Medium
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy it as a reader or hobbyist writer who wants zero-setup publishing and a built-in audience.
Comparison
Medium vs Substack
Medium and Substack both land on Depends.
Substack
Depends
Confidence: High
Buy it if you're an independent writer who wants free publishing with payments and built-in discovery.
| Compare | Medium | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Casual writers wanting zero setup | Independent writers and journalists |
| Who it's not for | Businesses needing an owned, SEO-friendly blog | Businesses needing brand control or custom design |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.11 | Two confirmed incidents: an October 2025 breach exposed user emails and phone numbers; another security incident was disclosed February 2026. |
| Support quality | Complaint sites flag hard-to-reach support | Automated replies; hard to reach humans |
| Public sentiment | Users like the reading catalog and easy publishing, but many question whether the membership and Partner Program earnings are worth it.³ | Reviewers praise the ease of use and monetization, but many complain about automated support, platform fees, and Substack turning into another social network.16 |
| Biggest gotcha | Paywall model means you never fully own your content's reach or SEO value.10 | Support is auto-replies; no clear human escalation channel per user reports. |
Pick Medium when
- Casual writers wanting zero setup
- Avid readers of long-form essays
- Hobbyists testing ideas with a built-in audience
When Medium is not a fit
- Businesses needing an owned, SEO-friendly blog
- Writers trying to live on Partner Program earnings
- Anyone wanting full design control or easy content export
Pick Substack when
- Independent writers and journalists
- Creators monetizing paid newsletters
- Zero-budget personal publications
- Writers wanting built-in discovery
When Substack is not a fit
- Businesses needing brand control or custom design
- Teams that require reliable human support
- Anyone collecting sensitive subscriber data
- Marketers needing funnels, automations, or CRM features
Sources
- Medium review 2025 | TechRadartechradar.comreview
- Medium Reviews - 38 Customers Rate 2.5/5 | SmartCustomersmartcustomer.comreview
- 6 Years On Medium . Honest Reviewmedium.comreview
review
- Why I quit my Medium membership | HackerNoonhackernoon.comreview
- Medium Retention Offers | LowerMySubslowermysubs.comreview
- Medium Membership (official)medium.comofficial
- Medium Raises Another $31M | Feediummedium.comnews
- Medium's Silent Price Hike: From ₹199 to ₹389adarshksingh.medium.comreview
official
- Medium Security page checkmedium.comsecurity
- Medium Reviews | Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview
- Substack review 2025 | TechRadartechradar.comreview
review
- Substack Reviews | G2g2.comreview
- Substack Reviews | Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview