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KERNL
What KERNL is
KERNL is a web-based franchise knowledge and compliance platform that gives franchisees AI answers from franchisor-uploaded materials. Users can ask questions in plain English and receive answers from current manuals and policy documents, with citations to the source. KERNL says it uses OpenAI’s GPT-4o mini and limits answers to uploaded documents. It accepts PDF and Microsoft Word (.docx) files up to 20MB each, plus Google Docs; image-only scanned PDFs are not supported. The platform tracks document acknowledgments, training completion, and policy Q&A engagement across locations. Training modules can combine video links, documents, or written content, and be assigned to locations or individuals with due dates and completion requirements. Access controls can be set by role, location, and document. KERNL describes TLS in transit, AES-256 encryption for stored data, private Cloudflare R2 storage, and row-level isolation between franchise networks. Pricing starts at $69/mo, with plans listed per location. The company says it does not use customer data to train AI models without separate written consent.
Who it suits
KERNL describes its audience as franchise networks, including food service, retail, fitness, and service-based businesses. It may suit operators that need to distribute policies, assign training, and monitor acknowledgments across locations.
What it does well
- Answers questions using uploaded documents and cites sources.
- Tracks acknowledgments, training, and policy Q&A by location.
- Training can be assigned with due dates and completion requirements.
- Offers role-, location-, and document-level access controls.
- Supports PDF, DOCX, and Google Docs sources.
What to know first
- Image-only scanned PDFs are not supported.
- No mobile app coverage is listed.
- Royalty tracking is not offered.
Limits
Essentials is for 5–20 locations, while Growth is for 21–75; both provide unlimited users per location. Image-only scanned PDFs are not supported.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials (annual billing) | $59/mo billed annually — save 15% · 5–20 locations · per location · unlimited users per location | $59 a month |
| Essentials | $69/location/mo · 5–20 locations · unlimited users per location · no setup fee | $69 a month |
| Growth (annual billing) | $75/mo billed annually — save 16% · 21–75 locations · per location · unlimited users per location | $75 a month |
| Growth | $89/location/mo · 21–75 locations · unlimited users per location · no setup fee | $89 a month |
| Enterprise | Quote based on network setup · 76+ locations · volume pricing · custom contracts | On request |
As kernlapp.com lists them, read 7 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Visit the KERNL website.
- Choose an Essentials, Growth, or Enterprise plan based on the network's location count.
- Upload PDF or DOCX documents, or use Google Docs as a document source.
- Set access by role, location, or document for owners, managers, and staff.
- Create training modules and assign them with due dates and completion requirements.
Verdict
KERNL combines document-based answers with training and compliance tracking for franchise locations. Its file-format limit and per-location pricing are relevant considerations for networks assessing fit.
Questions
How much does KERNL cost?
Essentials costs $69 per location per month, or $59/mo billed annually. Growth costs $89 per location per month, or $75/mo billed annually; Enterprise pricing is by quote.
Is there a free plan?
No. KERNL is a paid platform.
What platforms does KERNL support?
KERNL is available on the web. Mobile app coverage is listed as none.
What documents can KERNL use?
It supports PDF and Microsoft Word (.docx) uploads up to 20MB each, plus Google Docs. Image-only scanned PDFs are not supported.
What does KERNL do with franchise documents?
It provides cited answers based only on uploaded documents and tracks acknowledgments, training completion, and policy Q&A engagement. KERNL says customer data is not used to train AI or machine-learning models without separate written consent.
Who makes KERNL?
KERNL is headquartered in Sacramento, California, United States.
Facts from KERNL's own pages
- Access controls
- The homepage describes role-based, location-based, and document-level access controls for owners, managers, and staff. · kernlapp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- AI answers
- Ask KERNL answers plain-English questions from the current version of uploaded manuals and policy documents, citing the source. · kernlapp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- AI model
- The FAQ says KERNL uses OpenAI’s GPT-4o mini model and answers only from uploaded documents. · kernlapp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Compliance and data rights
- KERNL describes its practices as GDPR and CCPA aligned, offers a Data Processing Agreement, and says users can export data or request deletion. · kernlapp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Compliance tracking
- KERNL tracks document acknowledgments, training completion, and policy Q&A engagement across locations in a dashboard. · kernlapp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Data isolation
- KERNL says every multi-tenant table has row-level security to isolate franchise networks’ data. · kernlapp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Document formats
- The FAQ lists PDF and Microsoft Word (.docx) uploads up to 20MB each and says image-only scanned PDFs are not yet supported. · kernlapp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- Sacramento, California, United States · kernlapp.com, 28 Sept 2026
- Integrations
- The product pages list Google Docs as a supported document source alongside PDF and DOCX uploads. · kernlappapp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Intended customers
- KERNL describes its audience as franchise networks and lists food service, retail, fitness, and service-based networks among the franchise types it serves. · kernlapp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- KERNL says it does not use customer data to train AI or machine-learning models without separate written consent. · kernlapp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Product
- KERNL is a franchise knowledge and compliance platform where franchisees can get AI answers sourced from franchisors’ uploaded documents. · kernlapp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Security
- KERNL says traffic uses TLS, stored data uses AES-256 encryption, and documents are stored in private Cloudflare R2 storage behind short-lived signed URLs. · kernlapp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Support
- KERNL says the team typically responds to email within one business day. · kernlapp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Training
- Training modules can contain video links, documents, or written content and can be assigned to locations or individuals with due dates and completion requirements. · kernlapp.com, 7 Oct 2026
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