The short answer
A changelog is a persistent, structured document that records every change to a product across all versions. It lives in your repository as CHANGELOG.md or at a public URL like changelogai.org/changelog. It's the historical record.
Release notes are the communication you send to users with each specific release — an App Store update, a GitHub Release, a Slack announcement. They're the marketing and communication layer on top of the changelog. They're often shorter, more conversational, and targeted at a specific audience.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Changelog | Release Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Historical record of all changes | Communicate a specific release to users |
| Audience | Developers, technical users | End users, customers, stakeholders |
| Format | Structured (Keep a Changelog format) | Conversational, narrative |
| Where it lives | CHANGELOG.md in repo, or /changelog page | App Store, GitHub Releases, email, Slack |
| Frequency | Updated every release, never deleted | Published with each release |
| Tone | Technical, precise | User-friendly, engaging |
| Length | As long as needed — comprehensive | As short as useful — scannable |
| Breaking changes | Documented in full detail | Flagged prominently, user impact explained |
What a changelog looks like
The Keep a Changelog format is the de facto standard. It's structured Markdown with semantic version headers and categorised change lists:
What release notes look like
The same release, written as App Store release notes:
Do you need both?
Usually, yes — but it depends on your product and audience:
- Open source library: You need a
CHANGELOG.mdin the repo (developers expect it) and GitHub Release notes (for the Releases tab). Both. - Mobile app: You need App Store release notes (mandatory for submission) and optionally a public changelog page. Both, in different formats.
- B2B SaaS: You need a public changelog page, email updates, and Slack announcements. Release notes in 3 formats from the same release.
- Internal tool: A Slack message and a Jira ticket usually suffice. Release notes only.
The efficient approach: Write once, publish everywhere. Paste your commits into ChangelogAI, generate the Keep a Changelog format for your CHANGELOG.md, the App Store format, and the Slack announcement — all from the same input in one session.
Common mistakes teams make
- Using them interchangeably. Pasting your CHANGELOG.md into the App Store verbatim — technical Markdown renders as symbols and the tone is wrong for non-technical users.
- Maintaining only one. A changelog without release notes means users never see what's new. Release notes without a changelog means there's no historical record for developers.
- Letting the changelog go stale. A CHANGELOG.md that's 6 months behind is worse than no changelog — it creates confusion about what's actually in the current version.
- Writing release notes after the fact. Release notes written a week after shipping are harder to write and less accurate. Write them the day you ship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a changelog the same as release notes?
No. A changelog is a persistent historical record of all changes across all versions, usually in CHANGELOG.md format. Release notes are the per-release communication you publish to users — on the App Store, GitHub, email, or Slack. They have different audiences, formats, and purposes.
Do I need both a changelog and release notes?
Usually yes, but it depends on your product. Open source libraries need both (CHANGELOG.md for developers, GitHub Release notes for visibility). Mobile apps need App Store release notes (mandatory) and optionally a changelog page. B2B SaaS products typically need both.
What format should a changelog follow?
The Keep a Changelog format (keepachangelog.com) is the de facto standard. It uses Semantic Versioning for version numbers and groups changes under Added, Changed, Deprecated, Removed, Fixed, and Security.
How do I generate both from the same commits?
Paste your commit log into ChangelogAI once. Generate the Keep a Changelog format for your CHANGELOG.md, then switch to App Store, GitHub Release, or Slack format for your release notes — all from the same input.
What's a public changelog page?
A public changelog page (like changelogai.org/changelog) is a web page that lists your product's version history in reverse chronological order. It's useful for SaaS products where customers want to track what's changed without reading a technical CHANGELOG.md.
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