Substack
Substack Terms of Use & Privacy Policy
Substack is a publishing platform that lets writers and creators distribute newsletters and content directly to subscribers, with optional paid subscriptions.
Analyzed May 21, 2026
Key findings
Summary
Substack's terms are largely standard for a publishing platform: users retain content ownership but grant a broad, perpetual, irrevocable license; data collection includes contact syncing and direct message content; sharing includes service providers and child-safety consortia; arbitration is mandatory with a class-action waiver but no explicit opt-out; termination and billing terms are fairly standard with reasonable notice commitments.
Category Breakdown
Substack collects standard account, payment, and device/usage data, plus optional contact-syncing data (hashed) and direct message contents/metadata.
From: PRIVACY POLICYyour direct message contents and metadata; information from integrated third-party services that you choose to use or link to on SubstackView source document
Personal information is shared with service providers, affiliates, Creators, and in business transfers, with no explicit sale of data disclosed.
From: PRIVACY POLICYWe share your Personal Information with third-party service providers that provide services on our behalf; for example, we use Stripe (a third party payment provider) to receive and process your credit card transactions for us.View source document
Users retain ownership of their content but grant Substack a broad, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to operate and display it.
From: TERMS OF SERVICEYou agree that the licenses you grant are royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and worldwide. This is a license only – your ownership in Posts is not affected.View source document
Substack may terminate or suspend accounts at its discretion for any reason, generally with advance notice, though notice can be withheld in certain circumstances.
From: TERMS OF SERVICESubstack is free to terminate (or suspend access to) your use of Substack, or your account, for any reason at our discretion.View source document
Mandatory binding arbitration via JAMS applies with a class-action waiver, alongside a court venue clause for injunctive relief; no explicit opt-out or small claims carveout is stated, but fee-shifting is limited to prevailing-party costs.
From: TERMS OF SERVICEAny dispute arising from or relating to the subject matter of these Terms shall be finally settled by arbitration in San Francisco County, California, in accordance with the Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures of Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. ("JAMS")View source document
Creators set and may change subscription prices at their discretion, with no retroactive price changes, and Substack disclaims involvement in payment disputes between readers and creators.
From: TERMS OF SERVICECreators will set prices for their publications, and may change the prices at their sole discretion through their Creator account, though no price changes shall apply retroactively.View source document