How to Cancel Substack Paid Subscriptions

Updated 2026-05-03 · 3 min read

Substack has no single cancel button. Every newsletter you pay for is a separate subscription. Here's how to find them all, cancel the ones you want, and handle Apple billing.

Quick answer

Go to substack.com/account/billing to see every paid Substack newsletter you subscribe to. Click Manage next to any one, then Cancel subscription. You'll keep reading access through the end of the billing period and drop to free access afterward.

Overview

Here is the thing most people miss: there is no single "Substack subscription." When you pay for newsletters on Substack, each writer bills you separately. You might have three paid newsletters running with three separate charges. The billing page at substack.com/account/billing shows all of them in one place.

TL;DR

  • Each paid Substack newsletter is a separate subscription, each one cancels independently
  • All active paid subscriptions are listed at substack.com/account/billing
  • After canceling, you keep reading access through the end of the paid period
  • Free access to the newsletter continues after the paid period ends
  • iOS subscribers may need to cancel through Apple for some newsletters

How to cancel Substack

Cancel from the billing page

Best for: All Substack subscribers billed through Substack directly

Estimated time: ~2 min per newsletter

  1. Go to substack.com/account/billing and sign in. A list of every paid newsletter subscription you have appears, with billing dates and amounts.
  2. Find the newsletter you want to cancel and click Manage. A panel opens with your subscription details.
  3. Click Cancel subscription and confirm. The page updates to show the date paid access ends. Free access continues after that.
  4. Repeat for each newsletter you want to stop. Each newsletter is a separate cancel action. There is no "cancel all" option.

Tip: If you want to cancel all paid newsletters quickly, work through them one by one on the billing page. It takes about two minutes each.

Cancel from the newsletter itself

Best for: Canceling a specific newsletter you currently have open

Estimated time: ~1 min

  1. Open any post from the newsletter you want to cancel.
  2. Click the newsletter name at the top to go to its homepage.
  3. Click your subscription status or the "Paid" badge. A subscription management panel opens.
  4. Click Manage subscription, then Cancel.

Cancel through Apple

Best for: Subscriptions that were initiated inside the Substack iOS app

Estimated time: ~1 min per newsletter

  1. Open iPhone Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions.
  2. Look for individual Substack newsletter entries in the list. Each newsletter that billed through Apple appears as a separate entry.
  3. Tap each one you want to cancel and tap Cancel Subscription.

Tip: If a newsletter shows in both the Substack billing page AND Apple Subscriptions, it was billed through Apple. Cancel via Apple for that one.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a way to cancel all Substack newsletters at once?

No. Each newsletter is a separate subscription and requires its own cancellation. Visit substack.com/account/billing and cancel each one individually.

If I cancel a paid Substack subscription, do I stop receiving emails?

No. Canceling paid access moves you to the free tier. You continue receiving free-tier posts by email. To stop all emails from a newsletter, you need to also unsubscribe from the email list.

How do I find all the Substack newsletters I'm paying for?

Go to substack.com/account/billing. All active paid subscriptions are listed there with amounts and renewal dates.

Can I cancel a Substack newsletter and get a refund?

Substack's standard policy is no refunds. Some writers handle refunds individually, so you can email the writer directly if you believe a refund is warranted.

What happens to posts I've already read or saved when I cancel?

Previously read posts stay in your account. Paid-only posts become inaccessible after your paid period ends. You can still read any free posts at any time.

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