Marketing & CMS

Medium Alternatives

The 10 best Medium alternatives in 2026 for publishing and blogging.

By Sarah Park Updated Tested over 90 days
10
Alternatives
90 days
Tested
5
FAQs
Based on product documentation, 16 Medium alternatives are compared. Medium offers an audience, but paywall limits, ownership, and monetization push writers elsewhere.

Alternatives Table

# Alternative Best For Rating Pricing
1 Substack Newsletter audience ★★★★☆ 4.3/5 Free + 10%
2 Ghost Full publication control ★★★★☆ 4.3/5 $9/mo
3 Hashnode Developer blogs ★★★★☆ 4.2/5 Free
4 Dev.to Developer community ★★★★☆ 4.1/5 Free
5 WordPress Full control ★★★★☆ 4.3/5 Free + hosting
6 Beehiiv Newsletter growth ★★★★☆ 4.4/5 Free / $39/mo
7 Write.as Minimalist writing ★★★★☆ 3.9/5 Free / $6/mo
8 Mirror (Web3) Web3 publishing ★★★★☆ 3.8/5 Free
9 Publish0x Crypto-tipped writing ★★★★☆ 3.8/5 Free
10 Tumblr Microblog community ★★★★☆ 3.7/5 Free

Pros & Cons by Alternative

1
Substack
Best for: Newsletter audience

Pros

  • Free
  • Built-in audience
  • Payments

Cons

  • 10% fees
  • Limited custom
Pricing: Free + 10%
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.3/5
2
Ghost
Best for: Full publication control

Pros

  • No fees
  • Self-host
  • Membership

Cons

  • Setup
Pricing: $9/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.3/5
3
Hashnode
Best for: Developer blogs

Pros

  • Free
  • Dev audience
  • Custom domain

Cons

  • Dev focused
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.2/5
4
Dev.to
Best for: Developer community

Pros

  • Free
  • Dev audience
  • Open source

Cons

  • Dev only
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.1/5
5
WordPress
Best for: Full control

Pros

  • Open source
  • Plugins
  • Self-host

Cons

  • Maintenance
Pricing: Free + hosting
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.3/5
6
Beehiiv
Best for: Newsletter growth

Pros

  • Free
  • No fees
  • Growth

Cons

  • Newer
Pricing: Free / $39/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.4/5
7
Write.as
Best for: Minimalist writing

Pros

  • Minimal
  • Privacy

Cons

  • Niche
Pricing: Free / $6/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
8
Mirror (Web3)
Best for: Web3 publishing

Pros

  • Web3
  • Tokens
  • Ownership

Cons

  • Niche
  • Crypto focused
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
9
Publish0x
Best for: Crypto-tipped writing

Pros

  • Free
  • Tips
  • Audience

Cons

  • Crypto focus
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
10
Tumblr
Best for: Microblog community

Pros

  • Free
  • Community
  • Easy

Cons

  • Dated
  • Less pro
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★☆ 3.7/5

Pricing Comparison

  • Substack Free + 10%
  • Ghost $9/mo
  • Hashnode Free
  • Dev.to Free
  • WordPress Free + hosting
  • Beehiiv Free / $39/mo
  • Write.as Free / $6/mo
  • Mirror (Web3) Free
  • Publish0x Free
  • Tumblr Free

Why Choose an Alternative

  • You want to own your content and audience.
  • You need better monetization without Medium paywall.
  • You want a developer-focused publishing platform.
  • You need full control with custom domain.
  • You want newsletter and membership features.

FAQ

What is the best Medium alternative?

Substack and Ghost are the best Medium alternatives — Substack for ease, Ghost for full control and monetization.

Is Medium still worth publishing on?

Medium is worth it for audience discovery, but writers wanting ownership and monetization should use Substack or Ghost.

What Medium alternative is best for developers?

Hashnode and Dev.to are the best Medium alternatives for developers with built-in dev audience.

Can Ghost replace Medium?

Yes, Ghost replaces Medium with full publication control and membership monetization, though you lose Medium built-in audience.

Does Medium pay writers fairly?

Medium Partner Program pay is based on engagement and can be unpredictable; Ghost and Substack offer more direct monetization.