How to Read the News Without Paywalls (Legitimately)

Start with sources that are free by design

The simplest way around paywalls is to read outlets that do not use them. Public broadcasters (the BBC, DW, ABC Australia, PBS), wire services (Reuters, AP) and reader-funded papers publish most or all of their journalism for free. For a curated list, see our roundup of the best free, ad-free news websites.

Use an aggregator to reach the free version

Many stories are covered by several outlets at once — some paywalled, some free. A news aggregator shows you the same story from multiple publishers, so you can pick the version you can actually read. gathers headlines from 200+ sources and links straight to each publisher, so a paywalled scoop is usually available free elsewhere within hours.

Reader mode and clean browsing

Ads and pop-ups are a different problem from paywalls. Most browsers include a reader mode (the little "page" icon in the address bar) that strips a story down to just the text. Combined with declining non-essential cookies, it makes even ad-heavy sites readable.

What we do not recommend

Browser tricks and "paywall bypass" extensions that copy publishers' paid content sit in a legal and ethical grey area, and they often break or carry malware. Supporting journalism you value — even one subscription to the outlet you read most — keeps it alive. Everything in this guide is about reaching news that publishers already offer for free, not stealing what they sell.

The fast daily routine

For most people the ad-free, paywall-free routine is simple: open one clean front page each morning, scan the top world, business and technology headlines, and click through only to the stories you want to read in full. That is exactly what an ad-free aggregator like is built for.