Top 7 UserBack Alternatives for Product Managers

In the sea of customer feedback tools, finding a good one is difficult. It's especially hard to understand the differences & features between them all.

Just when you think you found the perfect one. Boom - It doesn't have custom domains or the dashboard will completely ruin any chances of you using it.

Finding the right tool sucks. So let me help you out!

I've gone through the pain of finding all the best alternatives to UserBack. This list consists of 20+ hours of research & documenting all the best alternatives.

There's also a quick list of them below to save time 👇

In short - the best UserBack alternatives:

1. Featurebase - All-in-one feedback tool, best value for money
2. Frill - Simple design and lightweight widgets
3. Canny - For super small or enterprise companies, no in-between
4. UserSnap - Very customizable widgets, best for enterprise use
5. featureOS - Good for collecting feedback, poor for prioritizing it
6. Sleekplan - Has CSAT & NPS surveys, limited features
7. Nolt.io -  Great for small teams, limited features

All these tools have some advantages and disadvantages compared to UserBack. Let's look at what UserBack could be doing better & what a good feedback tool should look like. 👇

Why even switch from UserBack?

UserBack is a well-known tool in the feedback tool industry, but it has its shortcomings. It's lacking some crucial features like email notifications, rough dashboard & custom domains.

1. Email updates for users

If there's one thing a feedback tool should do well, it's closing the feedback loop.

UserBack almost completes the loop, but get's stuck at step 4: following up with users.

You can see this live by marking something as completed in UserBack - the voters get no message about the change. Instead they have to constantly refresh the URL of the feedback to see if finally happened.

Keeping users informed about their feedback should be priority #1 for a feedback tool.

In short, make sure that the tool you choose helps you fully close the feedback loop. This means sending emails to users on changes & showing changelogs to your users in app.

2. A dashboard that holds you back

Dashboards are the hearts of feedback tools. Anyone that gets a large volume of feedback will probably spend hours in a dashboard per week.

Like having a good bed or pillow, anything you use daily should work with you not against you.

In UserBacks case, the elephant in the room is their search feature.

Duplicate feedback is a very common issue in these tools, so much time is spent merging to existing posts. Naturally, this involves a lot of searching.

Even the slightest change in a search query will lead to no results in UserBacks dashboard. This can lead to frustration & wasted time when managing your feedback.

3. No changelogs

Most good feedback tools also come with a changelog to keep users informed about changes. UserBack does not support changelogs.

Changelogs can come in different forms. They can appear inside your app through widgets or as a page in your feedback portal.

They're a great way of keeping users engaged and wanting to leave more feedback - they can see that you listen.

As an example of changelogs done right, take a look at Featurebase from the list:

Top 7 UserBack alternatives

Now that we know the basics of a good alternative for UserBack, let's start by looking at all the options. Each entry in the list will have some positives and drawbacks for you to make the most informed choice.

Let's dive in 👇

1. Featurebase

Featurebase has been built from the ground up to be the most optimal feedback platform. It's got the best dashboard for handling large volumes of feedback. Their duplicate post-detection happens on both the user & admin sides. This leads to much less work merging posts.

The interface is user-friendly and simple to use.

To make it even better, it comes with affordable pricing and a Free plan. You can set it up in minutes and always get quick help through live chat.⚡️

Key features that match with UserBack

• Feedback widget (with screenshots)
• Surveys
• Merging posts
• Pinning posts
• Roadmap
• Comment Section
• Customer data syncing

What Featurebase has that UserBack doesn't?

• AI duplicate post finding - users will see duplicate posts before posting
• Custom Domain - use your own domain for feedback, such as feedback.yourcompany.com
• Changelog - send users emails about changes & display new changelogs with their in-app popup when users visit
• Email notifications - status change notifications(i.e In Progress -> Completed) & more
• User Segmentation - filtering feedback by specific segments of users or monetary value
• Follow-up questions - after voting ask users about the importance of features (ex: How important is this to you?)
• Two-Way integrations - Integrations that sync in both directions (like Featurebase <-> Jira)
• Prioritization Matrix - visualize ideas using the value/effort framework

Drawbacks of Featurebase

• No video recording for feedback
• No session replays.

How much does Featurebase cost?

• Free plan - all basic features like feedback boards, roadmaps, and a changelog 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 Featurebase plans let you collect unlimited feedback, and you can try the paid ones with a 10-day free trial. Read more here →

Conclusion

Featurebase is a more polished and thought-out alternative to UserBack. Their AI duplicate post detection & dashboard support handling large volumes of feedback.

Their changelog is great for communicating updates to users in-app or via email.

It's very budget-friendly and suitable for all team sizes looking to grow by building the best products in their niche. Learn more here →

2. Frill

Frill is a simple feedback board that doesn't come with too many advanced features. They support in-app widgets & have a changelog to better close the feedback loop.

Their user interface looks pretty clean, but they could improve on the management side at larger volumes of feedback. Their pricing is good for smaller teams looking to have their feedback in a single place.

What Frill has that UserBack doesn't?

• Changelogs - update users on new releases
• Prioritization feature - understand which features are most impactful
• More customizable - more options for customizing the portal
• Better widget - widget that supports gathering feedback, roadmap & changelog

Drawbacks of Frill:

• Dashboard is worse compared to UserBack
• No session replay
• Widget has no screenshot or video capability
• No automated changelog emails
• Not optimal for large volumes of feedback

How much does Frill cost?

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

Conclusion

Frill is a good alternative if you're looking for a solution that fully closes the feedback loop. They do this by sending emails when statuses change & keeping users in the loop with a changelog. This is something UserBack does not do.

We recommend going with their $25 plan if you're willing to sacrifice some advanced features.

But if you want to have more than 50 active ideas a month, check out these top Frill alternatives → 

3. Canny.io

Canny is a more enterprise-focused alternative to UserBack. It has most of the features you need in a good feedback tool, such as a solid dashboard, roadmap, and changelog.

Their $400/mo pricing makes it hard to recommend for non-enterprise users. It's best for large companies needing SOC2 certifications & integrations with tools like Salesforce.

What Canny has that UserBack doesn't?

• User segmentation
• SOC2 certification
• Enterprise integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot
• Changelog
• Email updates for status changes(i.e In Progress -> Completed)

Drawbacks of canny:

• Expensive - most important features at $400/month
• No session replay
• No video recording or screenshot feedback
• Complaints about prioritizing sales over product improvement, leaving many users dissatisfied

How much does Canny cost?

• Free plan - limits active posts to only 100 a month. For very small companies only
• $99/month (Starter Plan) - custom domain, roadmap, 2 integrations. Very limited in features
• $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 →

Conclusion

Go with Canny if enterprise features are important to you. Canny is SOC2 certified, has integrations with SalesForce, HubSpot & full white-labeling.

Their moderation & dashboard are great for handling large volumes of feedback.

If you don't get much feedback, check out their free plan, but remember that upgrading will cost you quite a bit.

Check out the best Canny alternatives →

4. UserSnap

Out of all the other alternatives, UserSnap most closely resembles UserBack. They've both got the same core features like video feedback, two-way integrations & customer surveys.

UserSnap has more widgets for all types of feedback. These are things like NPS scores, feature announcements & feature satisfaction surveys.

What UserSnap has that UserBack doesn't?

• More widgets - NPR, feature announcement, feature satisfaction surveys.
• More integrations - enterprise integrations with Jira Server, Salesforce, HubSpot
• Segment feedback - view feedback from specific user segments.
• SOC2 certification - for enterprises

Drawbacks of UserSnap:

• The design is a bit outdated, which means widgets don't always look the best
• Costs a lot more than UserBack

How much does UserSnap cost?

UserSnap has four tiers of pricing that go up pretty high compared to UserBack.

1. Startup (€69/month) - 5 projects, 10 team members, screen capturing, surveys, 50+ integrations.
2. Company (€129/month) - 15 projects, 15 team members, error log recording, data export features.
3. Premium (€249/month) - 25 projects, 25 members, app surveys, API access.
4. Enterprise (€949/month) - Unlimited projects/members, advanced security, full API, strategy consultation.

Conclusion

UserSnap is a more robust, versatile & enterprise-focused alternative to UserBack. They have more widgets & more enterprise focused integrations.

For enterprise users, an important distinction is that UserSnap is SOC2 certified whilst UserBack is not.

Pricing wise, UserSnap is a much costlier alternative. Their highest plan comes in at $949/month compared to $217 for UserBack.

Check out these top UserSnap alternatives →

5. featureOS

FeatureOS is an alternative to UserBack that comes with high customizability & a changelog. They support widgets for gathering feedback & displaying updates, but lack screenshot/video capabilities.

Compared to others in this list, they have a very extensive API. It's possible to perform nearly all actions on your feedback board by calling an API endpoint. This helps with integrating it deeply into your app.

What featureOS has that UserBack doesn't?

• Changelog
• Knowledge base feature
• Highly customizable feedback portal
• Can't sort feedback by monetary value
• No user segmentation
• No built-in prioritization frameworks
• Supports only English

Drawbacks of featureOS:

• No changelog popups
• Can't sort feedback by monetary value
• No user segmentation
• No built-in prioritization frameworks
• Can't change the logo, colors, or sending address of emails that users get
• Supports only English

How much does featureOS cost?

FeatureOS offers three pricing tiers that you can try out with a 14-day trial:

• 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

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.

Conclusion

FeatureOS is a good Frill alternative for managing feedback as it has a dedicated admin dashboard. It has many matching features but lacks some important ones, like changelog popups and translations.

Regarding pricing, they offer great terms for companies that need to collect many different types of feedback. But, they change it constantly, so there's always some uncertainty.

Check out the best alternatives to featureOS →

6. Sleekplan

Sleekplan is one of the most budget-friendly alternatives to UserBack. Besides feedback boards, roadmaps, and changelogs, it also supports satisfaction surveys. It's a great deal for smaller startups that don't need complex features.

Sleekplan's key features:

• Feedback boards, roadmaps, changelogs
• CSAT and NPS satisfaction surveys
• Anonymous posting, commenting, and voting
• Customizable survey widgets
• Supports 10+ languages

Advantages of Sleekplan:

• Very affordable pricing - highest plan $45/month
• A lightweight tool, not too complex

Drawbacks of Sleekplan:

• Outdated UI & UX
• No changelog popups
• No duplicate post-detection system
• No bulk editing
• No follow-up questions
• Few integrations
• Run by a solo founder, so customer support might not be good

How much does Sleekplan cost?

Sleekplan offers 4 plans to choose from. Each allows unlimited feedback and end users.

• Indie (free) - 1 admin, 1 feedback board, and a changelog
• Starter ($15/mo) - 3 admins, changelog, roadmap, customer satisfaction surveys
• Business ($45/mo) - 10 admins, merge posts, white labeling, custom domain, and user segmentation
• Enterprise (custom) - Everything in Starter, plus unlimited admins

Their pricing seems (and is) affordable, but many critical features like post-merging are only on the third plan.

Conclusion

Sleekplan is a good choice for smaller teams that also want to measure customer satisfaction. It's a nice, affordable alternative, but you'll have to go with the $45/mo plan to access most of the useful features.

7. Nolt.io

Nolt is a lightweight alternative to UserBack that's best suited for small teams looking to collect feedback using simple features. However, it doesn't have changelogs and can get quite pricey for what it offers.

Nolt's key features:

• Feedback boards
• A roadmap
• Feedback collection widget
• Anonymous posting, commenting, and voting
• Password-protected boards

Advantages of Nolt:

• Simplicity (at the cost of many features)
• SAML 2.0 for enterprise
• Has over 10+ different translations

Drawbacks of Nolt:

• No admin dashboard
• No changelog for closing the feedback loop with users
• No duplicate post-detection system
• Only one widget
• No user segmentation
• No sorting feedback by customer revenue
• Doesn't scale well with many ideas (no bulk editing or filtering, etc.)
• No built-in prioritization frameworks for product managers

How much does Nolt cost?

• Essential ($29/month) - 1 board, roadmap, SSO
• Pro ($69/month) - 5 boards, API, and task management integrations
• Enterprise (talk to sales) - unlimited boards

The Essential Plan is great if you need SSO upfront, but otherwise, you'll find a better deal from other tools in this list.

Conclusion

Nolt is a great UserBack alternative for smaller teams looking for simplicity and voting boards. However, it lacks many crucial features like changelogs, user segmentation, and a dashboard.

Their pricing isn't expensive, but most alternatives offer much more for the same cost.

Check out the best Nolt alternatives →

What is UserBack?

UserBack is a user feedback tool for startups. It helps teams collect and manage user feedback to make better product decisions.

They provide a public feedback board for users to vote on & suggest new ideas.
Their SDK and widget support session replays and video/image feedback. This is great for making bug fixes a lot faster.

How much does UserBack cost?

Userback's pricing is best for larger teams with different products:

• Startup plan - $79/month, allowing 10 admins and 5 projects
• Company plan - $159/month, allowing 15 admins and 15 projects
• Premium Plan - $289/month, allowing 25 admins and 27 projects

Note: 'Projects' are your companies or products, which you'd have to have a lot to get the most out of your money.

It's a good tool to capture user feedback, but if you're a smaller company, other deals will make more sense as you'd be paying for empty admin seats.

Key features of UserBack

UserBack offers many core features that most feedback tools do. This includes:

• Feedback boards - let users submit ideas and upvote others' posts
• Roadmap - display upcoming features and manage ideas on a roadmap view
• Integrations - connect UserBack with popular tools like Jira, Slack, and Zendesk
• Widgets - session replay for users, capture video/image feedback

Conclusion

The bottom line is that UserBack is an alright feedback tool for some, but it lacks many crucial features like changelogs. This, with their lackluster email notifications, makes it difficult to close the feedback loop.

Fortunately, there are plenty of powerful alternatives with user-friendly interfaces and lots of features to make managing feedback enjoyable.

Featurebase is one of the best UserBack alternatives. It has all the matching features and much more for an even lower price. Besides feedback boards and surveys, it offers changelogs, in-app widgets, and automated emails - all with a beautiful and intuitive design.

Featurebase comes with a Free Plan that allows unlimited posts. You can automatically migrate over from UserBack in seconds, so there's no downside to trying it. 👇