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Software · head to head

Medium vs Flipboard

Medium logo

Medium

Software

The best place to read and write stories on the internet

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Flipboard logo

Flipboard

Software

Your personal magazine for news and stories

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Medium unlimited access to stories requires a paid Medium membership; Flipboard flipboard is free to use with no paid tier; the product carries no subscription, so there is no plan limit to compare against rivals that charge
  • They diverge on capability: Medium covers Story publishing, Flipboard covers Magazine-style layout.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Medium and Flipboard actually diverge.

Attributes where Medium and Flipboard differ
AttributeMediumFlipboard
Pricing modelfreemiumfree
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20122010

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 Flipboard

  • Magazine-style layout
  • Content curation
  • Topic discovery
  • Smart magazines
  • Social sharing
  • Google
  • Ios support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Web 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 Flipboard
  • Reading long-form writing across technology, culture and newsnot Flipboard
  • Earning from writing through the Medium Partner Programnot Flipboard

Flipboard

  • News consumptionnot Medium
  • Content discoverynot Medium
  • Magazine creationnot Medium
  • Social readingnot 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

Flipboard

  • Flipboard is free to use with no paid tier; the product carries no subscription, so there is no plan limit to compare against rivals that charge

Pricing, plan by plan

Medium

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

Flipboard

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited reading
    • Personalized feeds
    • Magazine creation

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 Flipboard if

  • You need magazine-style layout.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want content curation.
Flipboard review

Questions people ask

Is Medium or Flipboard better?
Neither clearly leads. Medium starts at Free and Flipboard at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Medium or Flipboard?
Medium starts at Free and Flipboard at Free.
Does Medium or Flipboard run on more platforms?
Medium runs on Web, Mobile. Flipboard runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Flipboard is typically brought in for.
What can Medium do that Flipboard cannot?
Medium covers Story publishing, Member program, Earning potential, Reading time estimates. Flipboard covers Magazine-style layout, Content curation, Topic discovery, Smart magazines. Both handle Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Web support.
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