Medium vs. Substack, Which One Pays More?
I use both, have for years
This is a question I get asked a lot.
Most comparisons are useless because they’re comparing two completely different business models as if they’re the same thing.
They’re not.
Medium and Substack
On Medium, you put a story behind the paywall, Medium’s members read it, and you get a cut of their $5/month membership based on reading time. No subscription of your own required. You just write, publish, and earn based on how many paying Medium members read your work.
On Substack, Medium members don’t exist. You build your own subscriber list. You charge your own subscription fee (if you want to). You keep about 90% of that revenue, minus Stripe’s payment processing fees.
Two different models. Two different strategies. Two different kinds of writers they reward.
That’s really important to understand, because it means you SHOULD definitely use both platforms hand-in-hand, even if you’re “just” cross-posting content.
