# Medium vs Reddit

Medium and Reddit both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 62% of Medium's written reviews are positive against 25% of Reddit's. Medium also leads on ads (none vs shown). Reddit's advantage is ratings volume (3.5M vs 157K) and chart position (#2 vs #18). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Medium sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Reddit sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Medium against 4.8 for Reddit. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reddit has 3.5M ratings behind it against 157K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 62% of Medium's written reviews are positive against 25% of Reddit's.

Medium ships an update weekly, Reddit every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 2, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Medium | Reddit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (157K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medium-read-and-write-stories/id828256236/reviews) | [4.8 (3.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reddit/id1064216828/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 157K | **3.5M** |
| Positive reviews | **62.5% of reviews** | 25.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #18 | **#2** |
| Size | 241 MB | 426 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [A Medium Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/828256239) | [REDDIT, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/808295587) |

## What reviewers say

### Medium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medium-read-and-write-stories/id828256236)

**Currently charting:** #18 Top Grossing · News, #45 Top Free · News (US App Store)

Access a vast collection of human stories, expert advice, and inspiring insights. Discover new topics, follow your interests, and connect with a global community of readers and writers. Publish your own work and reach a wide audience.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free reading, Curated content on tech, culture, news, Unlimited story access with membership, Personalized reading library, Community engagement (claps, comments), Publishing platform for writers, Audio versions of stories (Member feature)

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Medium Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| Medium Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| Friend Membership | $14.99 | per month |
| Medium Membership | $49.99 | per year |
| Friend Membership | $149.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Excellent content and writing quality
- 🌐 Wide variety of topics and perspectives
- 🧠 Thought-provoking and informative articles
- 🤓 Useful for learning and personal growth
- 🎨 Clean and minimalist design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Paywall limits access to content
- 📥 Difficulty finding and accessing past articles
- 🔍 Lack of effective search and filtering options
- 🤖 Concerns about AI-generated content
- 🖥️ Suboptimal experience on larger screens

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Login and authentication issues
- Syncing and data loss problems
- Compatibility problems with newer OS versions
- Unreliable push notifications

**Requested features**

- Offline reading mode
- Better organization and navigation of content
- Improved personalization and recommendation system
- Integration with other platforms and services
- Enhanced writing and publishing tools


### Reddit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reddit/id1064216828)

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Free · News, #20 Top Grossing · News, #109 Top Free (US App Store)

Discover trending topics, engage in diverse discussions, and join communities for any interest. Share content, ask questions, and connect with others through a unique voting system that highlights popular posts.

**Highlights:** Thousands of community groups, Breaking news and trends, Humorous content and videos, Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions, In-depth discussion threads, Q&A forums, Upvote/downvote system

**Features:** iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reddit Premium | $6.99 | per month |
| Reddit Annual Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| Reddit Gold | $1.99 | one-time |
| Reddit Gold | $3.99 | one-time |
| Collectible Avatar - Tier 499 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Reddit Gold | $5.99 | one-time |
| Reddit Gold | $9.99 | one-time |
| Collectible Avatar - Tier 999 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Collectible Avatar - Tier 2499 | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic news aggregator
- 👍 Diverse communities
- 🔍 Helpful for finding information
- 💡 Customizable feeds
- 🎨 Unique avatar customization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy video player
- 🤖 Aggressive recommendation algorithms
- 💬 Toxic community moderation
- 🔍 Difficult to find specific content
- 🔒 Privacy concerns

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes
- Unreliable content loading
- Inconsistent UI behavior
- Notification issues
- Subreddit search function not working

**Requested features**

- Improved video player controls
- Better content filtering options
- Streamlined community management tools
- Customizable notification settings
- Integrated browser for seamless browsing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Medium free?

Medium is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Reddit free?

Reddit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Medium or Reddit?

Medium and Reddit are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 157K and 3.5M ratings respectively.

### Do Medium or Reddit have ads?

Reddit shows ads; Medium does not.

### Which is updated more often, Medium or Reddit?

Medium ships an update weekly, and Reddit every 6 days. Most recently, Medium was updated on October 2, 2026 and Reddit on October 2, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Medium or Reddit?

Medium currently peaks at #18 in the App Store charts, and Reddit at #2. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*