ReadyTab vs start.me for teams: shared start pages compared
Both give a team one start page that an owner controls. start.me runs as a web service with a $25-a-month team subscription that includes 10 users. ReadyTab runs as a browser extension where one Full owner hosts the board and everyone else joins free. The difference shows up in the bill and in who needs an account.
Last updated: October 22, 2026The short version
Pick start.me if you want a web dashboard with news feeds, weather and widgets, mobile apps, and an admin console that manages user accounts. Pick ReadyTab if you want a locked team board inside the new tab, no accounts for the team, a flat CHF 25 a year no matter how many people join, and boards that are encrypted before they reach a server.
| ReadyTab | start.me | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Small companies, agencies and support teams without a managed browser | Teams that want a web portal with widgets and user administration |
| Runs as | Browser extension, plus a read-only web reader for public boards | Web app, with browser extensions and mobile apps |
| Team pricing model | One owner on Full, CHF 25 / year. Collaborators free. | Team, $25 / month billed annually, 10 users included more users as an add-on |
| Accounts for team members | None. A token, a password and an edit key. | Each member has a start.me account |
| Encrypted before upload | Yes | No hosted web service |
| Starting price | Free Sync CHF 7/yr · Full CHF 25/yr | Free with ads Pro $25/yr per user |
What is start.me?
start.me is a start page you open in the browser or set as your new tab through its extension. Pages hold bookmark widgets, RSS feeds, notes, weather and similar blocks. The free plan is limited to three pages, uses basic widgets and shows advertising. Pro is a one-user license at $25 a year that removes ads, lifts the page limit and adds 27 Pro features and widgets plus AI features. The Team plan is for companies: $25 a month billed annually for one team workspace with 10 users, and more users can be added. It comes with a custom subdomain and branding, SAML single sign-on and priority support, and there is a 30-day free trial.
What is ReadyTab?
ReadyTab replaces the new tab in Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Brave with your own workspaces, and lets one person host a board for others. The host publishes a workspace as a live board. Teammates install the free extension, enter the board’s read token and password, and the board appears as a tab that updates when the owner changes it. If some of them should edit, the owner creates a named edit key for each person or group and can revoke it later. For people who will not install anything, the same workspace can be published as a public board, a read-only web page. Everything is encrypted in the browser before upload. There are no team accounts and no admin console; the owner’s license is the only account.
Feature by feature
Green means the product has the feature. A dash means it is not something that product does. “Pro”, “Team” and “Full” mark the paid tier it needs.
| Feature | ReadyTab | start.me |
|---|---|---|
| Shared team page controlled by one owner | Yes Full | Yes Team |
| Team members edit without a paid license | Yes owner-issued edit keys | No 10 users included in Team, extra users paid |
| Team members need an account | No | Yes |
| Revoke one person’s editing without touching the others | Yes named keys | Yes user management |
| Read-only public page without an account or extension | Yes Full | Yes |
| Admin console, user directory, SSO | — | Yes Team, SAML2 |
| Custom subdomain and your own branding | — | Yes Team |
| Conflict review when two people save | Yes | — |
| Rich content blocks (callouts, steps, code, cards) | Yes | Yes notes and widgets |
| News, RSS and weather widgets | — | Yes |
| Desktop app launcher (Windows, macOS, Linux) | Yes | No |
| One-click routines | Yes | No |
| Multiple personal workspaces | Unlimited, free | 3 pages free, unlimited on Pro |
| Mobile apps | No public boards open on phones | Yes |
| Data encrypted in the browser before upload | Yes | No |
| Ads on the free plan | None | Yes |
| Works offline on your own boards | Yes local first | No |
Feature sources: start.me product and pricing pages as reviewed October 22, 2026. Products change; check each site for the latest.
Pricing compared
ReadyTab is priced in Swiss francs, start.me in US dollars. The structural difference matters more than the exchange rate: start.me prices the team, ReadyTab prices the host.
| Plan | ReadyTab | start.me |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes unlimited workspaces, no ads | Yes 3 pages, basic widgets, ads |
| Individual paid plan | Sync CHF 7 / yr Full CHF 25 / yr |
Pro $25 / yr one user license |
| Team plan | Full CHF 25 / yr one owner, collaborators free | $25 / month billed annually 10 users included, add more anytime |
| A 15-person team, per year | CHF 25 | $300 for the first 10 users plus 5 added users at start.me’s add-on rate |
| Lifetime | Full CHF 52.99 one-time | — |
| Trial | Build the whole board on Free pay only to share it | 30 days free no credit card |
Prices checked October 22, 2026 on start.me/teams and start.me/pricing. The price of added Team users is not listed there. ReadyTab prices are on the pricing page.
Who should choose which?
Choose ReadyTab if…
- You want one bill of CHF 25 a year regardless of headcount
- Nobody on the team should have to create an account
- The board must be encrypted before it leaves the browser
- You also launch desktop apps, folders and routines from the new tab
- Clients or contractors should read a page without installing anything
Choose start.me if…
- You want news feeds, weather and widgets on the page
- You need an admin console with user accounts and SSO
- The team works from phones and wants native apps
- You prefer a web portal to a browser extension
- You want the page on your own subdomain with your own branding
Where start.me is the better fit
If your security review requires central user management and single sign-on, start.me Team has SAML2 and a user directory, and ReadyTab does not. ReadyTab’s edit keys are labels the owner assigns, not verified identities, and several people can share one key. That is simple and cheap for a 15-person company. It is the wrong tool for a 500-person one.
Frequently asked questions
Is ReadyTab a start.me alternative for teams?
Yes, for teams that want one shared start page the owner controls. ReadyTab hosts it from a browser extension: one person on Full publishes the board, everyone else joins free and edits with an owner-issued key. start.me hosts team pages as a web service under a $25-a-month team subscription that includes 10 users.
Does start.me charge per user?
Pro is a one-user license at $25 a year. Team is $25 a month billed annually and includes 10 users, with more available as an add-on, so a team starts at $300 a year. ReadyTab charges one owner CHF 25 a year and nothing per collaborator.
Can my team edit a ReadyTab board without paying?
Yes. Collaborators use the free extension, join the board with its read token and password, and enter an edit key the owner created. The owner can name keys per person or group and revoke each one on its own. The company start page guide walks through the setup.
Can people without the extension see a ReadyTab board?
Yes, through a public board: a read-only web page the owner publishes from the same workspace. It opens in any browser and the owner can update it in place. Editing still needs the extension.
One owner. A whole team. CHF 25 a year.
Build the board on Free, then add Full when it is time to share it. No accounts for the team, no tracking, no ads.
Add ReadyTab to Chrome - Free See how teams use ReadyTab