Software · head to head
Medium vs Beehiiv
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; Beehiiv platform lacks native SMS support; requires third-party integrations via API or webhooks
- They diverge on capability: Medium covers Story publishing, Beehiiv covers Newsletter creation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Medium and Beehiiv actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Beehiiv
- Newsletter creation
- Email automation
- Subscriber management
- Monetization tools
- Analytics dashboard
- Referral program
- A/B testing
- Spam checking
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 Beehiiv
- Reading long-form writing across technology, culture and newsnot Beehiiv
- Earning from writing through the Medium Partner Programnot Beehiiv
Beehiiv
- Newsletter creation and hosting with monetizationnot Medium
- Content creator monetisation through ad networks and paid subscriptionsnot Medium
- Podcast hosting and distributionnot 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
Beehiiv
- Platform lacks native SMS support; requires third-party integrations via API or webhooks
- Free Launch plan offers only read-only AI capabilities
Pricing, plan by plan
Medium
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited reading
- Publishing platform
- Story drafts
- Medium Membership$5/month
- Unlimited access
- Exclusive stories
- Member earnings
Beehiiv
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Beehiiv review.
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 Beehiiv if
- You need newsletter creation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want email automation.
Questions people ask
- Is Medium or Beehiiv better?
- Neither clearly leads. Medium starts at Free and Beehiiv at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Medium or Beehiiv?
- Medium starts at Free and Beehiiv at Free.
- Does Medium or Beehiiv run on more platforms?
- Medium runs on Web, Mobile. Beehiiv runs on Web.
- 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 Beehiiv is typically brought in for.
- What can Medium do that Beehiiv cannot?
- Medium covers Story publishing, Member program, Earning potential, Reading time estimates. Beehiiv covers Newsletter creation, Email automation, Subscriber management, Monetization tools. Both handle Twitter, LinkedIn, Web support, Mobile support.