Top 10 Free Changelog Tools for SaaS in 2024

Looking for a changelog tool to publish updates like Linear, Clickup, Loom, and other famous startups?

These are just a few of the most successful companies that keep their users informed with release notes. If you want to foster transparency and increase user retention, then having a changelog is a must.

In this post, we'll go over the best affordable changelog tools and analyze their pros, cons, and pricing so you don't have to.

Let's find you the changelog app of your dreams! 👇

In short, the best free changelog tools of 2024:

1. Featurebase - Best value for money, has changelogs, feedback boards, roadmaps
2. Headway - Very simple changelog app for small teams
3. LaunchNotes - enterprise-grade changelog tool for internal & external alignment
4. ReleaseNotes - for smaller teams looking for an alternative with email notifications
5. featureOS - for medium-sized companies, has roadmaps and feedback collection
6. Upvoty - for medium-sized teams, quite expensive for what it offers
7. Feedbear - simple solution with all the basic features for feedback and changelogs
8. Beamer - for growing startups that need a more comprehensive changelog tool
9. Canny - For super small or enterprise companies, no in-between
10. Frill - Simple design and lightweight widgets, has feedback collection

What is a Changelog Tool?

A changelog is a chronological list of all the changes made to a product. It's like a "product diary" that records everything from bug fixes to new features.

Software companies often publish changelogs to increase transparency and keep users updated about new features. It's also useful for internal alignment, as all teams can easily see the historical record of updates.

A changelog tool is essentially software that helps you create & manage these releases without coding every single one from the start. It often also includes website widgets and automated emails to help with distribution.

Why is it important to have a Changelog?

Publishing a changelog has many benefits. Here's a quick overview of the main reasons you should have a changelog:

• Improves user retention and loyalty by showing you listen to their feedback and are committed to continuously improve
• Enhances transparency by clearly communicating updates to users and stakeholders, building trust on both sides
• Closes the feedback loop by updating users on their feature requests instead of forgetting and leaving them in the dark
• Increases new feature adoption by constantly communicating all updates and showing users what's new in your product
• Having a summary of all product updates in one place is very helpful for everyone, including your team and users that came back after a while, for example
• Makes you more attractive than your competitors by showing visitors that you're very active and constantly putting in effort to improve

Changelog tools help you automate this documentation process and eliminate the need for manual record-keeping. Essentially, it's a must-have for any team to keep stakeholders updated and engaged with the product's evolution.

Top 10 Affordable Changelog Tools for Startups

Now that we know the benefits of having a changelog, let's take a look at the best tools on the market right now. 👇

1. Featurebase

Featurebase is one of the best changelog tools on the market. It has neat website widgets, post scheduling, and a powerful rich-text editor. It also comes with roadmaps and feedback collection features.

Featurebase offers affordable pricing and a Free plan with unlimited changelogs. You can set it up in minutes and always get quick help through live chat. ⚡️

Featurebase's key features:

• Changelogs, feedback boards, roadmaps
• In-app widgets (see live demo)
• Surveys
• Changelog segmenting (send different updates to different users)
• Release scheduling
• Automated notification emails
• API to automatically import contacts
• Custom domain
• Over 6 + languages, including Spanish, German, French, etc.

Advantages of Featurebase:

• Completed posts since your last changelog - when writing a new post, you'll see the completed feedback posts since your last changelog.
• Intuitive interface - a modern and easy-to-use design for you and your users with search and filter options to find quickly what you need
• Changelog reactions and comments - users can react and leave comments on new releases to show support
• Powerful rich-text editor - format your text any way you want and add pictures, videos, code, etc.
• Lots of customizations - have your changelog look exactly the way you want by changing the logo, colors, theme, sending email address, and much more

Drawbacks of Featurebase:

• No automated translation of release notes

How much does Featurebase cost?

• Free Plan - unlimited changelogs and feedback, all basic features like roadmaps and feedback boards to take your product to the next level
• Growth Plan ($40/month) - 4 managers, all integrations and widgets, custom domain, and seamless user login
• Premium Plan ($124/month) - 8 managers, API, SSO, and user segmentation

All plans let you publish unlimited changelogs, and you can try the paid ones with a 10-day free trial. See pricing here →

Featurebase reviews:

• Product Hunt - 4.9/5

Conclusion

Featurebase is the best affordable changelog tool with neat in-app widgets. It offers many advanced features including post scheduling and changelog segmentation.

Featurebase has an intuitive interface with reactions, comments, and automatic notification emails to keep your users up to date.

Featurebase comes with a Free Plan that allows unlimited changelogs and feedback. You can automatically migrate over from any tool, so there's no downside to trying it.

Learn more here →

2. Headway

Headway is a simple and affordable changelog software. It features a changelog and an in-product widget to help smaller teams communicate updates to their users.

Headway's key features:

• Changelogs
• Custom domain
• White labeling
• Scheduled publishing

Advantages of Headway:

• Very straightforward and simple
• Cheap pricing

Drawbacks of Headway:

• Only one widget - no announcement popups
• Few customization options
• Only 2 integrations (Slack and Twitter)
• No analytics
• No dedicated way to publish announcements in multiple languages
• No feedback collection or roadmaps

How much does Headway cost?

Headway offers simple pricing, starting with a free plan that includes a changelog, a widget, and unlimited release notes.

The only other plan costs $29 a month and unlocks additional features like custom domain, scheduled posts, white labeling, and integrations.

Headway reviews:

• no reviews

Conclusion

Headway is an affordable and simple changelog tool if you just want to publish changelogs. It's a straightforward, lightweight solution for smaller indie startups.

However, if you're looking for more advanced features and to collect feedback, other choices in this list might work better.

You can also check out our top picks for alternatives to Headway →

3. LaunchNotes

LaunchNotes is an enterprise-grade product communication tool. It's best for changelogs but also has limited built-in feedback collection and roadmap functions.

LaunchNote's key features :

• Changelog
• Changelog segmentation
• Schedule posts
• Automated emails
• Feedback boards and roadmaps

Advantages of LaunchNotes:

• Many advanced changelog features

Drawbacks of LaunchNotes

• Can get very pricey - it's an enterprise solution
• Unintuitive for feedback collection, designed for validating existing product ideas
• Steep learning curve
• Bloated public portal - users could easily get lost
• Poor dashboard for managing large amounts of feedback

How much does LaunchNotes cost?

LaunchNotes offers a custom quote from their sales team after a demo request. Since they are serving large companies, don't expect anything small.

Conclusion

LaunchNotes is a comprehensive end-to-end feedback suite that has a steep learning curve. While it includes feedback collection features, it's meant for validating your existing ideas rather than getting new ones from customers.

It's a good changelog tool for larger companies that aren't focused on feedback collection and rather seek many advanced features for release notes.

4. ReleaseNotes

ReleaseNotes is a straightforward changelog software that lets you notify your users about the latest updates via public page and email. Unlike other tools in this list, it doesn't offer feedback collection or roadmap features.

ReleaseNotes' key features:

• Email notifications
• Reactions
• New feature popups
• Latest release banners
• Analytics

Advantages of ReleaseNotes

• Release note templates

Drawbacks of ReleaseNotes

• No changelog segmentation
• No feedback collection
• No roadmaps
• No language translations

How much does ReleaseNotes cost?

• Free Plan - Very limited features, history of 5 releases, doesn't support rich text
• Standard ($29/month) - Unlimited releases and admins, an announcement widget, email notifications, and rich text.
• Pro ($49/month) - Private release notes for internal teams, API, custom domain, and a Zapier integration.

Conclusion

In short, ReleaseNotes is a fine changelog tool, with affordable pricing.

However, unlike many other tools, it doesn't provide feedback collection or roadmaps. If this is not something you need, this is a good solution.

5. featureOS

featureOS - previously Hellonext - is a feature management tool that also supports changelogs. It's a nice choice for SaaS startups that want to gather and manage ideas in the same tool, although it might get a bit pricey.

featureOS key features:

• Changelog
• In-app feedback and changelog widgets
• Automated emails
• Feedback boards and roadmaps
• Custom domain

Advantages of featureOS:

• Lots of customizations
• Feature-rich

Drawbacks of featureOS:

• No changelog popups
• No post scheduling
• No changelog segmentation
• Supports only English

How much does featureOS cost?

FeatureOS offers three pricing tiers:

• Runway ($29/month) - 2 boards, 1 admin, 1 integration
• Take Flight ($79/month) - 10 boards, 3 admins, 3 integrations
• Fly High ($149/month) - unlimited boards, 10 admins, SSO, API

You can try each out with a 14-day trial.

Note: They have offered free plans many times in the past and overall change the pricing rather often. Last time, they closed the free plan overnight.

featureOS reviews:

• Product Hunt - 4.5/5

Conclusion

featureOS is a great product management tool. It has many features, including a changelog, feedback boards, and roadmaps.

However, it's missing some important ones, like changelog segmenting and scheduling.

featureOS offers a nice deal for companies that are primarily looking to collect feedback by might not cut it for those that want advanced changelog features.

Check out the best alternatives to featureOS →

6. Upvoty

Upvoty is a feature voting tool best suited for small and medium-sized teams. It comes with feedback boards, roadmaps, and changelogs. While it supports many languages, it unfortunately lacks lots of essential features and has an outdated user interface.

Upvoty's key features:

• Changelogs
• Feedback boards and roadmaps
• Custom domain

Advantages of Upvoty:

• Supports 20+ languages

Drawbacks of Upvoty:

• Outdated user interface
• No changelog widgets or popups
• No changelog segmentation
• No post scheduling
• Customer support is provided by contractors and freelancers, and there have been a lot of complaints about it

How much does Upvoty cost?

Upvoty has quite a tricky pricing plan that limits your tracked users.

The changelog is available from the second plan costing $49/month. In addition to changelogs, it offers integration and a custom domain.

The last plan costs $99/month and gives access to customs CSS, white labeling and API.

Upvoty reviews:

• Product Hunt - 3.4/5 (see complaints)
• G2 - 1.6/5 (see complaints)

Conclusion

Upvoty is a simple feedback tools but lacks many crucial features on the changelog side. The changelog feature is only available from the second plan, which is equivalent to many competitors' free plans. The only real upside is that it supports more languages than most others.

P.S. The founder has stopped working on the project.

Want more options? Check out these Upvoty alternatives →

7. FeedBear

FeedBear is another very basic feedback tool with a changelog option. It has all the necessary features to get you started but falls short of many more advanced features like post-scheduling competitors by missing many advanced functionalities like user segmenting.

FeedBear's key features:

• Changelog
• Post scheduling
• Automated changelog emails
• Feedback boards and roadmaps

Advantages of FeedBear

• Fully customizable with your own CSS
• Single Sign On (SSO)

Drawbacks of FeedBear:

• No changelog widgets
• No changelog segmentation
• No admin dashboard to effectively manage feedback
• Very primitive filtering and sorting

FeedBear pricing:

FeedBear has simple pricing starting from $49/month. It offers all core features like roadmap, changelog, and custom domain. The second plan is already $99/mo while removing branding and granting SSO. You can use the 14-day free to test them out.

FeedBear reviews:

• G2 - 4.8/5
• Capterra - 4.8/5

Conclusion

FeedBear is a primitive feedback & changelog tool at an affordable price. It's ideal for smaller teams that look for simplicity and don't need many advanced features.

‌It lacks a changelog segmentation, in-app widgets and could use a facelift for its UI.

Want more options? Check out these top FeedBear alternatives →

8. Beamer

Beamer is one of the most popular changelog tools. However, it doesn't have a lot of advanced features in other categories, such as feedback collection. It can get more expensive than other tools on this list and only offers a single functionality.

Beamers' key features:

• Changelog
• Automated email notifications for updates
• Feature release popups
• Push notifications
• User segmentation for changelog
• Reactions - let users react to new releases with emojis

Advantages of Beamer:

• Many advanced features for changelogs
• Multiple languages

Drawbacks of GetBeamer:

• No feedback collection at all
• Lack of customizations
• Unpredictable and expensive pricing

How much does Beamer cost?

GetBeamer has a very limited free tier for startups on a tight budget. The paid plans - which all limit your monthly visitors - start at $50/month. 

You must go with the $99/month plan to collect reactions and access more powerful features. User segmentation and SSO costs $249/month, and SOC 2 starts from $499/month.

You can try out the paid features with a 14-day trial, but it requires a credit card.

Beamer reviews:

• Product Hunt - 5/5
• G2 - 4.7/5
• Capterra - 4.8/5

Conclusion

Beamer is a good choice if you only want a comprehensive changelog tool. It doesn't let you collect and prioritize feedback to help you understand customer needs before shipping.

Their pricing gets quite crispy and is mostly targeted at larger firms looking for a comprehensive solution solely for release notes.

Here are the top alternatives to Beamer →

9. Canny.io

Canny.io is a popular enterprise feedback tool that also offers changelogs and roadmaps. Although there is a free plan, it has limited features, and the paid plan costs $400 per month.

Canny's key features:

• Changelog
• Feedback boards and roadmaps
• Changelog and feedback widget
• Automated email notifications
• Custom domain

Advantages of Canny:

• SOC2 compliance for enterprises
• Modern & intuitive design

Drawbacks of Canny:

• Very expensive pricing 
• No changelog email notifications
• No changelog segmentation
• No changelog popups
• Customers complain about not being listened to
• Supports only English

How much does Canny cost?

• Free plan - feedback board, changelog, limits feedback posts to only 100 a month. For very small companies only
• $99/month (Starter Plan) - custom domain, roadmap, 2 integrations. Very limited in features, equal to competitors' free plans
• $399/month (Growth) - for 5 admins, user segmentation, private boards, and more
• Business (talk to sales) - unlimited boards, pay by invoice, SOC2, etc.

Canny Pricing 2024: Is It Worth It →

Canny reviews:

• G2 - 4.5/5 (complaints)
• Capterra - 4.8/5
• GetApp - 4.7/5

Conclusion

Canny is a reasonable product management tool for enterprises that need a changelog. They're SOC2 certified, support paying by invoice & have advanced moderation features. 

They offer a free plan that includes a changelog but limits feedback collection to 100 posts. Furthermore, the most useful features are on the $399/mo plan, so it can get even quite expensive.

Check out these affordable Canny alternatives →

10. Frill

Frill is a straightforward feedback collection tool that also features a product changelog. While it doesn't have all of the advanced features, it gets the job done with a public feedback portal, roadmap, and in-app widgets. It's best for smaller teams, though it can get quite pricey.

Frill's key features:

• Changelogs
• Changelog reactions
• Scheduled announcements
• Feedback boards and roadmaps
• Feedback collecting widget & changelog popups
• Custom domain

Advantages of Frill:

• Minimalistic & straightforward UI
• Translates into any language

Drawbacks of Frill:

• No changelog segmentation
• No changelog emails
• Poor dashboard view for managing & moderating feedback
• No sorting feedback by customer revenue

How much does Frill cost?

Frill offers 4 plans to choose between. You can try out each one with a 14-day free trial.Posts

• Startup ($25/month) - 50 active ideas at a time
• Business ($49/month) - removes the feedback limit
• Growth ($149/month) - unlimited feedback, white labeling, privacy features
• Enterprise (starting at $349/month) - SOC2 and a dedicated support manager

Frill reviews:

• G2 - 4.8/5
• Capterra - 4.6/5
• GetApp - 4.6/5

Conclusion

Frill is an intuitive user feedback tool that also lets you release product updates. It doesn't have a dedicated dashboard for managing feedback, so it's best for product teams that don't get massive volumes of it.

They don't offer a free plans and paid ones can get expensive for larger comanies, since the pricing limits active ideas.

Check out the best Frill alternatives →

5 Examples of Effective Product Changelogs

1. Rolla

Rolla's public changelog stands out from others as users can react to releases and leave their thoughts in the comments section. They can also conveniently subscribe to start getting updates via email. To top it off, it has a very sleek yet simple design, allowing for an easy grasp of all the updates.

2. Buffer

Buffer's product changelog is simple yet effective. It includes a simple light-themed page with the content and date of the release.

3. Clickup

Clickup's product changelog serves as a quick overview of updates with simple like and share buttons. They build their full release notes using their own docs feature inside their product and link it to these ones.

4. Loom

Loom has a very visual changelog that's definitely aesthetically pleasing. However, something to note is how much the side menus use real estate. Also, it'd be convenient to have at least the latest release note opened to see all of the contents instead of having to open each one and navigate back later.

5. Checkly

Checkly's product changelog is another good example of building effective release notes. With the powerful rich-text editor of Featurebase, they are able to include pictures, videos, and code conveniently inside each update.

Conclusion

Wrapping up, having a changelog helps you maintain transparency, boost user retention, and keep everyone in the loop about your product's evolution. The goal is not just to inform but to engage your users.

Fortunately, there are plenty of powerful apps with user-friendly interfaces to make publishing release notes quick and easy.

Featurebase is one of the best changelog tools. It has all the matching features and much more for an even lower price. Besides changelogs, it offers automated emails, feedback boards, and roadmaps - all with a beautiful and intuitive design.

Featurebase comes with a Free Plan that allows unlimited changelogs and feedback. You can automatically migrate over from any tool, so there's no downside to trying it. 👇