# Web2 vs Web3 Writing Platforms

*Making the right personal choice*

By [The Web3 Engineer](https://paragraph.com/@theweb3engineer) · 2023-10-17

web3, writing, substack, paragraph

---

When I started my weekly newsletter journey, I faced a dilemma: which platform to choose? I knew about Substack and Medium, but Web3 alternatives like Mirror and Paragraph also caught my eye. To streamline my decision-making process, I categorized the platforms based on customization levels and hosting options.

After thorough research, I opted for hosted newsletters. I chose Substack and Paragraph, viewing each publication as a unique "stock-keeping unit" (SKU), emphasizing content as my product. Here's a breakdown of my considerations and choices:

**Options:**

*   **Hosted Newsletters Platform**
    
    *   [Substack](https://substack.com/) (selected) - SEO Optimized, Newsletter
        
    *   [Paragraph](https://paragraph.xyz/) (selected) - SEO Optimized, Newsletter
        
*   **Hosted Blogging Platform**
    
    *   [Wordpress](https://wordpress.com/) (based on Wordpress)
        
    *   [Medium](https://medium.com/) (closed source)
        
    *   [Mirror](https://mirror.xyz/) (closed source)
        
*   **Customizable Self-Publishing Tools**
    
    *   [Wordpress.org](https://wordpress.org/) (open source)
        
    *   [Ghost](https://ghost.org/) (open source)
        
    *   [Next.js](https://nextjs.org/)(open source)
        
    *   [Hashnode](https://hashnode.com/) (closed source)
        
*   **Hosting Providers**
    
    *   [WP Engine](https://wpengine.com/) (Wordpress hosting)
        
    *   [Vercel](https://vercel.com/) (NextJS hosting)
        
*   **Community**
    
    *   [Dev.to](https://dev.to/)
        
    *   [Twitter](https://twitter.com/)
        

**Considerations:**

1.  **Newsletter-First vs Blog-First Platforms:**
    
    *   I chose newsletter-first platforms due to their combined blog functionality, finding them more convenient. Blog-first platforms like Medium felt cumbersome due to their paywall options.
        
2.  **Hosted vs Flexibility:**
    
    *   I opted for hosted platforms to focus solely on content without dealing with additional maintenance tasks. Hosted platforms offer networking benefits and convenience for new writers.
        
3.  **Web2 vs Web3 Platforms:**
    
    *   While Web3 seemed natural for my content, existing options proved challenging due to complexities like minting. I decided to publish on both Substack and Paragraph to understand their nuances and audience differences.
        
4.  **Community Platform:**
    
    *   I deferred community-based platforms for organic reach, planning to revisit this option if needed later.
        
5.  **Discoveries:**
    
    *   Native SEO support was vital, and my chosen platforms excelled in this area.
        
    *   I appreciated the diversity in writers and topics, enriching my experience.
        
    *   Noteworthy differences existed between closed and open-source platforms, although this didn't impact my choice.
        
    *   Interestingly, Web3 products like Mirror and Paragraph being closed-source didn't raise ethical concerns, a departure from previous debates in other Web3 verticals.
        
6.  **User Experience:**
    
    *   I'll explore the subtle differences in the onboarding experience in a future post, focusing on my first-time writing experience on Substack and Paragraph.
        

For now, I'll publish on Substack and Paragraph, aiming to identify a clear winner or continue on both if they prove distinct. Stay tuned for updates. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to email your questions. See you in the next post!

---

*Originally published on [The Web3 Engineer](https://paragraph.com/@theweb3engineer/choosing-a-platform)*