Most SOP and documentation tools are built in the United States, and for many European teams that is the detail that decides the purchase. Your guides contain screenshots of real customer records, internal systems and employee data. Under the GDPR you are responsible for where that data lives and who can access it.
This comparison looks at documentation tools through a European lens: where is your data hosted, what happens to personal data in screenshots, and what does it cost? Full disclosure: we build Loopyback, the first tool on the list, and it exists precisely because we wanted a European answer to this category. We link to every alternative so you can judge for yourself.
The comparison at a glance
| Tool | EU data residency | Auto PII redaction | Free plan | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loopyback | ✓ Built in Belgium, hosted in the EU | ✓ Automatic | ✓ | €16 pp/month, teams €24/seat |
| Scribe | US-based SaaS | Paid tiers | ✓ | Per-seat subscription |
| Tango | US-based SaaS | Limited | ✓ (limited) | Per-seat subscription |
| Guidde | US-based SaaS | ✗ (video-first) | ✓ | Per-seat subscription |
| ScreenSteps | US-based SaaS | ✗ | ✗ | Platform contract |
| Folge | Desktop app, data stays on your device | Manual blur | Trial | One-time licence |
1. Loopyback — the European option
Loopyback is built in Belgium and hosted in the European Union. It captures a workflow click by click and turns it into a step-by-step guide with screenshots, or generates the guide from a plain-language prompt. Two things matter specifically for European teams: your data does not leave the EU, and emails, card numbers and phone numbers are redacted automatically before a guide is shared, which removes the most common GDPR slip in process documentation. Guides export to PDF, Markdown and HTML in 10+ languages. See the SOP creator for details.
Trade-off to know: Loopyback is browser-first (Chrome extension); there is no native desktop capture yet.
2. Scribe — polished, US-hosted
Scribe is the best-known name in click-by-click capture, with a mature template gallery and team features. For European buyers the points to check are data residency (US-based SaaS) and the fact that screenshot redaction sits behind higher tiers. Read our full Loopyback vs Scribe comparison.
3. Tango — guided walkthroughs, US-hosted
Tango focuses on interactive in-app guidance rather than document-style SOPs. Strong for software adoption; weaker for exportable documentation, and again US-hosted. Full breakdown in Loopyback vs Tango.
4. Guidde — video-first
Guidde generates narrated how-to videos with AI voiceover. If your team prefers video, it is the strongest option, but video is harder to redact, translate and keep current, and personal data visible in a recording is difficult to remove after the fact.
5. ScreenSteps — the enterprise knowledge base
ScreenSteps is a full knowledge-base platform aimed at contact centers and regulated industries. Heavier and priced accordingly; residency and processing terms are contract-level questions.
6. Folge — local desktop alternative
Folge takes a different route: a desktop app with a one-time licence where captures stay on your own machine. Maximum data control, but you give up cloud sharing, team workspaces and automatic redaction (blurring is manual).
How to choose as a European team
- Data may not leave the EU: Loopyback (EU-hosted) or Folge (stays on-device).
- You share guides with customers: automatic PII redaction saves you from manual blurring on every screenshot. That is Loopyback's core strength.
- You mainly need in-app walkthroughs: Tango, with the residency caveat.
- Ask any US vendor for their DPA, sub-processor list and EU data residency options before rolling out.
Frequently asked questions
Is it GDPR-compliant to use a US documentation tool? It can be, with the right DPA and safeguards, but you carry the compliance burden. An EU-hosted tool removes the transfer question entirely.
Why does PII redaction matter in SOPs? Screenshots almost always contain real data: customer names, emails, order numbers. Sharing them unredacted with a team or embedding them in a public help center is a data leak. Automatic redaction fixes this at capture time.
What does SOP software cost? Freemium is the norm. Paid plans run €15-30 per user per month; Loopyback is €16 (personal) or €24 per seat (teams), with a free plan to start.
Founder of Loopyback
Suleyman is the founder of Loopyback, a Belgium based tool that turns workflows into step by step guides. He writes about documentation, SOPs and getting knowledge out of people's heads.