Substack vs Medium
Substack
Newsletter platform with paid subscription monetization, optimized for writers building loyal reader bases.
Independent creators, newsletter writers, established writers seeking ownership, those building loyal subscriber bases
Medium
Hosted writing platform with built-in audience discovery and community engagement
New writers seeking discovery, long-form essayists, those wanting passive income, writers without existing audiences, journalists and storytellers
Short Answer
Substack is a newsletter-first platform emphasizing creator ownership and direct subscriber relationships, while Medium is a content discovery platform optimized for algorithmic reach and monetization through membership. Choose Substack for building loyal audiences; choose Medium for maximizing discoverability.
Our Verdict
AI-assistedSubstack excels for creators prioritizing audience ownership, direct monetization, and independence from algorithmic changes. Medium remains superior for writers seeking immediate discoverability, reader discovery without existing audiences, and passive income through membership pools. The choice depends on whether you prioritize control (Substack) or reach (Medium).
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Choose Substack if
Independent creators, newsletter writers, established writers seeking ownership, those building loyal subscriber bases
Choose Medium if
New writers seeking discovery, long-form essayists, those wanting passive income, writers without existing audiences, journalists and storytellers
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Key Differences at a Glance
Key Facts & Figures
| Metric | Substack | Medium | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creator Revenue Retention(percentage) | 90%+ | 50% (pool-based) | +80% |
| Content Monetization Speed(days to first sale) | Immediate (day 1) | 30-90 (eligibility required) | -98% |
| Content Format Flexibility(format count) | Newsletters, Notes, Video, Audio (4+) | Articles, audio, multimedia (3) | +33% |
| Estimated Monthly Readers(millions) | 10-15M (growing) | 100M+ | -88% |
| Starting Cost(USD) | $0 | — | — |
| Revenue Share on Subscriptions(percent) | 10% | — | — |
| Setup Time to First Newsletter(minutes) | 5-10 | — | — |
| Monthly Platform Cost(USD) | $0 (10% revenue share) | — | — |
| Revenue Retention Rate(%) | 90% | — | — |
| Average Subscriber Payment(USD/month) | $5-$10 | — | — |
| Starting Monthly Cost(USD) | $0 (revenue-share only) | — | — |
| Platform Fee on Revenue(%) | 10% | — | — |
| Third-party Integrations(integrations) | 15-20 | — | — |
| Setup Time for Beginners(hours) | 30 minutes - 1 hour | — | — |
| Platform Commission on Paid Subscriptions(%) | 10% (all payment methods) | — | — |
| Creator Retains of Revenue(%) | 90% | — | — |
| Platform Fee on $1,000 Monthly Revenue(USD) | $100 (10% of paid subscriptions) | — | — |
| Email Inbox Placement Rate(percent) | 98%+ | — | — |
| Maximum Custom Membership Tiers(count) | 3 tiers maximum | — | — |
| Minimum Membership Price(USD per month) | $5/month | — | — |
| Estimated Active Creator Base(thousands of creators) | ~500,000+ writers | — | — |
| Monthly Active Users (Audience)(millions) | ~50+ million monthly | — | — |
| Monthly Active Users (Platform)(millions) | 1+ million (estimated 2024) | — | — |
| Monetization Options Available(count) | 2 (subscriptions, paid posts) | — | — |
| Organic Discovery Potential(score) | Moderate (Notes feature, recommendations) | — | — |
| Median Creator Monthly Revenue(USD) | $300-$1,500 | — | — |
| Starting Cost(USD/year) | Free ($0) | Free ($0) | — |
| Monthly Active Users (Platform Reach)(millions) | 100+ million | 100+ million | — |
| Setup Time to First Publish(minutes) | 5-10 minutes | 5-10 minutes | — |
| Maximum Revenue Potential (Monthly)(USD) | $5,000+ (top writers) | $5,000+ (top writers) | — |
| Cost per 10,000 Subscribers/Year(USD) | $0 | $0 | — |
| Annual Hosting Cost(USD) | Free (or $5-12/month premium) | Free (or $5-12/month premium) | — |
| Design Templates Available(count) | 15-20 official templates | 15-20 official templates | — |
| Revenue Share on Ad Revenue(percent) | 50% (Medium takes 50%) | 50% (Medium takes 50%) | — |
| Content Export Difficulty(ease score (1-10)) | Very difficult (2/10) | Very difficult (2/10) | — |
| Technical Maintenance Required(hours per month) | 0 hours (fully managed) | 0 hours (fully managed) | — |
| Monthly Active Readers(millions) | 100+ | 100+ | — |
| Creator Revenue Share(USD per 1,000 views) | 50% (Member program) | 50% (Member program) | — |
| Custom Domain Cost(USD/month) | $5-12 (Pro required) | $5-12 (Pro required) | — |
| Platform Founded(year) | 2012 | 2012 | — |
| Base Annual Cost(USD) | $168/year (Premium membership) | $168/year (Premium membership) | — |
| Time to First Publish(minutes) | 2-5 minutes (sign up and publish) | 2-5 minutes (sign up and publish) | — |
| Available Integrations(count) | 50+ (official partnerships) | 50+ (official partnerships) | — |
| Content Ownership(percentage of rights) | Shared (Medium retains platform rights) | Shared (Medium retains platform rights) | — |
| Average Writer Earnings (Partner Program)(USD per month) | $50-500 (Medium Partner Program) | $50-500 (Medium Partner Program) | — |
| SEO Customization(scale 1-10) | 5/10 (limited meta controls) | 5/10 (limited meta controls) | — |
All figures sourced from publicly available data. Last updated Jun 2026.
Key Differences
Substack
Newsletter-based with direct subscriptions
Medium
Article-based with algorithmic discovery
Substack
Creator sets own subscription prices; keeps majority🏆
Medium
Membership pool + Partner Program revenue share
Substack
Own subscriber list ownership🏆
Medium
Platform-dependent algorithmic distribution
Substack
Limited organic discovery for new writers
Medium
Strong algorithmic reach for all writers🏆
Substack
High ownership and independence🏆
Medium
Platform-dependent content distribution
Substack
Can monetize immediately with own pricing🏆
Medium
Requires membership program eligibility
Substack
Email newsletters, notes, video expanding
Medium
Long-form articles primarily🏆
Substack
Notes algorithm, live video, visual content focus🏆
Medium
Mature platform with content category decline
Full Comparison
| Attribute | Substack | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Creator Revenue Retention(percentage) | 90%+ | 50% (pool-based) |
| Content Monetization Speed(days to first sale) | Immediate (day 1) | 30-90 (eligibility required) |
| Revenue Retention Rate(%) | 90% | — |
| Average Subscriber Payment(USD/month) | $5-$10 | — |
| Minimum Membership Price(USD per month) | $5/month | — |
Show 4 more attributesMaximum 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) — Average Writer Earnings (Partner Program)(USD per month) $50-500 (Medium Partner Program) — | ||
| Audience Discovery for New Writers(ease rating) | Low (requires existing audience) | High (algorithmic reach) |
| Audience Discovery Strength | Strong directory and algorithm-driven recommendations | — |
| Subscriber List Ownership(yes/no) | Yes | No |
| Content Format Flexibility(format count) | Newsletters, Notes, Video, Audio (4+) | Articles, audio, multimedia (3) |
| Design Customization Level | Limited customization options | — |
| Built-in Discovery Features | Established Notes network with high discoverability | — |
| Analytics Depth | Basic subscription and open rate analytics | — |
| API and Integration Support | Limited third-party integration options | — |
Show 12 more attributesSEO Capabilities Basic (limited control) — Monetization Methods Primarily paid subscriptions — Free Subscriber Limit(subscribers) Unlimited — Email Automation Workflows(capability level) Basic (simple sequences) — Native Product/Course Hosting(capability) No - subscriptions only — Maximum Custom Membership Tiers(count) 3 tiers maximum — Native Shop/Products Feature(yes/no) No—requires third-party integration — Monetization Options Available(count) 2 (subscriptions, paid posts) — 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) — | ||
| Estimated Monthly Readers(millions) | 10-15M (growing) | 100M+ |
| Monthly Active Users (Audience)(millions) | ~50+ million monthly | — |
| Algorithm Dependency Risk(risk level) | Low (own subscribers) | High (platform-dependent) |
| Platform Content Diversity Trend (2026)(growth/decline) | Expanding (Notes, Video, Visual) | Declining (Category counts down 20-38%) |
| Starting Cost(USD) | $0 | — |
| Revenue Share on Subscriptions(percent) | 10% | — |
| Monthly Platform Cost(USD) | $0 (10% revenue share) | — |
| Starting Monthly Cost(USD) | $0 (revenue-share only) | — |
| Platform Fee on Revenue(%) | 10% | — |
Show 4 more attributesStarting 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) — | ||
| Setup Time to First Newsletter(minutes) | 5-10 | — |
| Setup Complexity(hours) | 0.5-1 hour (minimal onboarding) | — |
| 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) | — |
| Design Customization(Collections/Year) | Limited templates and styling | — |
| Third-party Integrations(integrations) | 15-20 | — |
| Available Integrations(count) | 50+ (official partnerships) | — |
| Setup Time for Beginners(hours) | 30 minutes - 1 hour | — |
| Customer Support | Email, help center, limited support | — |
| Platform Commission on Paid Subscriptions(%) | 10% (all payment methods) | — |
| Creator Retains of Revenue(%) | 90% | — |
| Platform Fee on $1,000 Monthly Revenue(USD) | $100 (10% of paid subscriptions) | — |
| Payment Processing Fees(percentage + fixed) | Included in platform fee | — |
| Email Inbox Placement Rate(percent) | 98%+ | — |
| Estimated Active Creator Base(thousands of creators) | ~500,000+ writers | — |
| Monthly Active Users (Platform)(millions) | 1+ million (estimated 2024) | — |
| Organic Discovery Potential(score) | Moderate (Notes feature, recommendations) | — |
| Monthly Active Readers(millions) | 100+ | — |
| Subscriber Data Ownership | Creator owns full email list and subscriber data | — |
| Median Creator Monthly Revenue(USD) | $300-$1,500 | — |
| Monthly Active Users (Platform Reach)(millions) | 100+ million | — |
| Audience Ownership(percentage) | 0% (platform owned) | — |
| Email Marketing Capability(feature availability) | None; platform follows only | — |
| 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) | — |
| Platform Founded(year) | 2012 | — |
| Content Ownership Rights | Medium retains rights (creators license) | — |
| Primary Target Audience | General interest + business + tech | — |
| Content Ownership(percentage of rights) | Shared (Medium retains platform rights) | — |
| SEO Customization(scale 1-10) | 5/10 (limited meta controls) | — |
Show 4 more attributes
Show 12 more attributes
Show 4 more attributes
Visual Comparison
Side-by-side comparison of numeric attributes
Pros & Cons
Substack
Pros
- Complete ownership of subscriber list and audience
- Set your own subscription pricing and keep majority of revenue
- Direct relationship with readers via email
- Expanding features: Notes, live video, visual content (2026)
- No algorithmic dependency for audience growth
- Full monetization control from day one
Cons
- Limited organic discovery for new writers without existing audience
- Requires audience-building effort before monetization
- Email deliverability challenges
- Smaller total platform audience than Medium
- Higher friction for casual readers vs. Medium's discovery
Medium
Pros
- Powerful algorithmic discovery reaches readers without existing audience
- Immediate exposure to millions of monthly readers
- Membership program provides passive income opportunities
- Long-form content optimized for engagement
- Partner Program revenue sharing model
- Lower barrier to entry for new writers
Cons
- No ownership of reader relationships or subscriber list
- Algorithmic changes can drastically impact reach
- Revenue depends on platform's membership pool
- Content category performance declining (humor -21%, food -38%, history -29%)
- Lower monetization rates compared to direct subscriptions
- Content discovery favors certain topics and established voices
Frequently Asked Questions
Substack allows monetization from day one with your own subscription pricing. Medium requires 30-90 days and membership program eligibility. Substack wins for immediate monetization potential.
Resources & Learn More
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