Starting a blog can be the best decision you’ll ever make. However, you may want to compare Medium vs. Blogger to decide if one platform will work better for you.
I’ve used both, and each platform has its pros and cons. But it’s up to you to look into them and choose the better blogging platform for yourself.
Before we get into the comparison, this post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy to learn more.
What Is Medium?
Medium is a blogging platform combined with a social media platform. You can use it to start and grow a blog that gets views from search engines, other social platforms, and the Medium algorithm.
I’ve used the platform since 2020, and it’s an excellent place for beginners to set up a blog. It’s also suitable for established bloggers who want to grow their platform and connect with other writers.
The platform has a good domain authority, so you can start ranking on Google quickly. But you also don’t have to use SEO to get traffic to your content.
What Is Blogger?
Blogger is a free blogging platform owned by Google. It used to be known as Blogspot, so all of the blogs that use it without a custom domain will be under the Blogspot domain.
When I started my first blog almost a decade ago, I used Blogger. Since Google owns it, you can use your existing Google account to get started.
Plus, you can launch as many blogs as you want within your account. Then, you can grow them and start to monetize them similarly to how you’d make money with a WordPress blog.
Medium vs. Blogger Similarities
Medium and Blogger share a few qualities that make them two of the most popular blogging platforms. Before you set up an account on one or both, consider what they have in common.
Here are the first few similarities that come to my mind.
Free to Start
All you need to start a Medium blog is an email, and you can even connect to your Google account. Of course, since Blogger is a part of Google, you just need a Google account to get started.
As much as I love using self-hosted WordPress, it costs money. And if you’re new to blogging, you may not want to invest any money until you figure out if you like blogging.
You can start on one of these free blogging platforms and upgrade to your own website later. Plus, you’ll know how to write a blog post, so you can focus on other technical tasks after setting up a WordPress blog.
Ability to Upgrade
Sure, you can start on Medium or Blogger completely for free. But if you have a bit of money you’re willing to spend, you can do so to get extra features.
On Blogger, the main upgrade is to use a custom domain (example.com) rather than a subdomain of Blogspot (example.blogspot.com). You can also do this on Medium to make your blog more memorable.
However, Medium also lets you pay to access unlimited articles from other bloggers on the platform. Instead of using ads, Medium uses a revenue-share model from paying readers.
Blog About Anything
Technically, you can do this with any blogging platform. But whether you use Medium or Blogger, you can write a blog about almost any topic you can think of.
Some blogs that take contributors only focus on specific topics. Now, I will say that some topics are more successful on Medium than others.
For example, articles that I’ve published about blogging get decent traffic. However, when I’ve published articles about music (my other main niche), they don’t do so well.
SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the best ways to get traffic to any blog you start. Luckily, SEO works well whether you use Medium or Blogger.
There are a few differences regarding SEO though. For one, Medium has a very high domain authority, which means that if you publish something using SEO, there’s a decent chance it will show up on the first page of Google.
Blogger may have a similar effect if you use a subdomain of Blogspot. However, if you connect your own domain, you’ll need to build up its authority on your own by publishing content regularly.
Medium vs. Blogger Differences
While there are some things they have in common, the differences between Medium vs. Blogger can help you choose which platform to use. Sometimes, the unique features make a huge impact.
Here are the differences you need to know.
Built-In Community
One of the biggest differences is that Medium comes with a built-in community and audience. You could start to get a few page views the day you publish your first article.
The Medium algorithm may pick up your content and distribute it to readers across the platform. Then, you may get a few of those readers as followers, so they’ll see even more of your blog posts.
If you set up a blog using Blogger, getting page views is all on you (at least at first). You’ll have to do more promo until your blog starts to rank in search engines on its own.
Initial Setup
Another distinction between the platforms is how you set up your blog. If you go with Medium, you create an account, and you can start writing your first article within a few minutes.
On the other hand, setting up a Blogger blog takes a bit more work. You have to choose a blog name, select a template, and decide on a few other factors.
Only then can you open the post editor and start writing content. So if you’re looking to start a blog quickly, you may want to go with Medium.
Customization
Medium and Blogger also have different levels of customization available. If you set up a blog on Medium, you can change the colors and a few other design features.
That may be enough if you just want to focus on writing, but it can be hard to brand yourself. On the other hand, Blogger lets you choose from a few different templates and colors.
Consider how much you want to personalize your blog and make it stand out. If you want more options, Blogger is the clear winner for your next blog.
Monetization Options
You’ll also find that the ways you can make money with Medium vs. Blogger are different. Both allow you to make money with affiliate marketing, so you can promote your favorite products.
That’s where the shared income streams end. On Medium, once you reach 100 followers, you can apply to join the Medium Partner Program (MPP) to earn money when a paying member reads your content.
You can also make money by referring new paid members to the platform. If you go with Blogger, you can make money from display ads through Google AdSense.
Can You Blog on Medium and Blogger?
If you can’t decide between Medium vs. Blogger, you may want to use both. You can create a blog on each platform, so you can write about two different topics.
Another option is to create a Blogger blog as your main blog. However, you can then import your posts from your Blogger blog to your Medium account to get more page views (and money).
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re new to blogging or want to expand your reach, you should compare Medium vs. Blogger. Then, you can choose which platform better suits your needs and goals.
I’d recommend using both in your strategy so that you can make money in more ways. But it’s up to you to do the work to start and grow your blog, no matter where you set it up.