How Circle and Medium compare
Circle is where serious community hosts go when the community is the business. Spaces for discussion and chat, courses and events in the same place, paid memberships with branded checkout, gamification, workflows, Circle AI, and on Circle Plus your own branded iOS and Android apps. It has grown into an all-in-one for membership businesses, and the Website Builder and Email Hub mean many hosts no longer need a second tool for the front door. If your members log in every week to talk to each other, Circle is built for exactly that.
Medium is where a good essay can find readers on its own. The editor is calm, publications curate, the algorithm and topics surface work to members, and the Partner Program pays writers from member reading time. You bring words; Medium brings the audience and the distribution.
Where they are different
Circle
- Circle's pages are the front door to a members-only space.
- Circle's Email Hub is an add-on priced per contact on top of the plan.
- Circle's DMs live between members inside the community.
- Circle has courses, live streams, paid tiers for users, and gamification.
Medium
- Medium owns the reader relationship.
- Medium is one publication format.
- Medium claps and responses stay on Medium.
Choose Circle when a paid, private community with courses and events is the product, and you want members in a branded app.
Choose Medium when you want readers and modest earnings without owning a site or a list.
Compare features
What's on Circle and Medium
A check means that capability is available. Circle and Medium are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteCircle: IncludedMedium: Not included
- Custom domainCircle: IncludedMedium: Not included
- Theme and fontsCircle: IncludedMedium: Not included
Public content
- BlogCircle: Not includedMedium: Included
- Reader engagementCircle: IncludedMedium: Included
Reach and quality
- SEOCircle: IncludedMedium: Included
Audience and email
- AudienceCircle: IncludedMedium: Not included
- Marketing emailsCircle: IncludedMedium: Not included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsCircle: IncludedMedium: Not included
Team
- Admin usersCircle: IncludedMedium: Included
- Per-admin permissionsCircle: IncludedMedium: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Circle or Medium, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Circle or Medium may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Circle vs Medium pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Circle
Current plans and prices
See what Circle charges on their pricing page.
Medium
Current plans and prices
See what Medium charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Circle and Medium
You don't pay until you publish.
Cardel provides a home for your craft. Share and sell your work, grow your audience, and bring your community together on a site of your own.
Common questions
Is Cardel an alternative to Circle or Medium?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Circle or Medium when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Circle and Medium are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Circle or Medium?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Circle or Medium for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Circle and Medium?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Circle and Medium set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Circle or Medium to Cardel?
Start with Build Your Site, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.