Top 7 Canny Alternatives for customer feedback [2024]

Priyanka
October 7, 2024
5 min read

If you're finding that Canny.io isn't quite meeting your feedback management needs, you're not alone.

With some great feedback management tools out there, there is no obligation to use a tool that may not match your requirements or fit into your budget. In this blog post, I will be laying out some of the glaring reasons why you should look out for a Canny Alternative and some better alternatives out there that can match your needs & preferences.

Why do you need a Canny.io alternative?

Whether it's due to the cost, user interface complexities, or the desire for more in-depth analytics, there are alternatives out there that might be a better match for you & your team's goals.

While Canny.io offers a generous free plan, it may not be the optimal tool when looking for something that is cost-effective and aligns with your business goals to manage customer feedback.

Below are some of the reasons why you may want to look for a Canny alternative!

Expensive Paid Plans

There has been a lot of hue & cry about Canny's paid plans in the past where Canny's growth plans started at 400$. Upgrading from a free plan to a 400$ worth plan may not seem very optimal and may be very expensive, especially for early-age start-ups or small bootstrapped companies.

Recently Canny limited their free plan to 100 posts and launched their starter plan for 79$ but it fails to include any valuable features. The initial unlimited posts which were a part of the free plan are now part of the starter plan which makes it all the more expensive for small start-ups. Additionally, it has removed Roadmaps from its free plan and you only get to create Roadmaps if you are on the Starter plan.

The Growth plan still costs at 400$ and the new pricing has made it even more expensive and limited for early-age start-ups & bootstrapped companies.

Only works for qualitative customer feedback

Canny as a platform only takes user/ member feedback which is qualitative. Canny doesn't let you capture users' quantitative feedback like micro surveys, NPS, or CSAT scores. This means that if you need to track qualitative feedback, you will have to download another application in addition to Canny.io

Difficult User Interface

One of the common issues faced by users with Canny is its complicated UI. The User Interface is very challenging and one may find it difficult to navigate and get used to its different user experience across sections. One example is creating a post under Feedback vs creating a post under Changelong. Both have different structures for editing & previewing and it can be a challenge for first-time users.

Doesn't provide in-depth analytics

While Canny is a great feature request voting board tool, it doesn't provide in-depth analytics for the feedback collected and the progress made on the product based on the feedback. Canny.io claims itself as a tool that helps you analyse feedback to make better product decisions with customer feedback.

However, it does not provide any analytics on how one can improve on making better product decisions basis the feedback shared over time.  A good feedback tool would also enable integrations with a product analytics tool that helps you analyze your feature adoption over time.

Unable to close the Feedback loop

Canny incorporates a changelog functionality, allowing you to communicate updates regarding new features and send automated notifications to your customers when a new feature is developed.

However, Canny lacks the convenience of in-app notifications or easily sending personalized notifications to customers notifying them that their requested feature has been implemented and increasing adoption.

To achieve this, you would find yourself engaged in either onboarding another platform or spending a considerable amount of copying and pasting.

Top Canny Alternatives in 2024

ProductLogz

ProductLogz is an affordable canny alternative that doesn't burn hole in your pocket and has rich feature sets that allow you to optimally collect feedback, create roadmaps & communicate product Announcements.

Features:

  • A feedback management tool that helps collect user feedback in one place with unlimited boards
  • Compared to Canny has a better & cleaner UI
  • Detailed in-depth analytics on user feedback received and Roadmaps created & completed over time
  • Ability to collaborate with team members & ensure transparency with Public Roadmaps
  • Embeddable Feedback & Changelog widgets that help capture feedback and share product updates within the application
  • Ability to Reward users for completing surveys
  • Ability to add rule-based in-app micro-satisfaction surveys
  • Ability to add a custom domain for feedback portals

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Unlimited feedback boards
  • Integration of a feedback & changelog capture widget directly on your website.
  • In-app Product Announcements!
  • In-app rule-based satisfaction surveys
  • Affordable for small business & early age start-ups
  • Priority customer support for all paid plans

Cons:

  • Lacks user segmentation but it is already on the Roadmap and will be released soon.
  • Lacks a simplified one-click Canny importer for hassle-free feedback transition, but the team is very proactive and will enable a seamless transition in no time.

Pricing

Productlogz offers a free plan that has all the essential features one needs to collect & manage feedback for a single workspace and a team with 5 product managers or members. Compared to what Canny offers Productlogz has affordable prices in its paid plans. Its pricing plans start at only 29$ for premium features & additional workspaces.

Savio

Savio is a user feedback management & prioritization tool that stands out for its ability to flexibly bring in feedback scattered across different platforms.

Key Features:

  • Ability to Import feedback seamlessly from various sources, including integrations, email feedback, voting boards, and feedback forms.
  • Robust segmentation capabilities enable a clear understanding of customer preferences and desires.
  • Voting board settings are designed to minimize feedback bias, promoting fairness and impartiality.
  • A flexible road mapping tool provides a visual representation of the number of requests and Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) for each feature. This aids in justifying and making informed decisions about the product roadmap.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Teams can easily contribute feedback through diverse channels, fostering a collaborative approach.
  • Segmentation features can help you identify and prioritize high-impact features based on customer needs.
  • Optional voting boards prevent bias in feedback collection, maintaining fairness and transparency.

Cons:

  • The lack of a changelog tool may limit your ability to communicate updates and changes to users effectively.
  • No tool to collect quantitative feedback.

Pricing

Pricing starts at $39/month.

ProductBoard

ProductBoard is a product management tool that allows product teams to understand customer needs, prioritize future developments, and foster alignment around a unified roadmap.

Key Features:

  • Help you collect feedback through various platforms like Zendesk, Slack etc.,
  • Helps you understand the needs of your most important customers with sorting, filtering, and segmentation.
  • Validate concepts via a public voting board.
  • Has tools for analysis and prioritization of features.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Its Integration capabilities enable a seamless product feedback collection from a variety of software tools.
  • Can prioritize build based on impact and effort, aiding strategic decision-making.
  • Both teams and customers can be aligned through the display of features on a public roadmap.

Cons:

  • Has limitations in fetching customer attributes or segmenting feedback based on them.
  • Doesn't have a changelog or product announcement feature and may therefore pose challenges in closing the feedback loop efficiently.
  • Doesn't have a module to track quantitative feedback like micro-surveys NPS or customer satisfaction scoring

Pricing

Pricing starts at 20$/ month.

Upvoty

Another alternative to Canny.io is Upvoty which stands out as a product feedback management tool designed to facilitate feedback collection through both a board with a custom domain and a widget seamlessly embedded within your product.

Key Features:

  • Feedback boards
  • Website widgets
  • Roadmap
  • Changelog

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Single sign-on functionality enhances user experience.
  • Custom CSS feature enables extensive customization of your feedback portal's appearance.
  • The ability to merge posts streamlines content management.
  • Empowers users to vote on behalf of others.

Cons:

  • Absence of feature prioritization functionality.
  • The simplistic nature of the roadmapping feature may not meet the needs of larger product teams.
  • User-based pricing could be perceived as expensive.
  • Doesn't have a module to track quantitative feedback like micro-surveys NPS or CSAT scoring
  • Doesn't have an in-depth analytics module

Pricing

With Upvoty's Super Power plan, you can access 5 boards catering to up to 1,500 customers at a monthly cost of $39

Frill

Boasting a good UI, Frill positions itself as a great alternative to Canny as a user-friendly feedback collection board and widget, streamlining the process for customers to contribute ideas and vote on prioritization.

Key Features:

  • Feedback voting board and widget
  • Idea and comment management
  • Customer-centric roadmap with views and comments
  • Changelog functionality
  • Multilingual support

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Ability to import feedback from platforms such as Zendesk and Intercom.
  • Integration of a feedback capture widget directly on your website.
  • Simplified one-click Canny importer for hassle-free feedback transition.

Cons:

  • Limited flexibility in integrating feedback from various applications.
  • Minimal segmentation options are available.
  • Doesn't have a module to track quantitative feedback like micro-surveys NPS or CSAT scoring
  • Doesn't have an in-depth analytics module

Pricing

Plans start at 50$/ month

Nolt

Nolt distinguishes itself with its primary feature, the feedback boards, providing a collaborative space for user requests. While lacking changelog features, Nolt serves as a viable alternative to Canny for feedback collection and roadmap management, complementing functionalities provided by tools like Canny & Savio.

Key Features:

  • Feedback idea boards
  • Roadmaps
  • Anonymous voting
  • Voting on behalf of others

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • No user registration required for participation.
  • Multilingual support for a diverse user base.
  • Seamless integration with Jira, Trello, Slack, Discord, and more.
  • Single sign-on functionality enhances user experience.
  • Custom branding options for personalized user engagement.

Cons:

  • Absence of a changelog or announcements feature.
  • Inability to import feedback from external sources like Intercom.
  • Inability to segment feedback based on customer attributes.
  • Doesn't have a module to track quantitative feedback like micro-surveys NPS or CSAT scoring

Pricing

Plan start at 25$/month

UserVoice

UserVoice is a feedback management tool that provides a robust solution for gathering feedback from diverse sources. Particularly well-suited for large enterprise SaaS companies, UserVoice extends its functionality beyond customer feedback to encompass inputs from internal teams.

Key Features:

  • Feedback portal for comprehensive input collection.
  • Ability to gather feedback seamlessly from Slack, a feedback widget, and through API integration.
  • Feedback analysis tools for in-depth insights.
  • Roadmap functionality for strategic planning.
  • Internal status updates to keep all teams informed.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Facilitates the prioritization of features based on user feedback.
  • Offers insightful analytics on the submitted feedback, aiding data-driven decision-making.
  • Promotes collaboration across various teams, including product, marketing, engineering, sales, and customer success.

Cons:

  • Lacks a changelog or announcements feature.
  • The absence of affordable subscription options may be a drawback for small businesses.
  • Doesn't have a module to track quantitative feedback like micro-surveys NPS or CSAT scoring

Pricing

Tailored specifically for enterprise solutions, UserVoice pricing plans start at 699$ and are a preferred alternative to Canny if you are an enterprise looking for a customer feedback management tool.

Conclusion

If you are looking for an alternative for Canny in 2024, above are some of the few good options you can explore basis your company structure & requirements. If you are a small business owner with a team of less than 3, the Productlogz comes out as one of the top alternatives as it offers a generous free plan. If you are an enterprise that requires advanced security & premium collaboration features with the tools being used in your company, UserVoice would be a great choice for you.

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Priyanka
October 7, 2024
5 min read
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