If you want a way of making money writing and blogging, then you may be considering Substack vs Medium. Learn more about these platforms!
If you are looking for a way to make money writing, then you may be looking for a blogging platform. Or, you may be looking for an email marketing platform that can help you generate an email newsletter for your subscribers. Whether you are a laid-back blogger or someone who is hyper-focused on SEO, you need to find the right platform to help you.
Substack.com and Medium.com can help you make money writing, but the platforms are very different. Which can help you make the most amount of money, and what are the differences between Substack vs Medium?
In general, Medium is a better platform if you are a blogger; however, if you are looking to generate subscribers through email, then Substack might be better. How can you figure out which one is right for you?
Contents
An Overview of Substack
When compared to Medium, Substack is the newer site. Substack was founded in 2017 by Christ Best, Jairaj Sethi, and Hamish McKenzie, and its goal was to give people an alternative to traditional blogging platforms.
The entire idea behind Substack is that you can make money through email marketing. If you can generate a lot of subscribers to your e-mail newsletter, you can make money quickly.
Furthermore, Substack makes more money when you make more money. Therefore, your goals are aligned with those of the platform. You could even drive people to social media platforms using your Substack newsletter. Learn more about the top Substack newsletters here!
How Does Substack Work?
Through Substack, you put together a paid newsletter with paid subscribers. Then, your readers pay a monthly fee to read your content. In this manner, Substack is both a writing platform and an email marketing platform.
If you don’t want to pay for expensive platforms, such as Mailchimp, then Substack is a better option for you. It is one of the strongest email marketing platforms available, and paying subscribers can get through the paywall to view your information on the publishing platform.
Furthermore, using Substack, you can build a brand through your custom domain. You can connect a custom domain to your publication through Substack, which is a powerful feature. You pay a one-time fee of $50, and then you can host your website using the technology you have access to through Substack.
Because it is difficult for you to rank on Google using a traditional sub-domain, the custom domain feature through Substack is critical. You can generate a significant amount of traffic through your email newsletter on Substack, driving them to your website. This can help you build a powerful brand.
You need to think about these drawbacks before you decide if Substack is right for you.
Who Should Use Substack?
If you are someone who likes writing traditional news articles, and you are looking for a way to expand your email subscribers, then Substack is an affordable way to do so. You are in control of how much you charge for your email newsletters, so you have the potential to make a significant amount of money.
An Overview of Medium
Medium was founded in 2012 by Ev Williams. This is a blogging platform that has become one of the most popular options for Content marketing and start-up businesses. The Medium partner program is designed to help content creators with digital marketing by handling content management for them, paying writers for high-quality read time.
The platform has grown significantly during the past few years, so a lot of businesses have started using the platform to write articles. Some websites have even moved their entire existing blogs over to Medium. So, is this the right platform for you?
How Does Medium Work?
When you publish your work Medium, you get paid based on the total amount of time someone spends reading your work. Even though it is unclear exactly what the metric is, you should expect to get paid a few cents for every minute someone spends reading your story.
Even though this does not sound like a lot, you may have a few thousand people who read every story you publish. Therefore, the money can add up quickly. The more attractive you make your content, the more people will read your work. Then, your earnings can increase exponentially.
You need to think carefully about the structure on Medium and decide if this is right for you.
Who Should Use Medium?
If you are tired of doing your own SEO on your own blog, then you may benefit from publishing on the Medium Partner Program. Furthermore, if you are not concerned about driving traffic to your own website, and you are not worried about your domain authority, then you may want to expand your readership by publishing your blog on Medium instead.
The more time people spend reading your information on Medium, the more money you are going to get paid. Therefore, the earning potential on Medium is significant, and you should be able to make more money faster if you publish your blog on Medium instead of Substack.
If you’d like to learn more, read our guide on how to make money on Medium.
The Main Differences Between Medium And Substack
Now, it is time to highlight the main differences between Medium and Substack. These include:
- If you are looking to build your brand through SEO, then Medium is the better option. Even though Substack has gotten better with the option to add a custom domain, Medium is still significantly better than Substack.
- The business models between the two platforms are completely different. If you are using Medium, then you will get paid based on the total amount of time someone spends reading your content. If you are using Substack, and you have access to a subscription-based model, and Substack takes a 10 percent commission. You are in control of what you’re charged.
- Even though you can send emails to your readers using either platform, Substack is the better option for doing this. Substack is a platform that has been specifically designed for email newsletters and writers.
- If you are looking for a way to improve your blogging profile, then becoming a Medium writer is the better option for doing this. It has a much higher domain authority, increasing your online visibility. Furthermore, you have access to more tools that can help you drive traffic to your blog.
- Medium is also a great platform for connecting with other writers and business professionals, particularly in the startup and personal development spaces, as many companies have their own blogs on Medium. It only takes a few minutes to join the Medium Partner Program and start getting paid for your work.
If you think about these differences, you should be able to find the right platform for you.
Final Word on Substack Vs Medium
If you are looking to get paid for your writing, two of the most popular platforms available are Substack and Medium; however, they function very differently. If you are someone who enjoys writing a blog, then you may be more comfortable publishing your work on Medium.
On the other hand, if you are looking to reach people who subscribe to your email newsletters, then you might want to go with Substack instead.
You should compare the benefits and drawbacks of each of these platforms before you decide which one is right for you. This is a great way for you to monetize your writing.
FAQs About Substack vs Medium
How Much Do You Charge Your Subscribers For Your Email Newsletter On Substack?
This is entirely up to you. You are in control of how much you charge for your email newsletter. Substack will take a ten percent commission on the money you make, including the money you make for your own newsletter.
Which is the better platform to start writing fast?
You can set up a Medium account in a few minutes, publishing quickly. It might take more time to get started through Substack writing, but this newsletter platform also has significant earning potential.
Resources
Substack and Ghost are just two popular newsletter and content publishing tools. Many more exist. We’ve profiled some of the most popular.
