Introduction

We spend hundreds of hours researching the best HR and recruiting software so you don’t have to. We never take money from vendors during our research phase and rely heavily on practitioners and experts to help us recommend the right software. However we may earn a small fee if you click on vendor links on this page.

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Whale Versus the Competition

We found Whale a highly effective onboarding tool for growing teams, especially those prioritizing consistency, clear documentation, and role-specific training. The platform’s AI-powered automation and interactive learning features make it engaging for new hires, while its strong support framework ensures teams are set up for success.

If you're ready to get a Whale demo, we suggest getting in touch for a look at the product and quote. Otherwise, read on!

Ratings

Ease of Use

Best For

Key Differentiator

Price

Custom Pricing

Free Trial

Yes

PROS

  • Automates role-based training for efficient and tailored onboarding.
  • Engages new hires with AI-generated quizzes and gamified badges.
  • Offers intuitive process documentation tools, including step-by-step guides and a step recorder.
  • Scalable pricing, with a free plan for small teams and affordable options for mid-sized businesses.
  • Strong implementation support, including a four-week onboarding framework guided by a Customer Success team.

CONS

  • Limited customization options in the content editor.
  • Best suited for mid-sized and scaling companies, less ideal for very small teams who lack well-defined onboarding processes.
  • Relies heavily on structured workflows, which may not suit informal or dynamic teams.
  • Pricing can become expensive for larger organizations with many users.

Whale Alternatives:

eloomi

Eloomi's onboarding solution helps you define learning paths and automate workflows based on job roles, making it easy for new hires to enroll in all necessary training on their own. You can also customize materials and use interactive modules to make the process more engaging.
Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.8 / 5
Product Score
4.6 / 5
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eloomi

Eloomi's onboarding solution helps you define learning paths and automate workflows based on job roles, making it easy for new hires to enroll in all necessary training on their own. You can also customize materials and use interactive modules to make the process more engaging.
Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.8 / 5
Product Score
4.6 / 5
Learn More

Atlas

Atlas is a good mix of industry expertise and tech. They empower companies to hire and pay employees internationally while complying with local labor regulations.
Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4 / 5
Product Score
4.1 / 5
Visit Website

Atlas

Atlas is a good mix of industry expertise and tech. They empower companies to hire and pay employees internationally while complying with local labor regulations.
Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4 / 5
Product Score
4.1 / 5
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Workleap

We found Workleap particularly impressive for its range of customizable templates and thoughtful e-learning tools, which make the onboarding journey more like an online course. This makes it an easy recommendation for teams that want to improve their new hire experience through generative AI and fresh employee feedback.
Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4.3 / 5
Product Score
4.1 / 5
Visit Website

Workleap

We found Workleap particularly impressive for its range of customizable templates and thoughtful e-learning tools, which make the onboarding journey more like an online course. This makes it an easy recommendation for teams that want to improve their new hire experience through generative AI and fresh employee feedback.
Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4.3 / 5
Product Score
4.1 / 5
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BambooHR

BambooHR helps you save countless hours in onboarding. It comes with customizable pre-boarding packages, built-in e-signatures, onboarding process templates, and automated messaging to help new hires through onboarding tasks.
Popularity Score
4.5 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.4 / 5
Visit Website

BambooHR

BambooHR helps you save countless hours in onboarding. It comes with customizable pre-boarding packages, built-in e-signatures, onboarding process templates, and automated messaging to help new hires through onboarding tasks.
Popularity Score
4.5 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.4 / 5
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Whale Review

If you’re a growing company ready to invest in structured onboarding, we think Whale is absolutely worth considering. It’s a tool designed to make onboarding efficient, organized, and tailored, and we found plenty to like about how it delivers on these promises.

One of the main reasons for our recommendation is how well Whale handles role-based training automation. As part of our testing, we set up onboarding for a sales team and assigned specific training modules based on their roles. The platform smoothly tailored training paths for new hires so everyone received exactly what they needed without having to sift through irrelevant material. For teams with limited HR resources or those looking to streamline their onboarding process, this level of automation can be a huge lifesaver, we’d imagine.

Another feature we thought was great was the platform’s use of AI to enhance learning. We tested the AI-generated quizzes and badges, which added an engaging, gamified element to the onboarding experience. For example, after completing a training module on customer handling, the system generated a quick quiz to reinforce key points, rewarding high scores with badges. This approach made learning interactive and fun— a refreshing touch for what is often considered a tedious process.

Teams wanting consistency in their training materials will love Whale’s focus on process documentation. The ability to create step-by-step guides and standard operating procedures felt intuitive and effective. During our test, we used the step recorder to capture a guide for using a CRM system. The result was a readily shareable, easy-to-follow document that we’d imagine new employees would find helpful.

In terms of pricing, Whale’s model starts at $99 for 10 users—quite accessible for most businesses looking to standardize their onboarding process affordably. Plus, if you’re a smaller team with fewer than five users, you can get started for free, no strings attached.

On the customer service front: our experience was quite positive. During our free plan trial, Whale’s support rep guided us through a four-week kick-off process, helping us create thematic structures, onboard users, and document workflows.

That said, the content editor was one of the first limitations we noticed about the onboarding tech. While functional, it lacks advanced customization options, which could be frustrating if you need highly personalized onboarding materials tailored to your brand or industry.

Additionally, though Whale does offer a free plan for teams of five or fewer, we believe the software works best for larger teams, ideally with 25+ employees and scaling. In our tech tests, we noticed that features like the step recorder are most valuable for ones with well-defined processes already in place. Smaller organizations or those without structured workflows might find Whale’s robust framework an overkill instead.

Who shouldn't buy Whale

Whale Customers

The number of customers is not disclosed, but our research indicates that most are small and midsized teams based in the U.S. and Europe. Notable clients include Oxygen Service Company, RIHM, Theiner ICT, Image Solutions, SJA Solutions, and Posternock Apell.

Whale: Top choice for structured onboarding and role-based training
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Whale Key Features

Whale Key Integrations

Whale Pricing

Whale is free for small teams, starting with documentation and knowledge sharing. The Scale plan costs $99 for up to 10 users, with an additional fee of $10 per month for each extra user. Enterprise pricing is available on request.

Whale is Best For

Whale’s employee onboarding software works best for growing businesses, especially those that prioritize consistency, clear documentation, and role-specific training.

How has Whale Changed Over Time?

Whale Implementation

Whale Customer Success

About Whale

Company HQ

Number of Employees

Year Founded

Amount Raised

FAQ

Whale Alternatives

Connecteam

Mobile-first employee onboarding tool for deskless teams

Popularity score
4.6 / 5
user score
4.6 / 5
Product score
4.3 / 5
Remote

Best onboarding software for remote employees

Popularity score
4.7 / 5
user score
4.6 / 5
Product score
4.5 / 5
Rippling

HR onboarding software with extensive integrations

Popularity score
4.8 / 5
user score
4.2 / 5
Product score
4.1 / 5
Trainual

Among the best for training-focused onboarding

Popularity score
4.8 / 5
user score
4.7 / 5
Product score
4.6 / 5

Review Methodology

We take our research process seriously and want to make sure we are presenting our readers with the very best solutions in a given software category. Check out this guide to learn how we evaluate vendors before featuring them in our buyer guides.

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