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:
- Substack has a Medium import tool (Settings → Import) — pulls in articles directly.
- Add a sign-up CTA at the bottom of every Medium article: "Get my newsletter at [substack URL]".
- Slowly transition new content to Substack-first.
- 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 URL to your Medium bio + every article — drives readers to your Substack, podcast, courses. Free with click analytics.