Ghost vs Medium: Which Writing Platform Should You Choose in 2025?

Introduction: Ghost vs Medium in 2025 - the 60‑second answer

Who this guide is for

• Independent writers, creators, and small teams choosing a primary home for their writing

• SaaS founders/marketers weighing owned blogs vs. platform reach

TL;DR

• Pick Ghost for ownership, branding, SEO control, and recurring revenue via memberships/newsletters

• Pick Medium for zero setup, built‑in distribution, and a social reading experience

• Many writers use both: own your site on Ghost, syndicate to Medium for reach

• If you’re a SaaS team that wants SEO growth with near‑zero manual work, consider an automation‑first alternative (see BlogBowl notes throughout)

What you’ll get in this comparison

• A quick at‑a‑glance table

• Clear pros/cons, pricing/monetization, writing experience, audience growth, SEO/analytics, setup/migration

• Final recommendations by use case

Pricing and monetization: what you actually keep vs. what you trade off

Ghost

• Business model: software subscription (Ghost(Pro)) or self‑host; 0% platform fee on creator revenue (Stripe fees apply)

• Built‑in memberships, paywalls, and newsletters; full control of pricing/tiers

• Flexible monetization: sponsorships, ads, affiliates, products, services

Medium

• Free to publish; requires active membership to join/earn in the Partner Program

• Revenue model based on member reading time and engagement; limited control over pricing

• External monetization via links allowed with constraints

What matters for writers

• Predictability of revenue and control of pricing (Ghost) vs. ease of earning inside a closed ecosystem (Medium)

• Owning subscriber list and payment rails (Ghost) vs. platform‑dependent payouts (Medium)

Pro tip

• Many creators use Ghost to own recurring revenue and email list, then cross‑post to Medium for discovery

Writing and editor experience: Koenig vs. Medium’s minimalist editor

Ghost (Koenig editor)

• Clean, distraction‑free writing with rich cards/blocks (embeds, galleries, CTA, code, HTML)

• Built‑in newsletter formatting; markdown support; custom themes affect reading experience

• Excellent for long‑form, editorial design, and content hubs

Medium

• One of the best minimalist editors for fast drafting

• Seamless embeds; consistent typography and layout - no design decisions needed

• Great for writers who want to write without setup or formatting choices

Bottom line

• Ghost maximizes flexibility and pairing content with your brand; Medium maximizes speed and simplicity

Ownership, branding, and licensing: who controls your content and audience?

Ghost

• Your domain, your design, your data; export anytime

• Fully custom themes; total brand control across pages, posts, and emails

Medium

• Publishes under Medium’s design language; limited brand control

• Broad content license typical of social platforms; payout/visibility subject to policy changes

Why this matters

• Portability and long‑term asset value (SEO equity, email list, links) favor Ghost

• Convenience and network effects favor Medium

Practical tip

• Own your primary content and email list on an independent domain; syndicate to platforms for distribution

Audience growth and distribution: platform network vs. owned channels

Medium

• Built‑in reader network, curation, publications, tagging, and recommendation engine

• Easiest path to early traction without a pre‑existing audience

Ghost

• Grow via SEO + newsletters + social; use memberships to deepen engagement

• Full access to subscriber list for lifetime audience portability

Smart growth play

• Publish on Ghost; cross‑post best pieces to Medium with canonical tags; invite Medium readers back to your owned newsletter

Reality check

• Platform algorithms change; owned audience (email + domain) is durable

SEO, analytics, and performance: ranking, insights, and site speed

Ghost

• Full control of meta titles/descriptions, structured data via themes, and image alt text

• Easy integration with Google Analytics/Search Console; privacy‑friendly built‑in analytics

• Fast, lightweight themes; control over performance budgets and CDNs

Medium

• Strong on-page defaults and image optimization, but limited SEO configuration

• Platform analytics only; no Search Console/GA for your namespace

Practical setup

• On Ghost: connect GSC + GA, map keywords to topics, build internal linking and topic clusters

• On Medium: use publications/tags, link back to owned site/newsletter, leverage canonical tags when cross‑posting

BlogBowl note

• If you want SEO content creation, internal linking, and publishing automated for a business blog, consider an automation‑first platform like BlogBowl alongside (or instead of) Ghost/Medium

Setup, migration, and extensibility: from first post to full stack

Getting started

• Medium: create account → write → publish (minutes)

• Ghost: spin up Ghost(Pro) or self‑host → connect domain → pick theme → publish (minutes to hours)

Migration

• Medium → Ghost: export stories; import to Ghost; set up redirects/canonicals; move email list

• Keep Medium as a distribution channel post‑migration

Extensibility

• Ghost: themes, routes, custom templates, webhooks, and robust API; integrates broadly

• Medium: limited customization; extensions mainly via embeds and referral links

Screenshots

• Show main homepages so readers recognize each platform quickly

Support, community, and long‑term viability

Ghost

• Open-source core and sustainable, product‑focused roadmap

• Active theme/integration ecosystem; transparent development cadence

• Strong contributor community and documentation; easy to export everything (content, members, themes)

Medium

• Stable platform for readers; product direction optimized for network health and member value

• Policy/visibility rules can shift; creators should hedge by owning an email list

• Little control over roadmap; exports are possible but audience portability is limited

What to consider long‑term

• Can you export everything you need?

• Do you control revenue channels and reader relationships?

• Will your content’s design and structure remain under your control?

• If platform policies change, can you maintain reach and income?

• Is there a path to scale beyond “just publishing” (memberships, data, integrations)?

Use‑case playbook: pick your path in under a minute

If you’re a solo writer starting from zero

• Choose Medium for immediate reach; start collecting emails to an owned list

• When you see traction, stand up a Ghost site as your home base

If you’re building a membership business or premium newsletter

• Choose Ghost to own pricing, tiers, and audience; optionally syndicate to Medium

If you run a SaaS or startup blog

• Choose Ghost or an automation‑first platform (e.g., BlogBowl) for SEO, speed, and control; share select thought leadership on Medium for reach

If you want zero setup forever

• Choose Medium and accept design/licensing trade‑offs

Final verdict: Which one should you choose? (+ a hybrid plan that works)

Choose Ghost if

• You want long‑term asset compounding (SEO + email) on your domain

• You need full control over branding, pricing, and monetization

• You plan to build a publication or membership business

Choose Medium if

• You value instant setup and built‑in discovery over control

• You prefer writing only, with minimal site/admin responsibilities

The hybrid plan (recommended for many)

• Own your site and list on Ghost; cross‑post high‑performers to Medium with canonical tags; invite readers to subscribe to your owned newsletter

Where BlogBowl fits

• If you’re a SaaS/startup team that wants hands‑off SEO content, daily posts, internal linking, built‑in analytics/newsletters, and fast templates, consider BlogBowl as your primary blog engine; you can still syndicate essays to Medium for reach

In short: Ghost maximizes ownership and monetization, Medium maximizes speed to audience, and a Ghost+Medium hybrid gives you the best of both. For SaaS teams, BlogBowl adds automation so you grow faster with less effort.