6 self-hosted options
Open-source alternatives to Medium
The best open-source alternatives to Medium are Ghost, WriteFreely and WordPress.
About Medium: A hosted publishing platform for long-form writing and reader subscriptions.
Every option below is free to self-host and ranked by GitHub stars, so you can move off Medium without giving up the features you rely on.
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Ghost
TryGhost/Ghost
Just a blogging platform.
Blogging PlatformsTypeScript - Rank 2:
WriteFreely
writefreely/writefreely
Writing software for starting a minimalist, federated blog — or an entire community.
Blogging PlatformsGo - Rank 3:
WordPress
WordPress/WordPress
World's most-used blogging and CMS engine.
CMSPHP
Why switch
Why teams move off Medium
Self-hosting is not only about saving money. These are the reasons people make the switch.
Own your data
Your data lives on a server you control, not on Medium's infrastructure. No surprise policy changes and no lock-in.
No per-seat pricing
Open-source alternatives to Medium are free to run for as many users as your server can handle. A small VPS often costs less than a single subscription.
Customize and extend
Read the code, add plugins, connect it to your own tools and automate it through open APIs. When you need a feature, you can build it or fund it.
Full ranking
All 6 Medium alternatives
Ranked by GitHub stars. Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
Ghost
Just a blogging platform.
Blogging Platforms - 2
WriteFreely
Writing software for starting a minimalist, federated blog — or an entire community.
Blogging Platforms - 3
WordPress
World's most-used blogging and CMS engine.
CMS - 4
HTMLy
Databaseless PHP blogging platform. A flat-file CMS that allows you to create a fast, secure, and powerful website or blog in seconds.
Blogging Platforms - 5
Mataroa
Naked blogging platform for minimalists.
Blogging Platforms - 6
Haven
Private blogging system with markdown editing and built in RSS reader.
Blogging Platforms
What is the best open-source alternative to Medium?
Ghost is the most popular open-source alternative to Medium, with 55,489 GitHub stars. WriteFreely and WordPress are also strong choices. Compare features, license and recent activity to find the best fit for your team.
Is there a free alternative to Medium?
Yes. All 6 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can run a Medium replacement without per-user fees. You only pay for the server, and a small VPS is usually enough for personal use or a small team.
Can I self-host an alternative to Medium?
Yes. Each app here runs on your own server. Follow the install steps in the project's README, which usually take a few minutes on a fresh Linux VPS.
How do I migrate from Medium?
Start by exporting your data from Medium, then check the import options of the app you pick, since many projects ship importers for popular formats. Run both side by side for a week before you switch so nothing is lost.