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Indie alternatives to Medium

6 products made by independent developers and small teams that do what Medium does, 5 of them with a free plan. Free and open-source options come first.

At a glance

Product	Price	Open source	Self-host	Platforms
WriteFreely	Free	Yes	Yes	Self-hosted
Ghost	Free plan	Yes	Yes	Web, Self-hosted, API
Hashnode	Free plan	–	–	Web
Pika	Free plan	–	–	Web
Write.as	Free plan	–	–	Web, iOS, Android
mataroa	Paid	Yes	–	Web

The alternatives

1. WriteFreely

Open-source, minimalist blogging software

Self-hostable, open-source software for minimalist blogs and writing communities, with federation via ActivityPub.

Free · Self-hosted · Website ↗

2. Ghost

Open-source publishing platform for blogs and paid newsletters

An open-source platform for publishing a website, sending newsletters and running paid memberships. Run by a non-profit foundation; available hosted or self-hosted.

Free plan · Web, Self-hosted, API · Website ↗

3. Hashnode

Blogging platform for developers and tech teams

A blogging platform for developers with custom domains, Markdown editor, GitHub backup and a headless mode for publishing docs and blogs.

Free plan · Web · Website ↗

4. Pika

Delightful, simple blogging

A blogging platform with a clean editor, custom themes and email subscriptions. For people who want a pleasant personal blog without fuss.

Free plan · Web · Website ↗

5. Write.as

Simple, distraction-free blogging

A minimalist blogging platform focused on writing and privacy, with no ads or tracking. Built on open-source WriteFreely.

Free plan · Web, iOS, Android · Website ↗

6. mataroa

Naked blogging platform for minimalists

A minimal, open-source blogging platform with Markdown support and newsletters. For writers who want a fast, no-frills blog.

Paid · Web · Website ↗

Questions

Is there a free alternative to Medium?

Yes. 5 of the 6 indie alternatives listed here have a free plan or are free: WriteFreely, Ghost, Hashnode, Pika and 1 more.

Is there an open-source alternative to Medium?

WriteFreely, Ghost and mataroa are open source.

Can I self-host an alternative to Medium?

Yes: WriteFreely and Ghost can run on your own server.

Which Medium alternatives work on Mac, Windows, iPhone or Android?

On iPhone and iPad: Write.as. On Android: Write.as. On the web: Ghost, Hashnode, Pika and 2 more.

What makes these alternatives to Medium “indie”?

They are built by independent developers or small teams rather than large companies. Each one is listed because it does the same core job as Medium.

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