Storylane and Walnut help SaaS teams create interactive demos and accelerate sales motions. Both platforms are rated for their guided demos, ease of setup, and customer support, making them go-to choices for product-led growth.
If you're evaluating which platform fits your needs—or if there's a better alternative—here’s how Storylane vs Walnut compares, feature by feature.
Storylane vs. Walnut vs. SmartCue: Comparing Demo Automation, Analytics, and Usability
1. Ease of Use
Storylane
Storylane is known for its intuitive UI and ease of navigation. Users appreciate how simple it is to create and share demos without technical expertise. However, some users point out that certain elements require manual tweaking to ensure pixel-perfect demos, while other platforms offer automation features.
G2 Score: 9.4/10
Walnut
While Walnut offers a robust feature set, reviews highlight a steeper learning curve. Some users mention that demo creation takes longer than expected due to occasional glitches and limited customization.
G2 Score: 8.5/10
SmartCue
SmartCue scores the highest for ease of use, with users praising its streamlined workflow and intuitive interface. The platform is designed to minimize friction in demo creation. This makes it a good option for businesses who are either starting from scratch or want to scale from Day 1.
G2 Score: 9.7/10
2. Demo Creation & Customization
Storylane
Storylane provides a drag-and-drop editor for quick demo customization. While effective, some users mention limitations in editing flexibility and branding options.
G2 Score (Demo Creation): 9.5/10
G2 Score (Custom Branding): 8.9/10
Walnut
Walnut offers a solid demo creation engine, but users report editing can be time-consuming. Branding options exist but are somewhat restricted.
G2 Score (Demo Creation): 8.3/10
G2 Score (Custom Branding): 8.3/10
SmartCue
SmartCue leads in demo creation, allowing users to easily modify, store, and personalize demos for different personas. Its branded hosting capabilities ensure consistency across sales assets.
G2 Score (Demo Creation): 9.4/10
G2 Score (Custom Branding): 9.2/10
3. Interactive Product Tours
Storylane
Storylane delivers engaging, interactive tours, allowing prospects to explore the product at their own pace. However, some find its customization options limiting significantly when scaling personalized demos for different audiences.
G2 Score: 9.6/10
Walnut
Walnut provides interactive demos, but users report that they aren’t as polished as Storylane’s or SmartCue’s. Some mention that tours occasionally break due to platform updates.
G2 Score: 9.0/10
SmartCue
SmartCue is a better choice for interactive tours, allowing for navigation and deep engagement. Users highlight its ability to tailor tours to different buyer personas.
G2 Score: 10.0/10
4. Analytics & Insights
Storylane
Storylane’s analytics are functional but could be more detailed. Some users mention that the reporting dashboard lacks granularity in tracking user behavior.
G2 Score: 8.4/10
Walnut
Walnut’s analytics fall behind competitors. Users frequently mention that data tracking is not robust, limiting demo effectiveness analysis.
G2 Score: 7.6/10
SmartCue
SmartCue provides detailed analytics, offering deep insights into user engagement and demo performance. Many users highlight how this helps optimize sales strategies.
G2 Score: 9.4/10
5. Security & Compliance
Storylane
Storylane ensures a decent level of security, but it’s not a major strength. Some users would like to see more advanced security features.
G2 Score: 8.9/10
Walnut
Walnut provides basic security measures but lacks some enterprise-grade compliance features.
G2 Score: 8.3/10
SmartCue
SmartCue leads in security, offering enterprise-level compliance and advanced encryption.
G2 Score: 10.0/10
6. Integrations & Ecosystem
Storylane
Storylane integrates with key CRM and marketing tools.
G2 Score: 8.4/10
Walnut
Walnut’s integration capabilities are more limited, with users mentioning a lack of flexibility in connecting with other tools.
G2 Score: 7.5/10
SmartCue
SmartCue offers broad integration support, allowing for workflow automation.
G2 Score: 9.0/10
When to Know Storylane or Walnut Isn’t Working for You
If you've used Storylane or Walnut, you know they simplify interactive demo creation. But many users report frustrating bottlenecks as they scale:
Limited customization – Users find Storylane’s branding options restrictive, while Walnut’s UI feels rigid, making it difficult to create truly personalized demos.
Editing inefficiencies – Both platforms require significant rework for minor updates. Walnut’s demo creation process is time-intensive, and Storylane users note that modifications can be tedious.
Lack of analytics – Storylane’s reporting is limited, and Walnut’s analytics don’t always provide granular insights into viewer behavior.
Steep pricing with limited flexibility – Walnut’s pricing model is a concern for many users, with high costs that don’t scale well for smaller teams.
Disruptive performance – Users mention that both platforms occasionally experience glitches, disrupting the demo experience.
One-dimensional use case – Both tools primarily focus on sales, but many users struggle to adapt them for marketing or customer education.
Outgrowing Storylane or Walnut? Here’s What’s Next.
Where Storylane vs Walnut falls short, SmartCue bridges the divide. Fast to implement, flexible to adapt, and 2X faster to deploy.
Or Get a Personalized Walkthrough
Built for more than just sales—SmartCue drives impact across teams. Here's how-
Live Sales Demos
Accelerate conversions by guiding prospects to critical value moments faster.
Training & Onboarding
Eliminate static training materials—deploy interactive, in-product learning.
Enable teams with contextual, real-time onboarding that improves retention and adoption.
Customer Success
Reduce churn with precise, outcome-driven onboarding experiences.
Optimize time-to-value by ensuring users reach proficiency faster.
Lead Generation
Convert passive interest into action with self-guided, interactive demos.
Equip prospects with on-demand, product-led experiences before the first sales conversation.
Channel Sales & Partnerships
Standardize product messaging across channels with scalable, adaptable demos.
Enable partner networks with ready-to-deploy, contextual sales assets.
Flexible Plans for Fast-Moving Teams
What Stakeholders Say After Switching to SmartCue
Product Teams: Smoother Workflows + Stronger Demos
“SmartCue enables the product team to put their best foot forward”
Andrew H., Product Manager, Enterprise
"Has become a key communication tool that the product team uses for training and demos of our products."
“Real. Brilliant. Innovation.”
Craig O., Product and Marketing Management, Enterprise
"What I like best is that it is intuitive—new users pick it up instantly. Tied with that is the ability to quickly produce different language versions. Also, how easy it is to share and have prospects or users see the value of our products in action."
“Great tool!”
Vinay G., Board Member, Enterprise
"Since implementing SmartCue, we've seen massive improvements in productivity, efficiency, and the enablement of our key stakeholders. Both our product demos and training sessions are now more impactful and engaging. SmartCue has truly elevated our product marketing and sales enablement efforts."
Sales Teams: Closing Deals Faster
“SmartCue: Not Just for Marketers, It’s Every Team’s Dream Tool!”
Tony G., Sr. Product Marketing Specialist, Enterprise
"Initially, I procured SmartCue to enhance our product demos, aiming to provide a more immersive and interactive experience for our prospects. What I didn't expect was the sheer adaptability of the tool! Beyond its core functionality… SmartCue has truly outperformed my expectations."
“Super helpful to create product demos for a lean startup”
Amit S., Founder, Small-Business
"...It's a real time-saver, allowing us to showcase our contract management solution in a captivating and personalized way. We've embedded it on our website and also use it in our cold outbound email campaigns. Love SmartCue!"
“Game-Changing Demo Automation for Enhanced Engagement and Conversion”
Chelsea L., Small-Business
"The platform's intuitive interface and no-code functionality allow us to craft engaging showcases that captivate our prospects and highlight the unique value of our software. The ability to personalize each demo based on the prospect's pain points is a game-changer, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates."
Customer Success & Training Teams: Improving Onboarding and Education
“Enhancing our product demos with SmartCue”
Desiree H., Marketing Director, Small-Business
"We needed a tool that would allow us to demonstrate our product's features effectively. SmartCue came as the perfect solution, enabling us to create interactive showcases that we can easily monitor. Its user-friendly design, quick deployment, and affordability have made it a popular choice within our team."
“Empowering EasyCloudBooks users with SmartCue’s interactive tutorials!”
CA Vinod P., Committee Member, Small-Business
"We have already created 200+ (tutorials) in less than a month with SmartCue! This has substantially boosted our productivity and customer support function. Its simplicity and affordability have made it a team favorite."
Marketing Teams: Documenting Product Value with Ease
“Fantastic Product that supercharges the GTM efforts of teams like ours!”
Mrigaen K., Small-Business
"We tried SmartCue and a couple of other interactive demo solutions for our product, Simply Fleet, and eventually went ahead with SmartCue. We've been using SmartCue not only for demos but also for showcasing our product, showcasing What's New, etc. This product can deliver use cases beyond the obvious ones if you put your mind to it."
“Simple to use and great support”
Jamie C., Senior Solutions Engineer, Mid-Market
"We have used it for a few months now and are starting to incorporate some showcases in our trade show demos. Easy to capture screens and alter the flow of the showcases. They have been VERY responsive to us when we find a bug or suggest a new feature. It was simple to get started, and we are planning to use it for some internal projects as well."
Reduce Demo Prep & Creation Time.
Dramatically.
Try SmartCue for free for 14 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What makes Storylane, Walnut, and SmartCue a game changer in sales demos?
Each interactive demo platform offers unique capabilities that redefine the sales experience platform. Storylane focuses on easy-to-build HTML demos, Walnut offers deep personalization without code, and SmartCue provides AI-driven voiceovers and smart objects to enhance engagement.
2. Do Storylane, Walnut, and SmartCue support HTML demos?
Yes, all three platforms support HTML-based demos. Storylane and SmartCue allow for easy embedding of screenshots and interactive elements, while Walnut provides a fully no-code approach with value of the product, design changes tailored to different use cases.
3. Which platform provides the best analytics and integrations?
SmartCue and Walnut offer advanced Google Analytics tracking for demo performance, while Storylane integrates with tech Salesforce, Intercom, and Highspot for seamless CRM and sales enablement.
4. Do these demo platforms offer a free plan or trial?
Yes. Storylane and SmartCue offer a free trial, allowing users to test their sales experience platform before committing. Walnut does not have a free plan but provides custom demos on request.
5. How do SmartCue’s AI-driven features compare to Walnut and Storylane?
SmartCue leverages AI-powered voiceovers and smart objects to create interactive, guided demos, making it stand out. While Storylane and Walnut focus more on personalization and structured flows, SmartCue’s AI adapts demos dynamically to different audiences.
6. Which platform is best for sales teams that need quick design changes?
If your team frequently updates demos, Storylane and SmartCue offer assistance features that make design changes easy. Walnut provides structured templates but may require more setup.
7. What do user reviews say about Storylane vs Walnut vs SmartCue?
User reviews highlight SmartCue as the best for AI-driven personalization and guided experiences, Walnut as strong for no-code demo creation, and Storylane as a well-rounded option with Salesforce and Intercom integrations.
