Confluence Product Management Software Review for 2024

By Breanna Lawlor on Jul 29, 2024

Confluence excels among product management tools by providing a seamless integration of documentation and collaboration features, enabling product managers to efficiently organize and share information.

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In this review, I’m going to share my analysis and evaluation from hands-on experience with Confluence. But first, if you’re just beginning your search for the best product management tools, check out my picks of the top product management software.

You probably already know Confluence is among the most popular product management tools out there, but you need to better understand what’s good and not so good about it. This in-depth Confluence review will walk you through pros and cons, features and functionality, to help guide you to better understand its capabilities and suitability for your scenario.

Summary: Confluence

Confluence is a collaboration and documentation tool designed to improve team efficiency. It’s commonly used by product managers, project managers, and team leads to organize, share, and manage project information seamlessly.

The software helps businesses by facilitating better communication, reducing silos, and ensuring all team members have access to the latest information. Its best features are real-time collaboration, integration with other tools, and an intuitive interface.

Confluence Pros

Collaboration: Confluence enables teams to work together in real-time, improving communication and productivity.
Documentation: The software centralizes all project documentation in one main hub, making it easily accessible and organized.
Customization: Confluence allows users to tailor spaces and pages to fit their specific needs, enhancing usability.

Confluence Cons

Complexity: Confluence can be overwhelming for new users due to its extensive features and options.
Performance: Some users may experience slowdowns with large amounts of data or users.
Learning Curve: Confluence requires time and training for users to fully leverage its capabilities.

Confluence Expert Opinion

In my opinion, Confluence is a strong choice for product managers looking for a reliable documentation and collaboration platform. Its strengths lie in its ability to centralize information and foster real-time collaboration, which can significantly enhance team productivity. Compared to other product management tools, Confluence excels in its customization and documentation capabilities, allowing users to tailor their workspace to their specific needs.

However, the software can be daunting for new users due to its complexity. As a result, it often requires a significant investment in training and onboarding. Similarly, Confluence users may experience performance issues with large datasets.

For these reasons, Confluence is particularly well-suited for medium to large organizations with complex documentation needs and teams that prioritize collaboration. On the other hand, smaller teams or those with simpler requirements may find the extensive features to be more of a hindrance than a help.

Overall, Confluence stands out in environments that demand detailed documentation and efficient collaboration, making it a valuable tool for those willing to invest the time to master it.

Why Trust Our Software Reviews

We've been testing and reviewing product management tools since 2016. As product managers ourselves, we know how critical and difficult it is to make the right decision when selecting software.

We invest in deep research to help our audience make better software purchasing decisions. We've tested more than 2,000 tools for different product management use cases and written over 1,000 comprehensive software reviews. Learn how we stay transparent & our software review methodology.

Are You a Good Fit for Confluence?

Who Would be a Good Fit for Confluence?

Medium to large companies with complex document management needs and collaborative workflows would benefit the most from Confluence. The software’s customization and real-time collaboration features support detailed project management and efficient team communication. As a result, product managers, project managers, and team leads who need a centralized platform for organizing, sharing, and managing project information may find Confluence most valuable.

Who Would be a Bad Fit for Confluence?

Small businesses or small teams with simpler documentation needs may find Confluence overwhelming due to its extensive features and complexity. Similarly, startups or organizations looking for a straightforward, easy-to-learn tool might struggle with its more moderate learning curve and setup time.

Best Use Cases for Confluence

Large Enterprises: Supports complex documentation and collaboration needs across departments.
Tech Companies: Ideal for Agile development teams needing real-time updates and version control.
Remote Teams: Facilitates seamless communication and project management for distributed teams.
Marketing Departments: Centralizes campaign plans, content calendars, and collaborative projects.
Project Managers: Helps users organize tasks, timelines, and log documentation in one accessible location.
Knowledge Management: Excellent for creating and maintaining a company-wide knowledge base through content management and roadmaps.

Worst Use Cases for Confluence

Small Startups: Overkill for simple, straightforward project management and documentation needs.
Freelancers: Too complex for individual use with simpler project requirements.
Non-Technical Teams: Can be overwhelming and unnecessarily complicated for non-technical users.
Short-Term Projects: Not ideal for projects with quick turnaround due to setup and learning curve.
Budget-Conscious Companies: Some users may find it too expensive for the features they need.
Minimalist Teams: Teams preferring lightweight, simple tools might find Confluence's features excessive.

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Confluence Evaluation Summary

Core Functionality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Standout Features: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ease of Use: ⭐⭐⭐
Onboarding: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Customer Support: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Integrations: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Customer Reviews: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value for Money: ⭐⭐⭐

Review Methodology

We’re a team of software experts who obsess about the features and functionality of different platforms. We know how critical—yet difficult and confusing—software selection can be. We test and score software to find the best solutions, whatever the use case may be. Using our objective, data-driven testing methodology, we’ve tested 300+ software.

We dedicate ourselves to being objective in fully and fairly testing software, to get beyond the marketing fluff and truly understand the platform. We’ve developed robust testing scenarios to use the software in the same way you will. We leverage our own first-hand, practical experience with the tools, complemented by interviews with users, experts, and software vendors.

How We Test & Score Product Management Tools

We’ve spent years building, refining, and improving our software testing and scoring system for product management tools. The rubric is designed to capture the nuances of software selection and what makes product management tools effective, focusing on critical aspects of the decision-making process.

Below, you can see exactly how our testing and scoring work across eight criteria. It allows us to provide an unbiased evaluation of the software based on core functionality, standout features, ease of use, onboarding, customer support, integrations, customer reviews, and value for money.

Core Functionality (20% of final scoring)

For product management tools, the core functionality we test and evaluate are:

Project Tracking: Monitors project progress and deadlines.
Task Management: Allows creation, assignment, and tracking of tasks.
Collaboration: Facilitates team communication and document sharing.
Reporting: Generates insights and reports on project metrics.
Roadmapping: Plans and visualizes product development timelines.
Backlog Management: Organizes and prioritizes product backlogs.

Standout Features (20% of final scoring)

We evaluate uncommon, standout features that go above and beyond the core functionality defined and typically found in product management tools. A high score reflects specialized or unique features that make the product faster, more efficient, or offer additional value to the user.

Ease of Use (10% of final scoring)

We consider how quick and easy it is to execute the tasks defined in the core functionality using the product management tools. High-scoring software is well designed, intuitive to use, offers mobile apps, provides templates, and makes relatively complex tasks seem simple.

Onboarding (10% of final scoring)

We know how important rapid team adoption is for a new platform, so we evaluate how easy it is to learn and use the product management tools with minimal training. We evaluate how quickly a team member can get set up and start using the software with no experience. High-scoring software indicates little or no support is required.

Customer Support (10% of final scoring)

We review how quick and easy it is to get unstuck and find help by phone, live chat, or knowledge base. Product management tools that provide real-time support score best, while chatbots score worst.

Integrations (10% of final scoring)

We evaluate how easy it is to integrate with other tools typically found in the tech stack to expand the functionality and utility of the software. Product management tools offering plentiful native integrations, third-party connections, and API access to build custom integrations score best.

Customer Reviews (10% of final scoring)

Beyond our own testing and evaluation, we consider the net promoter score from current and past customers. We review how likely they are to choose the product management tools again for the core functionality. A high-scoring software reflects a high net promoter score from current or past customers.

Value for Money (10% of final scoring)

Lastly, in consideration of all the other criteria, we review the average price of entry-level plans against the core features and consider the value of the other evaluation criteria. Software that delivers more for less will score higher.

Through this comprehensive approach, I aim to identify product management tools that not only meet but exceed expectations, ensuring teams have the tools they need to succeed.

Confluence Review

Core Product Management Tools Functionality

Project Tracking: Confluence enables users to monitor project progress and deadlines through intuitive dashboards and timelines. It stands out with its ability to provide real-time updates and detailed tracking of each project phase.

screenshot of confluence project tracking — *Confluence supports project tracking by providing real-time updates and timelines.*

Task Management: Users can create, assign, and track tasks efficiently within Confluence. The platform’s integration with other Atlassian tools enhances task management by ensuring seamless transitions and updates.

Collaboration: Confluence excels in facilitating team communication and document sharing. Its collaborative spaces and real-time editing capabilities make it easy for teams to work together, regardless of location.

Reporting: The software generates insightful reports on project metrics, helping teams analyze performance and identify areas for improvement. Additionally, customizable reports allow users to focus on the metrics that matter most to them.

Roadmapping: Confluence helps in planning and visualizing product development timelines through its strong roadmapping tools. These features enable product managers to set clear milestones and track progress against them.

Backlog Management: Organizing and prioritizing product backlogs is straightforward with Confluence. The platform’s user-friendly interface allows teams to manage backlogs effectively, ensuring that the most critical tasks are addressed first.

Confluence Standout Features

Real-Time Collaboration: Confluence's pages section allows multiple users to edit documents simultaneously, enhancing team productivity and ensuring everyone has access to the most up-to-date information. This feature is particularly useful for remote teams working across different time zones.

Custom Templates: The platform offers a wide range of customizable templates and formatting options that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of various projects and teams. This helps streamline the documentation process and maintain consistency across projects.

screenshot of confluence custom templates — *Confluence's customizable templates streamline documentation and ensure consistency.*

Ease of Use

Confluence is moderately easy to use compared to other product management tools. While its extensive feature set can be overwhelming for new users, its intuitive user interface and advanced documentation help mitigate this challenge. Those with some experience in project management tools will find using Confluence relatively straightforward to navigate.

Onboarding

New users can expect a structured onboarding process with Confluence, including advanced tutorials, detailed documentation, and helpful onboarding guides. Confluence also offers training webinars, meeting notes, and a rich knowledge base to support new users. Compared to other product management tools, Confluence provides a thorough onboarding experience that helps users get up to speed quickly.

Customer Support

Confluence offers customer support through multiple channels. It also provides an advanced knowledge base and community forums for self-service support. Additionally, Confluence features a status page to monitor downtime and offers frequent product updates to address any issues and improve functionality.

Integrations

Confluence integrates natively with Jira, Trello, Slack, Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, GitHub, Salesforce, and Outlook.

The software also offers add-on options through its API, Zapier, and Atlassian marketplace. These options provide users with the flexibility to connect Confluence with a wide range of other tools and services, enhancing its functionality and utility.

screenshot of confluence integration — *Confluence integrates with many tools and offers flexible options via API, Zapier, and apps.*

Value for Money

Confluence is generally considered to be in the average to slightly expensive range when it comes to the pricing of product management tools. While it offers a strong set of features that justify the cost for many businesses, smaller companies or startups might find the pricing on the higher side compared to more basic alternatives.

Confluence’s pricing plans are as follows:

Free Plan: Available at no cost. Offers unlimited pages and spaces, up to 3 active whiteboards per user, and templates for marketing, product, and program management teams.
Standard Plan: From $4.89/user/month. Offers everything in the Free plan, plus external collaboration, page permissions, unlimited users, and 9/5 regional support.
Premium Plan: From $8.97/user/month. Includes everything in the Standard plan, plus AI-powered creation and collaboration, unlimited storage, and admin controls.
Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing is required. Includes everything in the Premium plan, plus cross-product insights, enterprise-grade identity and access management, and unlimited automation.

screenshot of confluence pricing plans — *Confluence offers Free, Standard, Premium, and Enterprise plans with different features based on user needs.*

Product Specifications

Feature	Confluence
Task Management	✅
Project Tracking	✅
Collaboration Tools	✅
Reporting	✅
Roadmapping	✅
Backlog Management	✅
Real-Time Collaboration	✅
Custom Templates	✅
Gantt Charts	✅
Time Tracking	❌
Resource Management	❌
File Sharing	✅
Version Control	✅
Mobile App	✅
API Access	✅
User Permissions	✅
Email Notifications	✅
Calendar Integration	✅
Automation	✅
Budgeting Tools	❌
Third-Party Integrations	✅
Customizable Dashboards	✅
Kanban Boards	✅
Dependency Tracking	✅
Client Portal	❌

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Confluence functions as a product management tool by centralizing documentation and collaboration.

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Confluence supports project tracking by providing real-time updates and timelines.

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Confluence supports task management by allowing creation, assignment, and tracking of tasks.

4 of 12

Confluence's collaboration feature allows real-time editing and feedback on shared documents.

5 of 12

Confluence's reporting feature generates real-time insights from project data and metrics.

6 of 12

Confluence's roadmapping feature visually tracks project timelines and milestones.

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Confluence's backlog management feature organizes and prioritizes tasks efficiently.

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Confluence's simultaneous document editing boosts productivity and ensures up-to-date access.

9 of 12

Confluence's customizable templates streamline documentation and ensure consistency.

10 of 12

Confluence provides an intuitive interface and helpful documentation to boost ease of use.

11 of 12

Confluence offers thorough onboarding with tutorials, guides, webinars, and a knowledge base.

12 of 12

Confluence provides multi-channel support, a knowledge base, community forums, and updates.

Confluence Alternatives

If you’re looking for alternative product management tools to Confluence, here are a few worth checking out:

Jira: Focuses on Agile project management with advanced issue tracking and sprint planning features.
Asana: Offers user-friendly task and project management with strong visualization tools like boards and timelines.
Trello: Known for its simplicity and ease of use with a card-based system for organizing tasks and projects.
monday.com: Provides a highly customizable platform with extensive automation and integration capabilities.

Confluence Frequently Asked Questions

Confluence is a collaboration and documentation tool designed for teams to create, share, and manage content. It’s widely used for project management, knowledge sharing, and team collaboration. Confluence helps teams stay organized by centralizing information in one accessible platform.

Yes, Confluence offers a mobile app available for both iOS and Android devices. The mobile app allows users to access documents, collaborate with team members, and stay updated on project progress on the go. It provides a seamless experience for users who need to work remotely or while traveling.

No, Confluence is not HIPAA compliant. This means it does not meet the specific security and privacy standards required for handling protected health information (PHI). Users in healthcare or related fields should consider this when selecting a tool for managing sensitive data.

Yes, Confluence is SOC 2 compliant. This compliance indicates that Confluence meets the standards for managing customer data based on five trust service principles: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. SOC 2 compliance ensures that Confluence has robust security practices in place.

Confluence prioritizes security with various measures to protect user data. These include data encryption, regular security audits, and access controls. Users can feel confident that their information is safeguarded against unauthorized access and breaches.

No, Confluence is not FedRAMP certified. This certification is required for software used by federal agencies in the United States, ensuring that cloud services meet stringent security standards. Organizations needing FedRAMP certification should look for alternative solutions.

Yes, Confluence is GDPR compliant. This compliance ensures that Confluence adheres to the General Data Protection Regulation, which governs data protection and privacy in the European Union. Users can trust that their personal data is handled in accordance with GDPR standards.

Yes, you can use Confluence as a project management software. It provides tools for task management, project tracking, and collaboration, making it suitable for managing projects of various sizes. Teams can create project plans, assign tasks, and monitor progress all within the Confluence platform.

Confluence Company Overview & History

Atlassian, the company behind Confluence, is a global enterprise known for its collaboration and productivity software. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, Atlassian has a workforce of over 5,000 employees worldwide.

In addition to Confluence, Atlassian owns other popular products such as Jira, Trello, and Bitbucket. The company is known for its innovative work culture and commitment to open communication. Notable clients using Atlassian products include NASA, Tesla, and Airbnb.

Atlassian is publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol TEAM, with a valuation exceeding $50 billion. The company's latest reported revenue is over $2 billion annually.

Confluence Major Milestones

2001: Atlassian is founded.
2004: Confluence is released.
2015: Atlassian goes public on NASDAQ.
2017: Atlassian acquires Trello.
2020: Atlassian reaches $2 billion in annual revenue.
2021: Atlassian achieves a $50 billion market valuation.
2023: Atlassian announces major updates to Confluence, including enhanced collaboration features.

Visit Confluence's Website

Want to learn more about Confluence? Check out their site for additional information.

Price:

From $5/user/month (billed annually)

Trial:

Free trial + free plan available

Visit Website

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