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Medium vs Steno

Medium logo

Medium

News

The best place to read and write stories on the internet

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Steno logo

Steno

News

AI transcription and analysis for news and media

From
$500/month
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; Steno no free tier available; entry point at $500/month
  • They diverge on capability: Medium covers Story publishing, Steno covers AI transcription.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Medium and Steno actually diverge.

Attributes where Medium and Steno differ
AttributeMediumSteno
Starting priceFree$500/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb
Founded20122020

Identical on both: 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 Medium

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

Only in Steno

  • AI transcription
  • Broadcast search
  • Real-time monitoring
  • Clip creation
  • Media analysis
  • Slack
  • API

Both cover

  • Email
  • 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 Steno
  • Reading long-form writing across technology, culture and newsnot Steno
  • Earning from writing through the Medium Partner Programnot Steno

Steno

  • AI-powered content creation platformnot Medium
  • Voice and text content generationnot Medium
  • Multi-channel content distributionnot Medium
  • Programmatic content syndicationnot 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

Steno

  • No free tier available; entry point at $500/month
  • Enterprise plan pricing not published; requires custom quote
  • Premium add-ons (iOS/Android app, Pro Voice) pricing not disclosed

Pricing, plan by plan

Medium

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

Steno

$500/month
  • Starter$500/month
    • 16,500 credits per month
    • 1 Twin
    • Web app deployment
  • Growth$1000/month
    • 40,000 credits per month
    • 2 Twins
    • Web app deployment
  • Scale$2000/month
    • 100,000 credits per month
    • 3 Twins
    • Web app deployment
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • 200,000+ credits per month
    • 5 Twins
    • Web app deployment

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 Steno if

  • You need ai transcription.
  • You also want broadcast search.
Steno review

Questions people ask

Is Medium or Steno better?
Neither clearly leads. Medium starts at Free and Steno at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Medium or Steno?
Medium has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Medium and $500/month for Steno.
Does Medium or Steno run on more platforms?
Medium runs on Web, Mobile. Steno runs on Web.
Can I use Medium for free?
Yes. Medium has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Steno starts at $500/month.
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 Steno is typically brought in for.
What can Medium do that Steno cannot?
Medium covers Story publishing, Member program, Earning potential, Reading time estimates. Steno covers AI transcription, Broadcast search, Real-time monitoring, Clip creation. Both handle Email, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Steno: What is the minimum cost to start using Steno?

The Starter plan is $500/month with 16,500 monthly credits. Steno does not offer a free tier, and monthly billing options include annual subscriptions with 10-15% savings.

Source
Steno: What are Steno credits and how many do I get?

Credits are the universal currency used for content processing, training, and user interactions across text, voice, and video. Starter includes 16,500/month, Growth 40,000/month, Scale 100,000/month, and Enterprise 200,000+/month.

Source
Steno: What is a Twin in Steno's pricing?

Twins are included in Steno plans at different quantities: Starter includes 1 Twin, Growth 2, Scale 3, and Enterprise 5. Specific features of Twins are not detailed on the pricing page.

Source
Steno: What are Steno's platform fees?

Steno charges monetization platform fees that decrease with plan tier: Starter at 9%, Growth at 8%, Scale at 7%, and Enterprise at 6%.

Source
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