How to read paywalled articles for free

Not all paywalls are built the same. Some only count how many articles you've read, some just put a layer over the text, and some never send the text to your browser without a subscription. That's why no single trick works everywhere.

This guide sorts the methods by what they can do: from the quickest one via Paywall.vip to options that are completely legal, like gift links and your public library.

Which paywall are you dealing with?

• Metered paywall: A few free articles a month, then you're locked out. It usually counts with cookies, sometimes by IP address. A private window often does the trick.
• Soft paywall: The full text is in the page but hidden behind a banner. Reader mode, archives and Paywall.vip work best here.
• Hard paywall: Without a login, the server only sends the first paragraphs. Your options are archives (if they hold a full copy), gift links, the library or a subscription.

1. Paywall.vip: several services in one click

The quickest way: copy the link, paste it on paywall.vip and pick a service. Paywall.vip passes the link to Archive.today, Smry.ai, RemovePaywall and the Wayback Machine. Each service gets to the text in a different way, so if one fails, another often works.

1. Copy the link to the article.
2. Paste it on paywall.vip. Or just type paywall.vip/ in front of the link in your address bar.
3. Pick a service. If it doesn't work, try the next one.

Paywall.vip strips tracking parameters like utm_source automatically, which makes it more likely that an archive already has the article.

2. Use archives directly

Archives store snapshots of web pages. If someone archived an article while it was still readable, you'll find the full version there.

• Archive.today (also archive.ph): Enter the link, view existing copies or have a new one made. You'll often need to solve a CAPTCHA first.
• Wayback Machine: Enter the link and pick a date in the calendar. Brand-new articles often aren't there yet.

The limit: archives only show what their crawler saw. If the page only served the first paragraphs when it was archived, that's all the archive has too.

3. Private window

For metered paywalls this is the easiest method: a private window starts without cookies, so the article counter is back at zero.

• Chrome and Edge: Ctrl+Shift+N (Mac: Cmd+Shift+N)
• Firefox: Ctrl+Shift+P (Mac: Cmd+Shift+P)
• Safari: Cmd+Shift+N; on iPhone, tap “Private” in the tab overview
• Chrome on Android: menu ⋮ › “New Incognito tab”

If a site counts by IP address, a private window won't help. Switching networks can, for example using mobile data instead of Wi-Fi.

4. Reader mode

Reader mode shows just the article text, without banners or ads. If a soft paywall already loaded the text into the page, it often appears here in full.

• Firefox: Click the page icon in the address bar.
• Safari: Tap “Aa” or the Reader icon in the address bar and choose “Show Reader”.
• Chrome: Right-click the page and choose “Open in reading mode”.
• Edge: F9 opens Immersive Reader.

Tip: Switch on reader mode while the page is still loading, before the paywall banner appears. Safari can also turn it on automatically for a website.

5. Search for the headline

Many stories come from news agencies like AP, Reuters or dpa and appear on several sites at once, often for free. Copy the headline or a distinctive sentence and search for it. In Google News, “Full Coverage” also shows how other outlets are reporting the same story.

6. Gift links and free registration

Many publishers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, let subscribers gift individual articles. If you know someone with a subscription, just ask for a gift link. That's exactly what the feature is for, and it's completely legal.

Other sites unlock a few articles a month after a free registration. It costs you an email address, not money.

7. Your library and research tools

With a library card, many public libraries give you access to newspapers and magazines, for example through PressReader, Libby or the library's own databases. Many US libraries also offer free passes for The New York Times.

For research papers, the Unpaywall browser extension shows whether a free, legal version exists somewhere.

8. Turn off JavaScript

Many soft paywalls are laid over the text with JavaScript. Without it, the text sometimes just stays visible. In return, images, menus or comments often stop working.

In Chrome and Edge:

1. Click the icon to the left of the address and open the site settings.
2. Set JavaScript to “Don't allow” and reload the page.
3. Change the setting back afterwards, or the site stays broken.

In Firefox you can switch off JavaScript per site with the uBlock Origin extension. Safari only has a global switch in its settings.

Browser extensions: handle with care

Extensions like “Bypass Paywalls Clean” promise to remove paywalls automatically. But they aren't in any official store, keep disappearing after complaints from publishers, and ask for access to every website you visit. A tampered version could read everything, including passwords and online banking.

If you use one at all, only get it from a source you really trust, ideally in a separate browser profile you don't use for anything else.

On your phone

• iPhone: The Paywall.vip Shortcut opens articles straight from the share menu.
• Android: On paywall.vip, tap “Add to Android share menu”. Paywall.vip then shows up in every app's share menu.
• Anywhere: Type paywall.vip/ in front of the link in your address bar.

Overview

When it doesn't work

• Archive.today loads forever or only shows CAPTCHAs: Solve the CAPTCHA or wait a moment. If you use Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 DNS, a different DNS server often works better.
• The archive only has the first paragraphs: Try an older or newer snapshot, or switch to the next service.
• The article is brand new: Have Archive.today make a new copy, or come back later.
• A private window doesn't help: The site probably counts by IP address or login. Try another network.

Is this legal?

Private windows, reader mode, searching, gift links and libraries use normal features and are unproblematic. Deliberately getting around technical barriers and reading archived copies, on the other hand, is a grey area. Publishers often forbid it in their terms, and depending on your country, copyright law can come into play. This guide isn't legal advice.

Support journalism

Reporting costs money. If you read a site regularly, a digital subscription is often cheaper than you'd think, especially with trial or discount offers. Paywall.vip is meant for the exception: the one article that isn't worth a subscription.