Product analytics and in-app guides · Independent review
Pendo review: pricing, features, pros and cons
Pendo combines product analytics with in-app guides for web and mobile apps, and sells session replay, surveys and journey orchestration in its larger plans or as add-ons. It doesn't print prices: Base, Core and Ultimate are quoted on request, while Pendo Free covers up to 500 monthly active users. Reviewers rate it 4.4 out of 5 on G2 and praise its analytics most; their most common complaints are the learning curve and friction with the guide builder and feature tagging.
By Yağmur Çiftçi · Updated 22 Oct 2026 · How we review
UserOnboarding Academy isn't owned by Pendo or any other tool reviewed here. No vendor reviewed this page before publication.
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- Starts at
- Custom quoteBase, Core and Ultimate are 'Request pricing' with custom MAU volume
- Free plan
- Pendo Free, up to 500 MAUs
- Priced by
- Monthly active users (MAUs) plus the functionality in the plan
- G2 rating
- 4.4 / 51,821 reviews, read 19 Oct 2026
Prices checked 19 Oct 2026 · Pendo’s own pricing page ↗ · Plans in full
The decision in brief
Is Pendo right for you?
Best suited to
Product teams that want product analytics and in-app guides in one tool across web and mobile apps, and can start on the free plan before talking to sales.
Look elsewhere if
Teams that want to see a paid price before a sales call, or a tool a non-technical team can pick up without training: the learning curve is the top complaint in the reviews we read.
Where it works well
- Analytics and product insights are the most-praised theme: 209 of the 300 G2 reviews we read
- Guides, tooltips and other flow types are praised in 105 of the reviews we read, ease of use in 101
- A free plan: Pendo Free covers up to 500 MAUs with product analytics, in-app guides and Pendo-branded NPS surveys
- Its mobile page lists SDKs for native iOS and Android, React Native, Flutter, SwiftUI, Jetpack Compose, MAUI and Compose Multiplatform
- On paid plans, going over the MAU limit doesn't interrupt service, according to its pricing FAQ
What to watch for
- The learning curve and hard-to-find settings are the most common complaint: 77 of the 300 reviews we read
- Friction with the guide builder and feature tagging comes up in 73 of the reviews we read
- No paid price is printed; Base, Core and Ultimate are quoted after a sales request
- On Base and Core, surveys, product discovery and journey orchestration are paid add-ons; session replay is an add-on on Base
- Reporting depth is criticised in 65 of the reviews we read, even though analytics is its most-praised theme
Pendo pricing: what does it cost?
Pendo prices by monthly active users (MAUs) plus the functionality in your plan, and prints no paid prices: Base, Core and Ultimate are all 'Request pricing' with a custom MAU volume. Its FAQ says the cost per MAU falls as MAUs grow, volume and bundle discounts are built in, and the number of apps you track doesn't change the price. Pendo Free covers up to 500 MAUs with product analytics, in-app guides, and Pendo-branded roadmaps and NPS surveys. A 30-day free trial of the full platform is arranged through sales. The page lists no refund terms.
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed yearly, per month | Covers | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | – | Up to 500 MAUs |
|
| Base | – | – | Custom MAU volume |
|
| Core | – | – | Custom MAU volume |
|
| Ultimate | – | – | Custom MAU volume |
|
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial of the full platform, arranged through sales
- Refunds
- Not listed
Full pricing notes
No paid price is printed; paid plans are 'Request pricing'. Pricing combines MAUs and functionality; the cost per MAU falls as MAUs grow, and volume and bundle discounts are built in. On paid plans, exceeding the MAU limit does not interrupt service; a rep reaches out. Leo, retroactive analytics, security (SOC2, GDPR, HIPAA) and integrations are listed as included in all plans. Add-ons sold on top of any plan: Predict (custom prediction volume) and Agent Analytics (custom prompt volume, free prompt allowance included). Novus, a separate AI product, is free during an open beta (no credit card, no MAU limit during beta) and is not counted here as the free plan. Trial: the FAQ says to talk to sales to start a trial, and describes 'the 30-day free trial' as covering the entire platform.
A dash means the page doesn’t print that figure. Read 19 Oct 2026 from pendo.io/pricing/, and re-checked against screenshots of the live page 19 Oct 2026.
What can Pendo do, and on which plans?
From Pendo's own pages, checked 19 Oct 2026. This is what the vendor documents, not hands-on test results; a feature missing here may simply not be on the pages we read.
Experiences
Product tours
In-app guides: walkthroughs and embedded guides placed in your interface without code, with conditional branching on user choices.
Availability: All plans, including Free (pricing page)
Before you rely on it: Per the pricing FAQ, Pendo Free accounts over 500 MAUs can't create new guides, NPS surveys or segments until they upgrade.
Source: pendo.io/product/in-app-guidesTooltips and hotspots
Tooltips are one of the guide formats, on web and mobile apps.
Availability: All plans, including Free (pricing page)
Source: pendo.io/product/in-app-guidesAnnouncements
Feature announcements and update reminders are listed guide types, including on mobile without an app release.
Availability: Not stated
Source: pendo.io/product/mobile
Feedback
In-app surveys
Sentiment: NPS, PMF and CSAT surveys.
Availability: Pendo-branded NPS on Free; NPS, PMF and CSAT on Ultimate, and as an add-on on Base and Core
Before you rely on it: Pendo Free includes Pendo-branded NPS surveys.
Source: pendo.io/pricing
Targeting and analytics
Segmentation and targeting
Segments built from analytics and metadata target guides at the user or account level.
Availability: Not stated
Source: pendo.io/product/in-app-guidesProduct analytics
Product analytics on every plan; retroactive analytics gives access to data history from the day Pendo is installed.
Availability: All plans, including Free
Source: pendo.io/pricingSession replay
Replays of user sessions.
Availability: Core and Ultimate; add-on on Base
Source: pendo.io/pricing
AI
AI insights
Leo: ask questions in natural language and get answers without building reports.
Availability: All plans
Source: pendo.io/pricingAI content creation
An AI guide builder creates guides and steps from prompts through Leo, Pendo's conversational interface.
Availability: Not stated
Before you rely on it: Listed as open beta.
Source: pendo.io/product/in-app-guidesAgent analytics
Adoption and usage metrics for AI agents in your product, tied to retention and task completion, with detection of where agents fail.
Availability: Add-on (any plan)
Before you rely on it: Priced by prompt volume; a free prompt allowance is included.
Source: pendo.io/pricingMCP server
The site's platform menu lists Pendo MCP; the pages we read don't describe it.
Availability: Not stated
Source: pendo.io/pricing
Platforms and channels
Mobile apps
SDKs for native iOS and Android, React Native, Flutter, SwiftUI, Jetpack Compose, MAUI and Compose Multiplatform, covering analytics, session replay, feedback and guides.
Availability: Not stated
Before you rely on it: The FAQ says supported capabilities vary by framework. Pendo Free includes unlimited web and mobile app keys.
Source: pendo.io/product/mobileWeb apps
Guides deploy across web and mobile apps.
Availability: Not stated
Source: pendo.io/product/in-app-guides
Integrations
CRM integrations
HubSpot and Salesforce integrations, from a directory of 51 integrations.
Availability: All plans (pricing page)
Source: pendo.io/integrationsAnalytics integrations
BI and data integrations including Looker, Tableau, Domo and Segment.
Availability: All plans (pricing page)
Source: pendo.io/integrationsData warehouse integrations
Snowflake, BigQuery and Redshift integrations, listed under Data in the integrations directory.
Availability: All plans (pricing page)
Source: pendo.io/integrationsSupport tool integrations
Zendesk and Intercom integrations, among CS/support and live-chat tools in the integrations directory.
Availability: All plans (pricing page)
Source: pendo.io/integrationsAPI and webhooks
A Webhooks connector, alongside Zapier, Workato and Tray.io connectors.
Availability: All plans (pricing page)
Source: pendo.io/integrations
Security and admin
Compliance
SOC 2, GDPR and HIPAA compliance built into the platform.
Availability: All plans
Source: pendo.io/pricing
What do Pendo's reviewers say?
4.4
1,821 reviews on G2 · read 19 Oct 2026
Reviewers praise Pendo most for its analytics and product insights (209 of 300 reviews), then its guides, tooltips and other flow types (105) and ease of use (101). They criticise most its learning curve and hard-to-find settings (77), then friction with the guide builder and feature tagging (73), and the depth of its reporting and analytics (65).
G2’s star split
- 5 stars1,250 reviews
- 4 stars488 reviews
- 3 stars57 reviews
- 2 stars11 reviews
- 1 stars15 reviews
G2 counts a 4.5 with the 5-star reviews.
Where the reviews we read came from
- G2 charity campaign 119
- In-app prompt 75
- Invited by G2 for Pendo 50
- Organic 26
- Invited by G2 15
- Invited by Pendo 14
- G2 thank-you page 1
- Incentivized 199
Praised for
- Analytics and product insights209/300 reviews
- Flow types: tours, tooltips, checklists, modals105/300 reviews
- Easy to use101/300 reviews
- In-app surveys and NPS47/300 reviews
- Quick install and setup45/300 reviews
Criticised for
- Learning curve, hard-to-find settings77/300 reviews
- Builder or browser-extension friction73/300 reviews
- Reporting and analytics depth65/300 reviews
- Missing features39/300 reviews
- Installation needs developers33/300 reviews
30 of 300 name no dislike at all.
300 of 1,821 reviews, each read and tagged by an AI model against a fixed list of themes: the most recent at each star rating, with extra low ratings so complaints aren't missed. Shares are counts of the reviews read: weighting them back to G2's own star split would move none by more than 5 points. Written 2019–2026; 203 in the year before 19 Oct 2026.
- gowtham c. Senior SDET, enterprise
3.5/5 25 Sept 2026
PraiseAnalytics and product insights
“One thing I find particularly useful is the regex-based tracking, which makes it easier to maintain the same tracking configuration across multiple product environments without having to create separate configurations for each environment.”
- Verified User in Banking small business
5.0/5 6 Apr 2026
PraiseFlow types: tours, tooltips, checklists, modals
“The guides are particularly helpful for new merchants when they sign in to the application for the first time.”
Organic · Pendo review on G2: “Simplicity and Efficiency with Robust Guides”
- Verified User in Computer Software
5.0/5 22 May 2026
PraiseEasy to use
“Pendo is both intuitive and robust. You can get value quickly, and still uncover additional layers after using it for several years.”
In-app prompt · Pendo review on G2: “Intuitive tools and people who are crazy for their customers”
- Verified User in Cosmetics
1.0/5 24 May 2026
ComplaintLearning curve, hard-to-find settings
“In my company douzens of people needed training on Pendo but we end up always pinging the same person because it's just work learning your software.”
In-app prompt · Pendo review on G2: “Confusing interface.”
- Verified User in Non-Profit Organization Management
5.0/5 24 May 2026
ComplaintBuilder or browser-extension friction
“The Designer tool always gets in the way, I would much prefer to be able to edit the guides in-line.”
In-app prompt · Pendo review on G2: “Pendo is of huge value to our organisation”
- Verified User in Research
3.0/5 17 Jun 2026
ComplaintReporting and analytics depth
“Certain widgets in dashboards don't update equally and have filters apply differently. Some can be edited directly in the widget, some you need to permanently edit the report, some will update by simply updating dashboard filters.”
In-app prompt · Pendo review on G2: “Pendo has potential to be very insightful, but lacks ability to gain depth and context”
How does Pendo compare?
Alternatives to weigh
Pendo FAQ
How much does Pendo cost?
Pendo prints no price for its paid plans: Base (product analytics and in-app guides), Core (adds session replay) and Ultimate (adds product discovery, NPS and other surveys, journey orchestration, Listen and Data Sync) are all quoted on request, priced by monthly active users and the functionality you choose. Pendo Free costs nothing for up to 500 MAUs, and its FAQ says the cost per MAU falls as you add more. Prices checked 19 Oct 2026.
Does Pendo have a free plan?
Yes. Pendo Free covers up to 500 monthly active users with product analytics, in-app guides, Pendo-branded roadmaps and Pendo-branded NPS surveys, and unlimited web and mobile app keys.
Does Pendo offer a free trial?
Yes, a 30-day free trial of the whole platform, but you start it by talking to sales. Pendo Free, by contrast, has a sign-up link on the pricing page.
What happens if I go over Pendo's MAU limit?
On a paid plan, nothing stops: Pendo's pricing FAQ says your functionality keeps running and an account rep gets in touch about whether the contract needs adjusting. On Pendo Free, going over 500 MAUs means you can't create new guides, NPS surveys or segments until you upgrade to a paid plan.
Does Pendo work in mobile apps?
Yes. Its mobile page lists SDKs for native iOS and Android, React Native, Flutter, SwiftUI, Jetpack Compose, MAUI and Compose Multiplatform, covering analytics, session replay, feedback and in-app guides, and says supported capabilities vary by framework. Mobile gaps come up in 9 of the 300 G2 reviews we read.
Which Pendo plan includes session replay?
Core and Ultimate include it; on Base it's a paid add-on, and Pendo Free doesn't list it. NPS and other surveys are included in Ultimate and are add-ons on Base and Core; Pendo Free includes Pendo-branded NPS surveys.
Is Pendo easy to use?
Reviewers are split. Ease of use is praised in 101 of the 300 G2 reviews we read (a sample of its 1,821), but the learning curve and hard-to-find settings are the most common complaint (77), and 33 say setup needs developers or a lot of time.
What do Pendo users dislike?
In the reviews we read, the learning curve comes up most (77), then friction with the guide builder and feature tagging (73), reporting depth (65) and missing features (39); 31 mention price or features held back for higher plans and add-ons. 30 of the 300 name no dislike.
Is Pendo better than Userpilot?
Both pair product analytics with in-app guides, but they're sold differently. Userpilot prints its Starter price, $299 / mo for up to 2,000 MAUs, and lists mobile engagement as an add-on on Growth and included on Enterprise; Pendo quotes every paid plan but has a free plan for up to 500 MAUs and lists mobile SDKs on its own pages. Our Userpilot vs Pendo page compares them in full.
Can Pendo be used for employee onboarding?
Yes. Its site has a Pendo for Employees section, and its guides page says the employee-facing solution can create, launch and track guides within and across applications.
How we review
Prices, plans and features come from Pendo’s own pages, read on the dates below through a US browser session; nothing is taken from memory or other review sites. Reviews come from G2: an AI model read each one and tagged it against a fixed list of themes, and every featured quote is checked word for word against its review.
- pricing page: www.pendo.io/pricing/, read 19 Oct 2026
- guides page: www.pendo.io/product/in-app-guides/, read 19 Oct 2026
- mobile page: www.pendo.io/product/mobile/, read 19 Oct 2026
- integrations page: www.pendo.io/integrations/, read 19 Oct 2026
300 of 1,821 reviews, each read and tagged by an AI model against a fixed list of themes: the most recent at each star rating, with extra low ratings so complaints aren't missed. Shares are counts of the reviews read: weighting them back to G2's own star split would move none by more than 5 points.
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