# Unpaywall

> Get free text of research papers as you browse, using Unpaywall's index of ten million legal, open-access articles.

Canonical page: [https://chrome-stats.com/d/unpaywall](https://chrome-stats.com/d/unpaywall)

## Overview

- **ID:** `unpaywall`
- **Platform:** Firefox
- **Type:** Firefox add-on
- **Status:** Available
- **Publisher:** Impactstory team
- **Category:** feeds-news-blogging,search-tools,social-communication
- **Daily users:** 70,298
- **Weekly downloads:** 904
- **Rating:** 4.32 / 5 (253 ratings)
- **Version:** 3.98
- **Last updated:** 2021-07-28
- **First published:** 2017-03-04
- **Size:** 676 KB
- **Data as of:** 2026-09-09
- **Store listing:** [Firefox Add-ons Store](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/unpaywall/)
- **Website:** [https://unpaywall.org/products/extension](https://unpaywall.org/products/extension)
- **Privacy policy:** [https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/unpaywall/privacy/](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/unpaywall/privacy/)

## Description

Unpaywall is a free, open-source Chrome extension that unlocks access to scholarly articles behind paywalls. When you encounter a paywalled research paper, Unpaywall checks its vast database of 16 million legal, open-access articles and displays a green tab if a free version is available. Simply click the tab to read the research paper legally and without cost. Developed by Our Research, a nonprofit focused on making academic work more accessible, Unpaywall enhances your research experience by seamlessly integrating open-access content into your browsing. This tool promotes transparency, knowledge sharing, and democratizes academic information worldwide.

## Rankings

- #269 — Overall
- #21 — Feeds, News & Blogging
- #28 — Search Tools
- #35 — Social & Communication
- #3 — legal
- #27 — article

## Permissions and access

### Permissions

- `*://*.oadoi.org/*`
- `storage`

### Content script matches

- `<all_urls>`

## Safety

- **Risk impact:** Moderate risk impact
- **Risk likelihood:** Low risk likelihood

### Analysis details

- Allows access to all websites, posing a significant security risk as it can monitor and modify data from any visited site.
- This extension was updated more than 6 months ago. Older versions are more likely to be stable and safe.

> Some risk analysis details are omitted from this free response. [Upgrade to view the full analysis](https://chrome-stats.com/pricing).

## Review summary

User reviews are mixed: many praise Unpaywall for locating open-access scholarly papers and supporting free education, while others report it not working reliably, confusion about the tool’s purpose, branding issues, and potential privacy concerns.

### Pros

- Helps locate open access versions of scholarly articles (green unlocked icon) when available.
- Saves time by reducing manual searching for open copies of papers.
- Regarded by users as a useful add-on that does what it’s supposed to do.
- Supports the goal of free education by making scholarly papers more freely accessible.

### Cons

- Some users experience not working or inconsistent functionality (icon may not respond or opens a new tab instead).
- Confusion about what Unpaywall does and its scope (not for news, only scholarly articles).
- Branding/name confusion leading to potential misunderstandings.
- Privacy concerns or perception that the extension might collect data.
- Occasional technical quality concerns (e.g., code differences in jQuery).

## Similar extensions and apps

- [Unpaywall - Free Article](https://chrome-stats.com/d/unpaywall-free-article) — 22 users, 5.00 / 5
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- [Paywall-Free Reader](https://chrome-stats.com/d/paywall-free-reader) — 92 users, 5.00 / 5
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- [freepaper](https://chrome-stats.com/d/freepaper) — 371 users, 4.43 / 5

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Source: [Chrome-Stats](https://chrome-stats.com/d/unpaywall)