Medium vs Beehiiv
Medium
Hosted writing platform with built-in audience discovery and community engagement
General writers, bloggers, and thought leaders seeking organic audience discovery without upfront costs
Beehiiv
Newsletter platform with built-in monetization and creator tools.
Professional newsletter creators, indie creators, and entrepreneurs seeking to build owned audiences with multiple monetization options
Short Answer
Medium is a free publishing platform with built-in audience discovery but limited monetization options, while Beehiiv is a premium newsletter platform designed specifically for creators to build subscriber bases and generate revenue through multiple monetization features.
Our Verdict
AI-assistedChoose Medium if you want free publishing with built-in audience discovery and don't prioritize monetization. Choose Beehiiv if you're a creator focused on building a owned subscriber base with multiple revenue streams and full control over your audience.
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Choose Medium if
General writers, bloggers, and thought leaders seeking organic audience discovery without upfront costs
Choose Beehiiv if
Professional newsletter creators, indie creators, and entrepreneurs seeking to build owned audiences with multiple monetization options
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Key Differences at a Glance
Key Facts & Figures
| Metric | Medium | Beehiiv | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creator Revenue Retention(percentage) | 50% (pool-based) | — | — |
| Content Monetization Speed(days to first sale) | 30-90 (eligibility required) | — | — |
| Content Format Flexibility(format count) | Articles, audio, multimedia (3) | — | — |
| Estimated Monthly Readers(millions) | 100M+ | — | — |
| Starting Cost(USD/year) | Free ($0) | — | — |
| Monthly Active Users (Platform Reach)(millions) | 100+ million | — | — |
| Setup Time to First Publish(minutes) | 5-10 minutes | — | — |
| Maximum Revenue Potential (Monthly)(USD) | $5,000+ (top writers) | — | — |
| Cost per 10,000 Subscribers/Year(USD) | $0 | — | — |
| Annual Hosting Cost(USD) | Free (or $5-12/month premium) | — | — |
| Design Templates Available(count) | 15-20 official templates | — | — |
| Revenue Share on Ad Revenue(percent) | 50% (Medium takes 50%) | — | — |
| Content Export Difficulty(ease score (1-10)) | Very difficult (2/10) | — | — |
| Technical Maintenance Required(hours per month) | 0 hours (fully managed) | — | — |
| Monthly Active Readers(millions) | 100+ | — | — |
| Creator Revenue Share(USD per 1,000 views) | 50% (Member program) | 100% of all revenue | -50% |
| Custom Domain Cost(USD/month) | $5-12 (Pro required) | — | — |
| Platform Founded(year) | 2012 | — | — |
| Base Annual Cost(USD) | $168/year (Premium membership) | — | — |
| Time to First Publish(minutes) | 2-5 minutes (sign up and publish) | — | — |
| Available Integrations(count) | 50+ (official partnerships) | — | — |
| Content Ownership(percentage of rights) | Shared (Medium retains platform rights) | — | — |
| Average Writer Earnings (Partner Program)(USD per month) | $50-500 (Medium Partner Program) | — | — |
| SEO Customization(scale 1-10) | 5/10 (limited meta controls) | — | — |
| Starting Cost(USD) | $109 | $109 | — |
| Revenue Share on Subscriptions(percent) | 0% (flat fee model) | 0% (flat fee model) | — |
| Setup Time to First Newsletter(minutes) | 30-45 | 30-45 | — |
| Startup Cost(USD) | $15/month for Pro plan | $15/month for Pro plan | — |
| Monthly Active Users (Platform)(millions) | 2+ (creators) | 2+ (creators) | — |
| Setup Time (hours)(hours) | 2-3 (configure monetization and workflows) | 2-3 (configure monetization and workflows) | — |
| Starting Price(USD/month) | $0 (free tier available) | $0 (free tier available) | — |
| Starting Monthly Price(USD) | $0 (free tier) | $0 (free tier) | — |
| Pro Plan Monthly Cost (10k subscribers)(USD) | $84 | $84 | — |
| Email Deliverability Rate(%) | 98.5% | 98.5% | — |
| Ease of Use Rating(G2 Score (1-10)) | 9.2/10 | 9.2/10 | — |
| Pre-built Automation Templates(count) | 30+ | 30+ | — |
| Third-Party Integrations(count) | 150+ | 150+ | — |
| Free Tier Subscriber Limit(subscribers) | 10,000 | 10,000 | — |
All figures sourced from publicly available data. Last updated Jun 2026.
Key Differences
Medium
General content publishing and reading
Beehiiv
Newsletter creation and subscriber monetization🏆
Medium
Free with optional $5/month membership🏆
Beehiiv
Free tier with Pro ($15/month) and Premium ($65/month) paid plans
Medium
50% of Member revenue (no direct ads)
Beehiiv
100% of subscription and sponsorship revenue to creators🏆
Medium
Paywalls and member program only
Beehiiv
Subscriptions, sponsorships, ad network, referral program, and paid upgrades🏆
Medium
100+ million🏆
Beehiiv
2+ million newsletter creators
Medium
Restricted; limited export capabilities
Beehiiv
Full ownership and easy export of subscriber list🏆
Medium
Algorithm-driven feed with recommendations🏆
Beehiiv
Direct subscriber-based model without platform discovery
Full Comparison
| Attribute | Medium | Beehiiv |
|---|---|---|
| Creator Revenue Retention(percentage) | 50% (pool-based) | — |
| Content Monetization Speed(days to first sale) | 30-90 (eligibility required) | — |
| Maximum Revenue Potential (Monthly)(USD) | $5,000+ (top writers) | — |
| Revenue Share on Ad Revenue(percent) | 50% (Medium takes 50%) | — |
| Creator Revenue Share(USD per 1,000 views) | 50% (Member program) | 100% of all revenue |
Show 3 more attributesAverage Writer Earnings (Partner Program)(USD per month) $50-500 (Medium Partner Program) — Built-in Sponsorship Network Yes—exclusive sponsorship marketplace — Built-in Monetization Tools(features) Paid tiers, sponsorships, referrals — | ||
| Audience Discovery for New Writers(ease rating) | High (algorithmic reach) | — |
| Subscriber List Ownership(yes/no) | No | — |
| Content Format Flexibility(format count) | Articles, audio, multimedia (3) | — |
| Design Templates Available(count) | 15-20 official templates | — |
| Web3/NFT Features | None | — |
| Free Tier Custom Domain | No (requires paid membership) | — |
| Customization Options(scale 1-10) | 3/10 (template-based) | — |
Show 10 more attributesMonetization Methods Ads, paid subs, sponsorships, referrals, tips — Design Customization Level Extensive templates and brand control — Built-in Discovery Features Emerging recommendation system — Analytics Depth Advanced multi-stream analytics and segmentation — API and Integration Support Zapier, Make, and native integrations available — Automation & Segmentation Tools(features) Advanced tagging, conditional logic, dynamic content — Content Distribution Channels Email + social cross-posting + RSS feeds — Pre-built Automation Templates(count) 30+ — Third-Party Integrations(count) 150+ — Free Tier Subscriber Limit(subscribers) 10,000 — | ||
| Estimated Monthly Readers(millions) | 100M+ | — |
| Algorithm Dependency Risk(risk level) | High (platform-dependent) | — |
| Platform Content Diversity Trend (2026)(growth/decline) | Declining (Category counts down 20-38%) | — |
| Starting Cost(USD/year) | Free ($0) | — |
| Annual Hosting Cost(USD) | Free (or $5-12/month premium) | — |
| Custom Domain Cost(USD/month) | $5-12 (Pro required) | — |
| Base Annual Cost(USD) | $168/year (Premium membership) | — |
| Starting Cost(USD) | $109 | — |
Show 5 more attributesRevenue Share on Subscriptions(percent) 0% (flat fee model) — Startup Cost(USD) $15/month for Pro plan — Starting Price(USD/month) $0 (free tier available) — Starting Monthly Price(USD) $0 (free tier) — Pro Plan Monthly Cost (10k subscribers)(USD) $84 — | ||
| Monthly Active Users (Platform Reach)(millions) | 100+ million | — |
| Audience Ownership(percentage) | 0% (platform owned) | — |
| Email Marketing Capability(feature availability) | None; platform follows only | — |
| Setup Time to First Publish(minutes) | 5-10 minutes | — |
| Technical Maintenance Required(hours per month) | 0 hours (fully managed) | — |
| Time to First Publish(minutes) | 2-5 minutes (sign up and publish) | — |
| Setup Time to First Newsletter(minutes) | 30-45 | — |
| Setup Time (hours)(hours) | 2-3 (configure monetization and workflows) | — |
| Subscriber List Export(availability) | Limited/not available | — |
| Cost per 10,000 Subscribers/Year(USD) | $0 | — |
| Setup Time(hours) | 5 minutes | — |
| Plugin/Extension Ecosystem(plugins available) | Limited to native features | — |
| Monthly Active Users(millions) | 100+ million | — |
| Content Export Difficulty(ease score (1-10)) | Very difficult (2/10) | — |
| Monthly Active Readers(millions) | 100+ | — |
| Monthly Active Users (Platform)(millions) | 2+ (creators) | — |
| Platform Founded(year) | 2012 | — |
| Content Ownership Rights | Medium retains rights (creators license) | — |
| Primary Target Audience | General interest + business + tech | — |
| Available Integrations(count) | 50+ (official partnerships) | — |
| Content Ownership(percentage of rights) | Shared (Medium retains platform rights) | — |
| SEO Customization(scale 1-10) | 5/10 (limited meta controls) | — |
| Subscriber Data Ownership | Full ownership; unrestricted CSV export | — |
| Email Deliverability Rate(%) | 98.5% | — |
| Ease of Use Rating(G2 Score (1-10)) | 9.2/10 | — |
Show 3 more attributes
Show 10 more attributes
Show 5 more attributes
Visual Comparison
Side-by-side comparison of numeric attributes
Pros & Cons
Medium
Pros
- 100+ million monthly active users for content discovery
- Free to publish without platform fees
- Member program allows creators to earn 50% of subscription revenue
- Clean, distraction-free writing interface
- Strong SEO and organic search visibility for articles
Cons
- Limited monetization control—platform takes 50% of member revenue
- Email list export restricted; creators don't own subscriber data
- No native sponsorship or advertising network integration
Beehiiv
Pros
- 100% revenue retention on subscriptions and sponsorships
- Full ownership and export of subscriber email list
- Integrated sponsorship marketplace connecting brands with newsletters
- Advanced segmentation and automation for subscriber management
- Dedicated ad network offering $5+ CPM to newsletter creators
Cons
- Paid plans required ($15-$65/month) for advanced features; free tier is limited
- No built-in audience discovery—relies on creator's external traffic
- Steeper learning curve for non-technical founders
Frequently Asked Questions
Medium allows monetization through its Member program, where you earn 50% of subscription revenue from members who read your articles. Beehiiv offers direct monetization through paid subscriptions (100% to you), sponsorships via its marketplace, ads through its network, and referrals. Beehiiv provides significantly more monetization levers with 100% revenue retention.
Resources & Learn More
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