Yes, Medium is free to join, and stories that aren't behind Medium's paywall are free for anyone to read. Member-only stories are different: non-members can read the opening section, then need a Medium membership to read the rest, unless the writer shares a Friend Link.
Medium is a publishing platform for articles and essays, used by writers, founders, developers and marketers to share ideas. The question of whether it's free has two sides, reading and writing, and the answer depends on which stories you're looking at. Here's how Medium's own help centre explains it.
What a free Medium account gives you
Medium says that by creating a free account you can follow your favourite authors and publications, interact with their stories, and bookmark them for later. As a free reader you can also clap for articles, leave responses and highlight passages, and set your interests so your homepage recommends stories you'll like.
| Free account | Medium membership | |
|---|---|---|
| Stories outside the paywall | Read in full | Read in full |
| Member-only stories | The opening section only | Read in full |
| Ads | Shown | Ad-free |
| Listen to stories (text to speech) | No | Yes |
| Offline reading on iOS and Android | No | Yes |
| Custom domain for a profile or publication | No | Yes |
| Create your own publication | No | Yes |
The paywall: what non-members can read
This is the bit most people want to know. Medium's help centre explains that when a story is behind the paywall, only Medium members can read it in its entirety. Non-members can read the opening section of the story.
There's a small exception for brand-new readers. Medium says people without accounts who land on a paywalled story are prompted to create a free account, and they can then read the story they were on when they signed up. After that, they'll need a membership to read more paywalled stories.
If a story isn't behind the paywall, Medium says it's already free for all to read and can be shared with its normal link.
Friend Links: the free way to read a paywalled story
Writers who put stories behind the paywall get a Friend Link for every one of them. Medium describes Friend Links as a way for writers to make sure friends, family and fans have free access to their paywalled stories, even if they're not members.
So if you're a writer and you want your newsletter readers or LinkedIn followers to read the whole piece, share the Friend Link rather than the normal story URL. If you're a reader, a Friend Link from the author is the legitimate way to read a member-only story without joining.
Is writing on Medium free?
Yes, you can publish stories with a free account, and those stories are free for anyone to read unless you put them behind the paywall. Placing a story behind the paywall is part of Medium's Partner Program: Medium says you need to be enrolled in it to make a story member-only, and you can set the paywall on or off for each story or as a default in your publishing settings.
If you're deciding where your writing should live, my comparison of Substack and Medium looks at who owns the audience on each, and my guide to the Medium Partner Program explains how enrolment works.
What a Medium membership adds
Medium lists the member benefits as unlimited, ad-free access to every story with no paywalls or story limits, the option to listen to stories with text to speech, offline reading on iOS and Android, a custom domain for your profile or publication, and the ability to create your own publication. Members can also join me.dm, Medium's Mastodon instance.
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There's a higher tier called Friend of Medium. Medium says it includes all member benefits and directs four times more support to the writers you read than a standard membership.
How to read Medium for free
- Create a free account so you can follow writers and save stories.
- Read stories that aren't marked as member-only; they're free in full.
- For member-only stories, read the opening section to decide if it's worth it.
- Ask for, or look out for, the author's Friend Link when they share it on social media or in a newsletter.
- Follow writers whose work you like, so their public stories show up on your homepage.
Should a business publish on Medium?
It can be a useful extra channel, especially for thought leadership in tech and marketing, but treat it as a place to repost, not your main home. Your own website is the asset you control. Publish on your site first, then share a version on Medium with a link back to the original, and decide per story whether it goes behind the paywall or stays open to everyone.
A tip if you publish both places: Medium lets members set up a custom domain for a profile or publication, but on a free account your stories sit on Medium's own address. That's another reason to keep the original on your website and treat Medium as the second home for a piece, not the first.
My verdict
Medium is free for joining, writing and reading anything outside the paywall. Member-only stories are where the free experience stops at the opening section, and Friend Links are the honest workaround. If you read Medium every day, membership removes the ads and the limits; if you're a writer, share Friend Links generously so your own audience can always read your work in full.
Frequently asked questions
Is Medium free to read?
Stories outside the paywall are free for anyone to read. For member-only stories, non-members can read the opening section and need a membership to read the rest.
Can I write on Medium for free?
Yes. You can publish stories with a free account, and they're free for anyone to read unless you place them behind the paywall.
What is a Medium Friend Link?
A link writers get for every paywalled story. Medium says it gives anyone free access to that story, even if they're not a member.
What does a Medium membership include?
Medium lists unlimited, ad-free access to every story, text to speech, offline reading on iOS and Android, a custom domain and the ability to create your own publication.
Do you need the Partner Program to paywall a story?
Yes. Medium says you need to be enrolled in the Medium Partner Program to place a story behind the paywall.
