A comprehensive guide for creators and writers looking to turn passion into profit.
Choosing the right platform to share your ideas and make money online can feel overwhelming. If you are a writer, creator, or subject-matter expert looking to turn your passion into profit, you have likely narrowed your options down to two heavyweights: Substack and Medium.
Both platforms have helped thousands of writers build thriving digital businesses, but they operate on completely different business models. Substack acts as a direct-to-audience publishing tool centered around email newsletters, while Medium functions as a curated digital publication fueled by a built-in partner program and membership network.
Whether you are writing from Nairobi, Mombasa, or anywhere across the globe, understanding how these platforms monetize is crucial to your success. Let us dive deep into a practical comparison of Substack vs Medium monetization to help you figure out which ecosystem fits your content goals best.
The Core Difference: Substack vs. Medium
Before looking at the numbers, it helps to understand the philosophy behind each platform.
- Substack: You own your audience. Substack is essentially a newsletter platform that allows you to offer free content alongside a paid subscription tier. You charge your readers directly, and Substack takes a flat 10% cut of your earnings (plus standard payment processing fees via Stripe).
- Medium: You own the distribution, but rewards are based on engagement. Readers pay a flat monthly fee to access all stories on the platform, and writers get paid based on how much time Medium members spend reading their work.
How Substack Monetization Works
Substack is built entirely around the creator economy model. It puts you in the driver's seat of your own micro-publishing business.
1. Paid Subscriptions
The primary way to make money on Substack is by turning your free newsletter into a paid publication. You set the price—typically around $5 to $10 per month, or $30 to $100 per year—and give paying subscribers exclusive access to premium posts, community chats, or audio episodes.
2. Pledges and Donations
Even before launching a fully paid tier, Substack lets you enable "pledges." This allows generous readers to commit financial support ahead of time, showing you how viable a paid tier might be before you lock any content behind a paywall.
3. Substack Network and Recommendations
Substack makes it easy for creators to recommend each other. When a bigger writer recommends your newsletter, you gain free, high-intent subscribers who are already accustomed to paying for content online.
Pros: You own your subscriber email list completely. If you ever leave Substack, you can take your audience with you. Long-term earning potential is massive if you build a loyal niche audience.
Cons: Growth is entirely up to you. Substack has a recommendation network, but it does not feed you passive traffic. You must actively market your newsletter via social media, SEO, or other channels.
How Medium Monetization Works
Medium takes a radically different approach. Instead of asking you to build a payment gateway or hustle for individual subscribers, Medium drops your work into an existing engine.
1. The Medium Partner Program (MPP)
By joining the Partner Program, you can lock your stories behind the Medium paywall. When paying members read your stories, a portion of their monthly subscription fee is funneled directly to you. Earnings are calculated based on reading time, member interactions (claps, highlights, and comments), and follower loyalty.
2. Referral Links
Medium gives every writer a unique referral link. If a free reader signs up for a paid Medium membership using your link, you earn a share of their membership fee for as long as they stay subscribed.
Pros: Built-in traffic. Medium has massive domain authority, meaning your articles can rank well on Google or get featured on their homepage instantly. No need to worry about setting up Stripe accounts or managing churn.
Cons: You do not own your audience’s email addresses. If Medium changes its algorithm or payout structure, your income can fluctuate overnight.
Side-by-Side Comparison: Which One Wins?
| Feature | Substack | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Revenue | Direct reader subscriptions (monthly/yearly) | Reading time from existing platform members |
| Platform Fee | 10% of revenue + Stripe processing fees | Varies based on Partner Program algorithms |
| Audience Ownership | You own 100% of your email subscriber list | Medium owns the platform relationship |
| Traffic Generation | External (you must drive your own traffic) | Internal (built-in audience & recommendations) |
| Best For | Niche experts, journalists, loyal communities | Essayists, tutorial writers, frequent bloggers |
Practical Tips for Maximizing Your Earnings
Whichever platform you choose, success rarely happens overnight. Keep these proven strategies in mind:
- Focus on Depth and Quality: Internet readers have short attention spans, but they happily pay for deep insights, unique case studies, or deeply personal storytelling.
- Leverage Free-to-Paid Funnels: On Substack, keep 70% to 80% of your content free to build trust and capture emails, while saving your best research for paid subscribers.
- Optimize for Search: Both Medium articles and Substack posts can rank well on search engines. Use clear headings, answer specific reader questions, and write naturally.
- Understand Regional Payment Realities: For creators writing from regions like Kenya, setting up international payout rails like Stripe requires careful planning. Substack integrates tightly with Stripe, while Medium handles payouts directly through supported global payout vendors like Stripe Connect.
Conclusion
When evaluating Substack vs Medium monetization, the right choice comes down to your personal strengths and business goals.
If you love the idea of building a tight-knit, independent community where you own every single subscriber relationship—and you are willing to hustle for your initial growth—Substack is your ultimate home. On the other hand, if you want to focus purely on writing, leverage built-in organic traffic, and get paid for your reading hours without managing a standalone subscription business, Medium is tough to beat.
Ready to take your writing career to the next level? Pick one platform, commit to publishing consistently for the next six months, and watch your digital audience—and income—grow.
Check What is Substack and How Does It Work? Make Money Writing
