<!-- Should I Use It badge. Keep this link. -->
<a href="https://shouldiuse.io/vs/samboboev/substack" target="_blank" style="display:inline-flex;flex-direction:column;align-items:flex-start;gap:8px;max-width:420px;box-sizing:border-box;padding:14px 16px;border:1px solid #d5dde4;border-radius:14px;background:#ffffff;color:#111111;font-family:Segoe UI,system-ui,sans-serif;line-height:1.25;text-decoration:none;box-shadow:0 8px 20px rgba(17,17,17,0.08);">
  <span style="display:flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;min-width:0;">
    <span style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;flex:0 0 auto;border-radius:999px;padding:4px 10px;font-size:11px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.06em;text-transform:uppercase;line-height:1.3;background:#fef7e0;color:#7a5510;">Depends</span>
    <span style="font-size:15px;font-weight:700;color:#111111;overflow-wrap:anywhere;">Medium</span>
  </span>
  <span style="display:flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;min-width:0;">
    <span style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;flex:0 0 auto;border-radius:999px;padding:4px 10px;font-size:11px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.06em;text-transform:uppercase;line-height:1.3;background:#fef7e0;color:#7a5510;">Depends</span>
    <span style="font-size:15px;font-weight:700;color:#111111;overflow-wrap:anywhere;">Substack</span>
  </span>
  <span style="font-size:12px;font-weight:500;color:#516271;">Independent comparison on Should I Use It</span>
</a>

Text link

<a href="https://shouldiuse.io/vs/samboboev/substack">Medium vs Substack on Should I Use It</a>

Paste one snippet. Keep the link as it is. A nofollow tag stops search engines from following it.

Medium versus Substack
Compare	Medium	Substack
Verdict	Depends	Depends
Best for	Casual long-form readers	Independent writers and journalists
Who it's not for	Occasional readers of one writer . $5/mo is overkill	Businesses needing brand control or custom design
Privacy	No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.	Two confirmed incidents: an October 2025 breach exposed user emails and phone numbers; another security incident was disclosed February 2026.
Support quality	BBB complaints on record; docs-first support.	Automated replies; hard to reach humans
Public sentiment	Readers find Medium genuinely useful for daily reading but keep circling back to whether the membership fee is worth it.	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	Prices rise quietly; India's rate jumped ₹199 to ₹389.^⁸	Support is auto-replies; no clear human escalation channel per user reports.

Pick Medium when

Casual long-form readers
Fintech and product essay readers
Hobbyist writers wanting built-in reach

When Medium is not a fit

Occasional readers of one writer . $5/mo is overkill
Writers who must own their audience or email list
Anyone expecting reliable income from writing
Teams needing branded, multi-author publications

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

Is Medium worth it? : r/datasciencereddit.com
review
Is medium subscription worth it? Any alternatives?reddit.com
review
An Honest Review of the Medium Publishing Platform . Writer's Digestwritersdigest.com
review
Medium review 2025 . TechRadartechradar.com
review
Medium Reviews from Real Users . TrustRadiustrustradius.com
review
Become a Medium Member . Help Centerhelp.medium.com
official
Ghost: The independent Medium alternativeghost.org
official
Medium's Silent Price Hike: From ₹199 to ₹389adarshksingh.medium.com
news
Why Most Readers Should Cancel and Save $50-60/yrlowermysubs.com
news
Medium Corporation | BBB Complaintsbbb.org
news
is anyone actually making money off medium? : r/freelanceWritersreddit.com
review
6 Years On Medium . Honest Reviewmedium.com
review
Substack review 2025 | TechRadartechradar.com
review
Substack Review: What Newsletter Creators Need to Know | Sender.netsender.net
review
Substack Reviews | G2g2.com
review
Substack Reviews | Trustpilottrustpilot.com
review