- What Scribe's free Basic plan includes
- What the free plan leaves out
- Scribe plans and prices
- The team rule that catches people out
- What Pro and Enterprise add on top
- Discounts Scribe offers
- How to get the most from Scribe's free plan
- Is Scribe Pro worth it for a small business?
- My verdict: is Scribe free?
- Frequently asked questions
Yes, Scribe has a free plan. Scribe's pricing page lists Basic as free for creating step-by-step how-to guides in your browser, with sharing by link and embed; desktop capture, PDF export and custom branding start on the paid Pro plans.
Scribe is the tool that records your clicks and turns them into a written guide with screenshots, which is why so many small teams use it for SOPs and onboarding. The free plan is good enough to build a library of browser guides. The question is whether you'll hit the limits. Here's exactly where they are, from Scribe's own pricing page, checked as of October 2026.
What Scribe's free Basic plan includes
Scribe describes Basic as a way to experience Scribe in your browser and generate how-to guides. The plan card lists three key features:
- Works with any web app
- Quick customization of your guides
- Shareable with a link and embeddable in other tools
In the comparison table, Basic is marked with unlimited guide creation, capture of web processes and the Chrome and Edge extensions.
What the free plan leaves out
Here's the catch most reviews skip. Scribe's FAQ answers it directly: you can't capture processes on your desktop with a Basic account, because the Scribe desktop app is a Pro and Enterprise feature. So if your process lives in desktop software such as an accounting app, the free plan won't record it.
The Pro Personal card also lists exports to PDF, HTML and Markdown, editing and redacting screenshots, and company branding, which tells you those aren't part of Basic.
Scribe plans and prices
| Plan | Monthly billing | Yearly billing | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | Free | Any |
| Pro Personal | $35 per seat a month | $25 per seat a month | Starts at 1 seat |
| Pro Team | $17 per seat a month | $13 per seat a month | Starts at 5 seats |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Talk to sales |
Prices are as shown on Scribe's pricing page as of October 2026. Notice that Pro Team is cheaper per seat than Pro Personal, but it starts at 5 seats, so a solo user pays the higher Personal rate.
The team rule that catches people out
Scribe's plans sit at the team level. Its FAQ says that if you upgrade to Pro, your teammates on Scribe are upgraded too, and a team can't mix Basic and Pro accounts. If only one or two people need Pro, Scribe suggests creating a new team just for them.
That's worth knowing before you invite your whole company into the free plan. Build the free library in one team, and keep a separate small team for the people who need desktop capture.
What Pro and Enterprise add on top
Scribe's comparison table shows how the plans step up beyond the free tier. These are the extras that tend to decide whether a team upgrades:
| Feature | Where it starts |
|---|---|
| Desktop capture and the Scribe desktop app | Pro Personal |
| Custom branding | Pro Personal |
| Edit and redact screenshots | Pro Personal |
| Export to PDF, HTML and Markdown | Pro Personal |
| Comments for collaboration | Pro Team |
| Auto-redaction of PII and PHI | Enterprise |
| SSO, roles for creators, viewers and admins | Enterprise |
| Language translations | Enterprise |
Enterprise also lists central user and document management and enterprise grade data governance. If you handle client or patient data, the redaction rows matter more than the price: on Basic you redact by hand, and enforced automatic redaction is an Enterprise feature.
Discounts Scribe offers
- Education: Scribe offers a Pro discount for schools and universities if you have an .edu email address.
- Nonprofits: a Pro discount for 501(c)(3) organisations, and organisations with equivalent international status, with proof required.
- Yearly billing: lower per-seat prices than monthly on both Pro plans, as the table shows.
How to get the most from Scribe's free plan
- Install the Scribe extension for Chrome or Edge and sign up for Basic.
- Start the capture, run through the task in your browser once, cleanly, and stop the capture.
- Edit the step text so a new starter could follow it without asking you.
- Share it with a link, or embed it in your wiki or help centre.
- Keep a list of desktop-only processes; those are the ones that would need Pro.
If you're building a full set of procedures, my guide to the best SOP software compares Scribe with tools that handle approvals and version control, and my free SOP template gives you a structure for the guides Scribe can't record.
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Is Scribe Pro worth it for a small business?
For a solo consultant, Pro Personal at $25 a month per seat on yearly billing is worth it if you send polished guides to clients and need PDF exports or your branding on them. For a team of 5 or more, Pro Team is the better rate. If all your work happens in a browser and a shared link is fine, Basic may be all you need. If you also record walkthrough videos, compare it with Loom's free plan first.
My verdict: is Scribe free?
Yes, for browser guides. Scribe Basic is free with unlimited guide creation, link sharing and embeds, and it's a good way to start documenting how your business runs. Pay when you need desktop capture, exports or branding: as of October 2026 Pro Personal was $35 a month per seat, or $25 billed yearly.
If you also write a lot, check ProWritingAid's free plan.
Frequently asked questions
Is Scribe free to use?
Yes. Scribe's Basic plan is free and lets you generate how-to guides in your browser and share them by link or embed.
Can I use Scribe on desktop apps for free?
No. Scribe's FAQ says the desktop app is a Pro and Enterprise feature, so Basic can't capture desktop processes.
How much is Scribe Pro?
As of October 2026 Pro Personal was $35 per seat a month, or $25 billed yearly. Pro Team was $17, or $13 yearly, from 5 seats.
Can my team mix free and Pro Scribe accounts?
No. Scribe's plans sit at the team level, so everyone on a team is on the same tier.
Does Scribe offer a student or nonprofit discount?
Yes. Scribe offers Pro discounts for schools and universities with an .edu email, and for 501(c)(3) nonprofits.
Does Scribe work in Microsoft Edge?
Yes. Scribe has browser extensions for both Chrome and Edge, and the free Basic plan works with them.
Can I export Scribe guides to PDF for free?
PDF, HTML and Markdown exports are listed on the Pro plans, not on Basic.
