Substack vs Medium

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

Substack is a News & Books solution with tags like email, newsletters, writing, publishing, blogging.

It boasts features such as 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 pros including 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.

On the other hand, Medium is a Social & Communications product tagged with writing, publishing, blogging, social-media.

Its standout features include Blogging platform, Social network, Reader mode, Highlighting and commenting, Custom domains, Analytics, and it shines with pros like Good for long-form writing, Strong community, Customizable and flexible, Good SEO capabilities, Robust analytics.

Feature	Substack	Medium
Overall Score	N/A	1
Primary Category	News & Books	Social & Communications

Product Overview

Substack

Description: 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.

Medium

Description: 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.

Key Features Comparison

Substack Features

• 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

Medium Features

• Blogging platform
• Social network
• Reader mode
• Highlighting and commenting
• Custom domains
• Analytics

Pros & Cons Analysis

Substack

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

Medium

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

Pricing Comparison

Substack

• Freemium
• Subscription-Based

Medium

• Freemium
• Subscription-based