Medium, Vocal Medium, and Simily are three writing platforms that allow writers to make money by creating written content.
Medium
Medium has been around the longest of the three platforms, launching in 2012.
In order to make money, writers have to participate in the Medium Partner Program, which is $5 USD a month or $50 USD for the year.
Once a member, writers earn money when other members engage with their content.
Members can also earn money when they refer non-members to sign up for the Medium Partner Program.
One thing to note is that writers who are part of the Medium Partner Program can not earn money right away. Before they can start earning a writer must first gain a minimum of 100 followers.
The writer must then maintain active status on the site, publishing content at least every 6 months.
Writers get paid via Stripe, which is available in 47 countries around the world. There is no minimum threshold, so payment arrives at the beginning of the following month.
Vocal Media
Vocal Media launched in 2016.
There are two tiers of members on Vocal Media: free members, and users who pay for Vocal+ membership for $9.99 USD a month ($99.99 USD annually).
Vocal+ members gain access to exclusive features not available to free members. The ability to Quick Edit and to participate in Vocal Media’s Writing Challenges are exclusive to Vocal+ members.
Both free and paid members are able to earn money through their writing. However, free members earn $3.80 USD for every 1000 reads, while Vocal+ members earn $6.00 USD for every 1000 reads.
Similar to Medium, writers get paid via Stripe. Unlike Medium, writers must reach a minimum payment threshold before they can redeem their earnings. For free members the minimum is $35 USD, for Vocal+ members the minimum is $20 USD.
Simily
Simily is the newest of the three writing platforms, having launched in 2021.
Like the others, Simily also has a free tier and a paid tier for users.
For $6.99 USD a month (or $69 USD for the year), paid members can read an unlimited number of stories on the platform. Free members can only read 5 free stories for the month.
Users on Simily earn $0.02 USD per view; this is the rate for both free and for paid members.
There is also a minimum threshold for Simily users; writers must earn a minimum of $10 USD before they can receive payment.
Unlike with Medium and Vocal Media, Simily uses Paypal to pay its writers.
On the positive side, Paypal is available in more countries worldwide (200+ countries vs. Stripe’s 47 countries).
However, some users may not be able to readily transfer their funds into a bank account.
For example, I live in Canada. I was able to redeem my $10 USD, but I could not transfer it to my bank account because the minimum transfer amount is $15 CAD.
Final Takeaway
Medium, Vocal Media, and Simily are all easy ways for writers to make money online. Each writing platform has its pros and cons. You have to decide for yourself which option will allow you to earn passive income.