Free vs Paid SOP Tools: When to Upgrade in 2026

Free SOP tools have gotten genuinely useful in 2026 — [Haiku](/reviews/haiku), [Scribe](/reviews/scribe), and [Tango](/reviews/tango) all offer unlimited SOPs on the free tier with real capture features. Most solo operators and small teams never need to upgrade. The three signals that mean it's time to pay: you're hitting monthly capture limits, you need brand-kit exports for clients, or you need desktop capture (browser-only doesn't cover Klaviyo, QuickBooks, or Xero). See [best free SOP software](/category/best-free-sop-software) for the leaderboard, and the [pricing guide](/blog/sop-software-pricing-guide-2026) for paid comparisons.