Medium vs Substack

Updated October 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Medium

A large open publishing site where anyone can post articles and members pay to read without limits.

Free plan + paid

Visit Medium Medium profile

Substack

A publishing network where writers send newsletters, run paid subscriptions and get discovered through a shared app.

Free plan + paid

Visit Substack Substack profile

The short answer

Medium is for writers who want readers without building anything: posting is free, and its recommendations and topic pages put stories in front of an existing audience, with earnings coming through the Partner Program. Substack is for writers who want their own list and paid subscribers at a price they set, with Substack keeping 10% of paid revenue. The key difference is renting an audience versus owning one.

Medium or Substack: our take

Both are free to write on and both have built-in discovery, but the relationship with readers is different. On Medium, writers publish to a profile or to publications run by others, and readers can follow them and get new posts by email. Money comes from Medium's reader membership, which unlocks member-only stories; writers in the Partner Program earn a share based on how members engage with their work. Writers do not set a price or get a direct paid relationship with readers, and payout and distribution rules have changed several times.

Substack gives each writer a publication with a website, an email list and optional paid subscriptions at a price the writer chooses. Discovery comes from the Substack app, the Notes feed and recommendations between publications. Free newsletters cost nothing; on paid subscriptions, writers keep 90% of revenue minus card fees. It also hosts podcasts and video, and it can import from Medium, which makes moving across straightforward.

Neither offers much design control: Medium's layout and branding are fixed, and Substack's options are limited compared with Ghost or beehiiv. Both run on the web with iOS and Android apps.

Medium fits essayists and occasional writers who mainly want their work read and are comfortable depending on platform rules. Substack fits writers planning a regular newsletter, an email list they can keep, or a paid subscription business. Some writers use both, publishing on Medium for reach and pointing readers to a Substack list.

Choose Medium if…

Writers who want an existing audience for essays without running their own site or list
Large existing readership and topic-based discovery
Free to write, with a clean editor

Choose Substack if…

Writers who want built-in discovery and paid subscriptions without running any tech themselves
Built-in reader network and recommendations help new writers grow
Free to start, with paid subscriptions switched on in minutes

What is Medium?

Medium is a long-running blogging platform with a built-in audience. Anyone can write for free and publish to their own profile or to publications run by others, and readers can follow writers and get new posts by email. Revenue comes from a reader membership that removes the paywall on member-only stories; writers in the Partner Program earn a share based on how members engage with their work. The appeal is reach without setup: the clean editor, recommendations and topic pages can put a first post in front of readers quickly. The downside is control. You don't own a paid relationship with readers, cannot charge your own subscription price, have limited design and domain options, and depend on Medium's distribution and payout rules, which have changed several times. It runs in the browser with iOS and Android apps. It suits writers who want readers more than a business of their own.

What is Substack?

Substack combines a newsletter tool, a website for each publication and a reader app with its own social feed, called Notes. Writers can start for free, publish posts by email and on the web, host podcasts and video, and turn on paid subscriptions when they are ready. Its biggest draw is the network: readers who already use the Substack app can find and subscribe to a new publication through recommendations, which helps new writers grow faster than they would on a standalone tool. The trade-offs are control and cost at scale. Design options are limited compared with Ghost or beehiiv, and the platform keeps a 10% share of paid subscription revenue on top of card fees, which becomes expensive for large paid publications. There is no fee for free newsletters. It runs in the browser, with iOS and Android apps for both writers and readers. It suits writers who value audience growth and simplicity over branding and ownership of the stack.

Side by side

Attribute	Medium	Substack
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Best for	Writers who want an existing audience for essays without running their own site or list	Writers who want built-in discovery and paid subscriptions without running any tech themselves
Status	Active	Active