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HARO vs Medium

HARO logo

HARO

News

Help A Reporter Out - connecting journalists with expert sources

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Medium logo

Medium

News

The best place to read and write stories on the internet

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: HARO hARO was rebranded and phased out by Cision in favor of Connectively (www.connectively.us) starting early 2024, per the vendor's own helpareporter.com notice (Internet Archive capture, 2023); Medium unlimited access to stories requires a paid Medium membership
  • They diverge on capability: HARO covers Daily journalist queries, Medium covers Story publishing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HARO and Medium actually diverge.

Attributes where HARO and Medium differ
AttributeHAROMedium
PlatformsWeb, EmailWeb, Mobile
Founded20082012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (News).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in HARO

  • Daily journalist queries
  • Source submissions
  • Query archives
  • Response tracking
  • Source directory
  • Email matching
  • Profile management
  • RSS feeds

Only in Medium

  • Story publishing
  • Member program
  • Earning potential
  • Reading time estimates
  • Clap reactions
  • Highlighting & annotations
  • Story recommendations
  • Following system

Both cover

  • Email
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

HARO

  • Finding expert sourcesnot Medium
  • Press coveragenot Medium
  • Expert positioningnot Medium
  • Media relationsnot Medium

Medium

  • Publishing articles without running your own blognot HARO
  • Reading long-form writing across technology, culture and newsnot HARO
  • Earning from writing through the Medium Partner Programnot HARO

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

HARO

  • HARO was rebranded and phased out by Cision in favor of Connectively (www.connectively.us) starting early 2024, per the vendor's own helpareporter.com notice (Internet Archive capture, 2023)

Medium

  • Unlimited access to stories requires a paid Medium membership
  • Audio versions of stories are a member-only feature
  • Earning money from writing requires joining the Medium Partner Program rather than being automatic
  • The iOS app requires iOS 17.0 or later

Pricing, plan by plan

HARO

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Daily email alerts
    • Query submissions
    • Source directory
  • Pro$19.99/month
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support
    • Analytics

Medium

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited reading
    • Publishing platform
    • Story drafts
  • Medium Membership$5/month
    • Unlimited access
    • Exclusive stories
    • Member earnings

Which should you pick?

Choose HARO if

  • You need daily journalist queries.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Email.
  • You also want source submissions.
HARO review

Choose Medium if

  • You need story publishing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want member program.
Medium review

Questions people ask

Is HARO or Medium better?
Neither clearly leads. HARO starts at Free and Medium at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HARO or Medium?
HARO starts at Free and Medium at Free.
Does HARO or Medium run on more platforms?
HARO runs on Web, Email. Medium runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use HARO for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is HARO best used for?
HARO is most often used for finding expert sources, press coverage, expert positioning, media relations. Of those, finding expert sources and press coverage are not what Medium is typically brought in for.
What can HARO do that Medium cannot?
HARO covers Daily journalist queries, Source submissions, Query archives, Response tracking. Medium covers Story publishing, Member program, Earning potential, Reading time estimates. Both handle Email, Web support.
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