Medium Alternatives (2026): 10 Places to Publish Your Writing

Medium is where plenty of writers publish their first article. It's tidy, it's quick and there's no design to fuss over. But writing on Medium also means writing on someone else's site. Your posts sit inside their layout, their rules and their audience, and if their approach changes, you have little say. That's why so many writers go looking for Medium alternatives.

This page lists ten places to publish instead of Medium, in no particular order, sorted alphabetically. I've mixed smaller, independent platforms with a handful of better-known ones, because the smaller names are often where writers find more control. Everything here comes from each platform's own website. If you're starting a blog from scratch, my guides on how to start a blog and the best blogging platform for writers go into more detail.

Medium alternatives side by side

In the free plan column, Yes means the platform's own site says you can publish for free. Trial only means a free trial but no ongoing free plan. No means the site didn't state a free plan when I read it, which isn't the same as there being none, so check the current details before you sign up.

Tool	Type of platform	Good for	Free plan
Bear Blog	Minimalist blogging site	Fast, plain pages with no trackers or ads	Yes
Blogger	Google blogging service	Simple blogs tied to a Google account	Yes
Ghost	Open source publishing platform	Blogs and newsletters you can run yourself	Trial only
HackerNoon	Tech publication and community	Technology stories for a ready-made readership	Yes
Hashnode	Developer blogging platform	Technical posts on your own domain	Yes
Mataroa	Text-first blogging site	Markdown writing without distractions	Yes
Micro.blog	Short posts and blogs	Blogging at your own domain name	No
Substack	Newsletter and publishing platform	Writing that arrives in readers' inboxes	Yes
WordPress.com	Hosted blogging platform	Flexible blogs with themes and plugins	Yes
Write.as	Minimalist writing platform	Quiet writing shared on the web, email and RSS	Trial only

Ten places to publish your writing instead of Medium

Bear Blog

Best for: Writers who want a clean, quick-loading blog with nothing on the page except their words and a few free themes.

Blogger

Best for: Beginners who already use a Google account and want a straightforward blog with templates and reader analytics.

Ghost

Best for: Writers who want an open source publishing system, either with official managed hosting or on their own server.

HackerNoon

Best for: Technology writers who would rather publish where an existing community of tech readers already gathers.

Hashnode

Best for: Developers and engineers who want code-friendly formatting, custom domain support and a blog they control.

Mataroa

Best for: Writers who like Markdown, want no ads or tracking and prefer a calm, text-only place to publish.

Micro.blog

Best for: People who want short posts, longer essays and photos in one place, published at an address they own.

Substack

Best for: Writers who want to build a mailing list and publish posts and newsletters from the same place.

WordPress.com

Best for: Writers who want room to grow, from a simple starter blog to a full website, on a widely used platform.

Write.as

Best for: Writers who want a distraction-free editor and a simple way to publish to the web, by email and onto the fediverse.

How to choose where to publish your writing

Start with what you want your writing to do. Is it a portfolio, a place to build a readership, a newsletter or a home for your business thoughts? The answer narrows the field quickly.

• Ownership. Can you use your own domain name, and can you export your posts if you ever want to leave?
• Audience. Does the platform bring readers to you, or will you need to bring your own?
• Email. If you want a mailing list, check whether subscribers are built in and whether you can take the list with you.
• Look and feel. Some platforms give you a fixed layout, others let you change almost everything.
• Comments and community. Decide whether you want readers to reply on the page, by email or not at all.
• Formatting. Writers who share code, images or long essays need an editor that handles them well.

Which type of platform suits which writer

• Newsletter-first platforms suit writers whose main goal is a regular email to subscribers.
• Hosted blog platforms suit people who want a website that can grow, with pages, a menu and a design of their own.
• Minimalist writing sites suit essayists and journal-style writers who want fewer settings and more writing.
• Technical communities suit developers and engineers writing for other developers.
• Self-hosted publishing software suits people who want full control and don't mind a little setup.

Many writers use two of these together, such as a blog for the long-term archive and a newsletter for regular contact. If you're weighing email options, my guide to free newsletter platforms is a good companion.

Questions to ask before you move your writing

• Can I import my old articles, or will I need to copy them across by hand?
• Will the old links redirect to the new posts, or will readers hit a dead end?
• Who owns the content and the subscriber list if I leave?
• How will readers find me: search engines, a built-in network or only my own promotion?
• Does the editor feel pleasant enough that I'll want to sit down and write?

Mistakes writers make when leaving Medium

• Deleting everything on the old account before checking the new posts look right.
• Picking a platform because of its design, then discovering it doesn't suit the kind of writing they do.
• Forgetting to tell existing followers where to find the new home.
• Moving the whole archive in a rush instead of starting with the best pieces.
• Ignoring search basics such as clear titles and descriptions on the new site.
• Expecting a readership to appear on its own, when most platforms still need promotion from the writer.

Setting up your new home for writing

1. Choose one platform from the list and sign up with an email address you'll keep.
2. Write a short profile that says who you write for and what they'll find.
3. Publish three or four of your strongest pieces first, so new visitors have something to read.
4. Add a way to subscribe or follow, even if it's only a link to your email address.
5. Share the new address on your social profiles and in your email signature.
6. Set a gentle publishing rhythm you can keep up with, and stick to it for a few weeks.

Do you make blogging or publishing platforms? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

Making your final shortlist of writing platforms

Pick two platforms that suit the way you write and the readers you want. Publish one short post on each and see which editor you enjoy and which setup feels easy to manage. Keep the one that fits, and keep a copy of everything you write somewhere you control, whichever platform you land on.

Frequently asked questions

Why look for an alternative to Medium?

Writers often want their own domain, more control over design, a built-in mailing list or a different audience. Publishing on your own site or another platform can give you more of each.

Can I move my articles off Medium?

Yes. Many platforms let you import posts or paste them in. Check how the new place handles formatting, images and old links before you move everything at once.

Which platform is best for newsletters?

Platforms built around email are the usual choice for newsletters. Look at how subscribers are managed, and whether you can export your list if you move later.

Do I need my own domain name?

It isn't essential to start, but a domain you own makes it easier to move platforms later without losing your address. Check whether your chosen platform supports it on the plan you want.

Is it fine to publish the same article in two places?

It can be, but duplicate text may confuse search engines. Some platforms let you set the original source, so look for a canonical link option, or publish a different angle in each place.