Upvoty

What is Upvoty

Upvoty is a user feedback software designed to help businesses collect, manage, and prioritize customer suggestions. The main purpose of the tool is to create a direct line of communication between a company and its users. This allows product teams to understand what features are most requested and make data-informed decisions. Its core functionality includes feedback boards where users can post ideas and vote on them, public product roadmaps to show what is being worked on, and changelogs to announce new releases. Upvoty was founded by Mike Slaats and operates from the Netherlands, offering a simple yet powerful solution for companies of all sizes to build better products based on user input.

Upvoty Features

Upvoty provides a complete set of tools to manage the entire feedback lifecycle. Here are its key features:

• Feedback Boards: Create dedicated boards to collect ideas and suggestions from your users. Boards can be made public for all customers or private for internal team members.
• Feature Voting: Users can upvote on feedback posts they find important. This helps product managers easily identify the most popular requests.
• Product Roadmap: Build and share a visual product roadmap. You can update the status of features (e.g., Planned, In Progress, Completed) to keep users informed about your progress.
• Changelog: Announce new features and product updates with a dedicated changelog. This keeps users engaged and shows that their feedback leads to real changes.
• Customization: You can customize the look and feel of your boards to match your brand, including colors, logo, and even custom CSS. You can also create custom statuses for your workflow.
• User SSO (Single Sign-On): Allow your users to log in automatically to your feedback portal using their existing accounts from your application. This removes friction and encourages participation.
• Moderation: Maintain control over the content on your boards. You can choose to approve new posts and comments before they become visible to everyone.
• Custom Domain: Host your feedback portal on your own domain (e.g., feedback.yourcompany.com) for a seamless brand experience.
• Widgets: Embed feedback widgets directly into your website or application to capture ideas without sending users to another page.

Upvoty Pricing Plans

Upvoty offers several pricing tiers designed for different types of businesses. The plans are typically structured based on the number of tracked users, team members, and the number of boards you can create.

• Starter Plan: Aimed at startups and small businesses, this plan usually includes core features like one or two feedback boards, a limited number of tracked users, and basic customization.
• Business Plan: Suited for growing companies, this tier offers more capacity, such as more boards, a higher limit on tracked users, custom domain support, and advanced features like user SSO.
• Enterprise Plan: Designed for large organizations, this plan provides unlimited capacity, priority support, advanced security features, and full customization options.

All paid plans come with access to all core features, with the main difference being the usage limits.

Upvoty Free Plan

Upvoty does not offer a permanent free plan. However, it provides a 14-day free trial for new users to test the platform. The trial gives you access to all the features of a premium plan without requiring a credit card to sign up. This allows you to set up boards, collect feedback, and explore the roadmap and changelog functionalities to see if it fits your workflow before committing to a paid subscription.

How to use Upvoty

Getting started with Upvoty is a straightforward process. Here is a typical workflow:

1. Sign Up: Create an account on the Upvoty website. The process is quick and does not require a credit card for the trial.
2. Create a Board: Your first step is to set up a feedback board. Give it a name, like "Feature Requests" or "Bug Reports."
3. Customize Your Board: Go to the settings to add your company logo, change the colors to match your brand, and set up a custom domain if you have one.
4. Invite Users: Share the link to your board with your customers. You can also embed the Upvoty widget on your website to let users submit feedback directly from there.
5. Collect and Manage Feedback: As users post ideas and vote, you can review the submissions. Use statuses like "Under Review," "Planned," or "Declined" to organize them.
6. Build Your Roadmap: Move approved ideas to your public roadmap. This shows users what you are working on and what is coming next.
7. Announce Updates: When you release a new feature, add an entry to your changelog to notify users. This closes the feedback loop and shows customers you are listening.

Pros and Cons of Upvoty

Here is a balanced look at the advantages and disadvantages of using Upvoty.

Pros:

• Simplicity: The platform is very intuitive and easy to set up and manage.
• All-in-One Solution: It combines feedback boards, a roadmap, and a changelog in one tool.
• Good Customization: Offers strong branding options, including custom domains and CSS.
• Affordable: Pricing is competitive compared to some larger enterprise-level competitors.
• Direct User Engagement: Creates a transparent way to communicate with users about product development.

Cons:

• Limited Integrations: While it integrates with key tools via Zapier, it has fewer native integrations than some larger platforms.
• No Advanced Analytics: Lacks deep analytical tools for segmenting user feedback by demographics or user value.
• No Free Forever Plan: Small projects or individuals on a tight budget may miss a permanent free tier.

Upvoty integrations

Upvoty integrates with other tools to fit into your existing workflow. You can connect it with project management, communication, and support platforms.

• Jira Integration: You can push feedback posts from Upvoty directly to your Jira projects to create issues for your development team.
• Intercom Integration: Capture feedback from conversations in Intercom and send it to your Upvoty board.
• Zapier Integration: Connect Upvoty to thousands of other apps through Zapier to automate workflows, such as posting new feedback to a Slack channel or creating a task in Trello.

Upvoty Alternatives

If Upvoty is not the right fit, here are some popular alternatives:

• Canny: A direct competitor with a very similar feature set, including boards, roadmaps, and changelogs. Canny is known for its clean interface and is popular among SaaS companies.
• UserVoice: An enterprise-focused feedback platform with more advanced analytics and user segmentation features. It is generally more expensive and suited for large corporations.
• Productboard: A comprehensive product management platform that includes feedback collection but also focuses heavily on feature prioritization, roadmapping, and aligning the entire product organization.
• Frill: A simple and affordable alternative that combines feedback boards, roadmaps, and announcements. It is a good option for startups and small businesses looking for a lightweight tool.

Upvoty API

Yes, Upvoty provides a public API that allows developers to build custom integrations and connect Upvoty's data with other applications. You can use the API to programmatically retrieve feedback posts, create new posts, manage users, and more.

To get your API key, you typically need to log in to your Upvoty account and navigate to the settings or integrations section, where a key can be generated. The API documentation is available on their website for developers.

Here is a basic example of how to fetch posts from a board using the API with cURL:

curl -X GET 'https://api.upvoty.com/v1/posts' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json'

Upvoty Affiliate program

Upvoty offers a partner program for those who want to promote the tool. As an affiliate, you can earn a commission for every new customer you refer. The program typically offers a recurring commission, meaning you get a percentage of the subscription fee for as long as the referred customer stays with Upvoty. To join, you usually need to fill out an application form on their partner page. Once approved, you will receive a unique referral link to share with your audience. Payments are generally made on a regular basis, for example, monthly, through platforms like PayPal. If you cannot find a public page, you can contact their support team to ask about becoming a partner.