A: Hi there Sumo-lings

Great question!

Here are a few key differentiators between Volley and a tool like MarkUp:

=> Tools like Markup.io place your website in a canvas on top of their own code which allows it to run through their site, this can be nice... However, it can also lead to very slow load times and even render some pages not quite exactly how your end users might see them. We actually explored this path when first building Volley but wanted our users to see EXACTLY how the websites they are reviewing look with 0 room for error. We feel this is crucial for a proper website review.

=> Additionally, there can be issues when trying to comment on a local website, staging site or a page behind a secure login. Especially if I leave a comment on a page that is behind a secure login and then another user tries to view it. Often you will get hung up here. With Volley, all your notes are viewable in an instant.

=> We choose to use a combination of high-resolution screenshots + browser extension to ensure that Volley is lightning-fast to launch, works on ANY website, even local sites, staging builds, etc. right out of the box. We want users to be able to open up the tool in seconds flat and start a review. No need to paste in a URL and wait for the canvas to generate.

Here’s a 30-second video I made for you to show the efficacy of Volley:

https://www.loom.com/share/090bb5604c3443aaa59b8135bef32b55

=> Another benefit of screenshots is the ability to quickly export your feedback to other project management tools with all the right context. Your note and comment are all together.

=> Additionally, we plan to introduce more markup options, like drawing, arrows, shapes, etc. very soon. The screenshot approach makes this type of feature much more user friendly. Here’s a look at the upcoming UX from our roadmap:

https://trello.com/c/YFZp3gpH/5-drawing-additional-markup-capabilities-via-the-extension
(click the .gif file to see it in action :)

=> One more added bonus to using an extension + screenshots is the ability to perform a review of native apps! By mirroring your smartphone to your computer and then sharing that screen within a Google hangout, you can review any native app on your mobile device, which isn’t possible with the iframe method. Let me know if you’d like a video showing how this works, it’s a very cool bonus!