# Medium vs HYPE by Hypebeast

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HYPE by Hypebeast at none against Medium's 6. HYPE by Hypebeast also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 62%) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). Medium's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating 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. HYPE by Hypebeast asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Medium against 4.9 for HYPE by Hypebeast. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Medium has 157K ratings behind it against 8.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 62% of Medium's written reviews are positive against 83% of HYPE by Hypebeast's.

Medium ships an update weekly, HYPE by Hypebeast every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Medium | HYPE by Hypebeast |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (157K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medium-read-and-write-stories/id828256236/reviews) | **[4.9 (8.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hype-by-hypebeast/id986768161/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **157K** | 8.6K |
| Positive reviews | 62.3% of reviews | **83.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#19** | — |
| Size | 127 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [A Medium Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/828256239) | [Hypebeast Hong Kong Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/895353742) |

## What reviewers say

### Medium

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

**Currently charting:** #19 Top Grossing · News, #48 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


### HYPE by Hypebeast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hype-by-hypebeast/id986768161)

Access curated global trends, breaking fashion news, and unique lifestyle finds. Discover the latest in fashion, culture, and lifestyle from Hypebeast and its related platforms. Stay informed with real-time updates and personalized notifications.

**Highlights:** Global trend curation, Breaking fashion news, Exclusive stories, Niche community discovery, Personalized notifications, Shopping platform integration

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 Up-to-date fashion and trend news
- 🔍 Comprehensive coverage of various topics
- 🗓️ Timely information on upcoming releases
- 🔖 Ability to bookmark articles for later
- 🎨 Visually appealing and well-designed app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Intrusive ads that disrupt reading experience
- 🔗 Frequent redirects to external websites
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔌 High battery consumption
- 📋 Lack of customization options

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch for some users
- Notification prompts repeatedly appearing
- Inconsistent article loading and display issues
- Inability to share content from within the app

**Requested features**

- Ability to disable ads or pay for ad-free version
- Improved in-app browsing experience without external links
- Enhanced stability and performance optimizations
- More personalization options for content curation
- Integrated shopping/purchasing functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Medium free?

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

### Is HYPE by Hypebeast free?

HYPE by Hypebeast is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Medium or HYPE by Hypebeast?

HYPE by Hypebeast is rated higher. Medium averages 4.8 out of 5 from 157K ratings, while HYPE by Hypebeast averages 4.9 from 8.6K ratings.

### Do Medium or HYPE by Hypebeast have ads?

HYPE by Hypebeast shows ads; Medium does not.

### Which is updated more often, Medium or HYPE by Hypebeast?

Medium ships an update weekly, and HYPE by Hypebeast every 3 weeks. Most recently, Medium was updated on October 30, 2026 and HYPE by Hypebeast on October 30, 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.*