Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Substack VS Google Voice

Compare Substack VS Google Voice 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.

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.

Google Voice logo Google Voice

Google Voice gives you one number for all your phones, voicemail organized in an email format, free...
  • Substack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-26
  • Google Voice Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-12

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.

Google Voice features and specs

  • Cost-effective
    Google Voice provides free calling within the United States and Canada, making it an economical choice for personal and business use.
  • Integrations
    Seamlessly integrates with other Google services, such as Google Calendar, Gmail, and Google Contacts, enhancing productivity.
  • Unified Number
    Allows users to consolidate multiple phone numbers into one, simplifying contact management and ensuring you donโ€™t miss important calls.
  • Voicemail Transcription
    Automatically transcribes voicemails to text, making it easier to read and manage messages.
  • Multi-device Support
    Supports multiple devices including smartphones, tablets, and computers, making it accessible from anywhere.
  • Call Screening
    Offers advanced call screening features that allow users to block unwanted calls and filter spam efficiently.
  • Number Portability
    Allows porting of existing phone numbers into Google Voice, which ensures continuity and saves time.

Possible disadvantages of Google Voice

  • Limited International Calling
    While calls within the U.S. and Canada are free, international calls can be expensive compared to other VoIP services.
  • Dependence on Internet
    Requires a stable internet connection for effective functioning, which may be a limitation in areas with poor connectivity.
  • Delayed Updates
    Google Voice doesnโ€™t receive updates as frequently as some other communication platforms, potentially missing out on new features and enhancements.
  • Privacy Concerns
    As with all Google products, there can be privacy concerns regarding data collection and usage.
  • Limited Customer Support
    Customer support options are limited, often requiring users to rely on community forums or help documents instead of direct assistance.
  • Regional Restrictions
    Not available in all countries, which limits its usability for international travelers or businesses with a global presence.
  • No Emergency Services
    Google Voice cannot be used for emergency calls, which can be a critical limitation in urgent situations.

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

Analysis of Google Voice

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Google Voice is a reliable and versatile communication tool that is especially beneficial for users who are already entrenched in the Google ecosystem and need a single point of contact that can be managed across multiple devices.

Why this product is good

  • Google Voice is considered good due to its seamless integration with Google's suite of services, offering a free phone number for calls, text messages, and voicemail. It also provides features like call forwarding, voicemail transcription, and spam filtering, which enhance its functionality for personal and professional use.

Recommended for

  • Individuals looking for a free, secondary phone number for privacy or business purposes.
  • Freelancers and small business owners who need a unified communication platform with voicemail transcription.
  • Users who travel frequently and need a flexible solution for making and receiving calls without relying on a single mobile carrier.

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

Google Voice videos

Why I Use Google Voice

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Google Voice Tutorial 2019 - Quick Start
  • Review - Google Voice Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Substack and Google Voice)
Blogging
100 100%
0% 0
Communication
0 0%
100% 100
CMS
100 100%
0% 0
VoIP
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 Substack and Google Voice

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?

Google Voice Reviews

10 Best Business VoIP Phone Services for Small Businesses (2020)
Google Voice is a flexible business phone service. However, it has fewer options when compared to a fully virtual phone system. Itโ€™s handy for smart phone users and business owners using devices that support Google products.
Source: www.isitwp.com
Compare 5 Best Virtual Phone Number Providers for Your Businesses in 2018
Google voice is a known name in this field which provides call forwarding, dialing and voice-mail services. It was established by Google on March 11, 2009. It provides U.S based telephone number from which the user can choose an arsenal of numbers in their selected locality absolutely free. Almost all calls made from U.S and Canada to each other is free. You can use Google...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Substack should be more popular than Google Voice. 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.

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 / 16 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 / 22 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 1 month 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

Google Voice mentions (21)

  • Ask HN: I want to use two phones with one SIM
    Set up Google Voice so all calls are forwarded to both phones. https://voice.google.com/about. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Need help with phone bill
    If you can post this you can use https://voice.google.com/about . Call them and tell them , you need to wait to the next pay day to pay your phone bill and be able to accept text messages. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Iโ€™m frustrated with GV, calling issues
    Have you tried connecting via the Google Voice website on a PC to see if you're having the same issues? Source: about 3 years ago
  • What do I do if a cute stranger asks for my number?
    Get yourself a Google voice phone number! Then you can give out that number and have it forward calls to your real number and preserve some anonymity. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Kik is the absolute worst - here's what's better
    You can be completely anonymous by using a google voice number to sign up: https://voice.google.com/about. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

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

Skype - Stay in touch with your family and friends for free on Skype. Download Skype today to chat and call on desktop and mobile.

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.

RingCentral - RingCentral is the leading provider of cloud-based communications and collaboration solutions for small business and enterprise companies

Buttondown - Buttondown is the best way to start and run your newsletter

Grasshopper - Grasshopper enables entrepreneurs to build a virtual office that connects callers to employees, wherever they are.