Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Toggl VS Substack

Compare Toggl VS Substack and see what are their differences

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Toggl logo Toggl

Toggl is an online time tracking tool. It features 1-click time tracking and helps you see where your time goes. Free and paid versions are available.

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.
  • Toggl Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-05
  • Substack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-26

Toggl features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Toggl offers an intuitive and easy-to-use interface that allows users to track time with minimal effort and complexity, making it accessible for all skill levels.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Toggl is available on multiple platforms, including web, desktop, and mobile devices, ensuring seamless time tracking regardless of the device being used.
  • Detailed Reporting
    Toggl provides comprehensive reporting features that allow users to generate detailed reports on their time usage, helping in analyzing productivity and project management.
  • Integrations
    Toggl integrates with a wide range of popular productivity tools such as Asana, Trello, Jira, Slack, and more, ensuring smooth workflow integration.
  • Free Tier
    Toggl offers a free version that includes basic time tracking and reporting features, which can be sufficient for individual users and small teams.

Possible disadvantages of Toggl

  • Limited Features in Free Version
    While the free version is useful, it lacks some advanced features like project budgeting, in-depth reporting, and billable hours tracking, which are available in the paid plans.
  • Pricey Premium Plans
    The premium versions of Toggl can be relatively expensive, especially for small businesses or freelancers on a tight budget.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    Although the basic functions are user-friendly, some users may find a learning curve when trying to utilize more advanced features and settings.
  • Occasional Sync Issues
    There have been reports from users about occasional synchronization issues between different devices or platforms, which can lead to discrepancies in time tracking.
  • Limited Offline Functionality
    Toggl's offline functionality is somewhat limited, meaning that users need internet access to fully utilize and synchronize their time tracking data.

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

Toggl videos

Toggl Review: Time Tracker

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Time Tracking: How To Use Toggl Track (2021 Tutorial)
  • Review - TIME TRACKING: Why You Need to Use Toggl

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 Toggl and Substack)
Time Tracking
100 100%
0% 0
Blogging
0 0%
100% 100
Invoicing
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 Toggl and Substack

Toggl Reviews

25 Best Asana Alternatives & Competitors for Project Management in 2024
Toggl is a project management software comprised of three solutions: Toggl Track, Toggl Plan, and Toggl Hire. Toggl Planโ€™s visual roadmaps complement change management when managing multiple projects in spreadsheets introduces more work than support.
Source: clickup.com
10 Top RescueTime Alternatives for 2024 [Detailed Overview]
Mobile time tracking: Toggl Trackโ€™s mobile app is available for Android and iOS devices. Itโ€™s easy to use and syncs with the web and desktop versions for seamless time tracking.
Source: toggl.com
Discovering rescuetime alternatives for high productivity (2024)
Want to something else instead? Toggl can be the answer. It is significantly used by multiple businesses and is undeniably a good platform.
Toggl Track vs Clockk: 2023 comparison
Toggl Track and Clockk are both popular time tracking apps used by freelancers and businesses to keep track of time spent on projects. Toggl and Clockk both have a browser extension available. Read on to...
Source: clockk.com
21 Time Tracking Tools To Manage Your Workday
Thanks to web, desktop, and mobile applications which all sync in real time, Toggl takes the hassle out of time management. Their calendar integration improves the scheduling aspect of managing a team, and starting a timer takes only a single click. Toggl also offers the option to enable notifications which remind users to start tracking (or to stop tracking when the program...
Source: hive.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

Substack might be a bit more popular than Toggl. We know about 100 links to it since March 2021 and only 78 links to Toggl. 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.

Toggl mentions (78)

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Substack mentions (100)

  • Kids (With Phones) Are Alright
    Sure there was basically a cartel in social media. You saw coordinated censorship campaigns to ban the former president of the United States for example. But I wouldn't discount the amount of political interference there as well. The last administration admitted to flagging individual posts for the social media companies. But it's also true there is a lot of coordinated censorship even without state interference.... - Source: Hacker News / 5 days ago
  • Financing the AI boom: from cash flows to debt [pdf]
    Manhattan Project: $36B, 5 years โ–ซ Apollo Program: $257B, 14 years โ–ซ Interstate Highway System: $620B, 37 years โ–ซ AI data centers: $930B, 6 years and still accelerating From: https://substack.com/@rubendominguez/note/c-244929068. - Source: Hacker News / 1 day ago
  • 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 / 30 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
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What are some alternatives?

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

Harvest - Simple time tracking, fast online invoicing, and powerful reporting software. Simplify employee timesheets and billing. Get started for free.

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

RescueTime - Time management software that shows you how you spend your time & provides tools to help you be more productive.

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.

Time Doctor - Time Tracking and Time Management Software that is accurate and helps you to get a lot more done each day.

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