Medium costs $35/mo.
These cost $0.
7 free alternatives to Medium, checked for license, recent activity and real adoption. Each one tells you the catch, so you can switch with your eyes open.
The top-rated free, open-source replacement for Medium is Ghost (MIT Open Source). Across this category, 4 self-hostable tools are available (including Ghost and WordPress). Switching a 5-person team saves up to $2,100/year compared to Medium's $35/mo subscription.
The catch: Ghost replaces the whole publication rather than acting as a neutral membership layer on an existing WordPress site.
Medium vs Free Alternatives
Quick side-by-side comparison · $0/mo vs $35/mo
| Alternative | Type | License | Where It Runs | Stars | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost | open source | MIT | Self-host | ★ 55.7k | Medium vs Ghost → |
| WordPress | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 21.5k | Medium vs WordPress → |
| Sigle | open source | Open Source | Local | ★ 489 | Medium vs Sigle → |
| Zenblog | open source | Open Source | Local | ★ 254 | Medium vs Zenblog → |
| Pagecord | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 194 | Medium vs Pagecord → |
| Comma | open source | Open Source | Local | ★ 226 | Medium vs Comma → |
| Hyvor Blogs | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 25 | Medium vs Hyvor Blogs → |
The picks
7 open source · ranked by fit
- 01
Ghost
open sourceMITSelf-host55.7knov 2026Publish content, send email newsletters, and sell paid subscriptions from one platform. Used by independent journalists, creators, and businesses like YCombinator and Kickstarter.
The catch vs MediumGhost replaces the whole publication rather than acting as a neutral membership layer on an existing WordPress site.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hostedself-host, real ops
- install
- Run Ghost-CLI on supported Ubuntu/MySQL hosting; the official Docker path is available but still documented as preview
- setup
- Self-hosting needs a server, domain, DNS, TLS and transactional/newsletter mail, plus Ghost upgrades
- your data
- Posts, members and settings in MySQL; images under Ghost's content directory by default or through a configured storage adapter
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 02
WordPress
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host21.5knov 2026A versatile, user-friendly platform for building and managing websites, from simple blogs to complex e-commerce stores.
The catch vs MediumRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Medium.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/WordPress/WordPress or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 03
Sigle
open sourceOpen SourceLocal489nov 2026Sigle is a secure, open-source platform for Web3 writers to create, publish, and monetize content on the Bitcoin blockchain.
The catch vs MediumCommunity-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- desktopcross-platformone-click install
- install
- Clone https://github.com/sigle/sigle or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
- your data
- All application data lives locally on your own machine.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 04
Zenblog
open sourceOpen SourceLocal254nov 2026A minimalist, markdown-based blogging platform designed for developers, featuring syntax highlighting and seamless Git integration.
The catch vs MediumCommunity-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- desktopcross-platformone-click install
- install
- Clone https://github.com/jordienr/zenblog or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
- your data
- All application data lives locally on your own machine.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 05
Pagecord
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host194nov 2026Publish blog posts by email, from Obsidian, iA Writer, the web editor, CLI, or API. Includes RSS, email subscribers, analytics, custom domains, and full export.
The catch vs MediumRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Medium.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/lylo/pagecord or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 06
Comma
open sourceOpen SourceLocal226nov 2026Free site builder to create a personal website with articles, projects, email capture, and analytics. Open source, fast, and beautifully designed.
The catch vs MediumCommunity-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- desktopcross-platformone-click install
- install
- Clone https://github.com/arianadeli/comma or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
- your data
- All application data lives locally on your own machine.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 07
Hyvor Blogs
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host25nov 2026Self-hostable blogging platform with a clean editor, zero-config SEO, custom themes, real-time collaboration, and built-in comments and newsletters.
The catch vs MediumRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Medium.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/hyvor/blogs or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
Medium Head-to-Head Comparisons (2027)
Side-by-side trade-off breakdowns · 7 free alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers · Medium open-source replacements
What is the best free alternative to Medium?+
The top free alternative to Medium is Ghost (open source, MIT). Publish content, send email newsletters, and sell paid subscriptions from one platform. Used by independent journalists, creators, and businesses like YCombinator and Kickstarter. Other popular Medium replacements include WordPress, Sigle, Zenblog.
Can I self-host a free replacement for Medium?+
Yes. Of the 7 free alternatives to Medium, 4 can be self-hosted on your own server or local machine: Ghost (MIT), WordPress (Open Source), Pagecord (Open Source), Hyvor Blogs (Open Source).
How much does switching from Medium to a free alternative save?+
Medium starts at $35/month per seat ($420/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like Ghost saves $2,100 per year in software subscription fees.
Should I vibe-code or build my own Medium clone from scratch?+
Our build verdict for Medium is NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens). Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for Medium or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 7 battle-tested open-source alternatives like Ghost.
What is the catch when switching from Medium to Ghost?+
Ghost replaces the whole publication rather than acting as a neutral membership layer on an existing WordPress site.
