been getting back into hf after like 10 years and wow things have changed. everyone keeps talking about these digital qsl systems but im confused which one is better. i see lotw and eqsl mentioned all the time but cant figure out if i need both or just one. my buddy says eqsl is easier but another guy at the club swears by lotw for dxcc credit. what do most of you actually use day to day

I use both but honestly LoTW is the gold standard if you care about DXCC or any ARRL awards. eQSL is nice because its super easy to upload and you get those fancy card images, but ARRL doesnt accept eQSL confirmations for awards. Most serious DXers use LoTW almost exclusively. That said, eQSL is free and really simple to get started with so maybe try that first to get your feet wet.

yeah what he said about lotw being the standard is right. i started with eqsl cause it seemed less intimidating but ended up switching to lotw when i decided to go for dxcc. the certificate thing with lotw is a pain at first but once you get it set up its pretty automatic. i still use eqsl sometimes just cause i like seeing the card images but for anything serious its gotta be lotw