• by Ray Schultz , July 2, 2025

The San Francisco Standard has instituted a partial paywall. 

Readers who click through on some stories will get a message, saying “This one’s on us. This is your last free article. Subscribe for access to content, merch, events and more.” 

A subscription to the for-profit publication costs $9 per month, cancellable at any time, or $90 a year. The latter offer comes with a limited edition tote bag. 

In addition, the Standard membership includes:

• Unlimited articles
• Priority access to events
• Limited-edition merch

Founded by the venture capitalist billionaire Michael Moritz, the Standard announced this week that it had acquired Charter, a publication focused on work and leadership and how emerging technology affects them.   

 Underscore SF, which broke the paywall story, describes the Standard as “contentious.”