Paywall-Free Reader
Read premium articles with a clean layout, summarize with AI and save for later. Perfect for research, learning, and productivity.
Manifest V3
- By:
- Muaad Abdirahman
- Users:
- 10,000+
- Rating:
- 3.21 (33)
- Version:
- 2.1 (Last updated: 2025-04-24)
- Creation date:
- 2024-03-14
- Permissions:
- contextMenus
- activeTab
- tabs
- Size:
- 708.61K
- Email:
- mu*****@gmail.com
- URLs:
- Privacy policy
- Full description:
- See detailed description
- Source:
- Chrome Web Store
- Updated:
- 20 hours ago
User reviews
Pros
- Works well on many sites, including local newspapers and certain paywalled articles
- The creator listens to user feedback and makes improvements
- Generally easy to use with a helpful extension icon option to access articles
- Helpful for bypassing paywalls without needing to pay for subscriptions
Cons
- Does not work on major paywalled sites like The New York Times, WSJ, The Atlantic, NYT/The Athletic, Wired, Seeking Alpha, and local news sites
- Occasionally shows errors and can stop working after updates
- Does not load images when it works
- Sometimes blocks usage with prompts to 'buy a coffee' before trying, causing user frustration
- Perceived by some users as fake or useless due to lack of functionality on some sites
Recent reviews
Thankfully, creator listened to my previously strongly worded language and AI is now optional. 6 stars with bonus for creator who listens!
by 
C, 2025-04-03
C, 2025-04-03A month or two ago it worked totally fine and well (I gave it a 5-star review) and then they did an update that made it stop working, now showing "error". I am trying to read https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/techflash/2015/01/massachusetts-womans-lawsuit-accuses-google-of.html.
If it works totally fine and well, why would you waste time doing an update that actually breaks it? I just don't understand!
by 
Oliver C, 2025-04-03
Oliver C, 2025-04-03Hi. Can you make this work with Patreon paywalls? Im trying to find a user script or at least extension that can help me unlock downloads without joining ridiculous month to month memberships myself. I would really appreciate anything you can do to help me get downloads I want from Patreon!
by 
YTwatcher2024 (Nosneakers), 2025-03-13
YTwatcher2024 (Nosneakers), 2025-03-13Extension safety
Risk impact
Paywall-Free Reader requires a few sensitive permissions. Exercise caution before installing.
Risk impact analysis details
- Critical Grants access to browser tabs, which can be used to track user browsing habits and history, presenting a privacy concern.
Risk likelihood
Paywall-Free Reader is probably trust-worthy. Prefer other publishers if available. Exercise caution when installing this extension.
Risk likelihood analysis details
- High This extension was recently updated in the past month. New updates may not be stable or safe.
- High **** ********* *** *** **** ****** ********* ********** *** *** ** ****** ** *****
- Low **** ********* *** ***** **** **** * ****** **** ***** ********** *** **** ****** ** ** ****** *** *****
- Good **** ********* *** **** **** *******
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