In simple English
This tool reads your project's update files and turns them into a clean update page for your users. It runs on your own server and costs nothing to operate. You write your updates in plain text files, and the tool builds the website automatically. It includes a search box, RSS feeds, and built-in visitor counts. You need basic computer knowledge to set it up.
What it is
Openchangelog is a self-hosted program written in Go (a programming language built for fast and reliable network services) that transforms Markdown release notes into a hosted update page. It reads update files from your code repository or local folder and serves them with search, tags, and theme options.
What it is good for
Solo builders who want a clean update page for their software without paying a monthly fee to a hosted service.
- Runs on your own server with Docker, so you control all your data.
- Reads standard plain text update files that you already write for your project.
- Includes built-in search, visitor analytics, and automatic RSS feeds for your readers.
- Requires comfort with server commands and Docker configuration.
- Uses a copyleft licence (AGPL-3.0), which may require you to share your modifications if you change the code.
- Relies on you to keep the container updated and running.
Paid changelog hosting services or manual HTML editing for release notes.
GitHub for storing your plain text update files.
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docker run -v ./openchangelog.yml:/etc/openchangelog.yml:ro -v ./release-notes:/release-notes -p 6001:6001 ghcr.io/jonashiltl/openchangelog:0.8.2