How Disciple and Medium compare
Disciple does the thing most community platforms charge a premium for: every plan includes your own iOS and Android app listed under your name, a synced web version, and no Disciple branding anywhere your members look. Groups, feeds, DMs, events, native video, livestreaming, courses, push notifications to segments, and a customer success manager who helps you through the app store submission. Associations, training providers, nonprofits, and membership brands that want an icon on the member's phone are who it is built for.
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
Disciple
- Disciple lives behind a login and a home screen icon.
- Disciple reaches members with push notifications and hands email to Mailchimp or ConvertKit.
- Disciple starts at $599 a month for a branded app with unlimited members.
- Disciple has courses, livestreams, tiers, and in-app purchases.
Medium
- Medium owns the reader relationship.
- Medium is one publication format.
- Medium claps and responses stay on Medium.
Choose Disciple when your members should open an app with your name on it, and a private community with groups, events, and paid tiers is the whole point.
Choose Medium when you want readers and modest earnings without owning a site or a list.
Compare features
What's on Disciple and Medium
A check means that capability is available. Disciple and Medium are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Custom domainDisciple: IncludedMedium: Not included
- Theme and fontsDisciple: IncludedMedium: Not included
Public content
- BlogDisciple: Not includedMedium: Included
- Reader engagementDisciple: Not includedMedium: Included
Reach and quality
- SEODisciple: Not includedMedium: Included
Audience and email
- AudienceDisciple: IncludedMedium: Not included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsDisciple: IncludedMedium: Not included
Team
- Admin usersDisciple: IncludedMedium: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Disciple or Medium, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Disciple or Medium may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Disciple vs Medium pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Disciple
Current plans and prices
See what Disciple charges on their pricing page.
Medium
Current plans and prices
See what Medium charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Disciple 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 Disciple 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 Disciple or Medium when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Disciple and Medium are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Disciple or Medium?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Disciple or Medium for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Disciple and Medium?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Disciple and Medium set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Disciple 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.