts are missing

Price: approx. $400 (Standard Edition) and $600 (Professional Edition)

http://www.helpandmanual.com

AuthorIT

As a mix of conventional Help Authoring Tool and database supported content management system, AuthorIT has a certain special standing. Needs getting used to, but the consistent object oriented approach is highly efficient. Unfurls its strengths only beyond a certain minimum project size, and this only if you want to engage in intensive single source publishing.

Advantages: very efficient and professional single source publishing; several authors can work simultaneously on a project; efficient support for XML-based translation processes; flexible reusability of topics even across projects; excellent export to Microsoft Word; unique authoring memory feature; AuthorIT can also be used for publishing web pages, presentation and training documents

Disadvantages: quite complex to set up and use; optimal use requires experience in single source publishing; high price

Price: scalable pricing model from approx. $2,000 for a small team solution up to more than $100,000 for a large, multinational solution

http://www.author-it.com

HyperText Studio

A tool with a very efficient, integrated HTML-editor. Particularly interesting if you also want to use it for creating a web site and have some knowledge of HTML.

Advantages: professional HTML and CSS editor; full control over the HTML code; topic templates; WYSIYWG editing of expandable sections; project can be edited by several authors simultaneously; integrated setup builder (packs up the created online-documentation for shipping into a self-installing EXE file)

Disadvantages: no conditional text; no variables; only simple RTF-Export

Price: from approx. $100 (Professional Edition) up to $500 (Team Edition)

http://www.olsonsoft.com

Fast-Help (also sold under the name EasyHelp)

In terms of program structure and functionality, somewhat very similar to both Help & Manual and HelpStudio. FastHelp focuses on other aspects in the translation process as Help & Manual, which is especially interesting if translations are done in-house, or if the author himself or herself is maintaining several language versions in parallel. In terms of single source publishing Fast-Help is clearly less powerful than Help & Manual, especially when it comes to generating printed manuals.

Advantages: remarkably easy and intuitive to use; international version has the option of translating projects directly in Fast-Help (parallel view of two languages)

Disadvantages: no XML-export for external translation, only few options to customize the output; poor output for PDF manuals

Price: approx. $300; international version approx. $400

http://www.fast-help.com

HelpStudio

HelpStudio essentially looks like an advanced version of FastHelp. HelpStudio offers excellent support for translations. Projects can either be translated in HelpStudio right away, or be exported to XML, translated by an external translator with the help of a translation memory tool, and then imported back into HelpStudio. Another interesting feature is the possibility to create your own widgets, which simplifies creating and editing complex content, such as drop down sections, expand-in-place images, note boxes, includes etc.

Advantages: excellent translation support; fairly good single source publishing capabilities; basic screen capture tool included; full CSS support; efficient, customizable user interface; excellent HTML based editor with full code control; widgets; task lists; optional Community Extensions allow you to add interactive community features to a help system, such as private notes, public comments or a ratings bar

Disadvantages: comparatively high price; poor output for PDF manuals with only a few customization options

Price: approx. $600; Community Extensions approx. $2,000

http://www.innovasys.com

Doc-To-Help

Has the unique option, that it can work with both Microsoft Word as editor and with HTML editors. This can be particularly interesting when data from different sources are delivered. If you use a professional HTML editor, you will have optimal control over the HTML code.

Advantages: flexibility; thorough and uniform support for conditional texts, variables and text snippets; good possibilities for single source publishing; partly automated documentation of source code and program libraries, team authoring support

Disadvantages: rather complex to use and to customize; not yet XML-compatible (announced)

Price: approx. $750 (Doc-To-Help for Word) and $900 (Doc-To-Help Enterprise)

http://www.componentone.com

XDK

Closely linked with Microsoft Word but rather complex to use. Very rich set of advanced features.

Advantages: very large scope of functions; unique DHTML-Features (e.g. tab panes within a topic and sortable tables); high performance output for browser-based help (for example, master/slave dynamic merging), extensive documentation

Disadvantages: only restricted possibilities for single source publishing; inherits the weaknesses of Microsoft Word

Price: approx. €500

http://www.vmtech.com

Help Producer

Merely adds a small toolbar to Microsoft Word. But don't be fooled: Help Producer is surprisingly efficient and powerful, and can be integrated seamlessly into Word-based workflows.

Advantages: comparatively low price; extensive customization possibilities (templates, style sheets, themes), COM scripting object model allows you to control the output and to automate complex tasks; supports Unicode; good conversion even for graphics that have been created with the graphic-function in Word

Disadvantages: only the most important customizations can be done using the user-interface

Price: approx. $400

http://www.mgtek.com

OfficeHelp

This Microsoft Word based help authoring tool is available in German language only. It implements a very interesting tab-based information design which makes it possible to provide a flat and simple table of contents even for extensive documents. Many useful functions add to or optimize the functionality of Microsoft Word (such as marginalia, conditional text, problem-free handling of numbered lists, comfortable cross reference function).

Advantages: very practical; many useful functions to evade typical Microsoft Word problems; excellent documentation (in German)

Disadvantages: limited flexibility; only available in German

Price: approx. €300 (Standard Edition) and €600 (Professional Edition)

http://www.officehelp.de

Other

Please note that you can use Microsoft Word  also with RoboHelp for Word and with Flare. Alternatively, you can also use the tools of the following category to convert existing Microsoft Word files to HTML and XML based online help formats.

WebWorks ePublisher

Unmatched in performance, but also in its price. This tool is available in three versions: one version for Microsoft Word, one for FrameMaker and one for DITA-XML. If you have several licenses, it is even possible to generate common online help from different source formats. Those already familiar with early versions of WebWorks Publisher will be astonished at how simple it has become to use.

Advantages: excellent scope of functions, and at the same time easy to use; professional output; high flexibility coupled with low customization effort; can even handle "messily" formatted documents; conditional text and variables for Microsoft Word

Disadvantages: high price

Price: WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word, for FrameMaker, or for XML, each approx. €1,600

http://www.quadralay.com

ReWorx

Converts Microsoft Word documents into HTML, compiled HTML help, and XML + XSLT. The tool combines efficient conversion with a simple, wizard-based user interface.

Advantages: low price; easy to use; efficient output for browser-based help (including master/slave dynamic merging); can automatically eliminate typical text fragments found in printed manuals, such as "on page"

Disadvantages: limited flexibility; only rudimentary support for conditional texts

Price: approx. €150 (Standard Edition) and €200 (Professional Edition)

http://www.vmtech.com/reworx.htm

Mif2Go

Converts FrameMaker files into online Help, DITA, Microsoft Word, and HTML for the Web. Powerful but far from being as intuitive as WebWorks ePublisher. Interesting especially in cases where custom conversions are needed that are not provided by "out of the box" converters. Mif2Go also is an interesting alternative if you need to closely integrate a conversion into a specific production processes.

Advantages: very affordable price; great flexibility and integration capabilities

Disadvantages: complex installation and customization required; makes use of a proprietary "Document Coding Language" (DCL) for the configuration

Price: approx. $300; free for unemployed tech writers, students, academics, consultants

http://www.omsys.com

WordToWeb

Easy-to-use converter from Microsoft Word to CHM and HTML. Interesting especially if you want to import Microsoft Word documents into a web site.

Advantages: low price; simple usage through wizards; flexibility

Disadvantages: only elementary support for browser-based help (among other things, no advanced table of contents, no full text search)

Price: approx. $300

http://www.solutionsoft.com

Other

Please note that you can also use Flare to generate online help from FrameMaker files and Doc-To-Help to convert Microsoft Word files.

Doc-O-Matic

Professional documentation tool, particularly for source code and developer documentation. Output can be customized to a high degree.

Advantages: very efficient for source code documentation; high degree of automation; good support for single source publishing; able to export PDF manuals in a professional layout, even without external text processing

Disadvantages: high price (depending on version); to complex for occasional users

Price: approx. $300 up to $1,000

http://www.doc-o-matic.com

Document! X

Automates the process of creating and maintaining documentation particularly for complex components or XSD schemas.

Advantages: high degree of automation and flexibility; optional Community Extensions allow you to add interactive community features to a help system, such as private notes, public comments or a ratings bar

Disadvantages: comparatively high price

Price: approx. $600; Community Extensions approx. $2,000

http://www.innovasys.com

West Wind HTML Help Builder

Developed "by developers, for developers" this tool shows its strengths when it comes to documentation of source code and program libraries. At the same time, it is also one of the few tools of this kind, which also does meets the needs not just of developers but also of technical writers.

Advantages: comparatively low price; excellent support for source code-documentation of all major programming languages; consistent segregation of contents and formatting; support for various different information types and templates; full control over the generated HTML code; HTML templates; clean Microsoft Word export including paragraph and character styles; multiple user support

Disadvantages: does not support conditional text and variables; needs Microsoft Word if you want to use thesaurus and spell check

Price: approx. $300

http://www.west-wind.com

TeeGofer Help Author for .NET Components

A Tool for simple auto-documentation of .NET assemblies.

Price: approx. $160

http://www.steema.com

TwinText

Automatically generates HTML and HTML Help documentation directly from code comments. Supports a wide range of programming languages.

Price: approx. $170

http://www.ptlogica.com

HTML Help COM Assistant

Automatically analyzes components and creates basic online documentation for enumerators, objects, properties, and methods.

Price: free (Open Source)

http://www.devcomponents.com

HelpMaker

HelpMaker is freeware but significantly better than some competitors that cost as much as up to $100.

Advantages: supports Unicode, nice WYSIWYG Editor, live spell checker, thesaurus, basic screen capture utility and image editor included.

Disadvantages: no support of style sheets, no HTML source code control, no conditional text, no advanced single source publishing support (generates only basic, "hard" formatted RTF).

Price: free

http://www.vizacc.com

E.S.T. Help Author Pro

A remarkably powerful help authoring tool which offers a lot of advanced features at a very moderate price.

Advantages: build flags, conditional text, variables, embedded topics, OLE object support, integrated tools for context ID management, live spell checking, thesaurus, automatic syntax highlighter for most programming languages, basic screen capture tool included.

Disadvantages: no possibility to define character styles and paragraph styles (all formatting must be done manually), does not allow you to view and modify the generated HTML code (however, HTML snippets may be added as pass-through code), only basic RTF export; no XML export for translation.

Price: approx. €100

http://www.maxcomponents.net

HelpTron HTML Help

Full-featured HTML Help authoring tool with PDF and Microsoft Word export.
Price: approx. €180

http://www.theta-software.com

Rolehelp

The key strength of Rolehelp is its outstanding simplicity. The downside is little flexibility. Can even generate basic printed PDF manuals (basic layout, cannot be modified). No support of predefined styles, no conditional text, no HTML code control, no index and full text search for browser-based help.

Price: approx. $60

http://www.roledata.com

HelpNDoc

This is an efficient tool for anyone who wants to generate a small CHM file with minimum effort at minimum cost. The generated output looks fine, but do not expect anything fancy. No support of predefined styles, no HTML editing, but the software even exports code snippets (C++, Delphi, Visual Basic) and supports variables within the text.
Price: free for non-profit and non-commercial use; professional license approx. €45

http://www.helpndoc.com

helpMATC Pro HTML

A very straightforward program with full HTML code control and CSS support. No single source publishing.
Price: approx. $80

http://www.helpmatic.net

WinCHM

Basic, easy to use help editor with full HTML code control, template support for HTML page design and basic PDF export. No advanced features such as conditional text.
Price: approx. $100

http://www.softany.com

FAR HTML

Well known toolbox, especially designed for those who create HTML help with a standard HTML Editor. The collection also contains tools to test and decompile CHM files.

Price: approx. $50

http://www.helpware.net

CHM Maker

Not truly a help authoring tool but rather a CHM compiling utility. You can easily add any HTML files created with any HTML editor and compile them into one structured CHM file, including table of contents, index and full text search. An advanced key phrases detection engine automatically collects keywords from phrases in bold, italic, underlined text, in headers and tables headers, and within <meta>-tags. You can customize this engine at your own discretion. The downside is that there is no support for context sensitivity.

Price: approx. $40

http://www.abeetech.com

Help Logic

Alternative for those who have to supply Apple Help, HTML Help, browser based help, and basic printed output (PDF including title page, TOC, page numbers) from one source. The tool runs on Windows as well as on Mac OS. However, it does not support conditional text and has no built-in WYSIWYG editor. You must use your own HTML editor such as Dreamweaver, Frontpage, GoLive, Namo, etc.

Price: approx. €70

http://www.ebutterfly.com

HTML Help Workshop

Microsoft's compiler and basic editing tool for the compiled Microsoft Help format (.chm).

Price: free

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/ (search for "help workshop")

HelpSetMaker

Tool to create help files, especially for the JavaHelp system. Creates JavaHelp HelpSets, HTML web pages and LaTeX source code. For Windows, Linux, Mac OS.

Price: free (Open Source)

http://sourceforge.net/projects/helpsetmaker/

AurigaDoc

Java-xml-xsl based documentation tool for writing xml documents and converting them to other open formats like HTML, DHTML, PDF, PostScript, FO, RTF, Java Help and HTML Help (.chm). For Windows and Linux.

Price: free (Open Source)

http://aurigadoc.sourceforge.net

LinKit!

Allows you to link any context sensitive help or HTML file to Windows applications without the need to modify the source code. The followed approach cannot be recommended as an alternative to creating conventional help, but it is an interesting option if you have to provide domain-specific information for third party software. For example, a company could decide to use some off-the-shelf project management software and add some context sensitive instructions for employees on company-specific policies.

Price: depending on number of installations; starting at approx. €3,000

http://www.affixion.com/en/

ActiveGuide

Adds an embedded interactive performance support layer between users and existing browser-based applications.

Price: upon request

http://www.rocketools.com

HelpBubble .NET

Implements a .NET balloon style popup help window replacement for standard .NET tooltips. It allows you to easily add balloon style popup windows to your applications with multiple lines of text, buttons, titles and hyperlinks using standard HTML Tags formatting, including forms. Links can open a web site, jump into online help or launch an external application.

Price: approx. $130

http://www.componentdesigns.com

HelpExplorer

Help Explorer Viewer is a cross-platform viewer for compiled help files. Software developers can use the same online help files for cross-platform applications, no matter under which operating system (Windows or Linux) your applications are deployed. Even context sensitive help calls are possible.
Help Explorer Server is a web-based application for viewing compiled help via a help server on the Internet or intranet without having to re-compile documentation files.

Price for Help Explorer Viewer: approx. $300 to $900 (depending on number of installations)

Price for Help Explorer Server: approx. $80 to $480

http://www.help-explorer.com

H2Reg

Small utility to register MS Help 2.x Collections (Namespaces, Titles, Plug-ins, Filters) without using MSI (Microsoft Installer).

Price: approx. $50 up to $100

http://helpware.net

HelpConsole

Dynamic, web-based help authoring tool with support of conditional content, context sensitive help, PDF output and concurrent authors.
Price: approx. $300 up to more than $1,900

http://www.extremeease.com

HelpServer

Web-based solution for help and documentation. Can be deployed as a content management system and as a help system. Supports a large number of formats, such as PDF, HTML and video. Supports structured authoring and team authoring.
Price: upon request

http://www.helpserver.be

Vantage Linguistics

Several linguistic search products such as the AnswerWorks SDK.

Price: upon request

http://www.vantagesoftwaretechnologies.com

Dr. Explain (Cognitive Force):

Automatically captures screens from an application and adds interactive navigation. The output looks nice, however, be aware that the resulting online help strictly reflects the structure of the software and and not the users' goals. For this reason, the risk is high to produce help that does not really help. However, the tool can be helpful if you need a quick interim solution or if you are on an very tight budget.

Price: approx. $125 up to $165

http://www.drexplain.com

Help Generator

Scans your application and automatically generates HTML files, screenshots and other elements. Links the help topics to the appropriate application forms. Includes a full-featured Help Editor and screenshot tool. The inherent didactical problems are the same as with Dr. Explain.

Price: approx. $140 up to $300

http://www.helpgenerator.com

Manualizer

Solution to create manuals and training documents and to document business processes step by step, based on screen captures with short comments. Especially designed for SAP applications.

Price: upon request

http://www.manualizer.ch

SWiSH Guide

Converts Microsoft HTML Help file (.chm) to web ready, platform independent Flash files with dynamic table of contents, index and full text search.
Price: approx. $50

http://www.swishzone.com

HelpTron Converters

CHM To PDF Converter: Makes a PDF (including table of contents) from a CHM file.
HTML To PDF Converter: does the same as CHM To PDF Converter for plain HTML files.

Price: approx. €180

http://www.theta-software.com

Dawningsoft Convertres

Provide a number of basic converting tools for Microsoft Word > CHM, PDF > CHM and vice versa.

Price: approx. $25 up to $50

http://www.dawningsoft.com

CHM Editor

WYSIWYG editor to translate and edit existing CHM files.

Price: approx. $50

http://www.chmeditor.com

Sysfilter

This translation utility can transfer text from Visio, Excel, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, CorellDraw into Microsoft Word. After translation, texts can automatically be retransferred back into the original document.

Price: approx. €40 up to €400

http://www.ecm-e.de

HTML Indexer

Helps you create and maintain professional indexes for web sites and online help systems. This is especially useful if you are using a general purpose HTML editor that does not support the creation of index entries like most specialized help authoring tools do.

Price: approx. $240

http://www.html-indexer.com

There may be more mature tools on the market today, but the following programs show promising potential for the future:

The following tools have not had major new releases for quite some time or do currently not reflect the latest technical developments (subject to change when new versions become available):