Arcade vs Pendo
Arcade and Pendo are both product adoption & onboarding tools. Arcade is aimed at small businesses and enterprise, while Pendo is aimed at enterprise. Both have a free plan.
Interactive product demos and AI product videos for SaaS marketers
Product analytics, guides and feedback in one
| Pricing | Freemium · $50 | Freemium |
| Starting price | $50/mo | Not published |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Small businesses, Enterprise, Agencies | Enterprise |
| Platforms | web | web, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2021 | US · 2013 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Arcade if
Product marketing and growth teams at product-led SaaS companies that want interactive demos and product videos live quickly.
- Very fast to build a polished demo, often in minutes
- Free plan with unlimited views for one published demo
- Embeds cleanly in websites, docs, help centers and Notion pages
Look elsewhere if: Teams that need in-app onboarding checklists and tooltips (Userflow, Stonly) or simple async screen recording (Loom).
Choose Pendo if
Mid-market and enterprise product organizations.
- Analytics and guidance in one
- Retroactive data capture
- Enterprise-ready
Look elsewhere if: Startups wanting simple onboarding (UserGuiding, Appcues).
Arcade vs Pendo pricing
Arcade
- Free$01 published demo, unlimited views, Arcade branding
- Growth (demos)$50/seat/mo$42.50 billed annually; unlimited demos, up to 10 users
- Pro (AI video)$59/mo$49 billed annually; 1,000 credits/mo, 4K, 10 seats
- EnterpriseCustomCustom domain, SSO, native Salesforce, audience reveal
Pendo
- Free$0Up to 500 MAU, analytics and in-app guides
- BaseCustomProduct analytics, in-app guides, custom MAU
- CoreCustomAdds session replay
- UltimateCustomAdds NPS/surveys, Orchestrate, Listen, Data Sync
Arcade · Key features
- Chrome extension that captures clicks, screen and camera with smart zooms
- Clickable demos with hotspots, branching paths and chapters
- AI voiceovers and AI translations of demos into other languages
- Lead forms and CTAs inside demos, plus custom landing pages
- MP4 and GIF export for social posts and documentation
- AI video generator for launch videos, changelogs and tutorials
Cons
- Demos and AI video are billed as separate subscriptions
- Custom domain, SSO and native Salesforce require Enterprise
- Screenshot-based demos are less realistic than full HTML sandboxes
Pendo · Key features
- Retroactive product analytics without tagging
- In-app guides and resource center
- Session replay
- NPS and feedback collection
- Product roadmaps
- AI insights
Cons
- Expensive at scale
- Complex to administer
- UI can be dense
Arcade vs Pendo: FAQ
Do Arcade and Pendo have a free plan?
Yes, both Arcade and Pendo have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, Arcade or Pendo?
Arcade lists small businesses as a core audience, while Pendo is aimed more at enterprise.