Frill

What is Frill

Frill is a software tool designed for product teams to manage customer feedback effectively. Its main purpose is to provide a central place to collect feature ideas from users, organize them, and communicate product updates. With Frill, companies can create public feedback boards where customers can submit suggestions and vote on existing ones. This helps product managers understand what users truly want. The platform also includes features for building public roadmaps to show customers what is being worked on, and an announcements tool, which works like a changelog, to inform users about new feature releases. Frill is designed to be simple and integrate smoothly into a company's existing website or application using a widget.

Frill Features

Frill offers a focused set of features to improve the product feedback loop.

• Feedback Boards: Create dedicated boards to capture ideas and suggestions directly from your customers. Users can post, comment, and vote, allowing the most popular ideas to become visible.
• Public Roadmaps: Turn validated ideas into a visual product roadmap. This keeps your customers informed about your future plans and shows that you are listening to their feedback.
• Announcements: A built-in changelog feature to announce new product updates and features. This helps keep your user base engaged and aware of improvements.
• Embeddable Widget: Install a widget directly on your website or in your app. This allows users to give feedback without leaving your platform, creating a seamless experience.
• Single Sign-On (SSO): Allows your users to log into Frill using their existing credentials from your platform, which simplifies the user experience.
• Prioritization Matrix: Use Benefit and Cost scores to evaluate ideas. This helps you identify quick wins and major projects to plan your development cycle better.
• Customization and Themes: Change the colors and branding of your Frill boards and widget to match your company's brand identity.
• Full Translations: The entire interface can be translated into any language, making it suitable for global products.

Frill Pricing Plans

Frill provides several pricing tiers to fit different company sizes and needs. The plans are structured to scale as your business grows.

• Startup Plan: This entry-level plan is designed for early-stage startups and small teams. It includes core features like feedback boards, roadmaps, and announcements, with limits on the number of tracked ideas.
• Business Plan: Aimed at growing companies, this plan offers more capacity for tracked ideas, advanced features like private boards, and removes Frill branding for a white-label experience.
• Growth Plan: This is the most comprehensive plan for larger organizations. It includes all features, such as Single Sign-On (SSO), and provides the highest limits for managing a large volume of customer feedback.

Frill Free Plan

Frill does not offer a permanent free plan. However, it provides a 14-day free trial for new users to test the platform's full capabilities. The trial does not require a credit card to sign up. During the trial period, users typically have access to all the features available in the premium plans, allowing them to fully evaluate the tool before committing to a paid subscription.

How to use Frill

Getting started with Frill is a straightforward process.

1. Sign Up: Create an account on the Frill website. You will start with a 14-day free trial.
2. Set Up Your Board: Create your first feedback board. Customize its name, description, and appearance to match your brand.
3. Install the Widget: Copy the provided code snippet and paste it into your website's HTML. This will add the Frill widget to your site, making it easy for users to submit ideas.
4. Collect Feedback: Invite your users to share their ideas through the new feedback board or widget. They can submit new suggestions or vote on existing ones.
5. Prioritize Ideas: Review the submitted ideas. Use the voting data and your own scoring system (Benefit vs. Cost) to decide which features to build next.
6. Update the Roadmap: Move prioritized ideas to your public roadmap. Update their status (e.g., Planned, In Progress, Complete) to keep users informed.
7. Announce New Features: When you release a new feature, use the Announcements tool to share the news with your customers.

Pros and Cons of Frill

Frill is a popular tool, but it has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Pros:

• Excellent User Interface: Frill is widely praised for its clean, simple, and intuitive design, making it very easy to use for both teams and customers.
• Easy Setup: The tool is quick to configure, and the widget can be installed on a website in minutes.
• Seamless Integration: The widget integrates smoothly into existing websites and apps, providing a native feel.
• All-in-One Solution: It combines feedback collection, roadmapping, and announcements in a single platform.
• Responsive Support: The Frill team is known for being helpful and responsive to customer inquiries.

Cons:

• Fewer Advanced Features: Compared to larger, enterprise-focused platforms, Frill may lack some advanced analytics and reporting capabilities.
• Limited Customization: While it offers theme customization, the overall layout and structure are less flexible than some competitors.
• Best for SMBs: The tool is best suited for small to medium-sized businesses and may not meet all the complex needs of very large enterprises.

Frill integrations

Frill connects with many popular tools to streamline your workflow.

• Slack integration: Get notifications in a Slack channel for new ideas.
• Jira integration: Send ideas from Frill directly to your Jira backlog to create issues for your development team.
• Trello integration: Create Trello cards from Frill ideas to manage them in your project boards.
• Intercom integration: Manage and create Frill ideas directly from within the Intercom messenger.
• Zapier integration: Connect Frill to thousands of other apps by creating automated workflows (Zaps).
• Other integrations: Frill also integrates with Zendesk, Help Scout, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Monday.com, Miro, Azure, Linear, Asana, Basecamp, and Airtable.

Frill Alternatives

If Frill is not the right fit, consider these alternatives.

• Canny: A direct competitor with a very similar feature set. Canny is also known for its clean UI but can be more expensive as pricing is often based on the number of tracked users.
• Productboard: A more comprehensive product management platform. It offers deeper functionality for prioritization, roadmapping, and user research but has a steeper learning curve and higher price point.
• UserVoice: One of the original tools in this category, UserVoice is an enterprise-grade solution with advanced features for large companies. It is more complex and significantly more expensive than Frill.
• Nolt: A simpler and more affordable alternative. Nolt focuses on feedback boards and is a good option for teams who need a lightweight tool without roadmapping or announcement features.

Frill API

Yes, Frill provides a developer API that allows you to interact with your feedback data programmatically. You can use the API to create, read, and update ideas, users, and other resources. To get your API key, you typically need to navigate to the settings or integrations section of your Frill account dashboard. The key will be available there for you to copy.

Here is a basic example of how to fetch ideas using the API with cURL:

curl -X GET "https://api.frill.co/v1/ideas" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json"

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual key from the Frill dashboard.

Frill Affiliate program

Frill offers a partner program for those who want to promote the tool. You can earn a commission for every new paying customer you refer. The program typically offers a recurring commission, meaning you get paid for as long as the referred customer stays subscribed. To join, you usually need to apply through their website. If you cannot find a public affiliate page, it is recommended to email their support team directly to inquire about becoming a partner or influencer. They can provide details on commission rates and payment terms.