The Internet’s Full of Walls — Here’s Your Crowbar 
The internet used to be free — now it’s a goddamn toll road with pop-ups collecting taxes.
Every article wants your email, your card, and your soul just to show three paragraphs.
Luckily, the internet’s favorite hobby is cheating the system, and the nerds before us already left the keys under the doormat.
This isn’t some deep-dive manifesto — it’s a lazy genius survival kit.
Shortcuts, hacks, and dirty little loopholes that make “subscribe to read more” cry in 404 silence.
One-Line Flow:
The web’s locked down, but here’s your 2025 crowbar — 25 free, shameless ways to break in, read everything, and still feel morally superior.
The Reddit Recycling Plant
where nerds dump gold and lazy geniuses scoop the coins
Bypass Paywalls Clean (the crown jewel)
The most-upvoted hack across every Reddit thread that matters.
Add this filter to uBlock Origin and watch paywalls disappear like your will to exercise.
https://gitlab.com/magnolia1234/bypass-paywalls-clean-filters/-/raw/main/bpc-paywall-filter.txt
Real demo: Install uBlock Origin → Dashboard → Filter Lists → Import → Paste URL → Apply.
Smartass tip: If it got kicked from the Chrome store, it probably works too well.
Archive.is (the reliable bastard)
The old-school mirror that never sleeps. Multiple domains (archive.is, archive.today, archive.ph, archive.li) — pick your poison.
When everything else fails, archive it and read it later like a smug historian.
Real demo: https://archive.is/https://nytimes.com/article-url
Why it works: Makes permanent mirrors that don’t bow to paywall tantrums.
Removepaywall.com (the swiss army knife)
Paste a link, let the bot try every trick — JS off, cache check, archive search. It’s the automation equivalent of someone who refuses to take “no” for an answer.
Website: https://www.removepaywall.com
Real demo: Paste a paywalled URL into their box — wait a sec — profit.
Bonus: Firefox extension for one-click bypass.
Archive.org Wayback Machine (the OG)
Faster than Archive.is, slightly less weird — but it remembers history better than your ex.
Use the shortcut: https://web.archive.org/web2/URL-HERE for instant time travel.
Website: https://web.archive.org
Real demo: paste your URL into the Wayback bar and pick a snapshot.
Smartass tip: If publishers wanted secrecy, they shouldn’t have told Google how to read them.
Smry.ai (the AI shortcut)
Don’t feel like reading 3,000 words? Let AI skim it and give you the good bits — often bypasses paywalls while doing it.
It’s the TL;DR genie for the terminally impatient.
Real demo: https://smry.ai/https://bloomberg.com/news/article
Why it’s useful: Quick summary + often a readable version = double win.
The GitHub Gold Rush
where messy, brilliant code lives and companies forget to police their own mistakes
13 Feet Ladder (self-hosted beast)
When 12ft.io taps out, this one keeps swinging. Host it yourself and stop relying on someone else’s uptime drama.
GitHub: https://github.com/wasi-master/13ft
Real demo: docker run → open localhost:3000 → paste URL → sip tea.
Why it’s cool: Sites that learned to block 12ft.io still cry in front of 13ft.
Ladder (the proxy ninja)
Proxy routing, CORS removal, and other nerdy voodoo — built to sneak content where it’s hidden. Docker-friendly because of course it is.
GitHub: https://github.com/everywall/ladder
Real demo: spin up the container, point it at the blocked URL, enjoy your free page.
Smartass tip: If you can run Docker, you can run your own paywall killer — no vendor hand-holding required.
Bypass Paywalls Clean (the phoenix)
Rose from DMCA ashes. Far more than a filter — spoofs user-agent, blocks JS, and has custom site configs.
Not in official stores because it does its job too well.
GitHub (Firefox): https://github.com/altafjava/bypass-paywalls-clean
GitHub (Chrome): https://github.com/csns1/bypass-paywalls-chrome-clean-magnolia1234
Real demo: Download from GitFlic → manually install in Chrome/Firefox → open paywalled page.
Warning: Manual install only — browser stores don’t like it.
Kiwi Browser Version (Android freedom)
Same extension, tweaked for Kiwi Browser. Mobile paywall bypass without root or drama.
GitHub: https://github.com/fortarch/bypass-paywalls-chrome-clean-magnolia1234-kiwibrowser
Paywall Bypass Bookmarklets
Drag. Drop. Click. One-click bypasses that don’t need extensions. Perfect for quick hits.
GitHub: https://github.com/draktr/paywall_bypass_bookmarklets
Anti-Paywall (the request mangler)
Open-source extension that mangles requests to sneak content through. Old, but still pulls weight.
GitHub: https://github.com/nextgens/anti-paywall
Note: Not actively maintained, but often still works.
Browser Extension Ecosystem
For people who like their hacks baked into the browser.
Freedium (Medium’s worst nightmare)
Made to piss off Medium’s paywall. Web tool, extensions, Tampermonkey script, and a mobile app — they covered every angle.
Website: https://freedium.cfd
GitHub: https://github.com/Freedium-cfd
Real demo: https://freedium.cfd/https://medium.com/@writer/article
Mobile app: https://github.com/AmanSikarwar/freedium_mobile
Reader Mode (the hidden feature)
Already in your browser. Tap the reader icon before the paywall wakes up. Works on soft paywalls that block visuals but already loaded the text.
Real demo: Open paywalled article → Click reader mode icon → Profit.
Smartass tip: Safari’s reader mode is ridiculously eager — use it like a cheat code.
Unpaywall (the academic hero)
For papers, not opinion pieces. Finds free, legal copies of scholarly articles so you can pretend you read the source.
Website: https://unpaywall.org
Chrome extension: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/unpaywall
What it does: Locates open-access versions of research. No ads. No permissions.
Hop The Fence!
Firefox add-on that bundles ladder services (12ft.io, 1ft.io, Ladder, 13ft). One click, multiple escape routes.
Firefox add-on: Search “Hop The Fence” on Firefox Add-ons.
Why: Privacy-focused quick-launcher for the lazy architect of chaos.
Web-Based Services (no install, no drama)
For people who hate installing stuff and love instant wins.
12ft.io (the original legend)
Prepend 12ft.io/ to a URL and hope the site didn’t block it. Disables JS, serves cached pages — sometimes magic, sometimes surrender.
Website: https://12ft.io
Real demo: https://12ft.io/https://wsj.com/articles/article-title
PaywallBuster.com
Opens the same article across multiple bypass methods at once. If one fails, another probably won’t. Shotgun approach = results.
Website: https://paywallbuster.com
iOS app: Available in App Store.
Success rate: Better than single-tool attempts.
Paywall.vip
URL-prepend simplicity. No tracking, no signup, no bullshit. Paste and go.
Real demo: https://paywall.vip/https://economist.com/article-url
PaywallSkip
Privacy-first bypass tools that don’t harvest your data. Fast, clean, and quiet — like a ninja that actually respects boundaries.
Website: Search “PaywallSkip” (various domains)
Why: Zero data collection policy — ideal for the paranoid reader.
ByeByePaywall.com
Directory of bypass services — paste once, get a buffet of escape routes.
Website: https://byebyepaywall.com
Why it’s useful: Don’t know which tool will work? This page tries them all so you don’t have to.
Archive Buttons / Paywall Removers
One-panel access to every major remover. Enter a URL, click a button, cross your fingers.
Website: https://www.archivebuttons.com
Real demo: Paste URL → pick a service → enjoy sweet, possibly-illegal freedom.
YouTube Comment Mines
Skip the polish. The real hacks live in comments and bookmarklets.
Google Cache Bookmark Trick
Add this as a bookmark and hit it on any page that lets Google crawl:
javascript:window.location.href="https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:"+location.href
One-click bypass: Works on sites that let Google index them.
Setup: Browser → Bookmarks → Add new → Paste code into URL.
Incognito Mode (the obvious one)
Metered paywalls count cookies; incognito resets the counter. Use it like a lazy reset button.
Works best on: Washington Post, Guardian, most meter-based news sites.
Smartass tip: Clearing cookies does the same thing if you enjoy extra steps.
Telegram Channel Time Machine
Old groups hoard expired invites and bots that still work — ghosts doing your bidding.
Telegram Paywall Bots
Forward a paywalled link, wait a few seconds, get back a clean page. Magic, minus the wand.
@hidewallbot: https://t.me/hidewallbot
GitHub (hidewallbot): https://github.com/TheEdoRan/hidewallbot
GitHub (Bypass Paywalls Bot): https://github.com/losparviero/Bypass-Paywalls-Telegram-Bot
Real demo: Forward link → wait ~10s → receive clean article. Backend = 12ft.io-style proxies.
Mobile-Specific Solutions
Phone paywalls suck harder. These make them tolerable.
iOS Shortcuts
Install a “Remove Paywall” shortcut from iCloud. Share an article → run the shortcut → opens archive.
Setup: Grab shortcut links from Reddit threads (r/shortcuts).
Works with: Safari or Chrome share sheet — one tap, fewer tears.
Bardeen Playbooks
Automates the boring parts: finds archives, tries options, opens the readable version.
Website: https://www.bardeen.ai
Playbook: https://www.bardeen.ai/playbooks/remove-paywall
Real demo: Install Bardeen → run the “Remove Paywall” playbook → let the bot do the grunt work.
Self-Hosted Workflow Manager
for people who actually like control (and enjoy tiny infra tantrums)
Wallabag
Self-hosted read-it-later that saves the full article before the site locks it down.
Log in with your creds, snag the page, read later — behind paywalls or not.
Website: https://wallabag.org
GitHub: https://github.com/wallabag/wallabag
Why it works: Grabs content early so paywalls can cry later.
Better than: Pocket/Instapaper when you want the full paywalled goods.
Critical Methods (the boring genius behind the hacks)
-
User-Agent spoofing → Googlebot
Sites treat Googlebot like VIP; pretend to be it and sometimes they hand you the whole article. -
Disable JavaScript
Soft paywalls are often just overlays. Kill JS, and the text shows up like it wasn’t trying to hide. -
Clear cookies / use incognito
Metered sites count views in cookies. Wipe ’em, open a fresh session — rinse & repeat. -
Referer override
Some sites grant access for social referrals. Fake the referer header and hope they don’t check receipts.
Mega Resource Hubs
one-stop nerd markets where the community hoards everything useful
FREEMEDIAHECKYEAH Wiki
A constantly updated hoard of tools, lists, and privacy tips — the community’s junk drawer that actually works.
Website: https://fmhy.net
Adblocking/Privacy: https://fmhy.net/privacy
Internet Tools: https://fmhy.net/internet-tools
AlternativeTo — Paywall Removers Category
Crowdsourced tool list with user reviews. Good when you want alternatives and user receipts.
Category: https://alternativeto.net/category/browsers/bypass-paywall/
12ft alternatives: https://alternativeto.net/software/12ft-ladder/
Legal whisper: These tricks work best on soft paywalls (visual blocks) not hard paywalls (content never sent). Support creators you actually like — unless they charge $39/month for horoscopes and call it “premium journalism.”*, Your call.
These tools work best on soft paywalls (content is already sent but hidden), not on hard paywalls (content never reaches your browser). Most methods exploit the fact publishers must let search engines crawl for SEO — hilarious, right? They let Google read everything for free, then charge you $15/month for the same thing.
Dark Truth: If paywalls actually worked, there wouldn’t be 26 ways to bypass them. Welcome to 2025.
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