Comparison

Medium vs Substack

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Medium

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)
Read full description

Welcome to Medium, your home for human stories, useful advice, and inspiring insights. Immerse yourself in a world of wisdom with writing from renowned figures, passionate experts, and fresh voices. Make reading and writing a daily ritual by following your fascinations, discovering new rabbit holes, and reaching readers of your own. Medium is simple social publishing for everyone. + Find your focus with distraction-free reading about everything from taking better pictures to what it’s like to scale a startup. + Stay current with stories about emerging technology, culture, and firsthand accounts of front-page news. + Become a member for unlimited access to millions of stories from our global community of the curious. + Assemble your own personal library by highlighting passages, bookmarking stories, and following writers who share your passions. + Join a community of readers, writers, and thinkers who clap for what they love, respond with insightful comments on thought-provoking stories, and collaborate to create popular publications. + Reach a wider audience by publishing your stories on a platform that serves more than 100M idea-loving people. + Establish a professional presence on a trusted platform, alongside academics, leaders, and experts. + Join the Medium Partner Program to earn money from your writing. + Enjoy a continuous reading experience across your iPhone, iPad, and desktop. + Listen to audio versions of any story on Medium (Member feature). __ Medium Terms of Service: https://policy.medium.com/medium-terms-of-service-9db0094a1e0f Privacy Policy: https://policy.medium.com/medium-privacy-policy-f03bf92035c9 Support: https://help.medium.com

About

Substack

Discover creators, ideas, and communities through videos, writing, and podcasts. Subscribe for free or upgrade to access exclusive content and connect directly with creators. Enjoy ad-free media and participate in live events.

Highlights
  • Subscribe to creators
  • Ad-free video and podcasts
  • Live streams and group chats
  • Explore independent ideas
  • Read aloud articles
Features
Read full description

Substack is a new media app that connects you with the creators, ideas, and communities you care about most. - Support the creators you love: Subscribe for free or upgrade to view original work and connect directly with your favorite writers, artists, and podcasters. - Enjoy ad-free videos and podcasts: Access short-form clips, video episodes, and read-aloud articles without interruptions. - Connect in real time: Join livestreams and live group chats, where top creators bring their biggest supporters into their world. - Explore independent ideas: Discover bold opinions and engaging views across food, sports, politics, fashion, comedy, finance, and more. How it works: 1. Download the Substack app. 2. Claim your handle. 3. Explore the feed to enjoy notes, videos, and clips from creators. 4. Subscribe to your favorites for free, tune into their livestreams and join private group chats.

Screenshots

Medium4 screens
Substack4 screens

Verdict

The call

Medium and Substack both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 72% of Substack's written reviews are positive against 63% of Medium's. Substack also leads on ratings volume (537K vs 157K) and chart position (#5 vs #19). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Medium sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Substack sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Medium against 4.9 for Substack. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 157K and 537K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Medium's written reviews are positive against 72% of Substack's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Medium versus Substack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMediumSubstack
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (157K ratings)4.9 (537K ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.5% of reviews72.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings157K537K — better
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#19#5 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size241 MB223 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperA Medium CorporationSubstack, Inc.

Customer experience

Medium

All ratings157,056 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews824 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral10.4%
Negative27.1%

Substack

All ratings536,802 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral1.2%
Negative1.1%
Written reviews4,638 reviews
Positive72.0%
Neutral7.0%
Negative21.1%

User reviews

Medium

From 157K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📚 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

Room to improve

  • 🔒 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

Substack

From 537K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Stable and functional app
  • 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 👍 Variety of great content
  • 👍 Supports independent writers
  • 👍 Refreshing alternative to mainstream media

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
  • 🐛 Difficult to manage subscriptions
  • 🐛 Inconsistent user experience between app and website
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with data collection
  • 💤 Slow performance and loading times

Bugs and requests

Medium

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

Substack

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues and inability to sign in
  • Inconsistent behavior when archiving/deleting posts
  • Playback issues with audio content
  • Incompatibility with older devices or operating systems

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add search functionality within app
  • Improve notification management
  • Allow customization of font size and style
  • Implement ability to mark articles as read/unread
  • Add option to collapse/expand comment threads

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Medium

Subscriptions5
  • Medium Membership1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • Medium Membership$4.991 Month
  • Friend Membership$14.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Medium Membership1 Year trial2 variants$49.991 Year
  • Friend Membership$149.991 Year
18 purchases

Substack

Subscriptions18
  • Hung Up (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • The Dworkin Report (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Popular Information (Monthly)$5.991 Month
Show 15 more
  • Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Isolation Journals (Monthly)$5.991 Month
  • Ettingermentum (monthly)$5.991 Month
  • What To Cook (Monthly)$5.991 Month
  • The Present Age (Monthly)$6.991 Month
  • The Message Box (Monthly)$7.991 Month
  • House Inhabit (Monthly)$8.991 Month
  • Noahpinion (Monthly)$9.991 Month
  • Slow Boring (Monthly)$9.991 Month
  • Razib Khan (Monthly)$10.991 Month
  • House of Strauss (Monthly)$11.991 Month
  • The Dworkin Report (Annual)$49.991 Year
  • Annual$59.991 Year
  • Isolation Journals (Annual)$59.991 Year
  • Slow Boring (Annual)$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Medium free?
Medium is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Substack free?
Substack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Medium or Substack?
Substack is rated higher. Medium averages 4.8 out of 5 from 157K ratings, while Substack averages 4.9 from 537K ratings.
Do Medium or Substack have ads?
Neither Medium nor Substack shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Medium or Substack?
Medium ships an update weekly, and Substack weekly. Most recently, Medium was updated on September 25, 2026 and Substack on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, Medium or Substack?
Medium currently peaks at #19 in the App Store charts, and Substack at #5. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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