Ghost vs Medium: Self-Host or Use a Platform?
Quick Verdict
Ghost is the better choice for anyone serious about publishing. You own your content, keep 100% of subscription revenue (minus Stripe fees), control SEO, and build an asset on your own domain. Medium’s built-in audience was once a compelling advantage — but their paywall-first algorithm now buries free content and takes 50%+ of Partner Program earnings.
Overview
Medium is a hosted publishing platform founded in 2012 by Twitter co-founder Ev Williams. Writers publish on medium.com, and the platform handles everything — hosting, distribution, and monetization via the Partner Program (readers pay $5/month, writers earn based on engagement). Medium controls the algorithm, the paywall, and your audience relationship.
Ghost is an open-source publishing platform launched in 2013. Self-hosted Ghost gives you the same writing experience on your own server. Built-in membership management, newsletter delivery, and paid subscriptions let you monetize directly without a platform intermediary.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Ghost (Self-Hosted) | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Content ownership | 100% yours, on your server | Medium’s ToS apply |
| Custom domain | Yes | Yes (custom domains available) |
| Revenue model | You keep 100% (minus Stripe ~2.9%) | Medium takes 50%+ of Partner Program |
| Newsletter/email | Built-in (free) | Not built-in |
| Paid subscriptions | Built-in (Stripe integration) | Medium controls pricing |
| SEO control | Full (meta tags, slugs, schema) | None (Medium decides) |
| Themes/design | Custom themes, full control | Fixed layout, minimal customization |
| Editor | Markdown + rich embeds | Medium-style rich text |
| Analytics | Built-in + Google Analytics | Medium stats (limited) |
| API access | Full Content API + Admin API | Limited API |
| Membership tiers | Unlimited custom tiers | One price ($5/month reader) |
| Content export | Full export anytime | HTML export, limited |
| Hosting cost | $5-12/month (VPS) | Free to publish |
| Audience building | You build your list | Medium’s algorithm decides |
| Mobile app | Reader-facing only | Full app (reading + writing) |
| Social features | None (blog-focused) | Claps, follows, responses |
| Discovery/distribution | SEO + your channels | Medium’s algorithm |
Revenue Comparison
The revenue difference is the decisive factor for most creators.
Medium Partner Program
Medium pays writers based on “member reading time.” The payout formula is opaque and has changed multiple times. Most writers earn $0-50/month. Top earners with viral content can make thousands, but they’re exceptions.
Medium takes a substantial cut. Their documentation doesn’t specify exact percentages, but analysis shows writers typically receive 40-50% of the member revenue attributable to their content. Medium decides the attribution model.
Ghost Self-Hosted
With Ghost, you set your own pricing. $5/month membership with 100 paying subscribers = $500/month. Stripe takes ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. You keep ~$480/month. No platform cut, no algorithm deciding visibility.
The trade-off: you start with zero subscribers and must build your audience through SEO, social media, and email marketing. Medium provides some built-in distribution (though less and less for free content).
| Metric | Ghost (Self-Hosted) | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| 100 paying subs at $5/mo | ~$480/month (you keep) | You don’t set the price |
| Revenue share | 0% to platform | ~50%+ to Medium |
| Pricing control | You set any price | Medium controls |
| Subscriber data | Full access, exportable | Limited access |
| Payment processor | Stripe (your account) | Medium handles it |
Content Ownership
Ghost stores your content on your server in a standard format. Export includes posts, pages, tags, members, and settings. You can migrate to another Ghost instance, convert to WordPress, or extract as Markdown.
Medium stores your content on their servers. Export gives you HTML files. Your audience (followers, responses, claps) doesn’t export. If Medium changes policies, raises prices, or shuts down, you’re at their mercy.
SEO Comparison
Ghost gives you full SEO control: custom meta titles and descriptions, URL slugs, canonical URLs, Open Graph tags, Twitter Cards, JSON-LD structured data, XML sitemaps, and robots.txt configuration.
Medium controls everything. You can’t set meta descriptions, can’t customize URL slugs (they’re auto-generated with a random hash), can’t add schema markup, and can’t submit a sitemap. Medium’s domain authority helps with ranking, but you’re building Medium’s authority, not yours.
| SEO Feature | Ghost | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Custom meta title | Yes | No |
| Custom meta description | Yes | No |
| Custom URL slugs | Yes | No (hash-based) |
| XML sitemap | Auto-generated | Medium controls |
| robots.txt | Customizable | Medium controls |
| Schema markup | Full control | None |
| Canonical URLs | Customizable | Auto-set to Medium URL |
| Page speed | You control | Medium controls (heavy) |
| Internal linking | Full control | Limited |
Use Cases
Choose Ghost If…
- You want to build a sustainable content business on your own terms
- You plan to monetize through memberships, newsletters, or sponsorships
- SEO is a growth channel — you need full control over on-page optimization
- You want to own your subscriber list and audience relationship
- You’re building a brand (your domain, your design, your reputation)
- You write regularly and want a professional publishing workflow
Choose Medium If…
- You want zero setup and zero maintenance
- You’re testing content ideas before committing to a platform
- You want immediate access to Medium’s existing reader base
- You’re okay with Medium controlling your content’s visibility
- You don’t plan to monetize directly (you write for visibility, not revenue)
- You publish infrequently and don’t want to manage a server
Final Verdict
For any creator who takes publishing seriously, Ghost is the clear winner. You own everything — content, audience, revenue, and brand. The hosting cost ($5-12/month for a VPS) pays for itself once you have even a few paying members.
Medium still works as a distribution channel alongside your main platform. Cross-post your Ghost articles to Medium with canonical URLs pointing back to your site. You get Medium’s exposure without giving up ownership.
The only scenario where Medium alone makes sense is if you write casually, don’t care about revenue, and want zero technical responsibilities. For everyone else, self-host Ghost.
FAQ
Can I cross-post from Ghost to Medium?
Yes — and you should. Write your articles on Ghost first, then cross-post to Medium with a canonical URL pointing back to your Ghost site. This gives you Medium’s exposure without hurting your SEO (the canonical URL tells Google your site is the original source). Ghost does not have a built-in Medium integration, so cross-posting is manual or via automation tools like Zapier.
How much does self-hosting Ghost cost?
A VPS with 1 GB RAM costs $4-6/month (Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Vultr). Ghost runs well on these specs for sites with moderate traffic. Add $10-15/year for a domain name. Total: ~$60-85/year. Medium is free to publish on but takes 50%+ of any revenue you earn.
Can I use Ghost without paid memberships?
Yes. Ghost’s membership and subscription features are optional. You can run Ghost as a simple blog with no membership wall, no payments, and no Stripe integration. Many Ghost sites use it purely as a publishing platform with free content.
Does Medium still give you exposure?
Less than it used to. Medium’s algorithm heavily favors paywalled content (behind their $5/month subscription). Free articles get minimal algorithmic distribution. The built-in audience argument for Medium has weakened significantly since 2020.
Can I move my Medium followers to Ghost?
No. Medium does not export your follower list. If you leave Medium, you leave your followers behind. This is the strongest argument for building on your own platform from the start — with Ghost, your email subscribers are yours to export and take anywhere.
Is Ghost(Pro) worth it instead of self-hosting?
Ghost(Pro) starts at $9/month for 500 members. It handles hosting, updates, and email delivery. For non-technical creators who want to focus on writing, it is worth considering. Self-hosting saves money ($5/month VPS vs $9+/month Ghost Pro) and gives you more control, but requires managing server updates, backups, and email delivery (Mailgun or similar).
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