Software · head to head
Medium vs Apple News

Medium
Software
The best place to read and write stories on the internet
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Medium unlimited access to stories requires a paid Medium membership; Apple News apple News+ costs $12.99 per month in USD after the first month, or is included only via the $39.95 per month USD Apple One Premier bundle
- They diverge on capability: Medium covers Story publishing, Apple News covers Curated news feed.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Medium and Apple News actually diverge.
| Attribute | Medium | Apple News |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Mobile | Ios, Macos |
| Founded | 2012 | 1976 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Medium
- Story publishing
- Member program
- Earning potential
- Reading time estimates
- Clap reactions
- Highlighting & annotations
- Story recommendations
- Following system
Only in Apple News
- Curated news feed
- Premium magazines
- Audio stories
- Personalization
- Offline reading
- iCloud
- Apple One bundle
- Siri
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Medium
- Publishing articles without running your own blognot Apple News
- Reading long-form writing across technology, culture and newsnot Apple News
- Earning from writing through the Medium Partner Programnot Apple News
Apple News
- Daily news readingnot Medium
- Magazine subscriptionnot Medium
- News discoverynot Medium
- Staying informednot Medium
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Apple News
- Apple News+ costs $12.99 per month in USD after the first month, or is included only via the $39.95 per month USD Apple One Premier bundle
Pricing, plan by plan
Medium
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited reading
- Publishing platform
- Story drafts
- Medium Membership$5/month
- Unlimited access
- Exclusive stories
- Member earnings
Apple News
Free- Apple NewsFree
- Free news articles
- Personalized feed
- Topic following
- Apple News+$12.99/month
- Premium magazines
- Major newspapers
- Audio stories
Which should you pick?
Choose Medium if
- You need story publishing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile.
- You also want member program.
Choose Apple News if
- You need curated news feed.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Macos.
- You also want premium magazines.
Questions people ask
- Is Medium or Apple News better?
- Neither clearly leads. Medium starts at Free and Apple News at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Medium or Apple News?
- Medium starts at Free and Apple News at Free.
- Does Medium or Apple News run on more platforms?
- Medium runs on Web, Mobile. Apple News runs on Ios, Macos.
- Can I use Medium for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Medium best used for?
- Medium is most often used for publishing articles without running your own blog, reading long-form writing across technology, culture and news, earning from writing through the medium partner program. Of those, publishing articles without running your own blog and reading long-form writing across technology, culture and news are not what Apple News is typically brought in for.
- What can Medium do that Apple News cannot?
- Medium covers Story publishing, Member program, Earning potential, Reading time estimates. Apple News covers Curated news feed, Premium magazines, Audio stories, Personalization.
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