How to read paywalled articles for free
Practical guides to the paywalls on major news sites and magazines: which ones are metered, which are hard, and how to read the full article when the site lets you. Search by publication or browse by topic.
42 guides
How to Read The New Yorker Without a Subscription
The New Yorker uses a metered paywall that stops you after a few free articles a month. Here is how it works and how to read the full article for free.
How to Read The Times (UK) Articles Without Subscribing
The Times and The Sunday Times sit behind one of the strictest paywalls in British news. Here is why the article text is still reachable and how to read it in full.
How to Read Medium Member-Only Stories for Free
Medium limits non-members to a few member-only stories a month. Learn how the meter works, why the full text is still reachable, and how to read any story without a membership.
How to Get Around the Boston Globe Paywall
The Boston Globe has one of the strictest paywalls of any US regional paper. Here is how it works, what still gets through, and how to read a Globe story in full.
How to Read Time and Fortune Articles Without a Subscription
Time and Fortune both meter their websites and push hard for subscriptions. Here is how their paywalls work and how to read the full article, including long features.
Business Insider Paywall: How to Read Any Article for Free
Business Insider marks its best reporting as subscriber-only and meters the rest. Here is how the paywall works and how to read a full Insider article without paying.
How to Read Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy Without a Subscription
Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy are essential reading for international relations, and both are metered. Here is how to read their long-form essays in full for free.
Wired and The Verge Paywalls: How to Read the Full Article
Wired meters every article and The Verge now gates some of its reporting. Here is how each tech site enforces its paywall and how to read the complete story for free.
Metered vs Hard Paywalls: Why Some Can Be Skipped and Others Can't
Not all paywalls are built the same. Learn the difference between metered, freemium and hard paywalls, and why The New Yorker can be read for free while the Financial Times cannot.
Is It Legal to Bypass a Paywall? What You Should Know
Reading a paywalled article through a reader tool sits in a grey area of terms of service rather than criminal law. Here is a plain-English look at the legal and ethical questions.
How to Read Los Angeles Times Articles for Free
The Los Angeles Times meters its website and pushes for subscriptions after a few reads. Here is how the LA Times paywall works and how to read any story in full.
How to Read Vanity Fair, Vogue and GQ Without a Subscription
Condé Nast meters Vanity Fair, Vogue and GQ with the same system it uses on The New Yorker. Here is how the paywall works and how to read the full story on each site.
Independent Premium: How to Read Locked Independent Articles for Free
Most of The Independent is free, but its best comment and analysis sits behind Independent Premium. Here is how the lock works and how to read a Premium article in full.
How to Read The i Paper Without Subscribing
The i Paper meters its website and asks for a subscription after a few articles. Here is how the i paywall works and how to read its news and analysis in full for free.
How to Read The Irish Times Without a Subscription
The Irish Times has run a metered paywall since 2015 and locks most of its journalism after a few reads. Here is how it works and how to read any Irish Times article in full.
How to Read The Globe and Mail Without a Subscription
The Globe and Mail has metered its website since 2012 and locks most stories after a few reads. Here is how the Globe paywall works and how to read the full article for free.
National Post Paywall: How to Read Any Article for Free
The National Post and its Postmedia sister papers meter their websites. Here is how the Postmedia paywall works and how to read a National Post story in full without a subscription.
How to Read Scientific American Without a Subscription
Scientific American meters its website and limits free reads each month. Here is how the paywall works and how to read its features and news in full for free.
How to Read New Scientist Without a Subscription
New Scientist locks most of its website behind a metered paywall. Here is how it works, why the full text is still reachable, and how to read any New Scientist article for free.
MIT Technology Review Paywall: How to Read Articles for Free
MIT Technology Review meters its site and reserves its best features for subscribers. Here is how the paywall works and how to read a full Technology Review article without paying.
How to Read Slate Without a Slate Plus Membership
Slate meters its website and sells Slate Plus for unlimited access. Here is how the Slate paywall works and how to read its advice columns, politics and culture pieces in full.
New York Magazine Paywall: Read Intelligencer, Vulture and The Cut for Free
New York Magazine meters Intelligencer, Vulture, The Cut, Grub Street and the Strategist under one paywall. Here is how it works and how to read the full article on any of them.
How to Read The New Republic and The Nation Without a Subscription
The New Republic and The Nation both meter their websites. Here is how each paywall works and how to read their political essays and reporting in full for free.
How to Read The Seattle Times and Star Tribune Without a Subscription
The Seattle Times and the Minnesota Star Tribune are two of the strongest regional papers in the US, and both are metered. Here is how to read their stories in full for free.
How to Read The Herald (Scotland) Without a Subscription
The Herald in Glasgow meters its website and locks its columnists and long reads. Here is how the Herald paywall works and how to read any story in full for free.
How to Read the Daily Mail Without Ads, Pop-ups or Autoplay Video
The Daily Mail has no paywall, but its pages are among the heaviest on the web. Here is how to read any Mail Online story as clean text with no ads, video or sidebar.
The Best Ways to Read Paywalled Articles for Free in 2026
A practical comparison of every common method for reading paywalled news for free, from incognito windows and reader mode to archives, libraries and server-side readers, with what works where.
Paywalls You Cannot Skip: NYT, FT, WSJ, Bloomberg and What to Do Instead
Some paywalls genuinely cannot be read around. Here is why The New York Times, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and The Economist fail in every reader tool, and the legitimate free routes that remain.
How to Read Paywalled Articles on iPhone and Android
Half of all paywall hits happen on a phone. Here is the quickest way to open a locked article in a clean reader on iOS or Android, including a one-tap bookmark trick.
How Skip the Paywall Works: Complete Guide and Troubleshooting
Everything about using Skip the Paywall: what it does, which sites work, what each error message means, and how to fix the common problems when an article will not load.
Every News Site and Magazine You Can Read for Free With Skip the Paywall (2026 List)
The complete, tested list of newspapers and magazines whose paywalls Skip the Paywall can read around, grouped by country and type, with links to the guide for each one.
What Is a Paywall? Types, Examples and Why News Sites Use Them
A plain-English explanation of what a paywall is, the difference between hard, metered and freemium paywalls, why newspapers adopted them, and what it means for readers.
12ft.io Alternatives in 2026: What Still Works for Reading Paywalled Articles
12ft.io has been offline for long stretches and no longer works on many sites. Here are the alternatives that still read paywalled articles in 2026, and how each one compares.
Archive.ph Not Working? How to Read Archived Paywalled Articles in 2026
Archive.ph and archive.today often fail to load, show endless captchas or refuse to resolve. Here is why, how to fix the common problems, and what to use when the archive is down.
One-Click Paywall Bookmarklet for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge
Set up a bookmarklet that opens any paywalled article in a clean reader with one click. Step-by-step instructions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge, no extension needed.
New York Times Paywall: Why Bypass Tools Fail and How to Read It Free Legitimately
No reader tool opens The New York Times in 2026. Here is why, what the NYT paywall actually does, and the genuine free routes: library passes, gift articles and free sections.
Wall Street Journal Paywall: Why It Cannot Be Bypassed and How to Read WSJ Free
The Wall Street Journal runs a true hard paywall that no reader tool opens. Here is what WSJ actually sends non-subscribers, and the real free routes: libraries, gift links and syndication.
Financial Times Paywall: Why No Tool Opens the FT and How to Read It Free
The Financial Times runs one of the strictest paywalls in journalism and no reader tool opens it. Here is what the FT sends non-subscribers and the real free routes: libraries, gift links and schools.
Washington Post Paywall: Why Readers Only Get a Teaser and How to Read It Free
The Washington Post sends non-subscribers only the first paragraphs of a story, so reader tools show a fragment. Here is why, and the real free routes: libraries, gift articles and eligible free accounts.
Telegraph Paywall: Why Reader Tools Are Blocked and How to Read It Free
The Telegraph blocks automated access to its site, so no reader tool can fetch its articles. Here is how the Telegraph paywall works, why tools fail, and the legitimate free routes.
The Economist Paywall: Why Tools Only Get a Teaser and How to Read It Free
The Economist enforces its paywall on the server, so reader tools get a few paragraphs at most. Here is what The Economist sends non-subscribers and the real free routes: libraries, Espresso and gift links.
The Atlantic Paywall: Why Reader Tools Fail and How to Read It Free
The Atlantic meters its site but blocks automated access, so no reader tool can fetch its articles. Here is how the Atlantic paywall works, why tools fail, and the legitimate free routes.