Substack Vs Medium — Which One Is Better For Content Creators
You are going to start a Blog or Newsletter for sharing your Content. You probably decided to go with Medium or Substack. But a Problem.
Which platform should I even pick, that is optimized for content creators? (Means without fluff, ULTA PRO Settings).
That’s why Medium and Substack came into the suggestion because you don’t have to maintain hosting and plugin expenses (ex: WordPress, Squarespace, or blogger) — Both of the platforms are free to use
In this blog post, we’ll compare these two of the most popular content platforms — Substack and Medium — to help you decide which one is better for your needs.
More specifically what content creators should use any of these platforms, to share their journey and thoughts online?
Here’s a quick rundown of Substack Vs Medium:
Substack
- You own your list
- You control your content
- You can offer paid Newsletter subscriptions
- You can track your analytics
- Great for communicating with your existing network (Subscribers, Followers)
When to Avoid Substack: If you want to have a serious blog website, instead of just a newsletter then Medium will be better
Medium
- Huge potential audience (It’s BIG)
- Get discovered by new readers
- Connect with other writers
- Get paid for your writings
- Great for networking (Other writers and existing medium user base)
When to Avoid Medium: If you want to run a functional newsletter besides blog posts?
Then you have to either use 3rd party email marketing software or use Substack. The medium newsletter can only be used to share your blog posts (stories) as a newsletter.
So, which one is better for content creators or bloggers? It depends on your goals and what you’re looking for in a platform.
If you’re looking to build a loyal following and own your audience, then Substack is an excellent option.
If you’re looking to reach a wider audience and get paid for your work (without promotion), then Medium is a better option.
Okay, so you get the bird’s eye view of both of the platforms, let’s discuss them in more detail.
What is Substack?
Substack is a newsletter platform that allows you to write and send newsletters without paying anything. You can have Unlimited Subscribers and send Unlimited emails per month. It is similar to other platforms like WordPress, Medium, and Blogger but offers more features for newsletter creation.
What is Medium?
Medium is a popular blogging platform that allows content creators to share their stories and ideas with a wide audience. Medium has a built-in community of readers and writers (100 Million+) to whom your newly published will be sown without any promotion and SEO.
Substack Vs Medium — Which One Is Better For Content Creators & Bloggers
Now that we have introduced the two platforms, let’s compare and contrast them.
Ease of use
Both Medium and Substack are easy to use, but Medium has a bit of a learning curve. Substack, on the other hand, is very straightforward.
Some are drawn to Medium’s simplicity, while others prefer the control and customization that comes with Substack. So, which one is better for content creators?
With Medium, you need to format your posts a certain way and use specific tags. If you don’t, your post will look like a hot mess.
With Substack, you can just write your post, format your content, and hit publish. It’s that simple. No need to worry about the SEO title and all of that stuff.
It allows you to easily create and manage your newsletter in a blog format, as well as provide your audience with a way to access it (Free or Paid).
Winner: Substack
Content discovery
Medium is known for its simple, clean interface and easy-to-use tools that make it an excellent choice for bloggers and content creators (even brands) to reach a potentially bigger audience without learning the SEO game and self-hosted websites.
Medium has a built-in audience of (100) million people. Community of readers and writers who can discover your content. So, if you publish a great article, there’s a good chance it will be seen by a lot of people.
Substack has a community section as well but it’s not that active like Medium’s. In my honest opinion subtract has built with a newsletter first platform whereas Medium was built with Blogging content in mind.
“Substack claimed to have more than half a million paying subscribers in November 2021.”
That’s why we need to give an edge to the medium when it comes to community.
With Substack, your audience is limited to the people who subscribe to your newsletter. That said, Substack does make it easy to share your content on social media and other platforms
Winner: Medium
Monetization
Both Medium and Substack allow you to monetize your writings very easily. In general, both of them are a part of the so-called “ creator economy,” which is a growing trend of people making a living by creating and sharing content online.
Medium has a partner program that allows you to make money from your content. However, you have to be selected to be a partner by Medium, and what makes it even worse, the medium doesn’t accept all the countries worldwide to be selected as their partner.
In my opinion, it’s not fair enough, writers from around the world should have the right to also participate on a global platform like Medium to earn a passive income with their writings.
However, you can watch this video from Zulie Rane (Zulie Rane) where he has shared how to monetize your medium blog without being in the partner program.
With Substack, you can start making money from your content right away. You can start putting affiliate or sponsor links on weekly or daily newsletters. As you can take payments from the brands directly you don’t have to rely on Substack to pay you for the sponsored links/post.
Besides that, you can also enable the monthly membership for your paid newsletter. You can apply from anywhere in the world as long as the stripe is available there or you have the access to your friends or family stripe account.
Stripe is only available in 47 Countries (atm). Check the list
Winner: Substack
So, there you have it. Substack is the clear winner when it comes to ease of use and monetization. However, Medium is the better option if you’re looking for content discovery.
Pricing
Substack
10% cut for every paid subscriber
(Earning Potential) Depends on your Newsletter Price. You can set your own price, so go crazy
Medium
Charges 5% Per Month from readers
(Earning Potential) Medium pays via the Partner Program (Claps, Member Reading Time). The earnings depend on your content engagements.
Substack allows you to start your own subscription-based newsletter for free. That means that you can start writing and publishing content right away, without having to worry about hosting fees or other costs.
However, Substack does take a 10% cut of any revenue you generate from your newsletter subscription. So, if you’re planning on starting a “ paying newsletter”, you’ll need to factor that into your costs.
On the other hand, Medium whole payment (scenario) works differently. You don’t have to spend a single cent to get started with Medium. Rather you will get paid when your posts get Claps (It’s just post likes).
On top of that, you can add your referral link at the bottom of the post, from where if the reader signs up for the Medium premium membership, you will get a commission every month (as long as that user opt-in to the membership)
Winner: Medium & Substack (TIE)
Alright, now the fun and exciting part begins. From here I will try to cover all the main elements you should know as a content creator about which platform is best for your next Newsletter or Blogging platform.
In-depth Overview of Substack for Content Creators
Substack makes it easy for writers to create beautiful, engaging newsletters. Readers can sign up for free, and writers can choose to charge for their newsletter if they wish.
Some of these features include the ability to track subscribers, schedule posts, and send unlimited emails. Substack is a powerful tool for content creators to start their Newsletter service specifically.
Substack has the flexibility to set up the look of your newsletter page and you can send an unlimited amount of newsletter emails and store unlimited subscribers without paying anything.
With Substack, you can easily create and manage your content and subscribers. You can also provide your audience with a way to access your content. You can either enable a “Free” membership or a “Pro” membership (or both).
How Does Substack Work?
Content creators, Bloggers, and Entrepreneurs can sign up for Substack to create a subscription-based newsletter to share their content.
They can enable a free newsletter also a paid newsletter. Readers can sign up to receive the newsletter, and they’ll be charged a monthly fee If they opt in for the pro membership.
The creator keeps 90% of the fee, and Substack takes a 10% cut as well.
The advantage of this model (Subscription) is good for content creators:
- No upfront cost, like hosting, plugins, or themes
- It gives them a more stable source of income since the creators do not rely on ads or other forms of unpredictable revenue.
Features of Substack?
Some of the features of Substack — that make it a great option for content creators to start their first Newsletter or a Blogging website:
You own your audience
With Substack, you own your audience. Unlike other platforms where the algorithm determines who sees your content, on Substack, your subscribers are the only ones who will see your content.
This ensures that you have a loyal and engaged audience that is interested in what you have to say.
You control the monetization
On Substack, you control the monetization of your content. You can choose to charge a monthly subscription fee, or you can allow your subscribers to pay per article.
This flexible monetization model allows you to make money from your content in the way that works best for you.
“NO SEO” Rocket Science
Since Substacks is a newsletter focus platform, your content will be directly sent out to your subscribers.
You don’t have to worry about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and make the post fully optimized. You can get creative and just start typing your content without any keyword research.
It’s easy to use
Substack is easy to use, even if you’re not a tech-savvy person. The platform is designed to be simple, so you can focus on creating great content, not on trying to figure out how to use the platform.
It’s a great way to build your brand
Substack is a great way to build your brand and reach a wider audience (More on that, in Medium Section). When you publish on Substack, your content is automatically shared with your subscribers, which can help you grow your audience.
If you’re a content creator, Substack is a great platform to consider. With its features, it’s a platform that can help you reach your audience, control the monetization of your content, and get paid directly for your work.
How to Start with Substack?
Getting started with substack is straightforward:
- Go to Substack.com and Click “Start Writing”
- Sign up by email or on Twitter
- Fill up your profile information (They will be reflected as the author information)
- Add your profile URL (yourname.substack.com)
- You can import your existing emails via the CSV importer
- You are ready to send your emails and start growing your audience
- Add your emails Default Header and Footer images
- You can find more email formate settings by clicking the “More” button
Short Video, to get started with Substack
How To Create A Blog On Substack?
When it comes to setting up a substack as a blogging platform, it works differently. All the emails you have sent to your subscribers will stay as archives.
And that archive is your blog. But in terms of design and customization substack ROCKS!
You can change the font, and color as your wish.
Well,
To setup substack as a blog:
- Go to Dashboard
- Select Settings
- From the settings tab, you can upload your publication (Blog in our case) logo and banner images
- Setup your welcome image/banner
- Click “Edit Theme”
- It’s your playground to customize substack archive or Blog page
- You can select from the predefined colors or add yours
- Press “Set theme” and you are good to go
How to monetize your blog/newsletter with Substack?
If you’re a blogger or content creator who’s looking to monetize your newsletter, Substack is a great platform to do so.
You can set up a Paid Newsletter with Substack, to earn from your exclusive member-only newsletter emails. This is the easiest to monetize your substack newsletter. So, I am not discussing this point in broad.
Here are some tips to monetize your Substack Newsletter:
1. Use affiliate links
First, let’s start with affiliate links. If you include an affiliate link in your Substack content, you’ll earn a commission on any sales that are generated from clicks on that link.
For example, if you’re an Amazon affiliate, you could include a link to a product on Amazon in your Substack content, and if someone clicks on that link and buys the product, you’ll earn a commission.
For example, if you want to promote a course on Udemy, you could search for “Udemy affiliate program.”
Once you’ve found an affiliate program that you’re interested in, sign up and get your affiliate link. Then, simply add that link to your Substack content. When someone clicks on the link and makes a purchase, you’ll earn a commission.
2. Use sponsored links.
In addition to affiliate links, you can also monetize your Substack content with sponsored links (Most Effective). A sponsored link is simply an advertisement for a product or service. The advertiser pays you a fee for including the link in your content.
Once you’ve found a sponsored link opportunity that you’re interested in, simply reach out to the advertiser or brand and ask if they’d be interested in paying you to include a link to their product or service in your Substack content.
If they agree, then simply add the link to your content, you can charge a fixed amount or a special amount when they sponsor multiple issues or newsletter emails.
Check out the Complete Guide on How to Charge for your Newsletter Sponsored link according to your niche and audience. by Newslettercrew
3. Offer a paid course.
If you have the expertise to share, you can create a paid course and promote it through your Substack newsletter. Readers can sign up and pay to access your course content.
But before that, you have to build trust and expertise in your field.
But when you have gathered the experience and authority, your revenue will Sky Rocket because you can then provide consultation (more on that in the next point).
4. Offer consulting services.
If you have the expertise that others need, you can offer consulting services and promote them through your Substack newsletter. This is a great way to monetize your skills and knowledge.
Because when your audience trust and have the faith in your content, they are most likely to hire you than other freelancers or content creators to solve their problem.
These are just a few ideas for monetizing your Substack blog or newsletter. Experiment and see what works best for you and your audience.
PROS of Substack
Substack allows writers to get paid for their work through a subscription model, which has a few advantages.
- It gives writers a guaranteed income stream that isn’t dependent on pageviews or clicks.
- It allows writers to build up a base of loyal readers who are more likely to support their work over the long term.
- Substack takes care of all the behind-the-scenes work of running a website and newsletter, so writers can focus on what they do best: writing.
My Most Favorite feature on Substack is,
Get feedback and Interact with the Community
Substack also provides a great way for you to get feedback from your audience and interact with them.
With Substack’s comment system, you can easily keep track of what people are saying about your work and respond to them directly. This can be a great way to build a relationship with your readers and get feedback that can help you improve your writing.
CONS of using Substack
As a Substack user, you may be wondering about the potential cons of using this platform. Here’s a look at some of the potential drawbacks of Substack.
Limited customization options
While Substack does offer some basic customization options, you’re generally limited in how you can change the look and feel of your Substack site. This can be a drawback if you’re looking for a more unique or custom experience for your readers.
Limited audience reach
Substack’s audience is primarily limited to people who are already subscribed to your Substack site. This can be a drawback if you’re looking to reach a wider audience with your content.
No revenue sharing
Unlike some other blogging platforms (i.e.Medium) Substack does not offer revenue sharing for its users. This means that you won’t make any money from your Substack site unless you’re able to sell subscriptions or affiliate, sponsored links.
“NO” Organic Seach Reach
If you are from Medium or WordPress, you will know how well optimized and SEO-friendly they are. You will have the potential to gather organic viewers from google searches with those platforms.
But as Substack’s primary focus is Newsletter, you will get “ZERO” search results. I am not sure do the newsletter is getting views from search results or not, but it’s not likely to have (as of my own experience)
Overview of Medium for Content Creators
In today’s world, content is king. Whether you’re a small business looking to reach a wider audience, or an individual hoping to share your unique point of view with the world, there’s no doubt that content is essential.
But what type of content? What format should it take? And how can you make sure that your message gets out there?
Medium is a great tool for content creators of all levels. This platform can be used by content creators who want to have all those questions (above) answered on their blogging platform
Let’s dive deeper into Medium in the upcoming sections.
How Does Medium Work?
Medium is a popular blogging platform that allows users to share their thoughts and ideas with the world.
But how does it work?
When you create a Medium account (Free to start writing, you are ready to write articles on the platform. No need to follow a complex sign-up process or any verification.
Once you’ve created your account, you can start writing posts. You can write about whatever you want, and you can format your posts using Medium’s built-in editor.
Once you’re happy with your post, you can hit the “Publish” button and your post will be live for everyone to see.
If you want to get more people to read your posts, you can promote them using Medium’s “Clap” system. When someone claps for a post, it means that they liked it and the medium will recommend it to others. The more claps a post has, the more visible it will be on Medium.
You will also get paid when someone claps your post. More on that in the Monetization section
If you’re looking for something to read, you can explore Medium’s homepage, where you’ll see a feed of popular stories. You can also search for specific topics that you’re interested in.
Medium is a great platform for sharing your ideas with the world. Give it a try and see how it works for you!
Features of Medium?
Many features make Medium a great platform for sharing your ideas. Here are just a few of them:
Medium is easy to use
Creating an account on Medium is quick and easy. You can sign up with your email address or your Twitter account. Once you’re signed in, you can start writing and publishing articles right away.
Medium has a beautiful, simple interface
Medium’s interface is clean and straightforward. It’s easy to navigate, and it’s designed to make reading and writing articles a pleasure.
Medium offers a great selection of topics to write about
Whether you’re interested in business, technology, politics, or anything else, you’ll find a wealth of topics to write about on Medium. There’s something for everyone.
Medium allows you to reach a large audience
Medium has a wide reach, and millions can see your articles. If you write something truly thoughtful and engaging, you could potentially reach a large audience and make a difference in the world.
This is by far the biggest advantage of writing on Medium. Without doing any prior SEO optimization, your writing can be seen by hundreds if not thousands of people.
But when you SEO optimized them, your articles will be ranked on the search engines as well. So, you will get more organic views from the search results.
Medium is a great platform for building your personal brand
If you’re looking to build your personal brand, Medium is a great platform to do it.
By writing quality articles and building a following, you can establish yourself as an expert in your field and build a reputation that will follow you wherever you go.
You are free to add your Social links, Newsletter (You should do this from the beginning), youtube videos, your other brands, and so on…
People who will be following you on Medium are most likely to relate to your writing niche. So when you are deciding to launch your next course, e-book you will have a “pre-audience” to get early feedback and sales.
Just like what I did!
I am repurposing my existing blog posts from my blog website to medium. By using the import option, medium automatically pulls my blog posts images, and text inside to a new Medium post.
Then I add the original blog posts link in the Canonical Link Field.
By doing that, it will say to google that the main article of this medium post is the blog post that I am linking to.
How To Create A Blog On Medium?
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create a blog on Medium:
- Go to Medium.com and select “Get Started”
- Enter your email or signup with the social
- Enter your details and Interest
- You can edit your profile anytime by clicking the profile icon
- Edit your medium URL, look and feel right from your profile settings
- Click the Pen icon and start writing
- You can format the writings, embed or add any tweet, video, or post you want
- Click Publish and add your topics. So medium can share your writings with the relevant people
- By clicking the 3 dot icon, you will get additional SEO settings.
- Now, Enjoy your writings that are ready to deliver to the people on your topic
How to Start a Newsletter with Medium?
To enable Newsletter form in your Medium Blogs:
- Go to your profile settings and “About you”
- Scroll until you see ‘Email Subscriptions”
- Click Promote Subscription
- You can edit the text from this page
- Now, you can see a Newsletter form at the bottom of your articles
- Alternatively, you can use the newsletter page link to share your newsletter on social
- If you use other email marketing software, just add the page or form link to your medium article manually
How to monetize your blog articles with Medium
- Affiliate Links (Sustainable)
- Sponsored Links
- Medium Partner Program
- Getting More Claps on your articles
- Tip (An Awesome feature)
- Keep your visitors stay long in your articles (Create engaging content)
- Consulting after becoming the expert in yourNiche
- E-Books and Courses link
I have discussed points 1, 2, 6, and 7 in the Substack Monetization section. That’s pretty much the same thing, so I am not going to make this article long.
Regarding the other points,
Medium Partner Program
When you are eligible to join the medium partner program you will get the ability to earn from your claps. The reader can buy Medium Membership. Medium Membership costs $5 per month or $50 per year.
So, when a Medium Member reads your article, Medium will take some cuts and will give you the remaining from that 5$ every month.
Try to increase your read time by making the articles engaging.
Getting More Claps on your articles
When you will get more and more claps in your articles, it will send good signals to Medium. Medium will then promote your articles more and it will get more visibility to the existing medium user base.
The more exposure your articles get, the higher chances you have to boost your earnings. Make sure you are remaining your readers to Clap at the articles if it was helpful.
Tip (An Awesome feature)
This is a great feature in medium, that was added recently. You can add any donation-taking platform link (your profile URL), to the TIp section. This Call to action will be added at the bottom of every article. It’s a great way to encourage your viewers to appreciate your time and effort.
Besides, Patreon, Ko-fi, and Paypal, you can add a stripe account, and Buy me a Coffee as well.
PROS of using Medium
Whether you’re looking to share your ideas with the world or connect with like-minded people, Medium is a great platform to do it.
Here are just a few of the benefits:
- Medium is extremely user-friendly. Setting up your account and getting started is a breeze, and the interface is very intuitive.
- Medium has a massive audience. With millions of users, you’re sure to find an audience for your stories, no matter what your niche may be.
- Medium offers a great way to build your personal brand. By sharing your stories and insights on Medium, you can establish yourself as an expert in your field and build a following of engaged readers.
- Medium is a great way to connect with other writers and thinkers. The platform makes it easy to find and follow other interesting users, and the commenting system lets you engage in thoughtful discussions with others.
- The medium can be a great way to make money. With direct monetization options (Tips and Partner Program), there are many ways to indirectly earn income through Medium, such as through sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and paid products.
If you’re looking for a blogging platform that offers a great user experience, a large audience, and opportunities for building your personal brand and earning income, Medium is definitely worth considering.
CONS of using Medium
There are many reasons why people choose to use Medium as their blogging platform of choice. However, there are also some potential drawbacks to using Medium that potential users should be aware of.
One potential drawback of using Medium is that it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd.
With so many people using Medium to blog, it can be hard to make your voice heard above the noise. This can be especially challenging for new bloggers who are just starting and trying to build an audience.
Another potential downside of Medium is that it can be challenging to generate income from your blog.
While there are some ways to monetize your Medium blog, such as through Medium Partner Program, it can be difficult to make a significant amount of money from your writing.
This is especially true if you are not a particularly popular blogger with a large following.
Finally, it is important to be aware that Medium can be a bit of a closed ecosystem. If you want to reach a wider audience beyond those who use Medium, you may need to put in some extra work to promote your blog elsewhere and work on Search Engine Optimizations (SEO)
This can be time-consuming and may not be feasible for everyone.
Overall, Medium is a great platform for blogging. However, it is important to be aware of the potential drawbacks of using Medium before you decide if it is the right platform for you.
Alternatives of Substack and Medium
WordPress
WordPress is a popular blogging platform that offers a lot of features and flexibility. You can find a theme that suits your style and use plugins to add more functionality.
WordPress is a great option for writers who want more control over their work. All my websites, including this, are made on WordPress.
Blogger
Blogger is a popular blogging platform that is owned by Google. It’s simple to use and you can find a theme that suits your style. Blogger is a great option for writers who want to share their work with a wider audience.
Revue by Twitter
Reveu is the most similar alternative to Substack. Most of the features are the same. But you can directly embed a newsletter form inside your Twitter profile. If your audience is built on Twitter, this will be the perfect platform to choose.
Tumblr
Tumblr is a popular microblogging platform that is perfect for writers who want to share short stories, poems, or articles. It’s easy to use and you can find a theme that suits your style.
Tumblr is a great option for writers who want to share their work with a wider audience.
Ghost
Ghost is a popular open-source blogging platform that offers a lot of features and flexibility. You can find a theme that suits your style and use plugins to add more functionality. Ghost is a great option for writers who want more control over their work.
Jekyll
This is for advanced users
Jekyll is a simple, blog-aware, static site generator perfect for personal, project, or organization sites. Think of it like a file-based CMS, without all the complexity.
Jekyll takes your content, renders Markdown and Liquid templates, and spits out a complete, static website ready to be served by Apache, Nginx, or another web server.
Jekyll is the engine behind GitHub Pages, which you can use to host sites right from your GitHub repositories.
You can also use Hugo and Gatsby. They are similar to Jekyll and open source
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Substack and Medium?
There are a few key differences between Substack and Medium. Firstly, Substack allows you to create a subscription-based newsletter, whereas Medium is a more general blogging platform.
This means that you can charge your readers for access to your Substack newsletter, which can be an effective way to generate revenue.
Which platform is better for content creators?
If you want to start a blog or website, you need to figure out which niche you are in. If you think the niche is competitive and you don’t want to learn SEO and all of those things, Substack will be a good option.
If you want to blog but don’t want to spend any money and don’t have time to learn how to build a website, Medium will be a better option.
How do I decide which platform is right for me?
If you want to start a blog or website, you need to figure out which niche you are in. If you think the niche is competitive and you don’t want to learn SEO and all of those things, Substack will be a good option.
If you want to blog but don’t want to spend any money and don’t have time to learn how to build a website, Medium will be a better option.
Which platform has more content creators?
Medium has over 100 Million monthly readers. Whereas Substack has 40–50 Million readers (according to 2021 Wikipedia statistics).
But don’t go to any of these platforms by seeing the number. Both platforms are well built and growing every day. Choose what fits your interest and needs.
Which is better for SEO?
Medium is better for SEO. Even it can outrank many self-hosted websites. Also, the in-house community of Medium also gave an extra boost to your news articles with no SEO Effort.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is clear that both Substack and Medium have their own pros and cons.
Substack is a great platform for content creators who want more flexibility and control over their content and more towards Newsletter content. It’s best if you have an existing audience base.
On the other hand, Medium is a great platform for content creators who want to reach a wider audience, get more engagement, and want to build a serious blogging website.
Originally published at https://contentastro.com on September 4, 2022.
