Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Fantastical 2 VS Substack

Compare Fantastical 2 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.

Fantastical 2 logo Fantastical 2

Fantastical, the Mac calendar app you'll enjoy using. Quickly create new events with natural language input and more.

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.
  • Fantastical 2 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-20
  • Substack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-26

Fantastical 2 features and specs

  • User Interface
    Fantastical 2 has an intuitive and visually appealing interface, making it easy for users to navigate and manage their calendar events.
  • Natural Language Parsing
    The app allows users to create events using natural language input, which makes event creation faster and more user-friendly.
  • Integrations
    Fantastical 2 integrates seamlessly with other calendaring services like iCloud, Google Calendar, Exchange, and more, ensuring that all your events are centralized.
  • Reminders
    The app supports Apple's Reminders, which allows users to manage tasks and events in one place.
  • Customizable Views
    Fantastical 2 offers various view options (day, week, month) that can be customized to suit different user preferences.

Possible disadvantages of Fantastical 2

  • Cost
    Fantastical 2 is relatively expensive compared to other calendar apps, which might be a deterrent for some users. There's a one-time cost for Fantastical 2, but the new versions may require a subscription.
  • Platform Limitation
    The app is primarily designed for Apple devices, which means Android and Windows users are unable to use it.
  • Learning Curve
    New users may need some time to get accustomed to the app's features and capabilities, despite its intuitive interface.
  • Occasional Sync Issues
    Some users have reported occasional sync issues, where calendar events do not appear consistently across all devices.
  • Limited Free Features
    Fantastical 2 offers limited features in the free version, pushing users towards the premium subscription to unlock the full functionality.

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

Fantastical 2 videos

Friday 5: Fantastical 2 - my favorite Mac calendar app!

More videos:

  • Review - Fantastical 2 Review

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 Fantastical 2 and Substack)
Calendar
100 100%
0% 0
Blogging
0 0%
100% 100
Appointments and Scheduling
CMS
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Fantastical 2 and Substack. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Fantastical 2 and Substack

Fantastical 2 Reviews

15 Best Free Daily Planner Apps for 2024 (Features, Price)
Natural language support for easy scheduling. Seamless synchronization across multiple calendars. Recurring task-setting capabilities. Geofenced reminders for the most relevant tasks. Pricing: Fantastical 2 is available as a free planner app.
Source: affine.pro
The 13 best calendar apps for Android and iOS help you organize a chaotic day
Many of the appโ€™s features are standard fare and just what youโ€™d expect a calendar app to offer, but Fantastical 2 strives to make every process more convenient in order to save time. For example, you can start a sentence with โ€œreminder,โ€ โ€œto do,โ€ or โ€œtaskโ€ to create reminders, or use phrases like โ€œremind me tomorrow at 3PM,โ€ or โ€œalarm 3PMโ€ to set new alerts. You can also...
Beyond Google Calendar and Apple Calendar: The 18 Best Apps to Manage Your Schedule
While it's nice to have the mobile app, Fantastical 2 is at its best on desktop. The app is colorful without being gaudy or overwhelming, and it's easy to use without sacrificing control over your event details. On a Mac, the menu bar app lets you quickly add an event or see what's on your agenda in the coming days. Adding details to your eventsโ€”such as notes, URLs,...
Source: zapier.com

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 Fantastical 2. 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.

Fantastical 2 mentions (28)

  • Sketchy Calendar
    * Built-in countdown-type events, with associated UI element that counts down for you My main desire is not switch calendaring platforms, but to figure out how to 'bolt-on' these capabilities in what I'm already living in. -- [0] https://www.hey.com/calendar/ [1] https://flexibits.com/fantastical. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: What macOS apps/programs do you use daily and recommend?
    - Raycast (https://www.raycast.com/) there's also a free version, I just prefer to support the author with a Pro purchase. - Homebrew (https://brew.sh/) - Visual Studio Code - SyncThing (https://syncthing.net/) - Fantastical (https://flexibits.com/fantastical) - MonitorControl (https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl#readme). - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Calendar advice for home + work?
    I use an app called Fantastical (https://flexibits.com/fantastical). I believe it is macOS/iOS only, but there might be alternatives with work with other systems. Basically, I add in my work Office365 account and my personal iCloud and it shows everything together. Whenever I'm making an appointment, I just check that rather than my Outlook calendar. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Sick of Fastmails subpar iOS app
    Looks like most of your issues are with the calendar. For this I highly recommend an app dedicated to this, like Fantastical, BusyCal, Calendar366 or even a native ios calendar app. These apps have clients for ios, macos and even watchos. Lots of config options and nice features and timely notifications. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Productivity apps - recommendations needed
    I personally have been trying out Fantastical and it literally is life changing doing everything in a calendar. You can make a recurring event or something and have it notify you whenever you want. The time limit can be achieved by just creating the duration. Although I'm unsure about the "mark as done" functionality. Source: over 3 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 Fantastical 2 and Substack, you can also consider the following products

Google Calendar - Spend less time managing your day & more time enjoying it

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

Morgen.so - All-in-one Calendar, Tasks & Scheduler. Morgen is the single hub for everything that revolves around time management.

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.

Apple Calendar - Calendar is a personal calendar app made by Apple Inc. that runs on both the macOS desktop operating system and the iOS mobile operating system.

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