Are you a blogger or writer who’s looking for a new platform to share your work? Are you tired of Medium’s limitations? Or maybe you love Medium and want to supplement it by joining another like-minded community of writers. If so, then you’re in luck! There are plenty of great platforms out there that are similar and others that offer even more features and flexibility than Medium. In this post, I’ll introduce you to a range of options so you can find the perfect one for your needs.

What is Medium?

Medium is a popular blogging platform that allows writers to share their stories with a wide, built-in audience. It offers a variety of features that make it easy to create and format articles, as well as connect with other writers. Medium also allows readers to follow specific topics and writers, making it a great way to discover new voices.

The platform provides its writers with ways to monetize their work, mainly by paying out a certain amount depending on how long members (key word here) spend reading your posts. You have to put your article behind a paywall (for Medium members who pay the $5 subscription fee only).

You can also refer new users with your custom landing page and you’ll earn half of their $5 subscription fee each month for as long as they’re a member.

Is Medium Still Relevant?

Yes! Medium is still a very popular platform for blogging, article writing, sharing ideas, and being a part of a community of writers and readers across the world.

Many companies have even started using Medium as their primary blogging platform for their businesses, and it provides one of the fairer pay structures for independent writers. So, if you’re wondering whether or not Medium is still worth it, the answer is a resounding yes.

How Our List of Medium Alternatives is Organized

We’ve organized our list of Medium alternatives into two sections. The first consists of blogging platforms most similar in monetization structure to Medium (the platform offers built-in monetization options). The second list contains blogging platforms that are awesome in their own ways, but require you to actively market and monetize your blog in different ways. Let’s get to it!

Medium Alternatives with Built-In Monetization:

1. HubPages

HubPages, like Medium, has a built-in community of writers and readers, which is great for sharing, discovering, joining conversations, and potentially getting discovered. However, just like Medium, you’re not going to be able to make a living solely from using their platform. HubPages even states on their site that this should be viewed as a hobby and as supplemental income.

To earn money, you simply write your posts, sign up for their monetization program, and ads are placed into your content. When readers click on an ad, you earn a percentage of that ad revenue.

2. Vocal.Media

Vocal.Media is another community-based blogging platform, but they prominently provide various topics when you first sign in so you can easily join in on conversations, read, and contribute posts in the categories you’re most passionate about. They really emphasize bringing like-minded people together to share their stories with each other.

There are a few ways to make money on vocal.media. First, they pay you per 1,000 views you receive. They do not list an exact number on their site, but it’s usually around $3-$4.

Another way to earn on their platform is through their tipping feature. If someone reads your post and finds it particularly helpful, insightful, or just wants to be supportive, they can tip you directly through the post.

Finally, you can link to your products, services, courses, or anything else outside of Vocal.Media and generate sales from the community if someone decides to purchase from you.

3. NewsBreak

NewsBreak believes that news articles should be coming from locals in each respective area, both amateur and professional, so their platform is dedicated to providing writers the ability to cover happenings where they live. Because of the focus on news, it is much more niche compared to the other platforms listed, but could be the perfect spot for you if that is down your alley.

To make money on NewsBreak, you first need to apply to their monetization program, but in order to qualify for an application, you must have at least 100 registered followers and must have written and posted at least 10 articles.

If you are accepted into the program, you will start earning a certain amount per 1,000 views. They rank each post on a 1-10 scale, and pay different amounts depending on your score. From our and others’ experiences, they seem to usually pay out between $3-$5.

4. Steemit

Steemit is a unique blockchain-based platform that leans more towards social media than blogging, but it’s still something you may want to consider. They clearly modeled it off Reddit, and it gives users the ability to upvote and downvote content based on what they like. The content is mix of long and short form posts, so it may not be ideal for bloggers, but if you use the platform correctly, you can definitely earn some money.

The platform pays out in STEEM coins, which is their own cryptocurrency. When you receive payouts, you can trade it for other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum, and from there you can sell for USD or whatever the fiat currency is in your country.

To earn STEEM coins, you write content and get paid for views, and engagement, such as comments, upvotes, and so on. As a user, you can also earn coins by upvoting content because you’re seen as a curator, especially if the post blows up and gets a ton of views.

Medium Alternatives without Built-In Monetization:

1. Write.as

Write.as is a simple, distraction-free alternative to Medium that allows you to anonymously blog without giving up your privacy. Created with the belief that everyone has something to say, Write.as provides a minimalist platform for writers to share their thoughts with the world. Whether you’re looking to blog about your latest hobby or just want to document your thoughts on current events, Write.as is the perfect place to do it. With its simplistic layout and focus on privacy, Write.as is quickly becoming the go-to destination for anonymous blogging.

2. Ghost

Ghost is another popular alternative to the Medium. It is built specifically for bloggers who want to turn their blog into a business. One of the key features of Ghost is its built-in marketing tools, which make it easy to promote your content and grow your audience. Another key selling point is the platform’s beautiful themes, which can give your blog a professional look and feel. Whether you’re looking for an alternative to Medium or simply want a more robust blogging platform, Ghost is definitely worth considering.

3. Revue

Revue is an editorial newsletter service, and while it’s not necessarily a blogging platform, it definitely deserves a mention in this conversation. Some writers have moved away from a blog, entirely, in favor of Revue.

The platform allows you to set up a paywall by means of a subscription fee to your newsletter. As long as you consistently write compelling content, you can build up and manage your subscriber list from your Revue account, and you own your list forever.

They also have some great integrations, such as with Twitter so your followers can subscribe to your newsletter directly from your tweets or profile. So if you already have a following there, or on your Medium blog, you can potentially carry some of them over to your email list. This is an amazing way to have relatively consistent and predictable income each month if you can build your list.

4. Substack

If one of the reasons you’re thinking about moving away from Medium is to expand your business to include different types of media, Substack may be perfect for you. They’re an all-in-one blogging and newsletter platform for bloggers, podcasters, and video creators that allows you to monetize through subscriptions for your content.

They have a built-in audience and claim that about 30% of new free subscriptions and 10% of paid subscriptions come from within their community, so as long as you make solid content, this could give you a head start.

5. WordPress

WordPress is a popular alternative to Medium for blogging. While both platforms have their pros and cons, WordPress offers a few key advantages over Medium.

First, WordPress is more customizable. With WordPress, you can choose from a wide range of themes to create a unique look for your blog, and plugins to add a seemingly endless number of amazing features. You also have more control over the layout and organization of your content.

WordPress may be more expensive since you have to pay for hosting, but the flexibility and customization options are second to none.

Another potential downside is the fact that there is no built-in community, so you are solely responsible for marketing your blog and building your following.

6. Blogger

If you’re looking for a basic blogging platform that is easy to set up and use, Blogger might be a good option for you.

There are a variety of templates to choose from, but you won’t find nearly the same number as with WordPress, and the plugins and customization options are much less robust.

Blogger does allow you to monetize your blog through Google Adsense, so if you can generate traffic to your blog, you can start to earn money through ads in your content.

We see Blogger as a very simplified version of WordPress, which could be great if you just want a place to write, but if you want to build your blog into a business, we think you’re better off choosing one of the other options.

7. Simily

Simily is another niche platform, but this time for fiction short story writers. If this is your style, this could be a great place to start.

They have a built-in community of readers and writers, so when you post a story, you have the chance to be discovered and to gain followers. The community is very welcoming and always willing to give suggestions and start conversations.

Simily is still pretty new, and for the time being they’re paying their published writers $0.02 for every unique view their story gets. But in the future they plan to switch to a revenue sharing model once they accumulate enough paying subscribers.

8. Patreon

Patreon isn’t, itself, a blogging platform, but it’s a service that allows creators to get paid for their work through a monthly subscription fee.

Creators can offer exclusive content, early access to things, funding of projects by supporters (think Kickstarter, but for creatives), and basically any perk you can think of that would resonate with your audience.

So, while you would still need another platform to actually write your posts, this could be a great way to earn money from your work if you’re able to build up your supporter list.

Final Thoughts

So, that’s our list of some great Medium alternatives to consider if you’re contemplating moving elsewhere. It really depends on your goals and needs as to which platform will work best for you. But hopefully this list has given you a good starting point and you can find the perfect platform to help you achieve success with your blogging. Have you tried any of these platforms? Let us know on our Instagram!