WordPress.com vs Medium

WordPress.com9.4Visit Medium8.6Visit

Higher score WordPress.com #1 in Blogging Platforms 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit WordPress.com

vs

Medium #6 in Blogging Platforms 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Medium

• WordPress.com fits best

  Most bloggers wanting an all-in-one hosted platform

• Medium fits best

  Writers seeking publishing and audience reach

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	WordPress.com 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Medium 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.6
Ranking	#1 in Blogging Platforms	#6 in Blogging Platforms
Best for	Most bloggers wanting an all-in-one hosted platform	Writers seeking publishing and audience reach
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$2.75/mo	—
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Live chat, Community, Docs · 24/7	Email, Tickets, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features WordPress.com 4/4 · Medium 4/4
Custom domain	✓	✓
Post scheduling	✓	✓
Built-in memberships	✓	✓
Blog analytics	✓	✓
Specs
Author limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Theme customization	Custom code	Basic
Our review
Pros	Free plan includes unlimited pages and posts Managed hosting, security, backups, and updates Paid plans add domains, plugins, analytics, and monetization	Scheduled publishing, rich formatting, embeds, images, and automatic saving Publications support owner, editor, and writer roles with flexible layouts Analytics, custom domains, paywalling, and Partner Program earnings
Cons	Free sites use a WordPress.com subdomain Free-plan stats cover only the last 7 days Plugin installation is available only on paid plans	Custom-domain support requires an active membership Paid plan pricing is not clearly established here The platform is centered on written stories rather than broader content formats
Our verdict	WordPress.com is a hosted blogging and website publishing platform from Automattic Inc. It is designed for individuals, creators, businesses, and professional publications that want publishing tools, managed hosting, customizable themes,… Read the review →	Medium is an online publishing platform for individuals and organizations creating, publishing, and sharing written stories. Its editor supports automatically saved drafts, rich text formatting, images, Unsplash image search, and URL-based… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• WordPress.com — where it wins

  • Free plan includes unlimited pages and posts
  • Managed hosting, security, backups, and updates
  • Paid plans add domains, plugins, analytics, and monetization

  Where it doesn't

  • Free sites use a WordPress.com subdomain
  • Free-plan stats cover only the last 7 days
  • Plugin installation is available only on paid plans

• Medium — where it wins

  • Scheduled publishing, rich formatting, embeds, images, and automatic saving
  • Publications support owner, editor, and writer roles with flexible layouts
  • Analytics, custom domains, paywalling, and Partner Program earnings

  Where it doesn't

  • Custom-domain support requires an active membership
  • Paid plan pricing is not clearly established here
  • The platform is centered on written stories rather than broader content formats

• WordPress.com9.4/10 · Free plan

  An all-in-one hosted platform with free publishing and scalable paid plans.

  Visit WordPress.comFull verdict →
• Medium8.6/10 · Free plan

  A flexible publishing home for writers who want built-in reach and audience tools.

  Visit MediumFull verdict →