Automated GitHub Release Notes vs Manual: Time Comparison
February 25, 2026
5 min read
The True Cost of Manual Release Notes
Let's break down what manual release notes actually cost your team:
Time Per Release
| Task | Time |
|---|---|
| Review commits since last release | 15-30 min |
| Identify user-facing changes | 10-20 min |
| Write descriptions | 20-40 min |
| Format and publish | 10-15 min |
| Total | 55-105 min |
With weekly releases, that's 4-7 hours per month on release notes alone.
Automated Release Notes Time
| Task | Time |
|---|---|
| Initial setup (one-time) | 5-10 min |
| Review generated notes | 2-5 min |
| Minor edits (if needed) | 0-5 min |
| Total per release | 2-10 min |
That's 8-40 minutes per month—a 90%+ reduction.
Beyond Time: Quality Benefits
Automation also improves quality:
- Consistency - Same format every time
- Completeness - No forgotten changes
- Timeliness - Never delayed or skipped
- Distribution - Automatically sent to all channels
When Manual Makes Sense
Manual release notes might still be appropriate for:
- Major version releases with extensive context
- Breaking changes requiring detailed migration guides
- Marketing-focused announcements
But even then, automated generation provides a starting point.
Calculate Your Savings
If you release weekly and spend 1 hour per release on notes:
- Manual: 52 hours/year
- Automated: ~5 hours/year
- Savings: 47 hours/year
At $100/hour developer cost, that's $4,700/year saved.
Start Saving Time
Try ReleaseFlow free and see how much time you can save with automated release notes.