Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Doodle VS Substack

Compare Doodle VS Substack and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Doodle logo Doodle

Make meetings happen. With Doodle, scheduling becomes quick and easy.

Substack logo Substack

With Substack, anyone can start a publication that combines a personal website, blog, and email newsletter or podcast. It's quick and simple.
  • Doodle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-30
  • Substack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-26

Doodle features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Doodle offers an intuitive interface that allows users to easily schedule meetings and events. The process is straightforward and requires minimal technical know-how.
  • Availability Polls
    Users can create polls to find the best time for group meetings, making it simple to coordinate with multiple participants who have conflicting schedules.
  • Integrations
    Doodle integrates with major calendar systems like Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCal, allowing users to sync their appointments and schedules seamlessly.
  • Free Basic Version
    Doodle offers a free basic version with essential features, making it accessible to users who need basic scheduling without incurring any costs.
  • Reminders and Notifications
    The platform sends automatic reminders and notifications, helping to reduce the chances of participants forgetting their commitments.

Possible disadvantages of Doodle

  • Limited Free Features
    While the basic version is free, some advanced features require a subscription, which might be a drawback for users looking for comprehensive tools without costs.
  • Ads
    The free version is supported by advertisements, which can be distracting and reduce the overall user experience.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Users have to share their availability and email addresses, which raises potential privacy and data security concerns.
  • Mobile App Limitations
    The mobile application may lack some functionalities available on the web version, which could be inconvenient for users who prefer scheduling on-the-go.
  • User Interface Overload
    For some users, the interface can become cluttered, especially when managing multiple polls or events, leading to potential confusion and mismanagement.

Substack features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Substack offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for writers to publish and monetize their newsletters.
  • Built-in Monetization
    Writers can easily charge readers for subscriptions, allowing for straightforward monetization.
  • Direct Audience Connection
    Substack allows writers to build a direct relationship with their audience via email, which can lead to a more engaged readership.
  • Discovery and Community
    Features like staff picks and recommendations help writers get discovered by new readers.
  • No Upfront Costs
    Substack does not charge upfront fees; instead, it takes a percentage of subscription revenues, making it easier to start.
  • Content Ownership
    Writers retain full ownership of their content, giving them more control over their work.

Possible disadvantages of Substack

  • Revenue Share
    Substack takes a 10% cut of subscription revenues, which can add up for writers with a large subscriber base.
  • Limited Customization
    The platform has limited customization options compared to building a custom website or using more flexible CMS options.
  • Dependency on Platform
    Relying on Substack means depending on its policies and infrastructure, which could pose risks if the platform changes its terms or features.
  • Competition
    As more writers join Substack, it can become challenging to stand out amidst the growing competition.
  • Email Deliverability
    Writers may face issues with email deliverability, as some newsletters may end up in spam folders.
  • Payment Processing Fees
    Besides Substack's fee, payment processors like Stripe also take a percentage, further reducing net earnings for writers.

Analysis of Substack

Overall verdict

  • Substack is a good choice for writers seeking autonomy and a straightforward way to monetize their content. However, it may not be the best fit for those who prefer working within the framework of a larger publication or those unfamiliar with the challenges of building and maintaining a subscriber base.

Why this product is good

  • Substack is a platform that allows writers, journalists, and content creators to publish and monetize their newsletters. It is praised for its ease of use, built-in subscription system, and direct-to-consumer model which enables writers to retain control over their audience and content. The platform has attracted both independent writers and established journalists seeking the freedom to monetize their work without traditional media constraints.

Recommended for

  • Independent writers and journalists
  • Content creators looking to monetize their work
  • Individuals seeking a direct relationship with their audience
  • Those who appreciate simplicity in publishing

Doodle videos

Doodly Review | Animated Doodle Video Tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - Rock-A-Doodle - AniMatโ€™s Classic Reviews
  • Demo - Doodly Review - The Easiest and Most Realistic Doodle Animation Software - Doodly Demo

Substack videos

Monetizing Podcasts and Newsletters - Chris Best of Substack and Jonathan Gill of Backtracks

More videos:

  • Review - E1016 Substack CEO Chris Best empowers writers via email newsletter platform, raised $15M from a16z
  • Review - Why EVERYONE should be on Substack | What it is, How it Works, $$$
  • Review - Beehiiv vs Substack (2024) - Which is Better?
  • Review - My Experience with SUBSTACK: An Honest Review of Substack

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Doodle and Substack)
Appointment Scheduling
100 100%
0% 0
Blogging
0 0%
100% 100
Appointments and Scheduling
CMS
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Doodle and Substack

Doodle Reviews

The Best 24 Appointment Scheduling Apps and Booking Software
Doodle has some cool features, like letting you create meeting polls to send to clients and prospects, suggesting meeting dates and times, and allowing voting on dates that work โ€” all with Doodleโ€™s free version. In my opinion, the free version of Doodle is a little too simple for teams that donโ€™t have enough participation to nail down a great meeting time by using the poll...
Seven Best Doodle Alternatives (Free & Paid Options)
Not only is it geared towards organizing schedules, but as a Doodle alternative, it also allows for the creation of scheduling patterns that work best for you. From the get-go, you can lay out your needs and preferences. When do you like to meet, who should attend, and where is a nearby coffee shop that can work for everyone?
The Best Alternatives to Doodle That You Should Check Out
Doodle is only one of several online scheduling software, and many consider it the best. Yet, Doodle is not the right solution for everyone. Analyzing Doodleโ€™s online reviews reveals its weaknesses.
Source: trafft.com
The 14 Best Meeting Scheduling Tools for 2022
Similarly to Doodle, Rally lets you create a poll, where the participants decide on the best time for the meeting. Apart from being completely free to use, Rallyโ€™s added bonus which put it on our list of best meeting scheduling tools for 2022 is the comment box on the poll page. This allows the participants to discuss the meeting details and talk about the agenda beforehand.
The 6 Best Calendly Alternatives in 2022 (Free & Paid Options)
To be honest, what makes Doodle so great is also one of its greatest drawbacks. Itโ€™s so uncomplicated that it lacks a great deal of functionality that more complex programs offer.

Substack Reviews

25+ Medium Alternative Platforms for Publishing Articles
Substack offers writers of all experience levels the ability to write an email newsletter thatโ€™s profitable through subscriptions. Substack provides purpose-built web and newsletter publishing tools to enable writers to monetize their newsletters. It is a service often favoured by readers because itโ€™s a convenient all-in-one solution for writing a successful podcast that...
Source: forgefusion.io
10 Best Medium Alternatives for Reading and Publishing
What sะตts Substack apart is its sะตamlะตss intะตgration of contะตnt crะตation and subscription-basะตd monะตtization. Substackโ€™s usะตr-friะตndly intะตrfacะต, distribution tools, and support for various contะตnt formats make it a popular choice for indะตpะตndะตnt crะตators looking to connะตct dirะตctly with thะตir audiะตncะต and turn thะตir passion into a sustainablะต incomะต strะตam.
9 Best Medium Alternatives for Making Money With Your Writing in 2023
Substack and Medium differ primarily in their monetization methods. Medium pays creators based on reader engagement, while Substack enables writers to monetize directly through paid subscriptions to their newsletters. This business model allows Substack users to build a direct relationship with their readers via their email inboxes, whereas Medium interactions primarily...
11 Patreon Alternatives for Audience Monetization in 2023
Like a few of the other platforms weโ€™ve looked at, Substack takes a cut of your earnings rather than charging a 10% platform fee.
Source: www.uscreen.tv
Any good Mailchimp alternatives?
My question for you is, what is keeping you from making $31 per month from your list? Are you using any feature that Substack (free until you get paid) can't handle?

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Substack should be more popular than Doodle. It has been mentiond 98 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Doodle mentions (17)

  • Ask HN: Those making $500/month on side projects in 2025 โ€“ Show and tell
    How's this different than the good old Doodle everyone uses in europe at least? https://doodle.com/en/. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • So I've had another instance where the extension was just disabled on a site.
    I made this post a few months ago regarding how the extension was just disabled on a site I had accessed. I checked trusted sites, and there was nothing there. Today, I went onto a site called doodle, I'm sure many of you have used it or heard of it, and the same thing happened. Ublockorigin was disabled. Again, this site is not present in my trusted sites. Someone suggested this was due to a firefox feature where... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Who's up for a Shut-Up-And-Write session right now?
    Can we set up a doodle poll so everyone can vote on the time that works for them? https://doodle.com/en/. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Calendaring solutions . . .
    Otherwise the other one I've seen for our C suite is https://doodle.com/en/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Discussion Thread
    Iโ€™ve heard good stuff about doodle https://doodle.com/en/. Source: almost 4 years ago
View more

Substack mentions (98)

  • SpaceX to buy Cursor AI coding agent operator Anysphere for $60B
    The thing is, even the center of the road academics who refrain from such comparisons are noting the similarity. The MAGA movement meets the traditional defining characteristics of fascio. We can be rigid and say that only Mussoliniโ€˜s political movement can be properly be called fascist. But if we call Hitler and the Nazis fascists as well, then we open the door to any movement that meets the criteria. And Trump... - Source: Hacker News / 27 days ago
  • AMA: I'm Eric Ries (The Lean Startup) & Author of New Bestseller Incorruptible
    Yes, it's much different in other countries. See https://substack.com/@doks/p-198191751. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Show HN: Playing with genomics foundation model tutorial/explainer article
    Hi folks, I got curious about how genomics foundation models work and wrote an article explaining how they are trained + can be used. Feel free to use the following as learning resources if you wish to jump into ML for comp bio stuff, it may help: - Code: https://github.com/dillondesilva/nt-promoter-region-classification - Article/Tutorial:... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • CBP Directive 3340-049B: Border Search of Electronic Devices
    The vast majority of people from the developed world have no problems going through any border in the developed world. Your experience is probably representative, but that's not what we're talking about. My understanding is that de facto you have no rights at all in China. The Americans take this sort of thing very seriously, which is why it's in the news and talked about. Some guy gets imprisoned for 37... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • GitHub โ€“ DOS 1.0: Transcription of Tim Paterson's DOS Printouts
    There was never a serious claim DOS copied CP/M code. The controversy was mostly about legality of reimplementation of the API, plus some pretty vague claims about copying the design: https://substack.com/@nemanjatrifunovic/note/p-178321556. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Doodle and Substack, you can also consider the following products

Calendly - Say goodbye to phone and email tag for finding the perfect meeting time with Calendly. It's 100% free, super easy to use and you'll love our customer service.

Medium - Welcome to Medium, a place to read, write, and interact with the stories that matter most to you.

SimplyBook.me - Online scheduling software that offers you a beautiful customisable booking website (or widget to your own website) to accept bookings and payments with the possibility of selling products as well.

Ghost - Ghost is a fully open source, adaptable platform for building and running a modern online publication. We power blogs, magazines and journalists from Zappos to Sky News.

Survey Monkey - Create and publish online surveys in minutes, and view results graphically and in real time. SurveyMonkey provides free online questionnaire and survey software.

MailChimp - MailChimp is the best way to design, send, and share email newsletters.