Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Steemit VS Column

Compare Steemit VS Column and see what are their differences

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Steemit logo Steemit

Steemit is a social media platform where everyone gets paid for creating and curating content. It leverages a robust digital points system (Steem) for digital rewards.

Column logo Column

Social network built to be high-signal in a world of noise.
  • Steemit Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-20
  • Column Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-30

Steemit features and specs

  • Decentralized Platform
    Steemit is built on blockchain technology, which means it operates on a decentralized network. This reduces the risk of a single point of failure and protects against censorship.
  • Monetization Opportunities
    Users can earn cryptocurrency (STEEM, SBD) for creating and curating content, providing a potential revenue stream for content creators.
  • Community Engagement
    Steemit fosters a strong sense of community, allowing users to engage, discuss, and vote on content, which can lead to more interaction and collaboration.
  • Transparency
    Blockchain technology ensures that all transactions and actions on the platform are transparent and publicly verifiable, enhancing trust among users.
  • Low Fees
    Transactions on Steemit are relatively low-cost compared to traditional financial transactions, which can benefit content creators and users.

Possible disadvantages of Steemit

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users may find the platform's interface and the concept of earning cryptocurrency challenging to understand, which could be a barrier to entry.
  • Volatile Earnings
    Earnings are tied to the value of the STEEM cryptocurrency, which can be highly volatile, making it difficult for users to predict their actual earnings.
  • Limited Mainstream Adoption
    Despite its unique value proposition, Steemit still lacks the mainstream adoption seen by major social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, which can limit its reach.
  • Quality Control
    The open nature of the platform can lead to a wide range of content quality. Some users might find it challenging to filter out low-quality or spam content.
  • Reward Distribution
    The distribution of rewards can sometimes be skewed towards more popular users or those who can game the system, potentially leading to disparities and dissatisfaction among new or less-known users.

Column features and specs

  • Bank-owned infrastructure
    Column operates as a nationally chartered bank itself (Column N.A.), rather than partnering with a third-party sponsor bank. This reduces the layers of intermediaries typical in banking-as-a-service models, potentially leading to more reliable service, fewer conflicts of interest, and direct control over compliance and risk management.
  • Developer-first API design
    Column offers modern, well-documented REST APIs that are designed with engineers in mind, making it easier for fintech companies and developers to integrate banking services such as ACH, wire transfers, and account management directly into their products.
  • Direct access to payment rails
    Because Column is a chartered bank, it has direct access to Federal Reserve systems like ACH, Fedwire, and FedNow, which can result in faster processing times and more reliable payment operations compared to companies relying on indirect access through sponsor banks.
  • Experienced leadership
    Column was founded by William Hockey, co-founder of Plaid, bringing significant fintech industry experience and credibility. This background can inspire confidence among potential partners and investors regarding the platform's vision and execution capability.
  • Transparent and flexible pricing
    Column is known for offering clear, usage-based pricing models without hidden fees, which can be appealing to startups and fintechs looking for predictable costs as they scale their banking operations.

Possible disadvantages of Column

  • Limited track record
    As a relatively new entrant in the banking-as-a-service and chartered bank space, Column has less historical performance data and fewer long-term case studies compared to more established banking infrastructure providers, which may create uncertainty for risk-averse clients.
  • U.S.-only operations
    Column's banking charter and services are limited to the United States, which restricts its usefulness for companies seeking to offer banking services internationally or in multiple countries.
  • Technical integration burden
    Because Column emphasizes a developer-first, API-driven approach, companies without strong in-house engineering resources may find it challenging to implement and maintain integrations compared to more turnkey banking-as-a-service solutions.
  • Shared compliance responsibility
    While Column handles core banking compliance, partner companies still need to manage certain regulatory and compliance obligations related to their specific use cases, which can add complexity and require dedicated legal or compliance expertise.
  • Smaller ecosystem and support network
    Compared to larger, more established banking-as-a-service providers, Column may have a smaller partner ecosystem, fewer third-party integrations, and potentially less extensive customer support infrastructure, which could impact scalability for some businesses.

Analysis of Steemit

Overall verdict

  • Steemit can be a worthwhile platform for those who are interested in cryptocurrency and value decentralized platforms. However, it has faced challenges such as fluctuating token values, competition from other platforms, and changes in community dynamics that might affect user experience.

Why this product is good

  • Steemit is a blockchain-based blogging and social media platform that rewards users with cryptocurrency for creating and curating content. It's decentralized, meaning that content control is distributed, potentially reducing censorship. Users appreciate the opportunity to earn cryptocurrency for engaging with the platform, which can be more motivating than traditional social media networks.

Recommended for

  • Cryptocurrency enthusiasts
  • Content creators interested in blockchain technology
  • Individuals seeking decentralized social media platforms
  • Users who want to earn rewards for their content

Analysis of Column

Overall verdict

  • Column is a well-regarded banking-as-a-service (BaaS) platform because it operates as a nationally chartered bank itself rather than relying on a separate partner bank, which simplifies compliance, reduces intermediary risk, and gives developers direct API-level access to core banking functions like payments, accounts, and card issuing.

Why this product is good

  • It is a real, chartered bank (not just a middleware layer), which reduces the multi-party risk seen in typical BaaS stacks that rely on third-party partner banks
  • Developer-first design with clean, well-documented APIs for building payments, ACH, wire transfers, card issuing, and account management
  • Backed by reputable investors (including Stripe), signaling strong technical and financial credibility
  • Direct access to the Fed and payment rails, which can mean faster settlement and fewer intermediaries
  • Transparent, predictable pricing structure compared to some legacy BaaS providers
  • Strong focus on compliance and risk infrastructure built into the platform itself

Recommended for

  • Fintech startups building embedded banking, lending, or payments products
  • Companies wanting to avoid the complexity and risk of traditional sponsor-bank BaaS relationships
  • Engineering-heavy teams that prioritize API quality and control over banking infrastructure
  • Businesses needing reliable ACH, wire, and card issuing capabilities without building their own bank relationships
  • Mid-to-large scale fintechs that need a stable, directly regulated banking partner as they grow

Steemit videos

An In-Depth Steemit Review for Beginners

More videos:

  • Review - The Dapper Weekly | Pilot Ep 1 - Steemit Review
  • Review - My First Steemit Post Made $545.75 Here's Why

Column videos

No Column videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

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User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Steemit and Column

Steemit Reviews

25+ Medium Alternative Platforms for Publishing Articles
Steemit is a platform that allows both traditional blogging and cryptocurrency. The website provides features for discussion, passive advertising of posts, revenue sharing through upvotes or curation, and pay-for-post submissions.
Source: forgefusion.io
10 Best Medium Alternatives for Reading and Publishing
If you are a reader or writer interested in the cryptocurrency sector, Steemit can be your go-to platform! FYI, Steemit is the first social media blogging platform that is built on blockchain. Writing and publishing blogs on this platform rewards you with Steems (the cryptocurrency running this platform).
9 Best Medium Alternatives for Making Money With Your Writing in 2023
What sets this platform apart is its unique infrastructure and monetization method; Steemit uses blockchain technology and has its own cryptocurrency, STEEM, which users can earn by engaging with and creating content. If you can consistently connect with users, earning potential is quite high, as a viral post can earn upwards of $100.
15 Best Reddit Alternatives in 2024: Find Your New Online Community
Most of the alternatives listed are free to use, with some offering premium features or accepting donations. Platforms like Steemit and Minds also provide opportunities to earn cryptocurrency through engagement.
10+ Top Facebook Alternatives That Value Your Privacy in 2024
Steemit does not sell your personal information with other organizations without your consent, outside of whatโ€™s needed for compliance.

Column Reviews

We have no reviews of Column yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Steemit seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 35 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Steemit mentions (35)

View more

Column mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Column yet. Tracking of Column recommendations started around Apr 2022.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Steemit and Column, you can also consider the following products

Reddit - Reddit gives you the best of the internet in one place. Get a constantly updating feed of breaking news, fun stories, pics, memes, and videos just for you.

Facebook - Connect with friends, family and other people you know. Share photos and videos, send messages and get updates.

Mastodon - Mastodon is a decentralized, open source social network. This is just one part of the network, run by the main developers of the project It is not focused on any particular niche interest - everyone is welcome!

X (Twitter) - Connect with your friends and other fascinating people. Get in-the-moment updates on the things that interest you. And watch events unfold, in real time, from every angle.

Minds - The open-source, encrypted social network that expands your reach for using it.

Lemmy - Federated link aggregator and Reddit alternative built with Rust