How to Cancel Substack Paid Subscriptions in 2026 (You Might Have Several)

Substack is sneaky — not because of dark patterns, but because each newsletter is a separate subscription. You might be paying $5-15/month for 3-4 different writers without realizing it. Here's how to find and cancel them all.

Step 1: See All Your Paid Subscriptions

1. Go to substack.com/account/settings
2. Click Payments tab
3. You'll see every newsletter you're paying for, the amount, and billing date

Most people are surprised to find 2-3 paid subscriptions they forgot about. Each one bills independently.

Step 2: Cancel Individual Newsletters

1. On the Payments page, find the newsletter you want to cancel
2. Click Cancel subscription next to it
3. Choose whether to cancel immediately or at the end of your billing period
4. Repeat for each newsletter you want to stop paying for

Important: Canceling ≠ Unsubscribing

On Substack, there are two separate actions:

• Cancel paid subscription — stops the payment. You still get free posts from that writer.
• Unsubscribe from newsletter — stops all emails. You might still be paying if you don't cancel separately.

To fully stop: cancel the paid subscription AND unsubscribe from the newsletter if you don't want emails.

Cancel via the Newsletter Itself

You can also cancel from any newsletter's page directly:

1. Go to the newsletter's Substack page (e.g., writername.substack.com)
2. Click your profile icon (top right)
3. Click Manage subscription
4. Click Cancel

What Happens After Canceling

• Paid posts — you lose access to subscriber-only content at the end of your billing period
• Free posts — you still receive them (unless you also unsubscribe)
• Chat/community — you lose access to subscriber-only chat features
• Your Substack account — stays active. Canceling a paid newsletter doesn't delete your account.

Can You Get a Refund?

Refund policies are set by individual writers, not Substack:

• Monthly subscriptions: Usually no refund — cancel and access continues until billing period ends
• Annual subscriptions: Some writers offer prorated refunds. Contact them directly through their newsletter's page.
• Substack support: support.substack.com can help mediate disputes

The Math: How Much Are You Spending?

Substack subscriptions add up fast because each feels small:

• 1 newsletter at $5/month = $60/year
• 3 newsletters at $5-10/month = $180-360/year
• 5 newsletters = $300-600/year — more than Netflix + Spotify combined

Do an audit: go to Settings → Payments and add up your total monthly spend. You might be shocked.

Delete Your Substack Account Entirely

If you want to leave Substack completely:

1. Cancel all paid subscriptions first
2. Go to substack.com/account/settings
3. Scroll to Delete account
4. Confirm — this removes your reading history, notes, and profile