It sounds like you may be running into a display issue. Normally, readers don’t need to upgrade anything to subscribe. When you go to my Substack page, you should see a subscription box where you can enter your email address and click “Subscribe.” After that, you’ll get a confirmation email to complete the signup.
Sometimes Substack shows a page that says “Choose a subscription plan” with the paid options. If you see that, look all the way to the right for a small box that says “None.” Clicking that lets you subscribe without payment.
If you are not seeing a place to enter your email, here are a few things to try:
Refresh the page or try opening it in another browser.
Check if you’re already logged into Substack with an account. Sometimes if you’re logged in, it shows “Upgrade” instead of the email box. You can still click “Subscribe” without paying unless you choose a paid option.
Look for a “Let me read it first” or “No thanks, just the free option” link if it seems like it’s only showing the paid button.
I loved reading this and my thoughts are similar. I’m worn out watching this nonsense happening in front of us.. it needs to be talked about.
I cannot figure out how to subscribe without the upgrade. I don’t think the tech is working correctly. Shouldn’t I have been able to input my email?
Hi Caroline.
It sounds like you may be running into a display issue. Normally, readers don’t need to upgrade anything to subscribe. When you go to my Substack page, you should see a subscription box where you can enter your email address and click “Subscribe.” After that, you’ll get a confirmation email to complete the signup.
Sometimes Substack shows a page that says “Choose a subscription plan” with the paid options. If you see that, look all the way to the right for a small box that says “None.” Clicking that lets you subscribe without payment.
If you are not seeing a place to enter your email, here are a few things to try:
Refresh the page or try opening it in another browser.
Check if you’re already logged into Substack with an account. Sometimes if you’re logged in, it shows “Upgrade” instead of the email box. You can still click “Subscribe” without paying unless you choose a paid option.
Look for a “Let me read it first” or “No thanks, just the free option” link if it seems like it’s only showing the paid button.
Hope this helps!