Medium vs Signalwaves
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Medium
Access a vast collection of articles, stories, and advice on diverse topics from experts and fresh voices. Engage with content through reading, writing, and community interaction. Offers unlimited access to millions of stories for members.
- Distraction-free reading
- Curated content on various topics
- Personalized library with highlights and bookmarks
- Community engagement with comments and claps
- Publish your own stories
- Audio versions of stories (Member feature)
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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
Signalwaves
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Signalwaves brings you the same story from 385+ news sources — across every political camp, source tier, and world region, side by side. Instead of one outlet's spin or an algorithmic filter bubble, you see at a glance where the world agrees and where the coverage splits. Break out of your bubble. Compare how wire services, editorial desks, official government voices and community forums each frame the same breaking news. Read world news the way a newsroom does: many sources, one screen — unbiased by design, because you choose what to compare. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Perspective comparison — the same story told by many outlets, side by side • Divergence analysis — every story labeled consensus, mixed or contested • Newsiverse — the raw, real-time news firehose from every source • Lenses — curated topic feeds (see below) • Breaking-news push notifications FILTER EVERYTHING — name your view • Source tier: Official · Wire · Editorial · Platform · Aggregator · Community • Media type: Mainstream · Independent • Reader emotion: Concerning · Hopeful · Curious · Outrageous • World region: North America · Western Europe · Eastern Europe · Russia & Central Asia · MENA · Sub-Saharan Africa · South Asia · East Asia · Southeast Asia · Latin America · Oceania · Global • Trend phase: Rising · Peak · Falling LENSES — pick the use case that fits you • World & politics: Geopolitical Risk Briefer, Policy Advisor, Concerned Citizen, Diaspora Voice, Official Voices • AI & tech: AI Safety Watcher, AI Research Enthusiast, Enterprise AI Advisor, Health Tech Curator, Open Source Maintainer • Business & markets: Investor / Trader, Retail Investor, Sustainability Lead, Brand Strategist • Sports: World Cup 2026 Tracker, Sports & Alpha Enthusiast, Surf Culture Observer, Mountain & Adventure Sports, Wind & Water Sports • Science & climate: Marine Science Observer, Extreme Weather Observer • Local & lifestyle: Munich Property Watcher, Mental Health Seeker, Aesthetic Curator …plus dynamic lenses that appear automatically as new topics break. PRIVACY FIRST • No account, no registration, no ads • Analytics only with your consent (Google Analytics, opt-out anytime) • Your filters and favorites stay on your device Signalwaves helps you escape information bubbles, compare media bias and build empathy for other perspectives. Whether you follow world politics, AI, finance, climate, sports or the FIFA World Cup 2026 — read the full picture, not just one side.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Signalwaves at none against Medium's 6. Medium's advantage is chart position (#20 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. Medium sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Signalwaves asks for nothing beyond the download.
Medium ships an update weekly, Signalwaves fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Medium | Signalwaves |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (158K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 62.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 158K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Best chart rank | #20 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 127 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | A Medium Corporation | Scenaryo GmbH |
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
Signalwaves
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Medium
- Medium Membership2 variants$4.991 Month
- Friend Membership$14.991 Month
- Medium Membership$49.991 Year
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- Medium Membership1 Year trial$49.991 Year
- Friend Membership1 Year trial$149.991 Year
Signalwaves
No in-app purchases









