Comparison

Medium vs The City Guide

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

The City Guide

Features
Read full description

NewtoMedia, Inc. is a digital media marketing company that provides city guides for major metropolitan areas in the United States and around the world. They offer city-specific business directories, local news and events, and city facts to help small and medium-sized businesses advertise their products and services. Visitors to their website can access up-to-date information on everything happening in a metropolitan area.

Screenshots

Medium4 screens
The City Guide3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The City Guide at none against Medium's 6. The City Guide also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). Medium's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 7 months) and chart position (#16 vs unranked). On price, ads and device support 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. The City Guide asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Medium ships an update weekly, The City Guide every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Medium versus The City Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMediumThe City Guide
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (157K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews62.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings157K — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
Best chart rank#16 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size127 MB35 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperA Medium CorporationNewtomedia Inc.

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

The City Guide

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Medium

Subscriptions5
  • Medium Membership2 variants$4.991 Month
  • Friend Membership$14.991 Month
  • Medium Membership$49.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Medium Membership1 Year trial$49.991 Year
  • Friend Membership1 Year trial$149.991 Year
None

The City Guide

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Medium free?
Medium is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The City Guide free?
The City Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Medium or The City Guide have ads?
Neither Medium nor The City Guide shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Medium or The City Guide?
Medium ships an update weekly, and The City Guide every 7 months. Most recently, Medium was updated on October 27, 2026 and The City Guide on October 15, 2026.

Other comparisons