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News & Media · head to head

Medium vs Arc Publishing

Medium logo

Medium

News & Media

The best place to read and write stories on the internet

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Arc Publishing logo

Arc Publishing

News & Media

The enterprise publishing platform for news organizations

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Medium has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Medium unlimited access to stories requires a paid Medium membership; Arc Publishing now sold as Arc XP, and arcpublishing.com redirects there
  • They diverge on capability: Medium covers Story publishing, Arc Publishing covers Modular CMS.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Medium and Arc Publishing actually diverge.

Attributes where Medium and Arc Publishing differ
AttributeMediumArc Publishing
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
Founded20122016

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Mobile), user rating (Not yet rated), category (News & Media).

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 Arc Publishing

  • Modular CMS
  • Content creation
  • Publishing workflow
  • Paywall management
  • Subscription billing
  • Analytics dashboard
  • API framework
  • Commerce integration

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Mobile support

What people use each for

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

Medium

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

Arc Publishing

  • Content management for news and digital publishersnot Medium
  • Subscription and paywall managementnot Medium
  • Video publishing alongside articlesnot Medium
  • Multi-site delivery for broadcast and B2B publishersnot 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

Arc Publishing

  • Now sold as Arc XP, and arcpublishing.com redirects there
  • Pricing is not published
  • Built for media companies, so the editorial workflow assumptions do not suit a general business site

Pricing, plan by plan

Medium

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

Arc Publishing

On request
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Custom CMS
    • Paywall integration
    • Advanced analytics

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.
Medium review

Choose Arc Publishing if

  • You need modular cms.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want content creation.
Arc Publishing review

Questions people ask

Is Medium or Arc Publishing better?
Neither clearly leads. Medium starts at Free and Arc Publishing at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Medium or Arc Publishing?
Medium has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Medium and On request for Arc Publishing.
Does Medium or Arc Publishing run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Mobile, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Medium for free?
Yes. Medium has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Arc Publishing starts at On request.
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 Arc Publishing is typically brought in for.
What can Medium do that Arc Publishing cannot?
Medium covers Story publishing, Member program, Earning potential, Reading time estimates. Arc Publishing covers Modular CMS, Content creation, Publishing workflow, Paywall management. Both handle Web support, Mobile support.
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