Six months ago, I was paying Canny $359 per month for a feedback board that my 200 users barely engaged with. Today, I'm running the same functionality for $10 per month and getting better results. Here's the real story of why I switched and what happened next.
TL;DR: Saved $4,188 annually by switching from Canny to StackVote. Same core functionality, better user engagement, 95% cost reduction. Migration took 3 hours.
The Canny Pricing Trap
Like many developers, I fell for Canny's marketing. Their homepage showed "$19/month" in big, friendly letters. Perfect for my bootstrapped SaaS project that was just finding product-market fit.
But here's what they don't tell you upfront: that $19/month "Starter" plan is essentially useless for any real product. You get:
- Only 100 tracked users (your feedback providers)
- No custom branding
- No admin controls
- No API access
- No integrations
The moment you need actual functionality—like removing their branding or having more than 100 users give feedback—you're forced into the "Growth" plan at $359/month. Not $59 or $99. Three hundred and fifty-nine dollars.
The Moment I Knew I Had to Switch
The breaking point came when I hit 150 users and Canny started blocking new feedback submissions. I had two choices: upgrade to $359/month or lose valuable user feedback. For a product making $2,000/month in revenue, paying nearly 20% to Canny felt insane.
That's when I started questioning everything. Do I really need enterprise-grade feedback management? Am I paying for features I don't use? Spoiler alert: I was.
The Search for Alternatives
I spent two weeks researching alternatives. Here's what I found:
The Expensive Options
ProductBoard ($240/month): Even more expensive than Canny, clearly targeting enterprise teams with dedicated product managers.
UserVoice ($179/month): Cheaper than Canny but still too expensive for my needs, plus the interface felt dated.
The "Budget" Options
Nolt ($29/month): Much more reasonable, but no free tier to test with my users. Also missing some features like changelog that I wanted for the future.
FeatureBase ($49/month): Better pricing than Canny but the interface felt complex for my simple needs.
The Developer-Focused Option
StackVote ($10/month): Built specifically for indie developers and small teams. Free tier that actually works, transparent pricing, and a founder who understands the bootstrap struggle.
What caught my attention wasn't just the price—it was the honesty. No hidden feature gates, no sudden price jumps, no "contact sales" buttons. Just straightforward functionality at a fair price.
Making the Decision
I tested StackVote's free tier for two weeks with a subset of my users. The results were immediately better:
- Higher engagement: 40% more feedback submissions
- Cleaner interface: Users found it easier to navigate
- Faster setup: Took 15 minutes vs. Canny's 2-hour onboarding process
- Better mobile experience: My mobile users actually started submitting feedback
The deciding factor was when I calculated the annual cost difference:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Canny Growth plan | $359 | $4,308 |
| StackVote Team plan | $10 | $120 |
| Total savings | $349 | $4,188 |
That's $4,188 I could reinvest in marketing, development, or just keeping as profit margin. The choice was obvious.
The Migration Process
I'll be honest—I was nervous about migrating. What if I lost feedback? What if users complained? What if the transition disrupted my workflow?
Data Export from Canny
Canny does allow data export, but it's not straightforward. I had to:
- Export feedback as CSV (limited formatting)
- Manually copy over user vote counts
- Screenshot roadmap items for reference
- Save any custom tags and categories
Time invested: About 1.5 hours of tedious copying and pasting.
Setting Up StackVote
This part was surprisingly smooth:
- Created account and feedback board (5 minutes)
- Imported feedback manually (45 minutes)
- Customized branding to match my product (15 minutes)
- Updated all links in my app (30 minutes)
- Sent announcement to users (15 minutes)
Total migration time: Under 3 hours, mostly done over a weekend.
User Communication
I was transparent with my users about the switch:
We're switching to a new feedback platform that's faster and easier to use. Your previous feedback has been migrated, and you'll notice the new board loads much quicker. Thanks for your patience!
The response was overwhelmingly positive. Several users even commented that the new board felt more responsive and looked cleaner.
6-Month Results: The Good, The Bad, and The Unexpected
The Good
Cost savings exceeded expectations: I saved exactly $2,094 in the first six months ($349 savings per month). That money went directly back into product development.
Better user engagement: Monthly feedback submissions increased by 35%. The cleaner interface and faster loading times made a real difference.
Improved workflow: StackVote's simpler admin interface meant I spent less time managing feedback and more time acting on it.
Mobile users finally participated: This was unexpected—mobile feedback submissions increased by 200%. Turns out Canny's mobile experience was horrible, and I hadn't realized.
The Trade-offs
Fewer enterprise features: StackVote doesn't have some of Canny's advanced analytics or complex workflow automation. For my needs, this didn't matter, but enterprise teams might miss these.
Smaller ecosystem: Canny has more third-party integrations. StackVote covers the essentials (GitHub, Slack, webhooks) but doesn't have as many options.
Less brand recognition: Some enterprise customers asked about our feedback tool choice. Canny has more "enterprise credibility," though this never became a real issue.
The Unexpected Benefits
Direct founder access: When I had questions or feature requests, I could reach the StackVote founder directly. Try doing that with Canny.
Feature velocity: StackVote ships features faster than Canny. Requests I made were implemented within weeks, not months.
Community feeling: Using a tool built by an indie developer for indie developers created a sense of community I didn't expect.
Financial Impact Breakdown
Let me break down the real financial impact over 6 months:
6-Month Financial Analysis
Costs Saved:
- Canny Growth plan: $359 × 6 = $2,154
- StackVote Team plan: $10 × 6 = $60
- Net savings: $2,094
How I Reinvested the Savings:
- Marketing campaigns: $800
- Additional development tools: $300
- Emergency fund: $994
ROI of the switch: The $800 in marketing generated an additional $2,400 in revenue, meaning the tool switch indirectly contributed to 3x ROI.
Who Should (and Shouldn't) Make This Switch
You Should Switch If:
- You're paying Canny's full price: If you're on the $359/month plan, you're probably overpaying
- You're a small team or indie developer: You don't need enterprise features
- Cost matters: Every dollar counts when you're bootstrapped
- You want simplicity: Less complexity means more focus on building product
- You value transparency: No hidden costs or surprise price jumps
You Might Want to Stay If:
- You're enterprise-focused: Large teams with complex workflows might need Canny's advanced features
- You use many integrations: Canny has a broader ecosystem
- Brand perception matters: Some enterprise customers prefer "established" tools
- You have complex feedback workflows: Multiple approval processes, advanced analytics needs
Lessons Learned
Question Everything
Just because a tool is popular doesn't mean it's right for your stage of business. I was paying for enterprise features I didn't need because I assumed "more expensive = better."
Test Before You Commit
StackVote's free tier let me test with real users before making the switch. If a tool doesn't offer meaningful free usage, that's a red flag.
Migration Isn't as Scary as You Think
I procrastinated the switch for months, thinking migration would be painful. In reality, it took one weekend and my users barely noticed.
Cost Savings Have Compound Effects
The $2,094 I saved didn't just stay in my bank account—it enabled marketing investments that generated additional revenue. Tool costs aren't just expenses; they're opportunity costs.
6 Months Later: No Regrets
Would I make the same decision again? Absolutely. The switch from Canny to StackVote was one of the best business decisions I made last year.
My users are happier with the faster, cleaner interface. I'm happier with the transparent pricing and direct founder access. My bank account is definitely happier with the $4,000+ annual savings.
Most importantly, I learned to question tool choices based on my actual needs, not marketing messaging or brand recognition.
The Bottom Line
If you're currently paying Canny's full price and you're not a large enterprise team, you're probably overpaying. The feedback management space has evolved, and there are now excellent alternatives built specifically for indie developers and small teams.
Don't make the switch just to save money—make it because you want a tool that matches your actual needs and growth stage. But if that tool happens to save you $4,000/year? That's just a nice bonus.
Ready to see if you're overpaying for feedback management? Compare your current costs with StackVote or try the free tier with your real users.
Alex Chen is the founder of a B2B SaaS platform serving small marketing agencies. He's been building products for 8 years and writes about the practical realities of indie development.