Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Guru VS Substack

Compare Guru VS Substack and see what are their differences

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Guru logo Guru

Guru makes it easy for employers and freelancers to connect, collaborate and get work done flexibly and securely. Browse 1. 5 million freelancers for hire and thousands of projects.

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.
  • Guru Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-13
  • Substack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-26

Guru features and specs

  • Wide Range of Freelancers
    Guru has a large database of freelancers across various fields, making it easier to find the right talent for any specific project.
  • Payment Protection
    Guru offers a SafePay service that holds funds securely, ensuring that both employers and freelancers are protected during the transaction process.
  • Flexible Payment Options
    Guru allows employers to choose from multiple payment methods and scheduling options such as hourly, milestone-based, and recurring payments.
  • Workroom Feature
    Guru provides a Workroom where employers and freelancers can manage their projects, communicate, share files, and track progress efficiently.
  • Cost-Effective
    Guru charges relatively lower fees compared to some other freelancing platforms, making it a cost-effective option for both employers and freelancers.

Possible disadvantages of Guru

  • Website Downtime
    As indicated by the site down page, Guru may experience occasional website downtimes, which can disrupt access to services and communication.
  • User Interface
    Some users find Guru's user interface less intuitive and harder to navigate compared to other freelance platforms.
  • Limited Customer Support
    Users have reported that Guru's customer support can be slow to respond and less helpful, which can be frustrating during urgent issues.
  • Service Fees
    While it's generally cost-effective, Guru still charges service fees which can accumulate, especially for freelancers who deal with multiple small projects.
  • Quality Variability
    With such a wide pool of freelancers, the quality of work can vary significantly, making it necessary for employers to thoroughly vet candidates.

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 Guru

Overall verdict

  • Guru.com is considered a good platform for freelancers and clients looking for reliable project-based work. It provides various tools and resources to support project management and ensure successful collaborations. However, like any platform, it has its share of limitations, such as competition and service fees.

Why this product is good

  • Guru.com is a reputable freelancing platform that connects freelancers with clients across a wide range of industries. It is known for its user-friendly interface, flexible payment options, and diverse job categories. The platform offers a secure workroom environment for communication and file sharing, facilitating smooth collaboration between clients and freelancers.

Recommended for

    Guru is recommended for freelancers seeking flexible work opportunities in fields such as writing, graphic design, programming, and digital marketing. It's also suitable for clients looking for skilled professionals to complete short-term or long-term projects.

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

Guru videos

How To Get Clients EASILY on Guru.com (Step-By-Step Method for Freelance Websites)

More videos:

  • Review - Guru.com review video

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 Guru and Substack)
Freelance Marketplace
100 100%
0% 0
Blogging
0 0%
100% 100
Work Marketplace
100 100%
0% 0
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 Guru and Substack

Guru Reviews

The 10 Best Alternatives to Upwork
Guru offers several advantages over Upwork that make it a preferred choice for freelancers and businesses alike. With its secure payment system, flexible payment options, and collaborative WorkRooms, Guru provides a streamlined and efficient platform for freelancers and clients to work together seamlessly.
Source: www.twine.net
UPWORK ALTERNATIVES: THE 10 BEST PLATFORMS FOR FINDING FREELANCERS
Guru caters to freelancers with diverse skills and expertise by offering a wide range of project categories. Whether freelancers specialize in writing, design, programming, marketing, or other fields, they can find relevant opportunities on Guru.
Source: medium.com
Top 10 free Websites to find Remote Job
Guru is a freelance marketplace that connects employers with freelancers for various projects, including remote jobs. It provides a platform for freelancers to find remote job opportunities, collaborate with clients, and receive payment, making it a useful resource for individuals seeking remote work.
Top Sites Like Fiverr โ€“ The Best Alternatives For Freelancers in 2022
It is one of the best Fiverr competitors that gives an easy way to get contacted by potential employers. This platform posts a massive amount of jobs every day. Guru deducts 5% to 9% payment you got after successfully completing a task.
9 Best Upwork Alternatives
Guru offers access to over 3 million freelancers from around the world. You can hire experienced freelancers for anything from logo design to sound engineering.

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 seems to be a lot more popular than Guru. While we know about 98 links to Substack, we've tracked only 3 mentions of Guru. 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.

Guru mentions (3)

  • I tried to kill myself today
    Guru.com and similar website have tons of resources for starting freelancers. You won't land yourself a cushy programming job in the first week, you may need to hustle long work weeks and multiple employers, but if you are a trained programmer, you shouldn't have much trouble finding a job, after you take care of yourself. Source: almost 5 years ago
  • Web stack for advertisement platform
    Cloud hosted, haven't done any assessment. Maybe something like freelancer.com or guru.com is similar. Source: almost 5 years ago
  • How do you get the initial SEO backlinks?
    Go to guru.com and get a data miner to find you a list of 500 relevant blogs, contact details etc. Source: about 5 years ago

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 / 23 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 / 29 days 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
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What are some alternatives?

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

Upwork - Forget the old rules. You can have the best people. Right now. Right here.

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

Freelancer.com - Search for jobs related to Www freelancer com homepage or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 12m+ jobs. It's free to sign up and bid on jobs.

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.

Fiverr - One marketplace, millions of professional services.

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