Freedom251 › Help Authoring Tools
Help+Manual
What Help+Manual is
Help+Manual is a Windows XML-based authoring environment for producing online help and PDF manuals from one source. It publishes to Webhelp, HTML Help, PDF, Microsoft Word, ePUB, Kindle eBooks, Markdown, and print manuals. The toolkit includes screen capture, a syntax highlighter for 53 programming languages, a graphics editor, QR code generator, PDF layout editor, and report generator. Professional supports simultaneous editing by multiple authors without extra server components. Professional and Floating editions support Subversion, Microsoft Team Foundation Server, and Microsoft Visual SourceSafe compatibles. Listed integrations include Confluence import, RoboHelp and Author-It project import, and a DeepL translation plugin. Professional XML can be translated with tools such as SDL Trados. Licenses are perpetual, with 12 months of maintenance, updates, and support included. Pricing starts at €569/user, with a fully functional 30-day Professional trial. Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7 are supported; Windows XP and older are not.
Who it suits
Help+Manual suits professional authors, software developers, and small authoring teams needing multi-format publishing. Basic is aimed at part-time authors, content contributors, and private users.
What it does well
- Publishes to many help and document formats
- Simultaneous professional team editing
- Version-control integrations
- 53-language syntax highlighting
- 30-day full Professional trial
What to know first
- Windows-only software
- No free plan
- Starts at €569/user
- Basic excludes translation, version control, and multi-user editing
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Help+Manual v10, Floating License | per license · concurrent floating license · Internet connection required at startup · licenses can be checked out for offline work | €1,569, paid once |
| Help+Manual v10, Basic Edition | per license · per-seat license · local installation on your PC · excludes translation support, version control and multi-user editing | €569, paid once |
| Help+Manual v10, Professional Edition | per license · per-seat license · local installation on your PC | €899, paid once |
As helpandmanual.com lists them, read 9 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Help+Manual offers single-source documentation publishing with extensive output formats, authoring tools, and team features. Its Windows requirement, paid perpetual licenses, and edition-specific capabilities should guide selection.
Facts from Help+Manual's own pages
- Headquarters
- Salzburg, Austria · helpandmanual.com, 28 Sept 2026
- Included tools
- The toolkit includes screen capture, a syntax highlighter for 53 programming languages, a graphics editor, QR code generator, PDF layout editor and report generator. · helpandmanual.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The feature matrix lists direct Confluence database import, RoboHelp and Author-It project import, and a DeepL automated translation plugin. · helpandmanual.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The maker recommends Professional for professional authors, software developers and small authoring teams, and Basic for part-time authors, content contributors and private users. · helpandmanual.com, 9 Oct 2026
- License terms
- The store describes the license as perpetual with no subscription, and says 12 months of maintenance with free updates and support are included. · helpandmanual.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Platform requirement
- The download page lists Windows 11, 10, 8 and 7 as supported operating systems and does not support Windows XP or older. · helpandmanual.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- The maker says its public website does not use cookies and it does not sell, trade or rent personal information. · helpandmanual.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Product
- Help+Manual is an XML-based, single-source authoring environment for creating online help and PDF user manuals. · helpandmanual.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Publishing
- It publishes from one source to formats including Webhelp, HTML Help, PDF, Microsoft Word, ePUB, Kindle eBooks, Markdown and print manuals. · helpandmanual.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Security and licensing
- The maker says its license activation server stores no personal information and its licensing system is generally anonymous. · helpandmanual.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Support
- Support options include user manuals, tutorials, public forums and direct email support. · helpandmanual.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Team editing
- Professional supports multiple authors working on the same project at the same time without additional server components. · helpandmanual.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Translation
- Professional projects use XML that can be translated directly with tools such as SDL Trados, for which configuration files are included. · helpandmanual.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Trial
- The Help+Manual trial is fully functional for 30 days and includes the complete Professional Edition feature set. · helpandmanual.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Version control
- Professional and Floating editions support Subversion, Microsoft Team Foundation Server and Microsoft Visual SourceSafe compatibles. · helpandmanual.com, 9 Oct 2026
Where Help+Manual stands on Freedom251
- Help Authoring Tools#10 of 29
- Technical Documentation Software#30 of 37