Top 8 Headway Alternatives in 2026 (Compared)

Ruben Buijs, Founder of ProductLift
Ruben Buijs
11 min read · Updated on Jan 23, 2026 · Written on Mar 11, 2024
Headway #1 ProductLift #2 Beamer
Starting Price Free $14/mo $59/mo
Best For Changelog Only Workflow Flexibility Announcements
G2 Rating 3/5 5/5 4.7/5
Free Trial Free plan 14 days 14 days

Looking for Headway alternatives? If you need more than changelog (feedback + roadmap), ProductLift offers voting boards, roadmap, changelog, and knowledge base at $14/month. If you just need a better changelog, consider Beamer ($59/mo) for polish or Canny for changelog + feedback. Headway is changelog-only with a 3.0 G2 rating—most teams need more.

Headway offers one thing: changelog. The free tier makes it accessible, and the in-app widget works for announcements. But that's where the positives end.

With a 3.0 G2 rating (lowest among alternatives), no feedback collection, no roadmap, and no voting—Headway is extremely limited. Teams quickly outgrow it when they realize they need customer input, not just announcements.

Why Look for Headway Alternatives?

The "Changelog Only" Problem

Headway does one thing—changelog. It lacks:

  • Voting boards — No customer feedback collection
  • Roadmap — No product planning visibility
  • Prioritization — No frameworks for decisions
  • Knowledge base — No documentation

Teams realize they need customer INPUT, not just announcements.

The Low G2 Rating Problem

Headway's 3.0 G2 rating is the lowest among alternatives:

  • ProductLift: 5.0
  • Nolt: 5.0
  • Canny: 4.6
  • Beamer: 4.4
  • Headway: 3.0

The rating suggests quality concerns beyond feature limitations.

The Growth Problem

Teams start with Headway because it's free. But growth requires:

  • Understanding what customers want (feedback)
  • Communicating what's planned (roadmap)
  • Announcing what shipped (changelog)

Headway only does the last one.

What Headway Users Are Saying

Real feedback from users:

"It's free and it works for basic changelog needs"

"Very limited - we quickly outgrew it"

"Good starting point but had to switch when we needed feedback features"

"The free tier is genuinely useful for early-stage startups"

G2 Ratings Comparison

Tool G2 Rating Best For
ProductLift 5.0 Workflow Flexibility
Nolt 5.0 Clean & Simple
Feedbear 5.0 Multi-Language
Hellonext 5.0 Dev & Support
Frill 4.8 Dev Integration
Sleekplan 4.8 Budget-Friendly
Featurebase 4.8 Canny Migration
Canny 4.6 GitHub/Intercom Users
Beamer 4.4 Announcements
Headway 3.0 Free Changelog

The 8 Best Headway Alternatives

  1. ProductLift
  2. Beamer
  3. Canny
  4. Fider
  5. Featurebase
  6. Upvoty
  7. Sleekplan
  8. Frill

#1 ProductLift

$14/mo
ProductLift feedback management software - user feedback board and feature request interface

What it does: ProductLift is the most flexible feedback platform—you design the workflow, not them. Unlimited columns, custom statuses, and tab configurations. Feedback boards, roadmap, changelog, and knowledge base replace 4 separate tools. Full white-label, 22 languages, flat $14/mo pricing. EU-based, GDPR compliant.

Best for: Workflow Flexibility

Pricing: Starting at $14/mo

Free trial: 14 days

Features ProductLift has that Headway doesn't:

  • Allows contributions without logging in, enhancing accessibility and engagement.
  • Supports private boards, offering enhanced project organization and control.
  • Provides weekly reports, ensuring up-to-date insights into user feedback and trends.
  • Includes user profiles, personalizing the feedback process and improving user management.
  • Enables internal comments, facilitating team discussions and collaboration on feedback.

Features ProductLift misses:

  • No Zapier integration, limiting automation possibilities.

Reviews Comparison

ProductG2CapterraTrustpilot
Headway 3/5 5/5 N/A
ProductLift 5/5 4.9/5 4.4/5

ProductLift was awarded G2 - High Performer Winter 2026

Read more: 10 ProductLift Alternatives

#2 Beamer

$59/mo
Beamer feedback management software - user feedback board and feature request interface

What it does: Beamer is a changelog and product announcement platform with excellent in-app notifications and push notifications. At $59/mo it's primarily for announcements - feedback collection features are limited.

Best for: Announcements

Pricing: Starting at $59/mo

Free trial: 14 days

Features Beamer has that Headway doesn't:

  • Enables internal comments, facilitating team discussions and collaboration on feedback.
  • Includes API access, allowing for extensive customization and integration capabilities.
  • Provides Single Sign-On (SSO) feature for secure and simplified access.
  • Offers direct integration with Intercom, enhancing customer communication and support.
  • Integrates with Slack for real-time notifications and team collaboration.

Features Beamer misses:

  • No features missing compared to Headway.

Reviews Comparison

ProductG2CapterraTrustpilot
Headway 3/5 5/5 N/A
Beamer 4.7/5 4.8/5 N/A

Read more: 8 Beamer Alternatives

#3 Canny

Free
Canny feedback management software - user feedback board and feature request interface

What it does: Canny is a feedback management platform that helps teams collect, organize, and analyze customer feedback. It offers voting boards, roadmaps, and strong integrations with GitHub and Intercom. Known for its clean interface but uses tracked user pricing that increases with growth.

Best for: GitHub/Intercom Users

Pricing: Free plan available

Free trial: Free plan

Features Canny has that Headway doesn't:

  • Supports private boards, offering enhanced project organization and control.
  • Includes user profiles, personalizing the feedback process and improving user management.
  • Enables internal comments, facilitating team discussions and collaboration on feedback.
  • Includes API access, allowing for extensive customization and integration capabilities.
  • Provides Single Sign-On (SSO) feature for secure and simplified access.

Features Canny misses:

  • No features missing compared to Headway.

Reviews Comparison

ProductG2CapterraTrustpilot
Headway 3/5 5/5 N/A
Canny 4.6/5 4.7/5 3.1/5

Read more: 10 Canny Alternatives

#4 Fider

Free
Fider feedback management software - user feedback board and feature request interface

What it does: Fider is a free, open-source feedback platform you can self-host. Perfect for technical teams who want full control and no recurring costs. Lacks advanced features like AI, integrations, and analytics.

Best for: Self-Hosted/Free

Pricing: Free plan available

Free trial: Free (Open Source)

Features Fider has that Headway doesn't:

  • Allows contributions without logging in, enhancing accessibility and engagement.
  • Supports private boards, offering enhanced project organization and control.
  • Includes user profiles, personalizing the feedback process and improving user management.
  • Enables internal comments, facilitating team discussions and collaboration on feedback.
  • Includes API access, allowing for extensive customization and integration capabilities.

Features Fider misses:

  • Does not provide a widget for embedding in your product, limiting direct feedback collection capabilities.
  • No Zapier integration, limiting automation possibilities.
  • No changelog feature for announcing product updates.

Reviews Comparison

ProductG2CapterraTrustpilot
Headway 3/5 5/5 N/A
Fider N/A N/A N/A

Read more: 6 Fider Alternatives

#5 Featurebase

Free
Featurebase feedback management software - user feedback board and feature request interface

What it does: Featurebase positions itself as a direct Canny alternative, offering similar features at $49/mo with free migration from Canny. It includes feedback boards, roadmap, changelog, and AI duplicate detection.

Best for: Canny Migration

Pricing: Free plan available

Free trial: Free plan

Features Featurebase has that Headway doesn't:

  • Allows contributions without logging in, enhancing accessibility and engagement.
  • Supports private boards, offering enhanced project organization and control.
  • Includes user profiles, personalizing the feedback process and improving user management.
  • Enables internal comments, facilitating team discussions and collaboration on feedback.
  • Includes API access, allowing for extensive customization and integration capabilities.

Features Featurebase misses:

  • No features missing compared to Headway.

Reviews Comparison

ProductG2CapterraTrustpilot
Headway 3/5 5/5 N/A
Featurebase 4.8/5 N/A N/A

Read more: 10 Featurebase Alternatives

#6 Upvoty

$15/mo
Upvoty feedback management software - user feedback board and feature request interface

What it does: Upvoty is a simple, affordable feedback tool at $15/mo that supports anonymous voting. It's great for basic voting boards but lacks AI features, prioritization frameworks, and a knowledge base.

Best for: Simple Voting

Pricing: Starting at $15/mo

Free trial: 14 days

Features Upvoty has that Headway doesn't:

  • Allows contributions without logging in, enhancing accessibility and engagement.
  • Supports private boards, offering enhanced project organization and control.
  • Enables internal comments, facilitating team discussions and collaboration on feedback.
  • Includes API access, allowing for extensive customization and integration capabilities.
  • Provides Single Sign-On (SSO) feature for secure and simplified access.

Features Upvoty misses:

  • No features missing compared to Headway.

Reviews Comparison

ProductG2CapterraTrustpilot
Headway 3/5 5/5 N/A
Upvoty 4.5/5 5/5 N/A

Read more: 10 Upvoty Alternatives

#7 Sleekplan

$15/mo
Sleekplan feedback management software - user feedback board and feature request interface

What it does: Sleekplan is a budget-friendly feedback platform at $15/mo that uniquely includes built-in NPS and CSAT surveys. It offers a 30-day trial but lacks private boards, anonymous voting, and AI features.

Best for: Budget-Friendly

Pricing: Starting at $15/mo

Free trial: 30 days

Features Sleekplan has that Headway doesn't:

  • Provides weekly reports, ensuring up-to-date insights into user feedback and trends.
  • Includes user profiles, personalizing the feedback process and improving user management.
  • Enables internal comments, facilitating team discussions and collaboration on feedback.
  • Includes API access, allowing for extensive customization and integration capabilities.
  • Provides Single Sign-On (SSO) feature for secure and simplified access.

Features Sleekplan misses:

  • No features missing compared to Headway.

Reviews Comparison

ProductG2CapterraTrustpilot
Headway 3/5 5/5 N/A
Sleekplan 4.8/5 5/5 4/5

Read more: 10 Sleekplan Alternatives

#8 Frill

$25/mo
Frill feedback management software - user feedback board and feature request interface

What it does: Frill is a developer-friendly feedback platform with strong GitHub and Jira integrations plus AI features. At $25/mo it offers prioritization scoring but lacks internal comments, knowledge base, and multi-language support.

Best for: Dev Integration

Pricing: Starting at $25/mo

Free trial: 14 days

Features Frill has that Headway doesn't:

  • Allows contributions without logging in, enhancing accessibility and engagement.
  • Supports private boards, offering enhanced project organization and control.
  • Features a prioritization matrix, aiding in decision-making and feedback implementation planning.
  • Includes API access, allowing for extensive customization and integration capabilities.
  • Provides Single Sign-On (SSO) feature for secure and simplified access.

Features Frill misses:

  • No features missing compared to Headway.

Reviews Comparison

ProductG2CapterraTrustpilot
Headway 3/5 5/5 N/A
Frill 4.8/5 4.7/5 4.6/5

Read more: 10 Frill Alternatives

Tools That Didn't Make the Cut

We evaluated but excluded:

Productboard ($25-90/maker) — Enterprise product management, overkill for changelog needs.

Aha! ($39-149/user) — Enterprise complexity when you just need changelog.

UserVoice ($699/month) — Enterprise pricing, not a Headway alternative.

Pendo ($7,000+/year) — Analytics platform, not changelog-focused.

Notion — Good for docs but not a proper changelog tool.

What is Headway?

Headway feedback management software - user feedback collection and roadmap interface

Headway is a changelog and announcement tool offering:

  • Public changelog page
  • In-app notification widget
  • Custom branding
  • Free tier available

The platform focuses exclusively on product announcements—no feedback collection or roadmap features.

What Headway Does Well

Credit where it's due:

Free tier. Accessible for budget-conscious teams.

Simplicity. No feature bloat—just changelog.

Quick setup. Get started in minutes.

Widget. In-app announcements work.

Who Should Use Headway?

Headway makes sense if:

  • You only need changelog — Nothing else
  • Budget is $0 — Free tier works
  • Feedback isn't needed — You gather input elsewhere
  • G2 rating doesn't concern you — 3.0 is acceptable
  • Temporary solution — Until you need more

Who Should Look Elsewhere?

Consider alternatives if:

  • You need feedback collection — Headway has none
  • You need roadmap — Not included
  • Quality matters — 3.0 G2 is concerning
  • All-in-one is preferred — Multiple capabilities
  • You'll grow — You'll outgrow Headway quickly

How to Migrate from Headway

Switching from Headway:

1. Export your changelogs Download existing announcements from Headway.

2. Choose your new tool Based on what you need:

  • Complete solution: ProductLift ($14/mo)
  • Better changelog only: Beamer ($59/mo)
  • Feedback + changelog: Canny (Free-$661/mo)
  • Budget all-in-one: Upvoty ($15/mo)

3. Import changelogs Most tools can import existing announcements.

4. Add feedback capability Set up voting boards for customer input.

5. Replace widgets Swap Headway's widget for your new tool's embed.

Timeline: 1 week for migration.

Feature Comparison Table

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

Feature Headway ProductLift Beamer Canny
Contribute Without Logging In
Private Boards
Weekly Reports
User Profiles
Internal Comments
Prioritization Matrix
Embeddable Widget
API Access
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Custom Statuses
Intercom Integration
Estimated Dates
Knowledge Base
AI Features
Slack Integration
Stripe Integration
Jira Integration
Azure DevOps Integration
Zapier Integration
GitHub Integration
User Segments
Changelog
Public Roadmap
Webhooks
Vote on Behalf
Custom CSS

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Headway free?

Headway has a free tier for basic changelog functionality. But you'll quickly need paid plans or alternative tools for feedback collection.

What's Headway's G2 rating?

Headway has a 3.0/5 G2 rating—the lowest among feedback and changelog tools. Most alternatives score 4.4-5.0.

Does Headway have feedback collection?

No. Headway is changelog-only. For feedback collection, consider ProductLift, Canny, or Fider.

Does Headway have roadmap features?

No. Headway only does changelog. For roadmap, consider ProductLift, Canny, or Frill.

What's the best Headway alternative?

For most teams: ProductLift ($14/mo). It includes feedback, roadmap, changelog, and knowledge base—everything Headway lacks.

Is Headway better than Beamer?

No. Beamer has a higher G2 rating (4.4 vs 3.0) and more features (NPS surveys, segmentation). Beamer costs $59/month but does changelog better.

Should I use Headway or a feedback tool?

Use a feedback tool. Headway only announces—it doesn't help you understand what to build. All-in-one tools like ProductLift include changelog alongside feedback.

How does Headway compare to ProductLift?

Feature Headway ProductLift
Price Free tier $14/mo
Changelog Yes Yes
Voting boards No Yes
Roadmap No Yes
Knowledge base No Yes
G2 rating 3.0 5.0

ProductLift offers complete solution.

Can I use Headway with another feedback tool?

Yes. Pair Headway (free changelog) with Fider (free feedback) for a free combo—but managing two tools adds complexity.

Why is Headway's G2 rating so low?

The 3.0 rating likely reflects:

  • Limited functionality (changelog only)
  • Missing expected features
  • Quality or reliability concerns

Higher-rated alternatives offer more complete solutions.

Last updated on Jan 23, 2026
Ruben Buijs, Founder of ProductLift

Article by

Ruben Buijs

Ruben is the founder of ProductLift. Former IT consultant at Accenture and Ernst & Young, where he helped product teams at Shell, ING, Rabobank, Aegon, NN, and AirFrance/KLM prioritize and ship features. Now building tools to help product teams make better decisions.

The faster, easier way to capture user feedback at scale

Join over 3,051 product managers and see how easy it is to build products people love.

Aaron Dye Timothy M. Ben Marco Chris R.
from 124+ reviews

Did you know 80% of software features are rarely or never used? That's a lot of wasted effort.

SaaS software companies spend billions on unused features. In 2025, it was $29.5 billion.

We saw this problem and decided to do something about it. Product teams needed a better way to decide what to build.

That's why we created ProductLift - to put all feedback in one place, helping teams easily see what features matter most.

In the last five years, we've helped over 3,051 product teams (like yours) double feature adoption and halve the costs. I'd love for you to give it a try.

Ruben Buijs, Founder
Ruben Buijs

Founder & Digital Consultant