start.me vs Toby (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, start.me grades higher than Toby: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
start.me grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
start.me
Start page and bookmark manager built from widgets
Toby
Browser extension that saves open tabs into shared Spaces
Which one is for you
Pick start.me if
- Fits if you want the same page of links and headlines in every browser you use
- Works for teachers and researchers who share curated pages of links
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a real feed reader, as RSS here is a widget of headlines on a page
- Tight if you stay free: ads on your own home page, 3 pages and basic widgets only
- Watch out: bookmark groups, broken-link checks, uploads and the AI tools all need PRO at $25 a year
- Pricey if a small team needs a few seats or SAML sign-on, since Team is $25 a month billed yearly and starts at 10 users
- Watch out: the Android app on Google Play was last updated in November 2024
Pick Toby if
- Fits if you keep a pile of open tabs and want them filed away
- Works for a small team sharing a set of research links
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 60 saved tabs per workspace fills fast
- Pricey if you need unlimited tabs or advanced search, which are Productivity at $4.50 a member a month
- Not for you if you need SSO or priority support, as those are Team at $8 or Enterprise
- Watch out: Enterprise has no published price
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAstart.meGood | 2.4GPATobyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPRO is $25 a year, $2.08 a month, which is inside the lowest-priced quarter for reading tools here, and it brings unlimited pages, no ads, 27 PRO features and the AI tools. Team is $25 a month billed annually for 10 users, so about the same each. | CProductivity is $4.50 a member a month billed yearly, or $6 monthly, between the middle and dearer quarter for reading apps, and Team is $8. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree is capped where it hurts: 3 start pages, basic widgets only, and advertising on your own home page. Bookmark groups, broken and duplicate link detection, uploads and the AI tools all need PRO. The Team plan does have a 30-day trial with no card. | CStarter is free for good with unlimited members, but a workspace stops taking new tabs at 60. Saved tabs stay viewable and exportable. |
| Features | BIt covers the start-page job: widgets for bookmarks, RSS news, notes, tasks, calendar, weather and embeds, one-click saving from the extension or phone app, and pages shared by link or with invited editors. As a place to read it's thin, mind: headlines in a widget, no reading view. | BSpaces, collections, session saving, sharing, sync, search with duplicate removal and AI organization. The listing names no gap in saving tabs. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and the work here is building the thing itself: you drag widgets into place and arrange a page before it's any use to you. Saving a link afterwards is one click from the extension or the phone app. | CNo rating on record. You set up spaces and collections yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android apps and a browser extension, with widgets that hook into Google Calendar, Trello and Google Tasks. No desktop app, so an A is out, and the Android app on Google Play was last updated in November 2024. | BWeb, a browser extension, iOS and Android. No desktop app is listed, and there are no integrations on record. |
| Best for | a home page of bookmarks and feeds in every browser | saving and sharing browser tabs in collections |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: start.me and Toby. How we grade
Price against what you get
start.me starts at $2.08 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Toby starts at $4.50 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and start.me starts $2.42 a month lower. Of the other read-later and bookmark apps on the chart, none scores higher than start.me for less, and 7 score higher than Toby for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- start.me also covers rSS reader.
- Toby also covers web clipper and templates.
At a glance
| start.me | Toby | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $25 per year (Personal PRO) | $4.50 per member / month, billed yearly |
| Free plan | Free personal plan supported by advertising: up to 3 start pages with basic widgets, and unlimited bookmarks and widgets. | Starter: up to 60 saved tabs, unlimited members and basic tab management features. |
| Free trial | Team plan: free 30-day trial with up to 10 members, no credit card needed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Start.me BV | Launch Labs, Inc. dba Axiom Zen |
| Price read from | web.archive.org (not the vendor's own page) | gettoby.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
start.me
- The Free plan shows advertising and stops at 3 start pages with basic widgets only.
- Bookmark groups, broken and duplicate link detection, document uploads and AI features all require PRO.
- Team is billed annually and starts with 10 user licenses; SAML single sign-on is not part of the personal plans.
- The Android app on Google Play was last updated in November 2024.
Toby
- The free plan stops you from saving new tabs once a workspace holds 60; saved tabs stay viewable and exportable.
- Unlimited saved tabs, advanced search and AI start on the paid plans.
- SSO and priority support are limited to Team and Enterprise.
Key features
start.me
- Start pages built from widgets
- A page combines widgets such as bookmarks, news feeds, notes, tasks, calendar, weather and embeds, arranged by dragging, and can be set as a browser homepage or new tab.
- Bookmark management
- Links are saved in one click from the browser extension or mobile app and organized into pages, widgets and groups. PRO adds broken and duplicate link detection.
- News (RSS) widgets
- An RSS widget follows a news source, blog or industry feed, and new articles show up on the page automatically.
- Sharing and collaboration
- Pages are private by default and can be shared through an open, password-protected or public link, or by inviting people as viewers or editors. Page collaboration needs PRO.
- AI bookmark tools
- On paid plans, AI features tidy bookmark titles, sort links into place and suggest useful sites to add.
- Team workspace
- The Team plan adds a shared workspace with member management, an admin console, a custom subdomain and branding, and SAML single sign-on.
Toby
- Spaces and collections
- Create a Space for each project or team and sort saved tabs into collections inside it, with tags and notes on each saved tab.
- One-click save and sessions
- Save all open tabs in one click, store them as a session, and restore them later; organize them when you have time.
- Shared Spaces and links
- Invite teammates into a Space so anyone can add and organize links, or turn a collection into a share link.
- Sync across browsers and devices
- Spaces stay in sync across the browsers and devices you sign in to; the site lists web, iOS and Android apps beside the extension.
- Search and duplicate removal
- Basic search is on every plan. Advanced search through history and removal of duplicate tabs need Productivity or Team.
- AI organization
- The comparison table lists AI features on the paid Productivity and Team plans.
Plans
start.me
Free$0
For personal use: a maximum of 3 start pages, basic widgets only, and advertising on your pages.
PRO$25
per year, for one user license
Unlimited start pages, no advertisements, 27 PRO features and widgets, and AI features.
Team$25
per month, billed annually; includes 10 users
One team workspace with 10 PRO licenses, a custom subdomain and branding, SAML single sign-on and priority support. More users can be added.
EnterpriseCustom
Everything in Team, plus unlimited users, multiple team workspaces, a dedicated support manager and custom invoicing.
Toby
Starter$0
Up to 60 saved tabs, unlimited members, spaces, collections, session saving, tags, notes and basic search.
Productivity$4.50
per member / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly)
Unlimited saved tabs, advanced search through history and duplicate-tab removal.
Team$8
per member / month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
Everything in Productivity plus SSO, priority support and centralized billing.
EnterpriseCustom
The pricing page tells larger organizations to contact the vendor; no price is published.
Ways to pay less
start.me
- Education
Discounted plans for schools and non-profits
The pricing page's FAQ says discounted plans are offered to schools and non-profit organizations, arranged by contacting the sales team with details of the organization.
Toby
- Annual discount
Save 20-25% with yearly billing
Productivity is $4.50 per member a month billed yearly against $6 billed monthly; Team is $8 against $10.
- Education
Student and educator discount
The pricing page links a student and educator verification request for a discount; the amount is not stated.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, start.me or Toby?
As of Nov 12, 2026, start.me starts at $25 per year (Personal PRO), and Toby starts at $4.50 per member / month, billed yearly. One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, start.me or Toby?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both start.me and Toby have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.