willSub for Substitutes vs Sub Start
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
willSub for Substitutes
Easily find, accept, and manage your substitute teaching jobs. Receive instant notifications for new opportunities, view job details with maps, and track your work history and pay. Manage your schedule and preferences efficiently.
- Live job list
- Instant job notifications
- Accept/decline jobs
- Detailed job info with map
- Job confirmation alerts
- Cancel jobs
- View job history
- Track pay
- Manage time off
- Modify preferences
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The quickest, easiest way to find, get and manage the jobs you want. With willSub for Substitutes, you can: • See a live list of all of your available and upcoming jobs. • Get live notifications of new jobs, both in-app and as push notifications. • Quickly tap to accept or decline a job. • View detailed job info, including a map. • Get notified when an accepted job is confirmed. • Cancel an upcoming job. • View job history for the current and previous school year. • View processed and unprocessed pay. • Add, view and cancel unpaid time off. • Modify worksite and workday preferences.
Sub Start
This app streamlines substitute teacher booking and management for childcare programs. It offers features like check-in/out, messaging, document management, and worksite insights, all in one platform.
- Booking management
- Check-in/out
- Messaging
- Document management
- Worksite insights
- Notifications and alerts
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Sub Start is a revolutionary app designed specifically for childcare programs that simplifies substitute teacher booking and management. It integrates all the essential tools on one platform, including check-in/out, messaging, and much more. Sub Start Features 【BOOKING MANAGEMENT】 －Post and manage availability. - Receive booking and cancellation messages. - Check-in and check-out for work. 【NOTIFICATION AND ALERTS】 - Receive email and text alerts. - Instantly receive urgent announcements. 【WORKSITE INSIGHTS】 - Access detailed worksite information. - Set up preferred worksites. - Track your work history with ease. - Write center reviews. 【EFFORTLESS DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT】 - Easily upload and manage qualification documents. 【WORK STATUS MANAGEMENT】 - Seamlessly update and maintain your current work status. 【ACCESSIBILITY AND LANGUAGE OPTIONS】 - Available in three languages. And…much more coming! We’re committed to innovation with frequent improvements and new features. Start simplifying childcare program management with Sub Start today!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sub Start at 100% against willSub for Substitutes's 14%. Sub Start also leads on rating (4.2 vs 2.0). willSub for Substitutes's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Sub Start holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of willSub for Substitutes's written reviews are positive against 100% of Sub Start's.
willSub for Substitutes ships an update fortnightly, Sub Start every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | willSub for Substitutes | Sub Start |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.0 (2 ratings) | 4.2 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 13.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 90 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ESS Midwest Inc. | SubStart |
Customer experience
willSub for Substitutes
Sub Start
Bugs and requests
willSub for Substitutes
Reported bugs
12 issues- App freezes on loading screen
- Login button greyed out
- App not opening after updates
- Not receiving job notifications
- Not receiving text notifications
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- Auto-login not working
- App logs out frequently
- Cannot log in after updates
- Incorrect password/ID errors
- Jobs showing incorrectly (available when taken/declined)
- App not accessible on district Wi-Fi
- Login fields not accessible
Requested features
5 requests- Add to calendar option
- Calendar integration (Apple/Google)
- Dark mode
- Ability to switch between multiple districts easily
- Improved notification system
Sub Start
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
willSub for Substitutes
No in-app purchases
Sub Start
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is willSub for Substitutes free?
Is Sub Start free?
Which has better reviews, willSub for Substitutes or Sub Start?
Do willSub for Substitutes or Sub Start have ads?
Which is updated more often, willSub for Substitutes or Sub Start?
Other comparisons
