Better Markup.io Alternatives [Updated for 2026]
The Markup.io Problem
When Markup.io discontinued its free tier in February 2025 and raised prices to $79/month minimum, thousands of freelancers and small agencies were left scrambling. But pricing wasn't the only issue—teams had been working around Markup.io's limitations for years:
- Proxy-based screenshots that fail on password-protected staging sites
- One-way integrations that require manual exporting of every comment
- No native WordPress solution
- Clients needing accounts or extensions to leave feedback
Simple Commenter was built to address these exact pain points.
![Better Markup.io Alternatives [Updated for 2026]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F9tc8vyhk%2Fproduction%2F61a26a0b7a6f8932b3e891989328eca2ffa9f944-1544x942.png%3Ffit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
Why Agencies and Freelancers Trust Simple Commenter
Clients Actually Use It
The biggest obstacle to visual feedback tools isn't features—it's adoption. If clients find a tool confusing, they revert to email threads and vague descriptions.
Simple Commenter requires nothing from clients:
- No account creation
- No browser extensions
- No software downloads
- No training sessions
You send a link. They click and comment. That's it.
This zero-friction approach is why feedback completion rates are higher. Clients who struggled with Markup.io consistently find Simple Commenter easier to use—not because of marketing claims, but because there's genuinely less to figure out.
Integrations That Actually Sync
Markup.io connects to Jira, Trello, ClickUp, and Asana—but those connections are one-directional. You export comments manually. Status changes in your project management tool don't reflect back. You end up managing feedback in two places.
Simple Commenter's approach is different:
Bi-directional Trello sync: When you move a card to "Done" in Trello, the comment status updates in Simple Commenter. When a client replies to a comment, it appears in Trello with attachments. Priority changes, labels, and assignments sync both ways.
Inbound and outbound webhooks: Connect to Discord, Slack, Notion, or custom internal tools. Trigger automations when comments are added or resolved. Push data to your data warehouse for reporting.
No manual exports: Comments flow into your existing workflow automatically. You work where you already work.
Works Where Markup.io Can't
Markup.io uses a proxy to capture screenshots. This works for public sites but fails in common development scenarios.
Simple Commenter works on:
- Password-protected staging sites
- Basic Auth environments
- Localhost development
- Sites behind VPN
Markup.io fails on all of these.
If you're reviewing work before it goes live—which is the entire point of a feedback tool—Simple Commenter handles the environments where that work actually happens.
Native WordPress Plugin
Markup.io has no WordPress plugin. You embed a script manually and manage everything through their external dashboard.
Simple Commenter offers a plugin available directly from WordPress.org:
- Install and connect in under 5 minutes
- View and reply to comments from the WordPress admin
- Team members sync automatically
- Role-based visibility (show widget to admins only, specific user roles, or everyone)
- No code required
For WordPress agencies, this removes a layer of friction from every project.
Pricing Comparison
Simple Commenter:
- Starting at €29.99/month
- 14-day free trial (no credit card required)
- Unlimited domains on Pro plan
- Unlimited pageviews
Markup.io:
- Starting at $79/month
- Free tier discontinued
- Limited domains
- Metered pageviews
The difference adds up quickly. For agencies managing multiple client sites, Simple Commenter's unlimited domains at the base tier means predictable costs regardless of how many projects you're running.
Additional Capabilities
Real device mobile testing: Test on actual phones and tablets, not desktop emulation. Clients can leave feedback from mobile devices.
Visual annotation tools: Drawing, arrows, text highlighting—clients can circle exactly what they're referring to instead of describing it.
PDF and image review: Feedback isn't limited to live websites. Review design mockups and documents in the same workflow.
EU-hosted: For agencies with data residency requirements, Simple Commenter is developed and hosted in the EU.
Support That Responds
Simple Commenter is independently developed with direct access to the team building it. Support requests are typically answered in minutes, not days. The Discord community provides a direct line to feature development—suggestions from users regularly make it into updates.
This matters when you're mid-project and hit an issue. Enterprise support tiers and ticket queues don't help when a client review is scheduled for tomorrow.
Making the Switch
Migration from Markup.io is straightforward:
- Sign up for the 14-day free trial (no credit card required)
- Add the script to your site or install the WordPress plugin
- Share the feedback link with your client
Most teams are collecting feedback within 5 minutes of signing up. Historical Markup.io comments won't transfer, but active projects can move over immediately.
Pricing
Simple Pricing.
Still not convinced?
Trusted by 600+ professionals
Simple. Effective. Game Changer
"I've been meaning to find a more effective way of gathering feedback on my websites forever, but I've never gotten around to it. I downloaded the deal and had it registered and set up in about 3 minutes flat, I tested it, recorded a 60-second tutorial for my client and fired off the email - workflow streamlined, life changed in under 5 minutes. Most of my clients are not super techy so I really appreciate the simplicity of the design, looking forward to the time saving and improved customer experience! Thanks!"
Finally, a feedback tool my clients actually enjoy
"I've tried almost every visual feedback tool out there, and Simple Commenter is hands-down the most intuitive one I've used. The biggest hurdle with other plugins is usually the "client friction"—having to make them sign up or install browser extensions—but this plugin completely removes that. My clients can just point, click, and leave a comment exactly where they want a change, no account required. It has completely replaced our messy email threads and "where is that button again?" screenshots. The fact that it's lightweight and doesn't slow down the site performance is a huge plus for our SEO. If you're a freelancer or run an agency, this will save you hours of back-and-forth and make you look incredibly professional."
"Simple Commenter has changed the way I work. It is so well thought out and constantly updated. I login and see updates that are so well implemented but it never feels like any of the simplicity was compromised. As for the actual real world use, I won’t start a project without it. I look even more professional to my clients because of this. The usefulness is off the charts. My clients have been engaged like never before. I had a larger website project that stalled because they couldn’t get around to editing the content or provide corrections. A year later I added Simple Commenter and showed them, 3 weeks later the project was launched. Real world value!"
"Simple, intuitive, needs no browser extensions, client specific access link which means client does not need to signup, and no monthly expenses for small website developers. The clients get great UX and I am able to process their feedback with low friction and stress. I have checked a few others but Simple commenter is perfect for my usecase."
"I've been using Simple Commenter for a while, and collecting client feedback has become incredibly easy. Clients can mark up the live site or PDFs directly, which removes the need for long email threads and confusing screenshots. The interface is clean and intuitive, so even non-technical clients leave clear, actionable notes without any training. Integration into our workflow was quick, and handling comments has sped up our review cycles significantly. I highly recommend it for agencies and freelancers who want faster, more organized feedback."
"I purchased Simple Commenter in its early stages, and I’m truly impressed with how far it has come. It makes gathering customer feedback effortless and eliminates the need for long back-and-forth emails. Customers can easily highlight the areas that need fixing, and I can address them right away. No delays, no missed emails—just smooth communication. I highly recommend this tool."
"Excellent product that helps to easily gather feedback. We use it both with clients and internally for our teams to collaborate on different builds. Before Simple Commenter, it was all back and forth via email and Slack, screenshots and everyone trying to describe what they wanted changed. Setup is incredibly easy for each site we use it on. Highly recommend it."
"After Markup changed it's plan pricing drastically, I was looking for an alternative with affordable options to share with my newer web design students and to use with my own clients. So far, Simple Commenter and Pastel are seemingly the only options that fall into that category. While using, there were a 2-3 glitches with comment placement out of 25-50 comments, but I'm sure bugs like those will get worked out over time with more users & feedback; otherwise it worked very well, even on a live website while 'hiding' the comments & widget from viewers. Overall my clients LOVED using Simple Commenter on their website revisions, saying it was way better than using Markup in past projects. Huge win! It'll be interesting to see where SC goes from here!"
"I like this tool very much. It was a nightmare to process and discuss client feedback via email. Now it's much easier for both. It also has webhooks, so I plan to setup sending the feedback to my task management system. The developer is very responsive and definitely needs support from the community to go on with further developing."
Great product!
"I immediately replaced my old feedback tool with Simple Commenter for a customer project after purchasing it, as it worked straight away without any problems. It was set up and installed within 5 minutes. I love how simple and easy to understand Simple Commenter is and it still offers all the features I need, such as restricting to certain users. Great product!"
Great feedback app and so easy to use!
"I love the simplicity and efficiency of this app which is perfect for our web design agency. Best part is that it's easy to use for our non-technical clients."
Hidden Gem
"Surprised more people aren't talking about this. It's absolutely amazing and a total steal at this price."
Phantastic
"I just need not to say anymore. I'm in webdevelopment since years with clients and that makes my life much easier! Happy to be your customer keep on rolling!!!"
Fantastic tool for working with clients
"I host and manage several clients on WordPress. SC is a great addition to my support stack in getting real input into *what* my clients are actually seeing and what they want. I've set the script into a code snippet that shows SC only to admins & editors and can be toggled on/off for ease of use. It really is an easy way to collect feedback."
"I'm impressed with the quality of the product, and especially with the delivery of developer Aleksander. But I'm even happier with the feedback from customers regarding the product. They're loving being able to comment easily directly on the website, without barriers. And for me, it's become much easier to manage customer comments while I'm finishing the development of each website. I'm very happy with the product! If you're undecided, I'll tell you one thing... jump in now! You won't regret it."
Simple, yet ingenious
"I didn't realize how much I needed this tool! While I've been using a great customer feedback tool during the design phase, I was lacking a solution for the development process. This tool is incredibly straightforward, cutting out the frustrating back-and-forth of bug reports and improvement suggestions via email. Simple, yet ingenious. I'm eager to test it further and integrate it into my development workflow."
Very useful product and excellent support
"I'm using Simple Commenter to get feedbacks on websites in development, and early launch's. It's easy and straightforward to implement, lot of customization, and over all, for the prize, an amazing value. I'm thinking on other use cases - i just have to switch to think more user engagement. And, Aleksander is very prompt to help and react on feedback: you really feel that this product has a great future with that dedication ! Very happy user here."
Super handy tool. The developer is very responsive.
"I feel enormous relief that I won't now engage into endless e-mails with screenshots and lists of tiny corrections in one email with a mess of several cycles of discussions. The tool handles all this and the only thing that is missing is the ability to quickly transfer time consuming corrections to task management system. But the developer has intention to implement this feature. I had a couple of issues when testing it, but there were solved overnight. This deal cannot be missed if you develop websites."
They fixed my issue in literal seconds from emailing them.
"They fixed my issue in literal seconds from emailing them. Great product - exactly what I needed. Great dev - clearly care about their customers/product. Don't pass on this one."
The tool I've been searching for
"I was desperately searching for exactly this type of solution! Simple Commenter is an absolute steal for what it offers. After struggling with complicated feedback processes, finding a tool that lets me comment directly on live websites is game-changing. The single line of code installation and compatibility with any CMS makes it incredibly accessible, while the intuitive interface means even my most tech-hesitant clients can use it effectively. Developer Aleksander does regular updates and shows he's committed to continuous improvement. For the price point, this tool delivers exceptional value that has completely streamlined my client communication and feedback workflow. Highly recommended for anyone handling website feedback!"
A Game-Changer for Web Feedback – Worth Every Penny!
"As a web specialist with 5+ years in the field, I’ve struggled endlessly with collecting feedback the "old" way—PDF markups, scattered emails, and constant miscommunications that cost time and money. Simple Commenter fixes all these issues. I can't wait for the customer to be able to upload images that I can download and add to their design. Aleksander absolutely nailed it with this tool. It's intuitive, precise, and incredibly easy for non-technical clients to use. If they can comment on a PDF, they can use Simple Commenter—no training required. It pins feedback directly to the live webpage, removing all the guesswork and drastically speeding up approvals. I also have to give major credit to Aleksander himself. He’s actively engaging with users and quickly rolling out updates based on feedback. That level of dedication is rare—and it shows. This deal is honestly a steal. If you’re a freelancer, agency, or just someone tired of chaotic website revisions, grab this while you can. Cannot recommend it enough!"
An Essential Tool for Enhancing Communication with Clients
"Simple Commenter is a well-made tool, simple but incredibly useful. You can imagine how much it improves the communication flow with clients, and it works on all WordPress sites as well as others like Brizy Cloud — you just need to insert the code. Ryan, on Discord is very attentive to feedback and already has implementations planned for the product. To be honest, it's a very generous offer, and I'm glad to have accepted it. Thank you, Appsumo, for bringing it to us. Ciao"
"The tool I've been desperately searching for exactly this type of solution! Simple Commenter is an absolute steal for what it offers."
"Simple Commenter is a great alternative to bigger platforms (and expensive ones). As the name tells you, it's simple to install, manage, and use. No hassle, no useless functionality – a small gem which costs a fraction of other similar tools. Aleksander is really reactive and open to suggestions. Would definitely keep using this tool on my projects!"
"One of my clients said he really loves Simple Commenter! Much easier to use than the other one I tried (MarkUp). Really loves the simplicity and cleanliness of it!"
Join 600+ agencies, freelancers, and enterprises
Ready to Cut Your Feedback Time in Half?
Web professionals are saving 5-10 hours per project with the best balance of moderation features and price. Start your free trial and experience the difference today.
600+
Happy Users
5-10hrs
Saved Per Project
Rated 5.0 stars on Product Hunt & AppSumo
✓ No credit card required · ✓ 14-day money back guarantee · ✓ Setup in 5 minutes