Top 10 Canny Alternatives in 2026 (Compared)

Looking for Canny alternatives? If you need enterprise-grade features, Productboard and Aha! are established players. For a free option, try Fider (open-source, self-hosted). For teams wanting affordable feedback without tracked-user pricing, ProductLift offers everything at $14/month per admin.

Why Look for Canny Alternatives?

The Pricing Problem

In May 2025, Canny changed their pricing model from per-admin to per-tracked-user—and costs went up significantly. A "tracked user" is anyone who creates a post, votes, comments, or has feedback submitted on their behalf. Here's what you'll actually pay:

Tracked Users	Core Plan	Pro Plan
25	Free	Free
100	$24/mo	$99/mo
500	$156/mo	$349/mo
1,000	$311/mo	$661/mo
5,000	$656/mo	$1,349/mo

That's not a typo. The jump from 100 to 1,000 users increases your Core plan cost by 13x. For a Pro plan, it's still 6.7x. Most growing startups hit 1,000 engaged users within their first year or two—at which point you're paying $311-661/month for a feedback tool.

Cost comparison with alternatives:

Tool	1,000 Users	5,000 Users
Canny (Core)	$311/mo	$656/mo
Canny (Pro)	$661/mo	$1,349/mo
ProductLift	$14/mo	$14/mo
Featurebase	$49/mo	$49/mo
Fider	Free	Free

With ProductLift, you'd save $297-647/month compared to Canny at 1,000 users. That's $3,564-7,764/year back in your budget.

Missing Features That Matter

Beyond pricing, several gaps push teams to look elsewhere:

Limited workflow flexibility. Canny gives you fixed statuses and a rigid board structure. If your process doesn't fit their template, you're stuck. Alternatives like ProductLift let you create unlimited columns, custom statuses, and tab configurations that match your actual workflow—whether that's a simple 3-column board or a 12-stage enterprise process.

Limited localization. Canny recently added auto-translation via Google Translate, but the interface and admin dashboard remain English-only. Auto-translate can work for basic use cases, but it's not the same as native multi-language support with proper translations—automated translations can miss context or sound awkward to native speakers.

No knowledge base. Modern product teams want feedback and documentation in one place. With Canny, you need a separate tool for help docs, which means another subscription, another login, and fragmented customer experience.

No prioritization frameworks. Voting counts are a popularity contest, not a prioritization strategy. Without built-in RICE, ICE, or MoSCoW scoring, you're left exporting data to spreadsheets to make actual decisions.

No revenue integration. A vote from a $10/month customer shouldn't carry the same weight as a vote from a $10,000/month enterprise account. Canny can't connect to Stripe to show you which feedback comes from your most valuable customers.

Limited white-labeling. Even on expensive plans, Canny branding can persist. If you want your feedback portal to look like part of your product, you need full custom CSS, themes, and domain support.

What Canny Users Are Saying

Real feedback from users:

G2 Ratings Comparison

Tool	G2 Rating	Best For
ProductLift	5.0	Workflow Flexibility
Nolt	5.0	Clean & Simple
Frill	4.8	Dev Integration
Sleekplan	4.8	Budget-Friendly
Featurebase	4.8	Canny Migration
Canny	4.6	GitHub/Intercom Users
Upvoty	4.5	Simple Voting
UserVoice	4.5	Enterprise
Productboard	4.3	Customer Insights
Aha!	4.3	Strategic Planning

The 10 Best Canny Alternatives

1. Productboard
2. ProductLift
3. Aha!
4. Fider
5. Nolt
6. Featurebase
7. Upvoty
8. Sleekplan
9. Frill
10. UserVoice

Tools That Didn't Make the Cut

We evaluated several other feedback tools but didn't include them in the top 10 to keep this guide focused and actionable:

Jira Product Discovery ($8.15/user/month) — Great for Atlassian-native teams but lacks a public-facing feedback portal. Customers can't vote directly, which defeats the purpose for most teams seeking Canny alternatives.

Pendo ($7,000-35,000/year) — Primarily a product analytics platform that happens to include feedback features. If you just need feedback collection, you're paying for analytics you won't use.

Beamer ($59/month) — Excellent for changelog and product announcements but weak on actual feedback collection. No voting boards or prioritization.

Rapidr ($49/month), Feedbear ($49/month), Hellonext ($65/month) — Solid tools but don't differentiate enough from the options above to warrant inclusion. They lack features like AI, knowledge base, or prioritization frameworks that the top 10 offer.

UserJot (Free tier) — Promising newer entrant with generous free tier, but too new to evaluate long-term reliability. No G2 rating yet.

Headway (Free) — Changelog only. No feedback collection, voting, or roadmap features.

Trello (Free) — A project management tool, not a feedback platform. Some teams hack it for feedback via Power-Ups, but purpose-built tools work better.

What is Canny?

Canny is a feedback management platform built primarily for software companies. At its core, you get voting boards where customers can submit feature requests and upvote ideas they care about. The interface is clean—arguably one of the best-designed in the category—and it integrates well with developer tools like GitHub and Intercom.

The company has grown steadily since 2017, now serving over 1,000 customers including some recognizable names. They've added AI features for categorization and a changelog for announcements. But the fundamental product hasn't changed much: collect feedback, let users vote, show a roadmap.

What Canny Does Well

Credit where it's due—Canny isn't all frustration:

Beautiful, intuitive interface. The design is clean and modern. Users understand how to vote and submit ideas without instructions. This matters for adoption.

Rock-solid GitHub integration. If your engineering team lives in GitHub, Canny connects feedback directly to issues. This is legitimately best-in-class.

Intercom integration. Support conversations can flow into feedback boards, which helps capture requests that might otherwise get lost in ticket queues.

Reliable infrastructure. Downtime is rare. The product works as advertised.

Free tier exists. For very small teams under 25 tracked users, you can use Canny without paying. This makes it easy to start—though it also makes the eventual pricing jump feel more jarring.

Who Should Use Canny?

Canny makes sense in specific situations:

• Tiny teams staying tiny. If you have under 25 tracked users and no growth ambitions, the free tier works indefinitely.
• GitHub-centric workflows. The integration is excellent. If your entire product process runs through GitHub, this matters.
• Primarily English-speaking users. The auto-translate works, but native localization is better for international brands.
• Budget isn't a concern. Enterprise teams with generous tooling budgets may not care about the per-user costs.

Who Should Look Elsewhere?

Consider alternatives if any of these apply:

• You're growing. Tracked user pricing becomes painful fast. Plan for where you'll be in 2 years, not where you are today.
• You need polished multi-language support. Auto-translate works but native localization looks more professional.
• You want feedback, roadmap, changelog, and docs in one tool. Reduces complexity and cost.
• You need prioritization help. Voting alone doesn't make decisions. Frameworks like RICE actually help you ship the right things.
• Price sensitivity. At $300+/month, you're paying enterprise prices without enterprise features.

How to Migrate from Canny

Switching from Canny is straightforward. Here's the process:

1. Export your data Canny offers CSV export and API access. Download your feedback posts, votes, comments, and user data. Most exports complete within minutes.

2. Choose your new tool Based on your needs:

• Best value: ProductLift ($14/mo, unlimited users)
• Free/Open source: Fider (self-hosted)
• Easy Canny migration: Featurebase (offers one-click import)
• Simple voting: Nolt or Upvoty

3. Import to new platform Most alternatives offer migration assistance:

• ProductLift: Free migration help, we'll import your data for you
• Featurebase: Automated Canny import tool
• Others: CSV import or manual setup

4. Update your embeds Replace Canny widgets with your new tool's embed code. Update any links in your app pointing to Canny boards.

5. Notify users (optional) Consider announcing the switch in your changelog. Users who bookmarked your old feedback board will need the new URL.

Timeline: Plan for 1-2 weeks for a complete transition, including testing.

Feature Comparison Table

Here's how Canny and its top alternatives compare on key features:

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Canny actually cost for a growing startup?

After Canny's May 2025 pricing change, here's what startups actually pay:

• 500 users: $156/mo Core or $349/mo Pro ($1,872-4,188/year)
• 1,000 users: $311/mo Core or $661/mo Pro ($3,732-7,932/year)
• 5,000 users: $656/mo Core or $1,349/mo Pro ($7,872-16,188/year)

A Series A startup with 5,000 engaged users could easily spend $8,000-16,000 annually on Canny alone.

For comparison, ProductLift charges $14/month flat regardless of how many users vote—that's $168/year with unlimited tracked users. The savings: $7,700-16,000/year.

Can I export my data and migrate away from Canny?

Yes. Canny offers CSV export and API access, so your data isn't locked in. Several alternatives, including ProductLift, offer free migration assistance to help transfer your feedback history, votes, and user data. Plan for 1-2 weeks to fully transition, including redirecting any embedded widgets.

Does Canny support multiple languages?

Canny recently added auto-translation powered by Google Translate, which can translate user-submitted content. However, the admin interface remains English-only, and auto-translation quality varies—it works for simple text but can struggle with technical terms or nuanced feedback. For teams needing polished multi-language experiences, alternatives like ProductLift (22 native languages) offer professionally translated interfaces.

Is Canny's free plan worth starting with?

It depends on your growth trajectory. Since May 2025, Canny's free plan only allows 25 tracked users—down from 100 previously. That's roughly 25 people who can vote, comment, or submit feedback. Most products blow past this within weeks of launch.

Once you exceed 25 users, you jump directly to $24/month minimum on the Core plan. If you need features like custom domains or priority support, you're looking at $99/month on Pro.

If you expect any growth at all, starting with a flat-rate tool (ProductLift at $14/mo, Featurebase at $49/mo) avoids the eventual migration hassle.

What's the best Canny alternative for small teams?

For small teams prioritizing value, these options stand out:

• ProductLift ($14/month) — Most flexible workflow. Unlimited columns/statuses, feedback, roadmap, changelog, and docs in one, full white-label, 22 languages, EU-based.
• Upvoty ($15/month) — Simple voting boards with anonymous feedback support.
• Sleekplan ($15/month) — Budget-friendly with built-in NPS surveys.
• Nolt ($25/month) — Beautiful interface with a perfect 5.0 G2 rating.
• Fider (Free) — Open-source and self-hosted for technical teams.
• Featurebase (Free tier, $49/mo paid) — One-click Canny migration.

Does Canny have AI features?

Yes, Canny added AI capabilities for categorizing and analyzing feedback. However, these features don't address the core pricing and localization concerns. Competitors like ProductLift, Frill, and Featurebase also offer AI features at lower price points.

What features is Canny missing?

Despite being one of the original feedback tools, Canny lacks several features competitors offer:

• Workflow flexibility — Fixed statuses and rigid board structure; can't customize columns or create complex workflows
• Knowledge base — You need a separate tool for help docs
• Prioritization frameworks — No RICE, ICE, or MoSCoW scoring
• Stripe integration — Can't connect feedback to customer revenue
• Native localization — Only auto-translate via Google, not proper multi-language support
• Full white-label — Limited branding options; "Powered by Canny" persists on some plans
• Anonymous posting — Users must have an account to submit feedback

Is there a free Canny alternative?

Yes, several options:

• Fider — Completely free, open-source, self-hosted. Best for technical teams.
• Featurebase — Free tier available with basic features.
• UserJot — Generous free tier with unlimited users.
• Canny itself — Free for up to 25 tracked users (but you'll outgrow it fast).

When did Canny change their pricing?

Canny changed their pricing model in May 2025, switching from per-admin pricing to per-tracked-user pricing. This significantly increased costs for most customers. The free tier was also reduced from 100 tracked users to just 25.