The fully-featured Shepherd.js alternative
Flows is the Shepherd.js alternative for teams who have outgrown DIY product tours and want a scalable way to build product adoption.
No credit card required. No commitment. Quick setup.
TL;DR comparison summary
Shepherd.js is a lightweight open-source JavaScript library for building simple product tours using tooltips and highlights. It’s easy to get started, but everything beyond basic tours like state management, logic, targeting, analytics, and maintenance, needs to be built and maintained in-house.
Flows is a modern alternative to Shepherd.js that removes the need to build and maintain onboarding infrastructure yourself. With Flows, you create workflows that live inside your product, using your own UI components and logic, while Flows handles state, orchestration, and delivery.
Flows vs Shepherd.js: Key differences
Key features | Shepherd.js | Flows |
|---|---|---|
Product toursBoth Shepherd.js and Flows support guided product tours and step-by-step user guidance. | ||
Floating componentsShepherd.js provides overlays and popovers. Flows supports tooltips, modals, banners, and more. | ||
Embeddable componentsFlows allows you to embed components inline within your app’s UI, not just overlay highlights. | ||
CustomizationShepherd.js allows visual customization through configuration and CSS. Flows offers full control over UI and behavior using your own components. | ||
Workflow logicFlows supports full branching workflows. Shepherd.js requires custom code for conditional paths. | ||
State managementFlows automatically manages user state, progress, and completion. Shepherd.js requires manual implementation. | ||
LocalizationFlows supports localization out of the box. Shepherd.js requires custom translation handling. | ||
AnalyticsFlows provides built-in analytics and tracking. Shepherd.js requires custom analytics integration. | ||
TargetingFlows offers advanced user targeting and segmentation features. Shepherd.js requires custom implementation for targeting specific user groups. | ||
Free planShepherd.js requires a paid license for commercial applications. Flows offers a free plan with 250 monthly active users. |
Other differences
Build vs buy
With Shepherd.js, your team owns everything around the tour: logic, state, targeting, analytics, and long-term maintenance.
Flows removes the need to build onboarding infrastructure. You focus on UI and content while Flows handles orchestration and delivery.
From tours to workflows
Shepherd.js is designed for linear, step-by-step product tours and little else.
Flows supports full workflows with branching logic, inline components, and long-running journeys across sessions.
Part of your product
Shepherd.js overlays UI elements on top of your application, which can feel bolted on as your product evolves.
Flows workflows live inside your product and can be built using your own components and design system.
Maintenance and ownership
Every UI change or new requirement means updating custom Shepherd.js code and re-testing tours.
Flows adapts naturally as your product changes, reducing maintenance overhead and long-term technical debt.
Team collaboration
Shepherd.js is developer-only. Product managers and designers depend on engineering for every change.
Flows enables collaboration between developers, product managers, and designers in a shared system.
Switch from Shepherd.js to Flows today
Stop rebuilding onboarding logic in-house. Build scalable, product-native workflows with Flows.
No credit card required. Free forever.