Scattered information is a common workplace problem. Important files are buried in email threads, project updates are lost in chat streams, and valuable team expertise walks out the door when an employee leaves. This digital chaos doesn't just cause frustration; it slows down productivity and stifles innovation. The solution lies in creating a system that centralizes your organization's most valuable asset: its collective knowledge.
This is where a knowledge management platform comes in. Finding the best platform for knowledge management means understanding what an enterprise knowledge management platform can do for you. It's more than just a storage solution; it's a strategic knowledge management tool designed to transform how your team captures, shares, and utilizes information. A well-implemented knowledge management system can break down information silos, empower smarter decision-making, and create a culture of seamless collaboration. This is the core of any good knowledge management strategy.
In this guide, I will walk you through everything you need to know about these powerful knowledge management systems. We will explore a clear knowledge management platform definition, explain why these systems are essential for modern businesses, and the different types available. I will also share a list of the top knowledge management tools for 2025 and provide a step-by-step guide to help you choose the right knowledge management tool for your team’s unique needs.
What is a knowledge management platform?
A knowledge management system is a centralized, digital system designed to help organizations capture, store, organize, share, and manage their collective information and expertise. Think of it as your company’s single source of truth—a unified library where every employee can find the answers they need, learn from past projects, and build upon shared insights. The primary goal of any knowledge management platform definition is to convert raw data and individual know-how into an accessible, actionable resource for the entire organization, improving its organizational knowledge.
These knowledge management systems are the engines that power an effective knowledge management strategy. They provide the structure and knowledge management tools necessary to prevent knowledge loss and make information discovery effortless. At its core, a digital knowledge management platform helps you:
Capture knowledge: This includes both explicit knowledge (like documents, reports, and manuals) and tacit knowledge (the expertise and experience held by employees). Modern knowledge management tools can capture conversations, meeting notes, and project decisions automatically. Effectively managing tacit knowledge is a key challenge that good knowledge management systems address.
Organize information: Using features like categories, tags, and robust databases, the knowledge management system structures information logically. This prevents your knowledge base from becoming a chaotic digital dumping ground. For example, a cloud based knowledge management platform like Lark allows teams to build interconnected wikis and databases, creating order from complexity.
Share and collaborate: These management systems facilitate seamless collaboration by allowing team members to edit documents in real-time, comment on files, and share insights directly within their workflows.
Retrieve information easily: A key feature of any good knowledge management software is a powerful search function that allows users to retrieve knowledge instantly, regardless of where the information is stored.
A modern knowledge management tool should not just store information but connect it seamlessly. An all-in-one solution like Lark unifies chat, docs, and databases, turning scattered data into accessible, actionable intelligence.
Why are knowledge management platforms important?
In an era defined by data, the ability to manage information effectively is a significant competitive advantage. A knowledge management system is no longer a "nice-to-have" but an essential component of a resilient and agile business. Its importance stems from the tangible benefits it delivers across the entire organization, solving common pain points and unlocking new opportunities for growth and better business outcomes.
Here’s why investing in the best platform for knowledge management is so critical for effective knowledge management:
It breaks down information silos: Teams often work in isolation, creating pockets of knowledge that are inaccessible to the wider organization. A centralized knowledge management tool unifies this fragmented information, ensuring that sales, marketing, and engineering all draw from the same well of knowledge.
It boosts employee productivity and efficiency: Employees spend a significant amount of time searching for information. A centralized software platform with powerful search capabilities drastically reduces this wasted time, improving operational efficiency. When a platform like Lark integrates its search across all messages, files, and calendar events, finding the right information becomes instantaneous.
It improves decision-making: Better decisions are built on a foundation of accurate, up-to-date information. By providing decision-makers with easy access to relevant knowledge, reports, and historical context, a knowledge management solution empowers them to make smarter, more strategic choices with confidence.
It enhances team collaboration: These knowledge management tools provide the shared space and features needed for effective teamwork. Features like co-editing documents, creating task lists from messages, and maintaining project-specific wikis ensure everyone is aligned and working cohesively. Facilitating collaboration is a core part of the knowledge management process.
It preserves valuable institutional knowledge: When an experienced employee leaves, they often take years of valuable, undocumented knowledge with them. An enterprise knowledge management platform creates a living archive, capturing best practices, project histories, and key learnings to ensure continuity and a culture of continuous learning. This knowledge transfer is vital for long-term success.
Ultimately, the importance of a knowledge management system is measured by its impact. By embedding knowledge sharing directly into daily workflows, Lark ensures these benefits are realized effortlessly and efficiently.
Types of knowledge management platforms
Knowledge management tools are not a one-size-fits-all solution. They come in various forms, each designed to address specific organizational needs. Understanding these different types of knowledge management will help you narrow down what kind of cloud based knowledge management platform is the best fit for your team.
Here are the most common categories of knowledge management tools:
Knowledge base software: This is the most fundamental type of knowledge management software. It acts as a centralized library for creating, storing, and retrieving information. These often take the form of internal wikis or help centers. Their primary function is to provide a single source of truth for company policies, how-to guides, and project documentation. Modern solutions like Lark have transformed the traditional wiki into a dynamic space where documents are interconnected with tasks and chats, which is a core part of knowledge management.
Document management systems (DMS): These management systems are specifically designed for storing, tracking, and managing electronic documents. They offer robust features like version control, advanced permissions, and secure file sharing. A document management system is ideal for organizations that handle a high volume of formal documentation, such as legal firms or large enterprises, ensuring that everyone is always working from the most current version of a file. These often overlap with a content management system in functionality.
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems: While their main purpose is to manage customer interactions, many modern CRMs include powerful knowledge management features. A contact center knowledge management platform integrated within a CRM can provide support agents with instant access to customer history and relevant help articles, enabling them to resolve issues faster and improve customer satisfaction.
Learning management systems (LMS): These platforms are focused on facilitating employee training and development. An LMS is used to create, distribute, and track educational courses and training materials. It's an essential knowledge management tool for formalizing employee onboarding and supporting a culture of continuous learning within the organization.
All-in-one collaboration suites: This emerging category represents the future of knowledge management. These platforms combine elements from all the other types of knowledge management systems into a single, integrated ecosystem. They bring together communication (chat and meetings), documentation, project management, and databases. This unified approach eliminates the need to switch between multiple collaboration tools, making knowledge sharing a seamless part of the daily workflow.
By combining the structural power of a wiki, the collaborative nature of shared documents, and the organizational strength of a no-code database, Lark offers a holistic approach to knowledge management.
Top 10 knowledge management platforms in 2025
Choosing the right knowledge management tool can be a daunting task, so I’ve analyzed the market to bring you the best options available today. Here are the top 10 knowledge management tools that excel in helping teams organize, share, and leverage their collective knowledge.
1. Lark: The all-in-one platform for seamless team collaboration
Overview: Lark is an all-in-one enterprise knowledge management platform that consolidates chat, docs, databases, meetings, and more into a single, unified app. It is designed to eliminate context switching and create a seamless flow of information across your entire organization. By providing a single source of truth for all work-related activities, Lark empowers teams to collaborate more effectively, boost productivity, and build a powerful, interconnected knowledge management ecosystem.
Key features:
Lark Wiki: This serves as the central hub for your company’s knowledge management. You can create different workspaces for departments, projects, or company-wide information like employee handbooks. Its intuitive editor makes it easy for anyone to contribute, and its powerful enterprise search function allows users to find information across the entire platform instantly.
Lark Base: A powerful no-code database that is one of the more versatile knowledge management tools available. You can use it to build custom project trackers, lightweight CRMs, and content calendars. With multiple views like Grid, Kanban, and Gantt, Base visualizes data in the most effective way for any task, and its automation features can handle repetitive workflows, saving valuable time. 👉 Learn more templates
Lark Docs: This is a collaborative document editor designed for modern teams. It supports real-time co-editing, version history, and advanced permissions. You can embed rich content like polls, tasks, and even databases directly into a document, making it a dynamic workspace rather than a static page. All comments and updates send notifications directly to chat, keeping everyone in the loop and improving knowledge sharing.
Lark Help Center: For organizations focused on customer support, Lark provides the tools to build a comprehensive, customer-facing knowledge base. This feature enables you to create and publish help articles, FAQs, and guides, empowering customers to self service, which improves customer satisfaction and reduces the workload on your support team. It's a key component for any contact center knowledge management platform.
Starter: Free for up to 20 users, including 100GB of storage and core features.
Pro: $12 per user/month (billed annually) for up to 500 users, with 15TB storage, larger meeting capacity, and advanced admin controls.
Enterprise: Custom pricing for large organizations with unlimited users, needing advanced security, compliance, and support.
Best for: Teams and organizations of all sizes looking for a truly unified, all-in-one solution to replace multiple disconnected knowledge management tools and foster a culture of seamless collaboration.
2. Confluence: The wiki for agile development and project teams
Image source: atlassian.com
Overview: Developed by Atlassian, Confluence is a powerful company wiki and knowledge management tool that excels at helping teams create, organize, and discuss work in one place. It integrates deeply with Jira, making it a favorite among software development and IT teams for knowledge management.
Key features:
Project and team spaces for organized content.
Templates for meeting notes, project plans, and requirements.
Deep integration with Jira and other developer tools.
Pricing:
Free: Up to 10 users.
Standard: Starts from $5.16/user/month.
Premium: Starts from $9.73/user/month.
Enterprise: Custom pricing
Best for: Agile development teams and organizations already invested in the Atlassian ecosystem looking for a good knowledge management system.
3. Notion: The flexible, all-in-one workspace for small teams
Image source: notion.com
Overview: Notion is a highly flexible knowledge management tool that combines notes, tasks, wikis, and databases into a single customizable workspace. Its block-based editor allows users to build almost any type of page or workflow they can imagine for knowledge capture.
Key features:
Interconnected databases with multiple views (table, board, list, calendar).
A vast library of community-created templates.
A clean, minimalist user interface.
Pricing:
Free: For individuals.
Plus: Starts from $10/member/month.
Business: Starts from $20/member/month.
Enterprise: Custom pricing.
Best for: Startups, small teams, and individuals who need a highly customizable and flexible knowledge management tool.
4. Guru: The contextual knowledge platform for revenue teams
Image source: getguru.com
Overview: Guru is a knowledge management solution that delivers information directly into your team's workflow. It uses AI-powered features to proactively surface relevant knowledge in the collaboration tools your team already uses, like Slack and email.
Key features:
Browser extension to access knowledge anywhere.
AI-powered content suggestions and verification workflows.
Analytics to see how knowledge is being used.
Pricing:
Free trial: offers 30 days of full platform access.
All in one: Starts from $15/user/month.
Enterprise: Custom pricing.
Best for: Sales and customer support teams who need instant access to knowledge management in context.
5. Zendesk: The integrated knowledge base for customer service
Image source: zendesk.com
Overview: Zendesk is a leading customer service platform, and its knowledge management software, Zendesk Guide, is a core component. It allows teams to create a self-service portal for customers and an internal knowledge base for agents.
Key features:
AI-powered bots to deflect common questions.
Tight integration with Zendesk's ticketing system.
Community forums and help center customization.
Pricing:
No free plan; offers a free trial.
Support team: Starts from $19/agent/month.
Suite team: Starts from $55/agent/month.
Suite professional: Starts from $115/agent/month.
Suite enterprise: Custom pricing.
Best for: Companies looking to build a robust, customer-facing knowledge base integrated with their support ticketing system.
6. SharePoint: The enterprise document management and storage system
Image source: microsoft.com
Overview: Part of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, SharePoint is a powerful enterprise knowledge management platform used for document management and internal collaboration. It is highly configurable, excels as one of the most widely used document management systems, and is tailored for large organizations.
Key features:
Deep integration with other Microsoft products like Teams and OneDrive.
Advanced security and compliance features.
Customizable intranet sites and team portals.
Pricing:
No free plan; offers a free trial for one month.
Microsoft 365 personal (for home): Starts from $9.99/month for one person.
Microsoft 365 family (for home): Starts from $12.99/month for six people.
Microsoft 365 business basic: Starts from $6.00/user/month.
Microsoft 365 business standard: Starts from $12.50/user/month.
Microsoft 365 business premium: Starts from $22.00/user/month.
Microsoft 365 Apps for business: Starts from $8.25/user/month.
Best for: Large enterprises already heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem.
7. Document360: The dedicated software for technical documentation
Image source: document360.com
Overview: Document360 is a knowledge management software specifically designed for creating and managing technical documentation, product guides, and user manuals. It offers a clean interface and robust features for authors and developers.
Key features:
Markdown editor with side-by-side preview.
Advanced version control and rollback capabilities.
Private and public knowledge base options.
Pricing:
No free plan; offers a free trial.
Professional: Custom pricing; built for growing teams to scale documentation efficiently.
Business: Custom pricing; advanced features and tracking controls for mid-sized teams.
Enterprise: Custom pricing; custom AI solutions for enterprises with high-scale and high-security needs.
Best for: Software companies and businesses that need to create detailed technical documentation and require a dedicated knowledge management tool.
8. HubSpot Service Hub: The CRM-powered knowledge base
Image source: hubspot.com
Overview: HubSpot’s Service Hub includes a knowledge management tool that is fully integrated with its customer relationship management platform. This allows you to create a help center that leverages customer data to provide a more personalized experience.
Key features:
Integration with HubSpot's CRM, ticketing, and live chat tools.
Reporting on article performance and search queries.
Templates and SEO features to optimize content.
Pricing:
Free: $0/month.
Starter: Starts from $15/seat/month.
Professional: Starts from $90/seat/month.
Enterprise: Starts from $150/seat/month.
Best for: Marketing and sales-focused businesses that are already using the HubSpot CRM for their knowledge management.
9. Bloomfire: The AI-powered platform for market insights
Image source: bloomfire.com
Overview: Bloomfire uses AI-powered search to help teams find and share knowledge and research. It focuses on connecting employees with the insights they need to make informed decisions, making it one of the more specialized AI-powered knowledge management tools for market research and competitive intelligence.
Key features:
AI-powered search that understands natural language processing.
Q&A engine to connect employees with subject matter experts.
Content engagement and search analytics.
Pricing:
No free plan.
Single team access: Custom pricing; for teams just starting out with knowledge management.
Department-wide access: Custom pricing; for departments ready to build a robust knowledge program.
Company-wide access: Custom pricing; access for every employee at your company.
Best for: Market research, insights, and customer experience teams in large organizations.
10. Salesforce Service Cloud: The cloud platform for customer service knowledge
Image source: salesforce.com
Overview: Salesforce Knowledge is a key knowledge management feature of its Service Cloud platform. It allows businesses to build a comprehensive knowledge base that empowers both support agents and customers with the right answers, right from the world's leading CRM.
Key features:
Seamless integration with Salesforce CRM data.
AI-driven article recommendations for support cases.
Workflow automation for content creation and approval.
Pricing:
No free plan; offers a free trial.
Starter suite: Starts from $25/user/month.
Pro suite: Starts from $100/user/month.
Enterprise: Starts from $165/user/month.
Unlimited: Starts from $330/user/month.
Agentforce 1 sales: Starts from $550/user/month.
Best for: Mid-sized to large enterprises that rely on Salesforce as their central CRM and need a robust knowledge management system.
How to choose the right knowledge management tool: a step-by-step guide
With so many top knowledge management tools on the market, selecting the best platform for knowledge management requires a thoughtful approach. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you navigate the knowledge management process and find a knowledge management solution that truly fits your organization.
Step 1: Identify your goals and pain points
Before you even look at a single feature, ask yourself: what problem are we trying to solve with knowledge management? Are you looking to improve employee onboarding, reduce customer support costs, or break down information silos between departments? Define clear, measurable goals. For example, "reduce the time it takes for a new marketing hire to find brand guidelines by 50%." A clear goal is the foundation of any knowledge management effort.
Step 2: Assess your team's workflow
The best knowledge management tool is one that fits naturally into how your team already works. Observe their daily routines. Do they live in a chat application? Do they rely heavily on email? A knowledge management software that requires a major shift in behavior is less likely to be adopted. Look for a knowledge management solution that integrates with the tools they already use and streamlines their existing processes.
Step 3: Evaluate key features and integrations
Now it's time to get into the details. Make a list of must-have features based on your goals for knowledge management. This could include real-time collaboration, version control, AI-powered search, or automation capabilities. Equally important are integrations. Ensure the knowledge management platform can connect seamlessly with your other essential systems, like your project management software or CRM. This is crucial for a successful knowledge management implementation.
Step 4: Prioritize user experience and adoption
A powerful knowledge management tool is useless if no one uses it. The tool should be intuitive, easy to navigate, and accessible to employees of all technical skill levels. Request demos and free trials, and have a small group of end-users test the knowledge management software. If your team finds it clunky or confusing, user adoption will be a constant struggle.
Step 5: Analyze scalability and total cost of ownership
Think about the future. Your chosen knowledge management software should be able to scale as your team and your volume of organizational knowledge grow. Look beyond the initial price tag and consider the total cost of ownership, which includes implementation, training programs, and ongoing maintenance. Choose a knowledge management platform with flexible pricing plans that can adapt to your company’s growth.
Why Lark stands out as the best choice
When you apply this evaluation framework, Lark consistently emerges as a standout choice. Its all-in-one design directly addresses the biggest challenges in knowledge management: fragmentation and poor adoption. Instead of forcing you to piece together different knowledge management tools for communication, documentation, and project management, Lark provides a single, unified ecosystem where knowledge flows effortlessly into action. Here’s a closer look at what sets this knowledge management system apart:
A truly unified hub for work. Lark goes beyond simple integration. Your team’s chat feed in Lark Messenger becomes the centralized repository for your knowledge, with real-time notifications from updates in Docs, Base, and Tasks. This means insights are delivered directly within the context of conversation, eliminating the need to constantly switch apps and enhancing the knowledge management process.
Intelligent capture of spoken knowledge. With Lark Minutes, critical conversations from video meetings are no longer lost. The platform automatically generates searchable transcripts, summaries, and action items. This powerful AI-powered knowledge management feature turns unstructured discussions into structured, reusable knowledge, ensuring no valuable knowledge is ever missed. This is a form of advanced knowledge capture.
From knowledge to action in one click. Lark makes knowledge management actionable. You can convert any chat message into a task, assign it, and track it to completion. Furthermore, powerful automations in Lark Base can streamline repetitive workflows, such as notifying a channel when a project status changes, turning your knowledge base into an active participant in your work.
Empowerment for your entire workforce. Knowledge management shouldn't be confined to the office. Lark’s robust mobile app ensures that everyone, from frontline workers to field teams, can access information and contribute to the knowledge base from anywhere. They can fill out forms that feed directly into a database or access the latest procedures on their phone, which is vital for the organization's collective knowledge.
Seamless global collaboration. For international teams, Lark breaks down language barriers. The platform features automatic translation in chats, documents, and emails, allowing team members from different backgrounds to communicate and collaborate effortlessly in their preferred language, fostering a true knowledge sharing culture.
Ultimately, Lark’s intuitive interface ensures high user adoption, while its scalable architecture makes it a sustainable choice for businesses of all sizes. By deeply weaving knowledge management into the fabric of daily work, Lark doesn't just store information—it brings it to life.
Conclusion
Effective knowledge management is the key to turning the challenge of information overload into a competitive advantage. It’s a strategic imperative that moves beyond simple file storage. By intentionally building a knowledge management system to capture, share, and reuse insights, you can dismantle stubborn information silos, empower your team to make smarter, data-driven decisions, and create a fertile ground where innovation can truly flourish. This journey is as much about fostering a collaborative culture as it is about implementing the right knowledge management tool.
As you move forward, remember that building a knowledge-sharing ecosystem is a dynamic process of continuous improvement, not a one-time project. The goal is to create a living system where your organization's collective knowledge can grow and thrive with every project completed and every problem solved. By choosing a knowledge management platform that integrates seamlessly with your workflows and empowers every member of your team, you lay the foundation for a more connected, efficient, and resilient workplace. If you’re ready to build that future, exploring a unified knowledge management solution like Lark is the perfect place to start.
FAQs
What is a knowledge management platform?
A knowledge management platform is a centralized digital system for capturing, organizing, and sharing an organization's collective knowledge. It manages both explicit knowledge (like documents) and tacit knowledge (like employee expertise). Its ultimate purpose is to turn scattered information into an actionable asset that empowers better decision-making and boosts productivity through effective knowledge management.
Is Salesforce a KMS?
Yes, Salesforce acts as a powerful knowledge management system (KMS) through its Salesforce Knowledge feature, integrated within Service Cloud. It excels at giving customer service agents instant access to articles and solutions right alongside customer data. While it's an excellent knowledge management tool for companies within the Salesforce ecosystem, others may prefer a more general-purpose knowledge management software.
What is the best knowledge management tool?
The best knowledge management tool is always the one that aligns with your team’s unique goals and workflows. For organizations looking to move beyond disconnected tools, an all-in-one knowledge management platform like Lark is often the ideal solution. It stands out by unifying chat, docs, databases, and project management, making knowledge sharing a natural part of daily work.
What are the 5 P's of knowledge management?
The 5 P's are a framework for building a holistic knowledge management strategy: Purpose (the clear business goals you're aiming for), People (the users and the culture that encourages sharing), Processes (the workflows for capturing and updating knowledge), Platform (the technology or knowledge management system itself), and Performance (measuring its business impact).
