Ghost vs Medium (2026): Which Publishing Platform Should You Choose?
Quick Answer
Ghost is the better choice for building a subscription newsletter business — you own your audience, keep 100% of revenue, and get full SEO control. Medium is better for writers who want instant distribution and don't care about building an owned audience.
Ghost
9.0/10
Best for subscription newsletters
Medium
7.5/10
Best for built-in audience discovery
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Ghost | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $9 / $25 / $50/mo (Ghost Pro) | Free to publish / $5/mo to read |
| Audience Ownership | Full — your email list, your domain | No — Medium owns the relationship |
| Paid Subscriptions | Yes — 0% revenue cut (+ Stripe fees) | Partner Program — reading-time pay |
| Custom Domain | Yes — full custom domain | No — medium.com/username only |
| SEO | Excellent — full metadata control | Limited — Medium domain, no control |
| Email Newsletter | Built-in — send to subscribers | No newsletter feature |
| Built-in Audience | None — you build from scratch | 100M+ Medium readers |
| Best For | Newsletter businesses, indie media | Writers wanting organic reach |
Which do you use?
Who Should Choose What?
Choose Ghost if:
You want to build a sustainable newsletter or membership publication. Ghost lets you charge subscribers, own your email list, use a custom domain, and get all SEO benefits. It's essentially Substack but without the 10% cut.
Choose Medium if:
You're starting out and want to test content ideas with a built-in audience. Medium's Partner Program can generate passive income from reading time if your content resonates. No setup required — just write and publish.
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