Why it's an alternative to Medium: A full publishing platform on your own domain, combining a fast blog with newsletters and optional paid memberships.
made by
John O'Nolan
John O'Nolanself-reported revenue: ~$11.1M ARR
4 indie alternatives · Creators & Writers
Indie alternatives to Medium (2026)
Medium is a popular blogging platform with built-in distribution, but posts live on Medium's domain behind its paywall. Writers who want SEO value on their own domain and full ownership of their audience look for alternatives. Below are 4 alternatives built by independent makers — Ghost, Writizzy and Feather and more — with what each does differently, who makes it and any revenue they have shared publicly.
Medium alternatives at a glance
Jump to any product for the full write-up.
| # | Product | Maker | Status | Reported revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghost | John O'Nolan | Active | ~$11.1M ARR |
| 2 | Writizzy | Thomas Sanlis | Active | — |
| 3 | Feather | Thibault Louis-Lucas (Tibo) | Active | — |
| 4 | Unicorn Platform | John Rush | Active | — |
The 4 best indie alternatives to Medium
Each product is made and run by an independent maker or a small, self-directed team.
Why it's an alternative to Medium: Blog and newsletter in one, hosted in Europe, made for independent writers who want their own publication.
made by
Thomas Sanlis
Thomas Sanlis
Why it's an alternative to Medium: Turns a Notion workspace into a fast, SEO-friendly blog on your own domain, so you keep writing in Notion.
made by
Thibault Louis-Lucas (Tibo)
Thibault Louis-Lucas (Tibo)
Why it's an alternative to Medium: Simple website builder with a built-in blog, aimed at founders who want a landing page and blog together.
made by
John Rush
John RushWhy choose an indie-made tool?
You talk to the maker
With a small product, support requests and feature ideas usually reach the person who wrote the code, and many makers build in public and reply to users directly.
Focused and fairly priced
Small teams tend to do one job well instead of bundling every feature into enterprise tiers, and many indie tools offer one-time licenses, open-source editions or free plans.
Built by real people
These 4 alternatives come from 4 makers in France. Paying them funds a sustainable, independent business.
Meet the makers: John O'Nolan, Thomas Sanlis, Thibault Louis-Lucas (Tibo), John Rush.
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Medium alternatives FAQ
What are the best indie alternatives to Medium?
IndieMakerList lists 4 indie-made alternatives to Medium: Ghost (by John O'Nolan), Writizzy (by Thomas Sanlis), Feather (by Thibault Louis-Lucas (Tibo)) and Unicorn Platform (by John Rush).
Why do people look for alternatives to Medium?
Medium is a popular blogging platform with built-in distribution, but posts live on Medium's domain behind its paywall. Writers who want SEO value on their own domain and full ownership of their audience look for alternatives.
Who builds these Medium alternatives?
They are built by 4 independent makers from 1 country, including France, rather than a large company. Each maker has a profile on IndieMakerList with their other products and links.
Are these Medium alternatives still maintained?
Yes. As far as IndieMakerList knows, all 4 are active and still run by the makers who built them.
How much revenue do indie alternatives to Medium make?
Publicly reported figures include Ghost: ~$11.1M ARR. These numbers are self-reported by the makers and not independently verified.
Built an indie alternative to Medium? Submit a maker to IndieMakerList →