# Medium vs CAPLIN News

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CAPLIN News at none against Medium's 6. CAPLIN News also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). Medium's advantage is ratings volume (157K vs 2) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Medium sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. CAPLIN News asks for nothing beyond the download.

CAPLIN News holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Medium has 157K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Medium ships an update weekly, CAPLIN News monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Medium | CAPLIN News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (157K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medium-read-and-write-stories/id828256236/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caplin-news/id6470677726/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **157K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 62.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#17** | — |
| Size | 127 MB | 142 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [A Medium Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/828256239) | [Florida International University](https://appshunter.io/developer/453416432) |

## What reviewers say

### Medium

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

**Currently charting:** #17 Top Grossing · News, #47 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 |
| Friend Membership | $14.99 | per month |
| Medium Membership | $49.99 | per year |
| 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


### CAPLIN News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caplin-news/id6470677726)

Stay informed about news affecting South Florida with a local perspective on national stories. This app is produced by journalism students and faculty, offering critical and reflective reporting in English and Spanish.

**Highlights:** South Florida community news, Local perspective on national news, Reporting by journalism students, News in English and Spanish, Critical and reflective reporting

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Medium free?

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

### Is CAPLIN News free?

CAPLIN News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Medium or CAPLIN News?

CAPLIN News is rated higher. Medium averages 4.8 out of 5 from 157K ratings, while CAPLIN News averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Medium or CAPLIN News have ads?

Neither Medium nor CAPLIN News shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Medium or CAPLIN News?

Medium ships an update weekly, and CAPLIN News monthly. Most recently, Medium was updated on October 27, 2026 and CAPLIN News on October 10, 2026.

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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.*