ReleaseNotes.io

What is ReleaseNotes

ReleaseNotes is a software tool designed to help product teams create, publish, and share their product updates and changelogs with users. The main purpose of the platform is to make the process of communicating changes simple and efficient. It uses AI to automate the creation of release notes by pulling information directly from development tools. This allows teams to keep their users informed about new features, bug fixes, and other improvements without spending a lot of manual effort on documentation. ReleaseNotes.io provides various ways to deliver these updates, including a hosted website, in-app widgets, and email notifications, ensuring that the information reaches users where they are most likely to see it.

ReleaseNotes Features

• AI Smart Releases: This feature automatically generates a summary of your team's development work. It connects to tools like Jira or GitHub to gather information on closed issues and pull requests, and then creates a draft of your release note. This saves a lot of time for product managers and developers.
• In-app Widgets: You can show your release notes directly inside your application. ReleaseNotes provides an unread badge to show users there are new updates, and a popup or banner widget to display the full notes. This is effective for user engagement.
• Hosted Release Site: Every user gets a dedicated, public website to host all their release notes. This site can be customized to match the company's brand, creating a professional and centralized place for users to find historical updates.
• Email Notifications: The tool allows you to build a subscriber list. With a single click, you can send your latest release notes as an email broadcast to everyone who has subscribed, keeping them informed even when they are not using your app.
• Private or Public Releases: You have control over the visibility of your updates. You can make your release notes public for all users to see, or keep them private for internal team members and stakeholders.
• Full Design Control: For users who need complete brand alignment, ReleaseNotes offers full access to customize the HTML and CSS of the release notes templates. This allows for total control over the look and feel.

ReleaseNotes Pricing Plans

ReleaseNotes offers several pricing tiers to fit different needs.

• Starter Plan: This is a free plan designed for individuals or small projects with simple requirements. It includes a hosted release site and basic features but has limitations on the number of team members and the history of releases.
• Teams Plan: Aimed at growing teams and businesses, this plan includes all the features of the Starter plan plus advanced capabilities. It unlocks AI-powered releases, in-app widgets, integrations with development tools, and premium themes. It supports unlimited team members and releases.
• Business Plan: This is the most comprehensive plan, suitable for larger organizations that need full control and security. It includes all features from the Teams plan, plus unlimited email subscribers, the ability to use a custom domain, private release notes, and full customization with custom CSS/HTML/JS.

ReleaseNotes Free Plan

Yes, ReleaseNotes offers a Free Plan, which is called the Starter plan. It is a good option for those who are just starting out or have basic needs. The free plan includes:

• A hosted ReleaseNotes site.
• Support for 1 team member.
• A history of your last 5 releases, with a 90-day limit on how long they are stored.
• Access to the standard template for your release notes page.

How to use ReleaseNotes

Getting started with ReleaseNotes is a straightforward process.

1. Create an Account: First, sign up for an account on the ReleaseNotes website. You can start with the free Starter plan.
2. Set up Your Project: Create a new project for your product or application. This will be the central place for all your release notes.
3. Integrate Your Tools: Connect ReleaseNotes to your development workflow tools like Jira, GitHub, or Azure DevOps. This is necessary for the AI features to work.
4. Generate a Release Note: Use the AI Smart Releases feature to automatically pull in recent updates, commits, and closed tickets. This will create a draft for your new release note.
5. Edit and Customize: Review the auto-generated draft. You can edit the text, add images or videos, and organize the content to make it clear and easy for your users to understand.
6. Publish and Distribute: Once you are happy with the note, you can publish it. It will automatically appear on your hosted release site. You can also push it to your in-app widget and send it out as an email notification to your subscribers.

Pros and Cons of ReleaseNotes

Pros:

• AI-powered automation significantly reduces the time and effort needed to write release notes.
• Multiple distribution channels (in-app widgets, email, hosted site) ensure updates reach a wide audience.
• Strong integrations with popular developer tools like Jira and GitHub streamline the workflow.
• High level of customization allows businesses to match the release notes to their brand identity.
• A free plan is available for users with basic needs.

Cons:

• The free plan is very limited in terms of release history and team members.
• Per-project pricing can become costly for companies that manage multiple products.
• Email subscribers are an additional cost on the mid-tier Teams plan.

ReleaseNotes integrations

ReleaseNotes integrates with several key tools used in software development and team communication. These integrations help automate the process of collecting information for your updates.

• Jira: Connect to your Jira projects to automatically pull in completed issues and user stories for your release notes.
• GitHub: Integrate with your GitHub repositories to include information from merged pull requests and closed issues.
• Azure DevOps: Connect with Azure DevOps to sync your work items and commits into your release notes draft.
• Slack: Share your published release notes directly to your team's Slack channels to keep everyone internally informed.
• Zapier: Use Zapier to connect ReleaseNotes with hundreds of other applications to create custom automated workflows.

ReleaseNotes Alternatives

• Headway: A popular alternative known for its simple and elegant in-app changelog widget. It is a great choice for those who primarily want to display updates within their application.
• AnnounceKit: This tool offers more advanced features for user engagement, such as user segmentation, feedback collection, and reactions. It is suitable for teams that want to do more than just announce updates.
• LaunchNotes: A comprehensive platform that goes beyond release notes. It includes features for managing product changes, communicating with stakeholders, and sharing public roadmaps.
• Beamer: Similar to ReleaseNotes, Beamer provides a changelog and notification center. It also includes features for user feedback, surveys, and push notifications, making it a strong tool for user engagement.

ReleaseNotes API

Yes, ReleaseNotes provides a developer API for users on the Teams and Business plans. The API allows you to programmatically interact with your ReleaseNotes account, giving you the flexibility to create custom integrations or automate tasks beyond the standard features.

To use the API, you will need to obtain an API key, which can typically be found in your account settings or project dashboard after you subscribe to a qualifying plan. The API can be used to fetch releases, create new notes, and manage your projects.

Here is a conceptual example of how you might use a curl command to fetch releases for a project:

curl -X GET \
  'https://api.releasenotes.io/v1/projects/YOUR_PROJECT_ID/releases' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json'

For detailed documentation, users should visit the Help & Docs section on the ReleaseNotes website.

ReleaseNotes Affiliate program

ReleaseNotes does not publicly advertise a formal affiliate or reseller program on its website. Companies or individuals interested in partnership opportunities, such as becoming a reseller or promoting the tool as an influencer, should contact the ReleaseNotes support or sales team directly. They may offer partnership arrangements on a case-by-case basis. You can typically find their contact information on the 'About Us' or 'Contact' page of their website.