--- source_url: "https://unil.ink/blog/substack-vs-medium-2026?utm_source=openai" title: "Substack vs Medium in 2026: Which Is Better for Writers?" mirrored_at: 2026-08-07T01:02:26.387Z host: unil.ink cited_in_42a: true mirror_canonical: "https://index.42a.ai/unil.ink/blog/substack-vs-medium-2026__q__utm_source_openai" --- > **Original source:** https://unil.ink/blog/substack-vs-medium-2026?utm_source=openai  TL;DR: - **Substack** = newsletter-first. You own your subscriber list, charge per subscription, build a direct audience relationship. - **Medium** = blog-first. Audience is Medium's, you earn from the Partner Program based on read time, no direct subscriber list. - Substack wins for **building a long-term creator business**. Medium wins for **fast initial traffic** via its built-in audience. ## Substack vs Medium — Quick Comparison Feature Substack Medium Format Newsletter (email + web) Blog posts on Medium.com You own audience Yes (export anytime) No (Medium owns) Subscribers see you Direct via email Algorithm-dependent Monetisation Paid subscriptions Partner Program (read time + claps) Cost Free (10% fee on paid subs) $0 to publish (readers pay $5/mo for full access) Built-in audience Limited (Substack discovery) Large (Medium homepage + tags) SEO Strong (custom domain) Strong (Medium domain authority) Comments Yes (paid + free) Yes (highlights + responses) Mobile app Yes (Substack app) Yes (Medium app) Customization Limited Very limited Custom domain $50/year Available with custom domain plan Best for Building creator business Quick traffic + Partner earnings ## Substack — Pros and Cons ### Pros - **You own your subscribers** — exportable, portable. - **Direct email delivery** — guaranteed inbox, not algorithm-dependent. - **Paid subscriptions** = recurring revenue, not just per-article. - **Substack Notes** for cross-promotion. - **Strong network effects** via Recommendations. - **Long-term creator-business platform**. ### Cons - **Smaller initial audience** than Medium. - **10% revenue cut** on paid subs. - **You handle distribution yourself** — Substack doesn't push your content to non-followers much. - **Custom domain costs $50/year**. ## Medium — Pros and Cons ### Pros - **Built-in audience** — Medium has 100M+ monthly readers. - **Partner Program** pays you based on read time. - **Strong SEO** — Medium articles often rank in Google's top 10. - **Easy to start** — no setup; just write and publish. - **Boost** system — top articles get amplified to broader Medium audience. - **Free for writers** — readers pay $5/month for full access. ### Cons - **You don't own your audience**. If Medium changes the algorithm or shuts down, you lose them. - **Earnings per article are small** — most articles earn $1-$50 lifetime. - **No subscriber list** — readers follow you on Medium, not via email. - **Algorithm-dependent** — articles can be invisible if they don't get curated. - **Crowded** — millions of writers compete for views. ## Earnings Comparison (Real Numbers) Scenario Substack (1K paid subs at $10/mo) Medium (active writer, 50K reads/mo) Monthly revenue $10,000 $200-$1,500 Annual $108,000 (after 10% fee) $2,400-$18,000 Time investment 1-2 posts/week 1-3 articles/week Long-term value Owned audience, repeat revenue Earnings only while writing Substack scales much better for serious creators. Medium is better for quick income from existing writing. ## Which Should You Choose? Goal Best fit Build a long-term creator business Substack Earn quick income from past articles Medium Build email list for a future business Substack Test writing as a side income Medium (low commitment) Have an existing audience to convert Substack Niche journalism / commentary Substack SEO-driven traffic Both work; Medium is faster to traffic ## Can You Use Both? Yes — many writers do: - **Publish on Medium first** for quick traffic + Partner earnings. - **Repost on Substack** to build owned audience. - **Add a CTA** in your Medium articles linking to your Substack signup. - Convert Medium readers into Substack subscribers over time. This dual-platform strategy gives you the audience-discovery benefit of Medium + the long-term ownership of Substack. ## Migration: Medium → Substack To migrate from Medium to Substack: 1. Substack has a **Medium import tool** (Settings → Import) — pulls in articles directly. 2. Add a sign-up CTA at the bottom of every Medium article: "Get my newsletter at \[substack URL\]". 3. Slowly transition new content to Substack-first. 4. Keep Medium archives for SEO traffic. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Does Medium pay better than Substack? Per-article: Medium can pay quicker. Long-term: Substack pays much more if you build a paid subscriber base. ### Can I publish the same article on Medium and Substack? Yes — but Medium's Partner Program prefers original content. Best practice: publish first on one, then re-publish 1-2 weeks later on the other. ### Does Substack have a built-in audience like Medium? Smaller. Substack relies on Recommendations and Notes for discovery, while Medium has a larger reader base browsing tags. ### Which is better for SEO? Medium has higher domain authority but more competition. Substack with a custom domain can rank well over time. Both can work. ### Should I move from Medium to Substack? If you want to build a long-term audience and recurring revenue: yes. If you're casually writing for side income: stick with Medium. ### Key Takeaways - Substack = newsletter platform; you own your subscribers. - Medium = blog platform; Medium owns your audience. - Substack scales better for serious creators ($10K-$100K+/year typical). - Medium offers faster initial traffic via built-in audience. - Many writers use both: Medium for traffic + Substack for owned audience. ### Convert Medium readers to your owned audience Add a [UniLink](https://unil.ink/) URL to your Medium bio + every article — drives readers to your Substack, podcast, courses. Free with click analytics. [Try UniLink free →](https://unil.ink/)