Medium
Substack
Medium
Substack
Medium
Substack
Medium
Substack
Medium
No signals
Substack
Medium
No signals
Substack
Users: 1
Storage: N/A
Limits: Limited to 3 paywalled articles/month, No audio features, Constant paywall prompts
Users: 1
Storage: N/A
Limits: No writing-specific features included, Reading only
Users: 1
Storage: N/A
Limits: Same as monthly membership
Users: 1
Storage: N/A
Limits: Primarily a way to support writers, minimal additional features
Users: 1
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Must be accepted into program, 100 followers required, Earnings vary wildly
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: No paid subscriptions, Limited customization, No advanced email features, No API
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: 10% platform fee, ~13-14% total fees, No advanced email marketing, No API, Limited analytics
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Invitation only, Not publicly available, Terms vary by creator
| Feature | Medium | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Free publishing Write and publish for free | ||
| Free to start Completely free until paid subscriptions enabled | ||
| Growth | ||
| Built-in audience Millions of readers, but reaching them is difficult | ||
| Network discovery Recommendations, Notes, cross-posts | ||
| Monetization | ||
| Built-in monetization One-click paid subscriptions with Stripe | ||
| Partner Program monetization Earn from member reading time | ||
| Predictable earnings Earnings are highly volatile | ||
| Core | ||
| Subscriber ownership Export email list anytime | ||
| Usability | ||
| Beautiful reading experience Clean, distraction-free design | ||
| Simple publishing Clean editor, minimal learning curve | ||
| Collaboration | ||
| Publications Collaborative publishing, though less powerful now | ||
| Engagement | ||
| Engagement features Claps, highlights, comments | ||
| Community features Notes, Chat, comments | ||
| Branding | ||
| Custom domain Connect your own domain | ||
| Custom domain (free) Requires payment for custom domain | ||
| Design customization Very limited options | ||
| Access | ||
| Mobile apps iOS and Android apps | ||
| Audio articles For members, articles can be read aloud | ||
| Control | ||
| Audience ownership Cannot export follower emails | ||
| Marketing | ||
| Email automations No automated sequences | ||
| Subscriber segmentation Can't segment by behavior or interest | ||
| A/B testing No subject line or content testing | ||
| Distribution | ||
| Algorithm transparency Opaque, frequently changing | ||
| Email newsletter Limited email features | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Public API No API access whatsoever | ||
| API access Very limited API | ||
| Selling | ||
| E-commerce integrations Subscriptions only, no products | ||
| Support | ||
| Quality customer support 1.7/5 Trustpilot rating | ||
| Human customer support AI chatbots only, 1.4/5 rating | ||
| Analytics | ||
| Advanced analytics Basic stats only | ||
