Medium vs Hashnode
Medium
Hosted writing platform with built-in audience discovery and community engagement
Writers and journalists seeking broad mainstream audience, professionals building personal brands in business/technology, creators willing to trade ownership for reach
Hashnode
Developer-focused blogging platform emphasizing content ownership, Web3 features, and creator-friendly monetization.
Software developers and technical professionals, creators prioritizing ownership and monetization, writers interested in Web3 and blockchain integration, indie developers building audiences
Short Answer
Medium is a larger, more mainstream blogging platform with 100M+ monthly readers and a monetization program, while Hashnode is a developer-focused community platform with better content ownership, Web3 features, and lower revenue share for creators (8% vs 50%).
Our Verdict
AI-assistedChoose Medium if you want maximum audience reach (100M+ readers), need broad appeal across multiple topics, and are comfortable with revenue-sharing through their Member program. Choose Hashnode if you're a developer, value full content ownership, prefer better monetization terms (92% creator revenue), want a free custom domain, and are interested in Web3 features and a tight-knit tech community.
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Choose Medium if
Writers and journalists seeking broad mainstream audience, professionals building personal brands in business/technology, creators willing to trade ownership for reach
Choose Hashnode if
Software developers and technical professionals, creators prioritizing ownership and monetization, writers interested in Web3 and blockchain integration, indie developers building audiences
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Key Differences at a Glance
Key Facts & Figures
| Metric | Medium | Hashnode | 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+ | 2-3 | +3900% |
| Creator Revenue Share(USD per 1,000 views) | 50% (Member program) | 92% (8% fee) | -46% |
| Custom Domain Cost(USD/month) | $5-12 (Pro required) | Free | — |
| Platform Founded(year) | 2012 | 2019 | — |
| 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) | — | — |
All figures sourced from publicly available data. Last updated Jun 2026.
Key Differences
Medium
100+ million🏆
Hashnode
2-3 million
Medium
50% (Member program)
Hashnode
8% (platform takes 8%)🏆
Medium
Medium retains rights, creators license content
Hashnode
Full creator ownership with perpetual license to Hashnode🏆
Medium
General interest, business, technology
Hashnode
Software developers and tech professionals
Medium
Pro membership required ($5-12/month additional)
Hashnode
Free with all accounts🏆
Medium
None
Hashnode
NFT badges, token rewards, decentralized options🏆
Medium
2012🏆
Hashnode
2019
Full Comparison
| Attribute | Medium | Hashnode |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 92% (8% fee) |
Show 1 more attributeAverage Writer Earnings (Partner Program)(USD per month) $50-500 (Medium Partner Program) — | ||
| 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 | NFT badges, token rewards, blockchain integration |
| Free Tier Custom Domain | No (requires paid membership) | Yes (included free) |
| Customization Options(scale 1-10) | 3/10 (template-based) | — |
| 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) | Free |
| Base Annual Cost(USD) | $168/year (Premium membership) | — |
| 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) | — |
| 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+ | 2-3 |
| Platform Founded(year) | 2012 | 2019 |
| Content Ownership Rights | Medium retains rights (creators license) | Full creator ownership |
| Primary Target Audience | General interest + business + tech | Developers and tech professionals |
| 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) | — |
Show 1 more attribute
Visual Comparison
Side-by-side comparison of numeric attributes
Pros & Cons
Medium
Pros
- 100M+ monthly readers providing massive audience exposure
- Established platform with 12+ years of credibility and network effects
- Built-in Member subscription program for direct monetization
- Strong SEO presence — Medium articles rank highly in search results
- Elegant, distraction-free writing and reading interface
Cons
- Creator revenue share is 50%, significantly lower than alternatives
- Limited content ownership — Medium retains rights to published work
- Paywall behind Member program can limit organic reach
Hashnode
Pros
- Full content ownership with perpetual license — creators retain all rights
- Free custom domain for all users (Medium charges $5-12/month extra)
- 92% creator revenue retention (only 8% platform fee) vs Medium's 50%
- Web3 features including NFT badges, token rewards, and blockchain integration
- Highly engaged developer community with 2-3M monthly active users
Cons
- 100x smaller audience (2-3M vs 100M monthly readers) limits discoverability
- Smaller established network means less SEO authority than Medium articles
- Newer platform (since 2019) with less proven long-term stability
Frequently Asked Questions
On Medium, you retain copyright but license exclusive publication rights to Medium — they can republish, modify, and use your content. On Hashnode, you retain full ownership; Hashnode only gets a perpetual, worldwide license to display and distribute your work. Hashnode is superior for content ownership.
Resources & Learn More
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