Medium vs Substack

Struggling to choose between Medium and Substack? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Medium is a Social & Communications solution with tags like writing, publishing, blogging, social-media.

It boasts features such as Blogging platform, Social network, Reader mode, Highlighting and commenting, Custom domains, Analytics and pros including Good for long-form writing, Strong community, Customizable and flexible, Good SEO capabilities, Robust analytics.

On the other hand, Substack is a News & Books product tagged with email, newsletters, writing, publishing, blogging.

Its standout features include Allows writers to create and send email newsletters, Provides templates and tools for newsletter design, Handles newsletter hosting, delivery and analytics, Lets writers build subscriber lists and collect payments, Offers tiers with different features based on number of subscribers, Integrates with payment processors like Stripe, and it shines with pros like Easy to use interface, Good delivery and analytics, Allows monetization of newsletters, Lets writers own their subscriber lists, No need to build own email infrastructure.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Medium

Medium

Medium is an online publishing platform developed by Evan Williams where users can publish stories and articles. It has features for sharing, recommending, commenting, and allowing members to follow other users or publications.

Categories:
writing publishing blogging social-media

Medium Features

  1. Blogging platform
  2. Social network
  3. Reader mode
  4. Highlighting and commenting
  5. Custom domains
  6. Analytics

Pricing

  • Freemium
  • Subscription-based

Pros

Good for long-form writing

Strong community

Customizable and flexible

Good SEO capabilities

Robust analytics

Cons

Can be distracting interface

Limited formatting options

No ads allowed

Steep learning curve


Substack

Substack

Substack is an email newsletter platform that allows writers and publishers to easily create, design, and distribute email newsletters. It aims to let freelance writers and bloggers build direct relationships with readers.

Categories:
email newsletters writing publishing blogging

Substack Features

  1. Allows writers to create and send email newsletters
  2. Provides templates and tools for newsletter design
  3. Handles newsletter hosting, delivery and analytics
  4. Lets writers build subscriber lists and collect payments
  5. Offers tiers with different features based on number of subscribers
  6. Integrates with payment processors like Stripe

Pricing

  • Freemium
  • Subscription-Based

Pros

Easy to use interface

Good delivery and analytics

Allows monetization of newsletters

Lets writers own their subscriber lists

No need to build own email infrastructure

Cons

Limited customization compared to self-hosted solutions

Transaction fees on payments

No control over delivery servers

Email deliverability issues possible

Lock-in to Substack platform