Comparison

Medium vs Cronkite+

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

Cronkite+

Explore student-produced journalism covering global, national, and local news, including sports, business, and community issues. Features in-depth investigative projects and bilingual reporting from a top-ranked journalism school.

Highlights
  • Student journalism coverage
  • Global, national, local news
  • Sports, weather, entertainment
  • Investigative journalism projects
  • Bilingual reporting
  • Multimedia reporting
Features
Read full description

The Cronkite+ app highlights the best in student journalism, featuring coverage of global, national, and local news—including sports, weather, entertainment, business, economics, and community issues. Content is produced by: • Cronkite News: A capstone program offering students an immersive experience in news, sports, business, entertainment, and community multimedia reporting. • Carnegie-Knight News21: A national initiative where top students produce in-depth, multimedia investigative projects. • The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism: Supported by the Scripps Howard Foundation, this center partners students with veteran journalists to publish powerful, accountability-driven stories. • The Reynolds Center for Business Journalism: Trains students in high-quality media coverage of business and the economy. • Cronkite Noticias: Offers bilingual students real-world experience reporting in Spanish-language media, with a focus on Latino and border communities. The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University (ASU) is one of the nation’s top journalism programs. Known for its innovative “teaching hospital” model, the Cronkite School offers hands-on training in real-world news environments. Students are prepared for impactful careers in broadcast journalism, digital media, podcasting, public affairs, radio, graphic design, and emerging media. Launch Your Media Career at the Cronkite School Join the nation’s top-ranked mass communication school and gain access to: • Award-winning faculty and immersive, real-world learning experiences • Hands-on training in cutting-edge newsrooms and production studios • Global reporting projects and internships with top media organizations • A powerful alumni and professional network through #CronkiteNation Media employers across journalism, PR, sports, and marketing turn to the Cronkite School for talent. Learn more at: https://cronkite.asu.edu Experience Cronkite+ Available on iOS, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Apple TV. Explore more at: https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org

Screenshots

Medium4 screens
Cronkite+3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cronkite+ at none against Medium's 6. Cronkite+ also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and device support (4 vs 2). Medium's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (157K vs 1). On price 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. Cronkite+ asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cronkite+ 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Medium ships an update weekly, Cronkite+ every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Medium versus Cronkite+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMediumCronkite+
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (157K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings157K — better1
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 10 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
Best chart rank#17 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size242 MB45 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperA Medium CorporationCronkite News

Customer experience

Medium

All ratings157,246 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews827 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral10.4%
Negative27.1%

Cronkite+

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Cronkite+

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

Cronkite+

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Medium free?
Medium is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cronkite+ free?
Cronkite+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Medium or Cronkite+?
Cronkite+ is rated higher. Medium averages 4.8 out of 5 from 157K ratings, while Cronkite+ averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Medium or Cronkite+ have ads?
Neither Medium nor Cronkite+ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Medium or Cronkite+?
Medium ships an update weekly, and Cronkite+ every 10 months. Most recently, Medium was updated on October 16, 2026 and Cronkite+ on October 1, 2026.

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