Most teams don't leave a platform that’s as integrated and robust as Pendo on a whim. For months you can have a nagging feeling that there may be a better product out there for your team, but, by the time that feeling becomes conviction, your renewal is imminent and you’re stuck kicking the can down the road until next year. 

Given the speed of product development in the AI era, it’s safe to assume that alternatives have caught up on the exact strengths that made Pendo the pick (even if you bought it last year). You’re right to think it may be worth a fresh look.

Unfortunately, the cognitive load of making a switch is real and can take the wind out of even the most motivated sails. If you’ve been thinking that it may be worth evaluating alternatives prior to your next renewal, here are 5 signs you may want to follow your instincts. 

Your team can’t use it how they need to

Pendo prides itself on helping teams ship better products faster. For all its power, it still can create headaches for cross-functional teams. Whoever first configured the instance sets the default for how everyone else works inside it. Roles and permissions have become rigid so a team that wants to run a different kind of campaign or push into a new use case ends up negotiating with governance before they've built anything. What should be a shared tool turns into contested territory, with cross-functional teams managing access instead of managing outcomes.

Opening it feels like a chore

Lag, unresponsive elements, and a learning curve that doesn't flatten are recurring complaints. You spend too much time in a product like Pendo to not enjoy it. Exploring a tool that has a more intuitive experience and baked in resources may be worth your while.   

You’ve got to pay more for the good stuff 

Pendo has shipped a ton of amazing features that help customers analyze agent performance (Agent Analytics) and improve agent tooling. Unfortunately, many of these capabilities sit behind an upgrade. What started as a fair price for what you needed can turn into a stack of add-ons before you've noticed the total moving. A replacement that has predictable and all-inclusive pricing can save you a ton of overhead. If you’ve got to advocate for a bigger budget, you might as well evaluate alternatives to ensure you’re getting the most bang for your buck. 

You’re not the customer they’re building for

Priorities shift as products mature, and that's normal. What's harder to sit with is watching the roadmap tilt toward a different buyer, a different use case, while yours stops showing up in the release notes. If you’re feeling like all their new features are cool but not for you, you may want to see how a competitor addresses your use case and needs. 

You crave a different kind of partnership 

Some teams want a vendor. Others want a partner who picks up the phone, knows the account, and has a stake in getting it right, not just closing the ticket. If you’re continually frustrated by the quality of support you’re receiving or the lack of depth in your relationship, you may want to test the waters with a new partner.

Got the itch to switch?

Now that we’ve validated your desire to explore alternatives, you’ve got some work to do. Here’s the best way to go about replacing Pendo. 

• Map the pros and cons. Get a good sense of the way the alternative is different from Pendo. Ask questions about data gaps and differences and articulate what matters most to your team. 
• Identify key stakeholders. Assess whether or not you’re the only one who’s feeling unhappy with Pendo. Talk openly about it with your team and cross-functional stakeholders. Understand who’s in your corner and who you’ll need to convince. 
• Set a realistic timeline. It will likely take 3-5 months to evaluate a new product, get implemented and onboarded. If you want your Pendo replacement live before your contract expires, you’ll need to kick off your buying cycle well in advance.
• Let the team at the replacement help you. We see teams like yours evaluate and re-evaluate platforms everyday. The more you share, the more we can help you make the case and land on the decision that’s best for your company in the long run.

Replacing Pendo with Appcues

We’ve helped dozens of companies make the switch from Pendo to Appcues. Our team starts by understanding your current use cases and setting up a few in Appcues while your Pendo account is still live. Once your team is confident that Appcues is the pick, our team helps you port over all of your existing guides, segments, and dashboards to mimic what you have in Pendo. Plus hands-on partnership, guided onboarding, and white-glove migration come with every plan.

Switching from Pendo doesn’t have to be a heavy lift. Talk to our team today and let us lighten the load. 

‍