Medium vs Substack vs Your Own Website: Where Should Writers Publish?
I publish on all three platforms. Here's what each one does well, and why I don't rely on just one.
If you're starting your writing journey, you'll eventually ask the same question I did:
Where should I publish my work: Medium, Substack, or should I build my own website?
After publishing hundreds of articles across different platforms, I've realized there's no single winner.
Each platform solves a different problem. Instead of choosing one, I use all three together.
Here's why.
Medium: Best for reaching new readers
Medium is where I publish many of my long-form articles because it already has an existing audience.
Unlike a brand-new website, you don't have to wait months before someone discovers your writing.
A well-written article can start getting views almost immediately.
Medium is especially useful for:
- Life lessons-style articles
- Personal essays
- Evergreen educational content
It's also where many of my readers first discovered my work.
The downside? You don't fully control the platform.
Algorithms change, publications disappear, and ultimately, you're building on rented land.
Substack: Best for building relationships
Substack works differently.
Instead of chasing search traffic, you're building an email audience.
Every subscriber belongs to you.
That makes it perfect for:
- newsletters
- behind-the-scenes updates
- personal stories
- weekly insights
I often use Substack to expand on topics I've already written about elsewhere.
Rather than publishing identical articles, I share experiences, lessons, and workflows that don't always fit a traditional SEO article.
Your website: Best for long-term authority
If Medium helps people discover you, your website becomes your permanent home.
Every article strengthens your authority.
Every backlink belongs to you.
Every internal link improves your own domain instead of someone else's.
This is where I publish supporting articles that reinforce my larger content strategy.
Over time, that creates topical authority around subjects I want to rank for.
Unlike social platforms, your website keeps working long after you hit Publish.
My publishing workflow
I don't create separate content for every platform.
I repurpose strategically.
A single article usually becomes:
- a detailed website article
- a Medium article
- a Substack newsletter
- multiple LinkedIn posts
- social media content
That allows one idea to continue generating value across multiple audiences.
The AI tools that make this easier
A repeatable publishing workflow becomes much easier with the right tools.
Koala AI
I use Koala AI to generate structured long-form drafts and build article outlines before I start editing.
That gives me a strong first version to work from instead of staring at a blank page.
GPTHuman
Before publishing, I often use GPTHuman to smooth awkward AI phrasing and make drafts sound more natural.
It saves editing time while still leaving room for my own voice.
Rytr
Once the main article is finished, Rytr helps me create shorter content such as LinkedIn posts, captions, email snippets, and other supporting copy.
Instead of rewriting everything manually, I adapt the same core idea for different platforms much faster.
So, which platform should you choose?
If you're starting from zero: Publish on Medium.
If you want loyal readers: Build a Substack newsletter.
If you want long-term search traffic and ownership: Build your own website.
Eventually, the best strategy is combining all three.
Each platform supports the others.
My recommendation
Today my workflow looks like this:
Website → Medium → Substack → Social media
Everything starts on my own website.
Medium helps new readers discover the content.
Substack keeps those readers coming back.
That combination gives me both search traffic and a growing audience I actually own.
Final thoughts
The biggest mistake new writers make isn't choosing the wrong platform.
It's depending on only one platform.
Publishing across multiple channels gives your work a much longer lifespan and protects you from algorithm changes.
If your goal is to earn money from writing—not just publish articles—I explain my complete publishing strategy, income streams, and AI workflow in my full guide on How to Make Money Writing Online.
Affiliate disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products or services I genuinely believe may be useful.