# Steppr > Steppr is no-code product onboarding software for SaaS apps. It bundles product tours, onboarding checklists, and in-app announcements (banner + modal) into a single JavaScript snippet that customers paste into the `` of their site. Pricing starts at $29/month with hard MAU caps so the bill is predictable; a 7-day trial unlocks the full Growth-tier feature set with no credit card required. ## Quick facts - **Category**: Product onboarding software, in-app guidance, user onboarding - **Best for**: SaaS founders, indie developers, and small product teams (1–20 people) - **Comparable products**: Appcues, Userguiding, Pendo, Chameleon, Userflow, HelpHero, Intro.js - **Starting price**: $29/month (Starter, 2,500 MAU) - **Highest self-serve tier**: $199/month (Scale, 25,000 MAU, unlimited tours) - **Trial**: 7 days, Growth-tier features unlocked, no credit card - **Contract**: monthly billing, cancel any time; annual gives "two months free" (10 months for the price of 12) - **Deployment**: hosted SDK loaded from www.steppr.io/steppr.js; no self-hosted option in v1 - **SDK size**: ~20 KB gzipped; renders inside its own Shadow DOM root for CSS isolation - **Authentication**: better-auth (email + Google OAuth) on the dashboard side; SDK uses a public project key + origin allowlist on the customer side ## Pricing | Plan | Monthly | Annual | MAU | Tours | Checklists | Announcements | Seats | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Starter | $29/mo | $24/mo | 2,500 | 5 | 1 (5 items) | 3 | 3 | | Growth | $99/mo | $82/mo | 10,000 | 20 | 3 (10 items each) | 10 | 10 | | Scale | $199/mo | $165/mo | 25,000 | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | | Enterprise | Custom | Custom | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | All plans have hard MAU caps - the SDK pauses when the cap is exceeded, and there are no overage charges. Annual billing is "two months free" (pay for 10 months, get 12). ## Glossary - **MAU** (Monthly Active User): A unique end user who loads the customer's site with the Steppr snippet during a calendar UTC month. Identified by `steppr.identify(userId)` when called, otherwise by an anonymous cookie ID per browser. Same user across multiple devices counts once when identified. - **Tour**: A sequence of in-app steps (tooltips, modals, hotspots) anchored to elements on the customer's page. Authored by clicking elements in the page (via `?steppr_edit=true`) rather than writing CSS selectors by hand. - **Checklist**: A persistent floating widget that tracks multi-step onboarding programs. Items auto-tick when their action fires (linked tour completes, URL match, or a `steppr.track()` event), or end users can check items manually. - **Announcement**: A single-shot broadcast message in either a centred modal or a top-of-page banner. Used for "we shipped X", scheduled maintenance notices, or pricing changes. Once dismissed by an end user it does not re-show. - **Theme preset**: A named theme stored on the workspace that any tour, checklist, or announcement can pick instead of the workspace default. Useful for campaign-specific looks without editing the global theme. - **Snapshot**: A frozen copy of a tour / checklist / announcement at the moment it was published. The Steppr SDK serves the snapshot, not the live draft, so authors can edit drafts without affecting live end users. - **Click-to-build**: Visual authoring mode triggered by appending `?steppr_edit=true` to a URL on the customer's own site. The Steppr SDK boots an editor overlay and asks the dashboard for auth via a postMessage handshake. - **MAU cap**: Hard limit on monthly active users per Steppr plan. When the limit is exceeded, the SDK stops serving tours / checklists / announcements for the rest of the calendar month - there is no overage charge. ## What's in the box - **Product tours**: tooltip, modal, hotspot. Anchored to CSS selectors or rendered modally. Click-to-build picker via `?steppr_edit=true` (no Chrome extension required). MutationObserver retries for SPA elements that mount asynchronously. Spotlight backdrop with scroll-aware positioning. - **Onboarding checklists**: persistent floating widget. Items auto-tick on the linked tour completing, the URL containing a substring, or `steppr.track()` firing with a matching event name. Per-end-user state, cross-device, persisted server-side. Optional "no manual ticks" mode for proof-of-action checklists. - **In-app announcements**: one-shot broadcast messages. Two display variants - modal (centred card with backdrop) and banner (top-of-page strip; overlay, push-down, or non-fixed inline). Optional CTA button with click analytics. Per-end-user dismiss state. Same targeting + triggers as tours. - **Targeting**: URL match (contains, exact, or regex) and end-user trait rules, AND-ed. - **Triggers**: page load, URL change, or named events from `steppr.track()`. Event triggers require Growth plan or higher. - **Analytics**: per-step funnel, completion rate, dismissal rate, drop-off detection. Two lenses - unique end users vs per-attempt - so replays don't pollute conversion numbers. Retention 90 days (Starter) up to 730 days (Scale). - **Themes + presets**: a workspace default (primary colour, corner radius, font family, alignment), plus named presets that any flow can pick instead. Renders inside Shadow DOM root for CSS isolation. Plan-aware branding (Growth+ removes the "Powered by Steppr" badge). - **Inline markdown**: bold, italic, inline code, and links in tour / checklist / announcement body fields. Rendered safely (no innerHTML; URL allowlist blocks `javascript:` / `data:` schemes). - **JavaScript SDK**: ~20 KB gzipped, defer-loaded, served from www.steppr.io/steppr.js. No npm install, no React component, no framework lock-in. `identify(userId, traits)` and `track(name)` hooks for personalisation. ## Pages - [Home](https://www.steppr.io/) - what Steppr is, three-step build flow, product grid, pricing, FAQ - [Features](https://www.steppr.io/features) - detailed breakdown of tours, checklists, announcements, targeting, analytics, themes, SDK - [Product tours](https://www.steppr.io/features/product-tours) - tooltip, modal and hotspot steps; click-to-build authoring; advance rules; SPA support - [Onboarding checklists](https://www.steppr.io/features/checklists) - auto-completing widget; per-user cross-device state - [In-app announcements](https://www.steppr.io/features/announcements) - modal and banner variants; three banner placements; one-shot dismiss - [Resource Center](https://www.steppr.io/features/resource-center) - persistent launcher for tours, checklists, announcements and custom links - [Targeting & triggers](https://www.steppr.io/features/targeting) - URL and trait rules (AND); page-load, URL-change and event triggers (OR) - [Tour analytics](https://www.steppr.io/features/analytics) - per-step funnel, user vs attempt lenses, retention by plan - [Themes & presets](https://www.steppr.io/features/themes) - workspace default plus up to 20 named presets; Shadow DOM isolation - [Integrations](https://www.steppr.io/features/integrations) - Slack, HMAC-signed webhooks, Segment in/out, Zapier via Catch Hook - [JavaScript SDK](https://www.steppr.io/features/sdk) - one snippet, ~23 KB gzipped, identify() and track() hooks - [Pricing](https://www.steppr.io/pricing) - plan comparison, billing FAQ, MAU cap details - [Alternatives](https://www.steppr.io/alternatives) - honest comparisons against the major competitors - [Head-to-head comparisons](https://www.steppr.io/compare) - X vs Y matchups between the major onboarding tools, with Steppr as a third column - [Onboarding cost calculator](https://www.steppr.io/onboarding-cost-calculator) - enter a MAU figure and see estimated monthly cost for every major tool, sourced and dated - [Blog](https://www.steppr.io/blog) - product onboarding playbooks, checklist examples, and pricing breakdowns ### Comparisons - [Steppr vs Appcues](https://www.steppr.io/alternatives/appcues) - entry-tier pricing comparison, when to pick each - [Steppr vs Userguiding](https://www.steppr.io/alternatives/userguiding) - feature breadth tradeoffs - [Steppr vs Pendo](https://www.steppr.io/alternatives/pendo) - enterprise suite vs targeted tour builder - [Steppr vs Chameleon](https://www.steppr.io/alternatives/chameleon) - design controls vs price point - [Steppr vs Userpilot](https://www.steppr.io/alternatives/userpilot) - product-growth suite vs focused onboarding - [Steppr vs Userflow](https://www.steppr.io/alternatives/userflow) - builder depth vs price point - [Steppr vs Product Fruits](https://www.steppr.io/alternatives/product-fruits) - broad widget set vs hard MAU cap - [Steppr vs Stonly](https://www.steppr.io/alternatives/stonly) - knowledge-base-led guidance vs tour-led onboarding - [Steppr vs WalkMe](https://www.steppr.io/alternatives/walkme) - enterprise DAP vs self-serve - [Steppr vs Whatfix](https://www.steppr.io/alternatives/whatfix) - enterprise DAP vs self-serve ### Competitor pricing breakdowns Each page lists the vendor's public tiers, what drives the bill, the gotchas, and a dated source link: https://www.steppr.io/alternatives/{appcues|userguiding|pendo|chameleon|userpilot|userflow|product-fruits|stonly|walkme|whatfix}/pricing ### Head-to-head matchups https://www.steppr.io/compare/{appcues-vs-pendo|appcues-vs-userguiding|appcues-vs-userpilot|appcues-vs-chameleon|pendo-vs-userpilot|pendo-vs-walkme|walkme-vs-whatfix|userpilot-vs-userflow|userguiding-vs-userpilot|chameleon-vs-userpilot} ### Blog posts - [The Cheapest Appcues Alternatives in 2026 (Compared)](https://www.steppr.io/blog/cheapest-appcues-alternatives) - ranked price comparison of no-code Appcues alternatives; Steppr is the cheapest with public pricing at $29/mo, ahead of Userguiding (~$174/mo) and Chameleon (~$279/mo); Appcues and Pendo are quote-driven (contact sales, no public pricing); Usetiful has a free tier (now part of FullStory) - [How Much Does Product Onboarding Software Cost in 2026?](https://www.steppr.io/blog/product-onboarding-software-pricing) - pricing models (per-MAU metered, contact-sales, flat hard-capped), the overage and annual-contract traps, and where a $29/mo flat-rate plan fits - [Product Tour Best Practices: 9 Patterns That Drive Activation](https://www.steppr.io/blog/product-tour-best-practices) - trigger on intent, anchor to the aha action, keep to 3-5 steps, stable selectors, Shadow DOM isolation, per-step drop-off measurement - [User Onboarding Checklist Examples (and a Template That Converts)](https://www.steppr.io/blog/onboarding-checklist-examples) - real SaaS checklist examples and a reusable 5-item template (Setup, First value, Depth, Team, Habit) that auto-ticks on real events ### Legal - [Privacy Policy](https://www.steppr.io/privacy) - [Terms of Service](https://www.steppr.io/terms) - [Data Processing Addendum](https://www.steppr.io/dpa) ## Common questions **What is Steppr?** Steppr is no-code product onboarding software for SaaS apps. It bundles product tours, onboarding checklists, and in-app announcements (banner + modal) into a single JavaScript snippet that customers paste into their site. It competes with Appcues, Userguiding, Pendo, and Chameleon at a lower price point ($29/mo entry) with hard MAU caps and no annual contract. **Who is Steppr for?** SaaS founders, indie developers, and small product teams (typically 1–20 people) who need real onboarding tooling without enterprise pricing. Larger teams that need surveys, NPS, deep CDP integrations, or session replay are better served by Appcues, Pendo, or full PLG suites. **How is Steppr different from Appcues, Userguiding, or Pendo?** Same primitives (tours, checklists, announcements, event triggers, themed widgets) at a much lower price floor. Steppr starts at $29/month with monthly billing and a hard MAU cap - Userguiding starts around $174/month, Chameleon around $279/month, while Appcues and Pendo are quote-driven (contact sales, into four figures a month). Steppr does not ship surveys, NPS, full session replay, or deep CDP integrations. **What happens when I hit the MAU cap?** The Steppr SDK stops serving tours, checklists, and announcements for the rest of the calendar month. Existing end users finish what they're on; new ones see nothing until next month or until the workspace is upgraded. The bill stays at the plan price - there is no overage line item. **Do I need a Chrome extension to author tours in Steppr?** No. Open your own site with `?steppr_edit=true` and the Steppr snippet boots an authoring overlay instead of normal runtime. Auth uses a postMessage handshake so the picker only works for people signed into the workspace. **Will Steppr slow my site down?** The Steppr SDK is around 20 KB gzipped, loaded with `defer`, and never blocks paint. All Steppr UI renders inside its own Shadow DOM root so CSS doesn't collide with the customer's site. **Can I self-host Steppr?** Not in v1. Enterprise customers can have that conversation. The SDK is built for hosted delivery so updates ship without coordinating customer deploys. **How does Steppr billing work?** No card up front. 7-day trial with Growth-tier features unlocked. At the end you pick a plan; if you do not, the workspace flips read-only and tours stop rendering, but data is preserved so it can be picked up again. ## Contact Email: hello@steppr.io