Substack vs Medium 2026: Which Writing Platform Is Better?

Substack and Medium are both platforms for writers, but they solve fundamentally different problems. Substack helps you build a direct email relationship with subscribers that you own. Medium gives you access to a built-in audience of millions of readers through its algorithmic distribution. The trade-off is ownership versus reach.

This comparison explains exactly when each platform makes sense and when it does not.

Feature Comparison

Monetization: The Core Difference

Substack's model is direct. You set a subscription price (typically $5-15/month or $50-150/year). Readers pay you directly. Substack takes 10% of your paid subscription revenue, and Stripe takes another 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction. If you charge $10/month and have 1,000 paid subscribers, you keep roughly $8,700/month after fees. The math is transparent and predictable.

Medium's model is indirect. Readers pay Medium $5/month for a membership. Medium distributes that membership pool to writers based on "read time" from paying members. Your earnings depend on how much time Medium members spend reading your content compared to everyone else on the platform. A viral article might earn $500 or $5,000, but your next article might earn $12. You have no control over the economics, and Medium has changed the algorithm multiple times.

The difference matters at every scale. On Substack, you can build predictable recurring revenue with a small, loyal audience. On Medium, you need consistent viral reach to earn meaningful income, and the platform can change the rules at any time.

Audience Building

Medium's advantage is cold start. If you write a strong article and it resonates with Medium's algorithm, it can reach tens of thousands of readers you never had to acquire. Medium distributes content through its homepage, topic pages, email digests, and recommendations. For a new writer with no existing audience, Medium can provide immediate exposure.

Substack requires you to bring or build your audience. There is no feed of all Substack posts for random readers to browse. The Substack Network and Recommendations feature help (established writers can recommend your newsletter to their subscribers), but growth still depends primarily on your own marketing, social media, and word of mouth. Substack Notes provides some additional discovery, but it is not yet comparable to Medium's algorithmic distribution.

However, every subscriber you gain on Substack is yours. You have their email address. If Substack disappeared tomorrow, you could export your list and continue publishing from any other platform. On Medium, if the platform changes its algorithm or deprioritizes your content type, your audience vanishes because you never had their contact information.

Writing Experience

Medium has one of the best writing editors on the web. It is clean, distraction-free, and handles formatting, images, embeds, and code blocks beautifully. The reading experience is equally polished, with consistent typography and responsive design. Medium genuinely makes your writing look professional regardless of your design skills.

Substack's editor is simpler. It handles text, images, and embeds adequately. It is functional but not exceptional. The reading experience on Substack varies more because publishers can customize layouts to some degree. Substack has improved its editor over time but it still feels a step behind Medium in pure writing polish.

SEO and Search Visibility

Medium has strong domain authority (DA 90+). Articles published on Medium can rank well in Google search, especially for competitive keywords. This is an underrated advantage: Medium articles often outrank posts on personal blogs or smaller platforms simply because of Medium's domain strength.

Substack articles live on yourname.substack.com by default (or a custom domain if you configure one). The domain authority is lower. Substack posts can rank in search, but they do not benefit from the same SEO weight as Medium. If search traffic is a primary growth channel, Medium has a structural advantage.

Long-Term Strategy

Substack is a better long-term play for most serious writers. The email list is the asset. Every subscriber represents a direct, platform-independent relationship. You can monetize through paid subscriptions, sponsorships, product launches, or consulting. If you leave Substack, you take your audience with you.

Medium is better as a distribution channel or top-of-funnel marketing tool. You can publish on Medium to reach new readers, then direct them to your newsletter on Substack (or any other platform) where you own the relationship. Many successful writers use both: Medium for discovery, Substack (or an alternative) for retention and monetization.

Who Wins?

Choose Substack if:

• You want to build an email list that you fully own and control
• You want predictable, recurring revenue from paid subscriptions
• You are building a long-term media business or personal brand
• You want to combine newsletter, podcast, and community in one place
• You value data portability and platform independence
• You already have some audience or distribution channel (social media, YouTube, podcast)

Choose Medium if:

• You have no existing audience and need initial exposure
• You want your writing to reach readers through algorithmic distribution
• You want strong SEO from Medium's domain authority
• You write about topics that perform well on Medium (tech, self-improvement, business, programming)
• You are willing to accept variable, algorithm-dependent earnings
• You want the best-in-class writing and reading experience

Use Both if:

• You want Medium's distribution to drive discovery and Substack to capture and monetize the audience
• You can republish or cross-post content to maximize reach across both platforms

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