{"id":"cmofhq5ib0077g2gj03bjpqcf","slug":"medium-vs-substack","title":"Substack vs Medium","shortAnswer":"Substack is a newsletter-first platform that lets creators keep 90% of subscription revenue and build direct audience relationships, while Medium is a reading platform with a curated feed that pays writers from a subscription pool (creators receive 50% of revenue). 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Threshold","unit":"followers","category":"Monetization","dataType":"number","higherIsBetter":false,"values":[{"entityId":"cmofhq5ee0076g2gjfaasv8tb","valueText":"100+ followers required","valueNumber":100,"valueBoolean":null}]},{"id":"cmrdzn1ij006tkb7xfni0k0qs","slug":"platform-ads-display","name":"Platform Ads Display","unit":null,"category":"User Experience","dataType":"text","higherIsBetter":false,"values":[{"entityId":"cmofhq5ee0076g2gjfaasv8tb","valueText":"Yes, throughout platform","valueNumber":null,"valueBoolean":null}]},{"id":"cmrdzn1iu006zkb7x11n1gr5c","slug":"analytics-metrics-depth","name":"Analytics Metrics Depth","unit":"count","category":"Analytics","dataType":"number","higherIsBetter":true,"values":[{"entityId":"cmofhq5ee0076g2gjfaasv8tb","valueText":"Basic (views, reads, engagement)","valueNumber":4,"valueBoolean":null}]},{"id":"cmrdzn1j60075kb7x6o3ojeib","slug":"free-to-start-publishing","name":"Free-to-Start Publishing","unit":null,"category":"Pricing","dataType":"text","higherIsBetter":true,"values":[{"entityId":"cmofhq5ee0076g2gjfaasv8tb","valueText":"Yes, free tier available","valueNumber":null,"valueBoolean":null}]},{"id":"cmrdzn1ji007bkb7xqyo5q1e0","slug":"story-level-paywall-option","name":"Story-Level Paywall Option","unit":null,"category":"Monetization","dataType":"text","higherIsBetter":null,"values":[{"entityId":"cmofhq5ee0076g2gjfaasv8tb","valueText":"Yes (Member-only stories)","valueNumber":null,"valueBoolean":null}]}],"faqs":[{"question":"How does Substack make money and how much does it take from writers?","answer":"Substack takes 10% of gross subscription revenue from paid newsletters. For free newsletters, Substack is free to use. Writers keep 90% minus payment processing fees (approximately 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction)."},{"question":"Can you make money on Medium without a big following?","answer":"Yes. The Medium Partner Program pays based on reading time from Medium members, not follower count. New writers can earn from organic discovery through Medium's curation and internal search. However, typical earnings for most articles are modest unless pieces go viral or get curated prominently."},{"question":"Which platform is better for SEO?","answer":"Medium articles can rank well in Google due to Medium's domain authority. Substack posts are primarily delivered via email, and while they have public URLs, they typically have weaker SEO footprint than equivalent Medium posts unless the writer actively builds their own domain."},{"question":"Can you migrate from Medium to Substack?","answer":"Yes. You can export your Medium posts and republish them on Substack. Many writers have made this transition as they built a following on Medium and then converted those readers to Substack subscribers. Medium allows email list export for writers who collected subscriber emails."},{"question":"What percentage do top Substack writers earn?","answer":"Top Substack newsletters can earn millions annually. A newsletter with 10,000 paid subscribers at $10/month generates approximately $1.08 million/year after Substack's 10% fee. However, most Substack writers have far fewer paid subscribers — median paid subscriber counts are in the hundreds."}],"relatedComparisons":[{"slug":"wordpress-vs-wix","title":"WordPress vs Wix","category":"software"},{"slug":"canva-vs-photoshop","title":"Canva vs Photoshop","category":"software"},{"slug":"slack-vs-microsoft-teams","title":"Slack vs Microsoft Teams","category":"software"},{"slug":"figma-vs-sketch","title":"Figma vs Sketch","category":"software"},{"slug":"iphone-17-vs-samsung-s26","title":"iPhone 17 vs Samsung Galaxy S26","category":"technology"},{"slug":"mac-vs-windows","title":"Mac vs Windows","category":"technology"},{"slug":"android-vs-ios","title":"Android vs iOS","category":"technology"},{"slug":"nvidia-vs-amd","title":"NVIDIA vs AMD","category":"technology"},{"slug":"brave-vs-duckduckgo","title":"Brave vs DuckDuckGo","category":"software"},{"slug":"airbnb-vs-booking","title":"Airbnb vs Booking.com","category":"software"},{"slug":"excel-vs-airtable","title":"Excel vs Airtable","category":"software"},{"slug":"netflix-vs-peacock-comparison-2026","title":"Netflix vs Peacock","category":"software"}],"relatedBlogPosts":[{"slug":"best-streaming-services-in-2026-top-picks-for-every-budget-interest","title":"Best Streaming Services in 2026: Top Picks for Every Budget & Interest","excerpt":"Navigating the crowded streaming landscape in 2026 can be overwhelming. We've tested and ranked the best streaming services that offer the most value, from Netflix's massive library to budget-friendly options like Tubi, helping you cut cable and find your perfect entertainment solution.","category":"technology"},{"slug":"best-live-tv-streaming-services-plans-for-spring-2026-complete-buyers-guide","title":"Best Live TV Streaming Services & Plans for Spring 2026: Complete Buyer's Guide","excerpt":"Tired of overpaying for cable? Discover the best live TV streaming services and plans for Spring 2026, including YouTube TV's new genre-based packages starting at $55/month. Our comprehensive guide breaks down pricing, channels, and features to help you cut the cord.","category":"technology"},{"slug":"philo-in-2026-streaming-tv-service-review-pricing-reddit-community-insights","title":"Philo in 2026: Streaming TV Service Review, Pricing & Reddit Community Insights","excerpt":"Explore Philo's evolution heading into 2026, including pricing tiers, channel lineup, and how it compares to competitors like Sling TV. Discover what the r/PhiloTV Reddit community thinks about the service's current offerings and future prospects.","category":"technology"},{"slug":"best-us-fighter-jets-2026-top-american-combat-aircraft-ranked","title":"Best US Fighter Jets 2026: Top American Combat Aircraft Ranked","excerpt":"Discover the most advanced US fighter jets dominating the skies in 2026. From the legendary F-22 Raptor to the versatile F-35 Lightning II, we rank America's best combat aircraft based on performance, stealth, and air superiority capabilities.","category":"technology"},{"slug":"philo-in-2026-pricing-lineup-how-it-compares-to-sling-tv","title":"Philo in 2026: Pricing, Lineup & How It Compares to Sling TV","excerpt":"As we head into 2026, Philo continues to position itself as an affordable streaming alternative for cable TV lovers. Discover what Philo offers, how its pricing stacks up against competitors like Sling TV, and what the Reddit community thinks about its future.","category":"technology"}],"metadata":{"metaTitle":"Substack vs Medium 2026: Revenue, Features & Best Choice","metaDescription":"Compare Substack vs Medium: 90% vs 50% payouts, discovery models, and which platform suits emerging writers vs established creators.","publishedAt":"2026-04-26T08:12:32.482Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-04T09:00:39.038Z","isAutoGenerated":true,"isHumanReviewed":true,"viewCount":0,"status":"published"},"expertAnalysis":"Medium and Substack both position themselves as tools for serious writers, but they've evolved toward fundamentally different economic models — and the right choice depends almost entirely on whether you're building an audience from scratch or converting one you already have.\n\nSubstack's model is built around the newsletter-first, paid subscription premise. Writers publish via email to subscribers, optionally charge monthly or annual fees, and Substack takes 10% of gross revenue. The platform provides no organic discovery beyond its internal \"Notes\" feed and Substack's own editorial recommendations. This makes Substack powerful for writers who already have an audience — converting existing followers into paying subscribers with zero technical overhead. As of 2025, Substack has surpassed 5 million paid subscriptions, more than doubling in two years. Individual newsletters like The Free Press, Heather Cox Richardson's Letters from an American, and Emily Atkin's HEATED demonstrate that individual writers can generate six or seven-figure annual revenues independently of any media institution.\n\nMedium's model operates differently. The Medium Partner Program pays writers based on reading time from paying Medium members ($5/month). Writers earn based on engagement, not direct subscriptions. This means Medium writers benefit from Medium's existing 100 million monthly readers — organic discovery, internal SEO, and curation by editors who can place articles on Medium's homepage or in major publications. For writers without an existing audience, this is a meaningful advantage: you can publish a well-crafted piece and reach thousands of readers within 24 hours without any existing follower base. Medium also hosts major publications (Towards Data Science, The Startup, Better Humans) that add institutional credibility to individual bylines.\n\nThe trade-off is revenue ceiling. Medium payouts for most writers are modest — typically $5-$50 per piece for non-viral articles. A Substack writer who builds 500 paid subscribers at $10/month earns $54,000/year (after Substack's cut); reaching equivalent income on Medium requires sustained high-traffic output that most writers cannot maintain. Medium is better for building an audience; Substack is better for monetizing one you already have.\n\nThe content format also differs in important ways. Substack is optimized for long-form newsletter writing and personal voice — the format rewards intimacy and regular cadence. Medium's editing tools and layout are better suited to formatted articles, data journalism, tutorials, and technical writing. Medium curates into topic-specific publications; Substack is entirely personal-brand-driven.\n\nThe strategic playbook many successful writers use: start on Medium for discovery and SEO reach while building an email list, then migrate that list to Substack when you have enough subscribers (typically 1,000+ engaged readers) to justify the subscription model. The two platforms can serve sequential rather than competing functions in a writer's career."}