We’ve all been there. You sign up for a promising new SaaS tool, heart full of hope, ready to solve all your problems. You click through the signup flow, land on the dashboard and... crickets. You're met with a blank screen, a confusing interface, and a vague sense of dread. What do I click first? Where is anything? You close the tab and never return.
That, my friends, is the silent killer of growth: terrible user onboarding.
For years, as an SEO and growth marketer, I’ve seen brilliant products fail because they couldn’t get this first impression right. Nailing the user onboarding process is less of an art and more of a science—a science that often requires a ton of research, competitor analysis, and inspiration. Which usually means hours of signing up for free trials with burner emails. It’s a grind. So when I stumbled upon a resource called Onboarding Study, which promised a massive collection of tactics and examples for free, my seasoned skepticism kicked in. Could it really be that good?
Spoiler alert: It’s pretty darn good. And I’m here to tell you why.
Visit Onboarding Study
So, What Is This Onboarding Study Thing Anyway?
Imagine a digital library, but instead of dusty books, the shelves are stocked with the onboarding flows of over 220 different SaaS companies. That's Onboarding Study in a nutshell. It's not a tool you install or a course you pay for. It’s a meticulously curated collection of real-world examples—from signup pages and welcome messages to product tours and feature announcements. Think of it as a swipe file on steroids for anyone obsessed with improving their user experience (UX) and conversion rates.
It’s the digital equivalent of being able to walk through hundreds of different stores to see how they set up their window displays and guide customers to the checkout, all without leaving your desk. And did I mention its free?
The Good Stuff I Found Inside
I’ve spent a good chunk of time digging through the site, and a few things really stand out. It’s more than just a gallery of screenshots; there’s some real strategic depth here.
A Massive Library of Real-World Examples
This is the core of Onboarding Study’s value. Having access to 220+ examples is frankly, insane. You can see exactly how companies like Slack, Notion, or a tiny bootstrapped startup you’ve never heard of handle their first-time user experience. Want to see different styles of onboarding checklists? It's in there. Curious about how to design a compelling welcome message? They have dozens. This moves the conversation from a theoretical “we should do a product tour” to a practical “I like how they did their product tour, let’s try something similar.” It’s a huge time-saver and creativity-booster.
Actionable Tactics and Best Practices
Inspiration is great, but execution is what matters. Onboarding Study connects the dots by identifying over 100 Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) tactics and reviewing more than 15 established best practices. It’s not just showing you a picture; it’s explaining the why behind it. This is where it goes from a simple swipe file to an actual learning resource. They've also organized content into Learning Paths, so if you want to focus specifically on, say, 'User Engagement,' you can follow a structured track. It’s a smart way to guide you through the mountain of content.
Making Smart Software Choices
Choosing the right tool to build your onboarding flow can be a nightmare. There are so many options. Onboarding Study helps cut through the noise with direct software comparisons. Seeing how different user onboarding tools stack up is incredibly helpful for making an informed decision without having to book 10 different sales demos.
| Feature | Appcues | Userflow | Intercom |
|---|---|---|---|
| No-Code Builder | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Checklists | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing Model | MAU-based | MAU-based | Seat + MAU-based |
Note: This is just an illustrative table, the site itself provides more in-depth comparisons.
A Few Caveats To Keep in Mind
No resource is perfect, and it would be dishonest to say Onboarding Study doesn't have its quirks. Some might see these as drawbacks; I tend to see them as trade-offs for getting this much value for free.
First, the sheer volume of content can be a bit overwhelming. You have to be willing to do some digging and filtering to find exactly what you need. It’s less of a polished course and more of a sprawling, magnificent workshop—you have to find the right workbench. Second, with the tech world moving so fast, some examples or resources might feel a tad outdated. A company’s onboarding flow from two years ago might not be what they use today. That said, the core principles of good design often remain the same, so even older examples have value. It just requires a bit of a critical eye.
Who Is This For (And Who Can Skip It)?
I've been thinking about who gets the most out of this. In my opinion, it's a must-have for a few key roles:
- Product Managers & UX/UI Designers: This is your new best friend. It’s an endless well of inspiration and validation for your design choices.
- SaaS Founders & Indie Hackers: When you’re a small team, you don’t have time to reinvent the wheel. Use this to quickly adopt proven strategies for your customer onboarding process.
- Growth Marketers: If you’re responsible for activation and retention, understanding the onboarding journey is critical. This resource gives you the competitive intel you need.
Who can pass? Honestly, not many people in the SaaS space. But if you’re in a massive enterprise with a 50-person UX research team and an unlimited budget, you might have these resources in-house already. For the other 99% of us, it’s a gift.
The Best Part: The Price Tag
I’ve mentioned it a few times, but it bears repeating. Onboarding Study is completely free. There’s no paywall, no premium tier, no “enter your credit card for a trial.” In an industry where a single online course can cost hundreds of dollars and a consultant can cost thousands, getting access to this level of curated information for free is just... wild. It democratizes access to knowledge that was previously hard-won through years of experience or expensive tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Onboarding Study really free to use?
- Yes, as of my review, it's 100% free. There are no hidden costs or subscriptions required to access the examples, tactics, or comparisons on the site.
What kind of onboarding examples can I find?
- You'll find a wide range of examples from over 220 SaaS products, covering everything from signup pages and welcome emails to interactive product tours, onboarding checklists, feature setup guides, and in-app resource centers.
How up-to-date is the information on Onboarding Study?
- This is a fair point. While the collection is massive, some examples may be from a year or two ago. It's always a good idea to cross-reference with a product's current live version, but the fundamental UX principles in the examples remain highly valuable.
How is Onboarding Study different from just reading a blog?
- While blogs offer great advice, Onboarding Study is a structured database. It's built for searching and comparing specific elements across many different companies, making it more of a practical research tool than a passive reading experience.
Who benefits the most from using this platform?
- Product managers, UX designers, SaaS founders, and growth marketers will find it immensely valuable. Basically, anyone involved in creating or optimizing the first-time user experience of a software product.
My Final Verdict
So, is Onboarding Study worth your time? Absolutely. It’s a phenomenal, generous resource that punches way above its (non-existent) weight class. The fact that it’s free is the cherry on top of an already delicious cake. It’s not a magic bullet—you still have to do the work of implementing and testing ideas—but it gives you an incredible head start. It's an indispensable bookmark for anyone serious about building products that people don't just try, but love to use.
Stop guessing what a good onboarding flow looks like. Go see for yourself.
