Medium vs Substack:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Substack had more branded searches than Medium among blog hosting platforms worldwide. Substack had about 2.3 million branded searches, while Medium had 46,300. Substack made up 22.7% of all blog hosting platform searches we track, and Medium accounted for 0.46%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about blog hosting platforms, Substack appeared in all five answers and Medium in three. Substack was mentioned before Medium in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Substack, about 50 searches for every 1 for Medium
Who does AI mention more?
Substack, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Substack, named ahead of Medium in 3 of 5 answers
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Top blog hosting platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Substack appeared in all five answers. Medium was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Substack was listed before Medium in three out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Substack5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
WordPress5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Ghost5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Wix4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Blogger3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Squarespace3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answersMedium3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about blog hosting platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which blog hosting platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best blog hosting platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best blog hosting platform for a simple blog?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best blog platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“blog hosting service”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is Medium or Substack more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Medium and Substack by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven blog hosting platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Substack, Medium. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Wix | Substack | Blogger | Squarespace | WordPress | Medium | Ghost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 30.7% | 11.2% | 24.3% | 13.3% | 19.9% | 0.54% | 0.18% |
| Nov 2025 | 34.2% | 12.5% | 22.3% | 12.1% | 18.2% | 0.5% | 0.18% |
| Dec 2025 | 30.4% | 16.5% | 19.6% | 13.1% | 19.6% | 0.53% | 0.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 32.6% | 17.9% | 17.3% | 14.2% | 17.3% | 0.57% | 0.18% |
| Feb 2026 | 33.7% | 15.2% | 17.9% | 14.7% | 17.9% | 0.49% | 0.18% |
| Mar 2026 | 31.7% | 17.2% | 16.8% | 16.8% | 16.8% | 0.46% | 0.19% |
| Apr 2026 | 32.6% | 17.7% | 17.4% | 14.2% | 17.4% | 0.47% | 0.2% |
| May 2026 | 33.7% | 18.3% | 17.9% | 14.7% | 14.7% | 0.54% | 0.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 29.4% | 19.8% | 19% | 15.6% | 15.6% | 0.58% | 0.18% |
| Jul 2026 | 30.1% | 20.3% | 19.6% | 16.1% | 13.1% | 0.67% | 0.17% |
| Aug 2026 | 29.7% | 24.5% | 19.3% | 12.9% | 12.9% | 0.59% | 0.17% |
| Sep 2026 | 27.8% | 22.7% | 22.1% | 14.8% | 12% | 0.46% | 0.16% |
How has the Medium and Substack comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Substack was ahead of Medium in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Medium’s share of searches among blog hosting platforms worldwide moved from 0.54% to 0.46%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.7K to 46.3K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Substack’s share of searches among blog hosting platforms worldwide moved from 11.2% to 22.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.3M to 2.3M.
How did search popularity change for blog hosting platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Substack lost share of searches among blog hosting platforms worldwide, from 24.5% to 22.7%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Medium worldwide fell 23.7% over 12 measured months, from 60.7K to 46.3K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
10 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Medium’s and Substack’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among blog hosting platforms
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