The hardest paywalls to bypass in 2026
Ranked from our own logs — real removal attempts, not opinion. The lower the success rate, the harder the wall. Outlets that never send the article to non-subscribers (WSJ, The Times, The Washington Post) sit at the bottom; only an existing public archive recovers those.
📊 New: the Paywall Index, September 2026 — which news sites are hardest to read for free, by outlet and language.
31,564
attempts analysed
249
outlets ranked
72%
of attempts on these outlets opened
The 10 hardest
Dagblad van het Noorden0%
Project Syndicate0%
Barron's0%
New Statesman0%
The Business Journals0%
kicker0%
Hannoversche Allgemeine0%
Bloomberg Law0%
Mitteldeutsche Zeitung0%
De Telegraaf1%
All 249 outlets
| # | Outlet | Attempts | Success | Wall type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dagblad van het Noorden | 63 | 0% | hard |
| 2 | Project Syndicate | 55 | 0% | hard |
| 3 | Barron's | 43 | 0% | hard |
| 4 | New Statesman | 43 | 0% | metered |
| 5 | The Business Journals | 41 | 0% | hard |
| 6 | kicker | 36 | 0% | hard |
| 7 | Hannoversche Allgemeine | 34 | 0% | hard |
| 8 | Bloomberg Law | 33 | 0% | hard |
| 9 | Mitteldeutsche Zeitung | 20 | 0% | hard |
| 10 | De Telegraaf | 461 | 1% | hard |
| 11 | Ostsee-Zeitung | 68 | 1% | hard |
| 12 | Sächsische Zeitung | 57 | 2% | hard |
| 13 | Aftonbladet | 63 | 3% | hard |
| 14 | Krant van West-Vlaanderen | 34 | 3% | hard |
| 15 | Heilbronner Stimme | 36 | 6% | hard |
| 16 | Le Nouvel Obs | 55 | 7% | hard |
| 17 | NJ.com | 41 | 7% | hard |
| 18 | Thüringer Allgemeine | 51 | 8% | hard |
| 19 | Leipziger Volkszeitung | 56 | 9% | hard |
| 20 | MLive | 23 | 9% | hard |
| 21 | The Economist | 1,057 | 10% | hard |
| 22 | Forbes | 59 | 10% | hard |
| 23 | La Voix du Nord | 119 | 12% | hard |
| 24 | The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) | 107 | 12% | hard |
| 25 | The Times | 627 | 13% | hard |
| 26 | WirtschaftsWoche | 75 | 13% | hard |
| 27 | Medium | 125 | 14% | metered |
| 28 | Geelong Advertiser | 21 | 14% | hard |
| 29 | Libération | 72 | 17% | hard |
| 30 | shz.de | 36 | 17% | hard |
| 31 | Helsingin Sanomat | 29 | 17% | hard |
| 32 | Irish Examiner | 37 | 19% | hard |
| 33 | The Australian | 61 | 20% | hard |
| 34 | The Sun | 41 | 20% | metered |
| 35 | The Columbian | 41 | 20% | metered |
| 36 | The Wall Street Journal | 566 | 21% | hard |
| 37 | Süddeutsche Zeitung | 81 | 21% | hard |
| 38 | Westfalenpost | 63 | 22% | hard |
| 39 | Ouest-France | 70 | 23% | soft |
| 40 | BILD | 119 | 24% | hard |
| 41 | Herald Sun | 105 | 24% | hard |
| 42 | Mediapart | 374 | 25% | hard |
| 43 | The Courier-Mail | 223 | 25% | hard |
| 44 | Gazeta Wyborcza | 136 | 26% | hard |
| 45 | Le Télégramme | 73 | 26% | metered |
| 46 | TVN24 | 62 | 26% | hard |
| 47 | De Tijd | 52 | 27% | hard |
| 48 | De Stentor | 72 | 28% | hard |
| 49 | Jeune Afrique | 38 | 29% | hard |
| 50 | Berliner Morgenpost | 30 | 30% | metered |
| 51 | Nation | 21 | 33% | hard |
| 52 | Der Spiegel | 266 | 35% | metered |
| 53 | Die Welt | 104 | 35% | hard |
| 54 | Reuters | 158 | 37% | hard |
| 55 | Der Tagesspiegel | 102 | 39% | hard |
| 56 | Ostthüringer Zeitung | 36 | 39% | hard |
| 57 | Bloomberg | 537 | 40% | hard |
| 58 | South China Morning Post | 73 | 40% | metered |
| 59 | National Review | 42 | 40% | metered |
| 60 | The Washington Post | 285 | 44% | hard |
| 61 | Wyborcza Biznes | 73 | 44% | hard |
| 62 | FAZ | 50 | 44% | hard |
| 63 | Het Nieuwsblad | 41 | 44% | hard |
| 64 | Le Parisien | 136 | 45% | hard |
| 65 | Nikkei Asia | 22 | 45% | hard |
| 66 | La Voz de Galicia | 74 | 46% | hard |
| 67 | Seeking Alpha | 68 | 46% | metered |
| 68 | La Stampa | 41 | 46% | metered |
| 69 | Ruhr Nachrichten | 35 | 46% | hard |
| 70 | Handelsblatt | 48 | 48% | hard |
| 71 | Tages-Anzeiger | 31 | 48% | hard |
| 72 | Rzeczpospolita | 39 | 49% | metered |
| 73 | The Free Press | 67 | 51% | hard |
| 74 | De Standaard | 40 | 53% | hard |
| 75 | Die Zeit | 103 | 54% | hard |
| 76 | The Business of Fashion | 28 | 54% | hard |
| 77 | Brabants Dagblad | 53 | 55% | hard |
| 78 | Valor Econômico | 47 | 55% | hard |
| 79 | Le Monde | 275 | 56% | hard |
| 80 | Stern | 66 | 56% | hard |
| 81 | San Francisco Chronicle | 41 | 56% | hard |
| 82 | Dagens ETC | 25 | 56% | hard |
| 83 | The Australian Financial Review | 169 | 57% | hard |
| 84 | WAZ | 60 | 57% | metered |
| 85 | New Scientist | 44 | 57% | metered |
| 86 | Gazeta Prawna | 33 | 58% | metered |
| 87 | RP Online | 30 | 60% | hard |
| 88 | Augsburger Allgemeine | 46 | 61% | hard |
| 89 | De Tubantia | 61 | 62% | hard |
| 90 | Eindhovens Dagblad | 55 | 62% | hard |
| 91 | AD | 344 | 65% | hard |
| 92 | Het Laatste Nieuws | 116 | 65% | hard |
| 93 | Heraldo de Aragón | 78 | 65% | hard |
| 94 | Hamburger Abendblatt | 31 | 65% | hard |
| 95 | BusinessDesk | 23 | 65% | hard |
| 96 | De Gelderlander | 83 | 66% | hard |
| 97 | Les Échos | 70 | 67% | hard |
| 98 | The New York Times | 1,745 | 68% | metered |
| 99 | O Globo | 51 | 69% | metered |
| 100 | The Baltimore Sun | 24 | 71% | metered |
| 101 | Le Figaro | 108 | 73% | metered |
| 102 | Svenska Dagbladet | 38 | 74% | hard |
| 103 | Financial Times | 1,473 | 76% | hard |
| 104 | Il Fatto Quotidiano | 39 | 77% | metered |
| 105 | La Gaceta | 22 | 77% | soft |
| 106 | Midi Libre | 60 | 78% | metered |
| 107 | The Seattle Times | 41 | 78% | metered |
| 108 | Neue Westfälische | 32 | 78% | metered |
| 109 | Het Financieele Dagblad | 48 | 79% | hard |
| 110 | Manager Magazin | 38 | 79% | metered |
| 111 | Business Standard | 24 | 79% | metered |
| 112 | Toronto Star | 30 | 80% | hard |
| 113 | Expressen | 25 | 80% | hard |
| 114 | La DH | 68 | 81% | metered |
| 115 | The Economic Times | 37 | 81% | metered |
| 116 | Le Canard enchaîné | 36 | 81% | hard |
| 117 | Irish Independent | 115 | 83% | hard |
| 118 | The Information | 86 | 83% | hard |
| 119 | La Nueva España | 60 | 83% | metered |
| 120 | L'Express | 46 | 83% | hard |
| 121 | Levante-EMV | 120 | 84% | metered |
| 122 | Il Messaggero | 70 | 84% | metered |
| 123 | la Repubblica | 331 | 85% | metered |
| 124 | La Dépêche | 92 | 85% | soft |
| 125 | El Comercio | 84 | 86% | metered |
| 126 | L'Indépendant | 21 | 86% | metered |
| 127 | The Hindu | 148 | 87% | metered |
| 128 | Il Sole 24 Ore | 70 | 87% | hard |
| 129 | Freie Presse | 67 | 87% | metered |
| 130 | De Limburger | 47 | 87% | metered |
| 131 | Chicago Tribune | 39 | 87% | soft |
| 132 | ZeroHedge | 31 | 87% | hard |
| 133 | El Periódico de Aragón | 50 | 88% | metered |
| 134 | Dagens Nyheter | 49 | 88% | metered |
| 135 | elDiario.es | 227 | 89% | soft |
| 136 | Sud Ouest | 111 | 89% | metered |
| 137 | Haaretz | 76 | 89% | hard |
| 138 | Vogue | 47 | 89% | metered |
| 139 | NRC | 58 | 90% | soft |
| 140 | La Nación | 31 | 90% | metered |
| 141 | Bon Appétit | 21 | 90% | metered |
| 142 | The Telegraph | 352 | 91% | metered |
| 143 | The Bulwark | 22 | 91% | soft |
| 144 | Belfast Telegraph | 48 | 92% | hard |
| 145 | The Irish News | 25 | 92% | metered |
| 146 | Folha de S.Paulo | 69 | 93% | metered |
| 147 | El Periódico | 56 | 93% | metered |
| 148 | OKO.press | 56 | 93% | soft |
| 149 | Newsday | 45 | 93% | metered |
| 150 | Foreign Affairs | 44 | 93% | metered |
| 151 | The Ken | 51 | 94% | hard |
| 152 | NZZ | 47 | 94% | metered |
| 153 | La Rioja | 81 | 95% | soft |
| 154 | The Guardian | 61 | 95% | soft |
| 155 | heise online | 58 | 95% | hard |
| 156 | El Diario Vasco | 57 | 95% | metered |
| 157 | Newsweek Polska | 41 | 95% | metered |
| 158 | Domani | 20 | 95% | hard |
| 159 | Polityka | 20 | 95% | metered |
| 160 | El Español | 262 | 96% | metered |
| 161 | La Vanguardia | 190 | 96% | metered |
| 162 | WIRED | 110 | 96% | metered |
| 163 | El Norte de Castilla | 75 | 96% | metered |
| 164 | The Northern Echo | 55 | 96% | soft |
| 165 | Vox | 47 | 96% | hard |
| 166 | Humo | 47 | 96% | hard |
| 167 | The Epoch Times | 23 | 96% | soft |
| 168 | ABC | 229 | 97% | metered |
| 169 | Nordwest-Zeitung | 98 | 97% | soft |
| 170 | Vulture | 59 | 97% | metered |
| 171 | L'Humanité | 37 | 97% | soft |
| 172 | Harvard Business Review | 35 | 97% | metered |
| 173 | The West Australian | 34 | 97% | hard |
| 174 | The Herald (Scotland) | 33 | 97% | metered |
| 175 | The Atlantic | 1,278 | 98% | metered |
| 176 | NBC News | 459 | 98% | soft |
| 177 | The Irish Times | 148 | 98% | metered |
| 178 | de Volkskrant | 90 | 98% | hard |
| 179 | Die Rheinpfalz | 86 | 98% | metered |
| 180 | The New Zealand Herald | 59 | 98% | metered |
| 181 | National Geographic | 59 | 98% | metered |
| 182 | The Age | 55 | 98% | metered |
| 183 | El Diario Montañés | 54 | 98% | metered |
| 184 | Forbes Polska | 54 | 98% | metered |
| 185 | MARCA | 47 | 98% | hard |
| 186 | actu.fr | 44 | 98% | soft |
| 187 | Fortune | 43 | 98% | metered |
| 188 | GQ | 42 | 98% | metered |
| 189 | Billboard | 40 | 98% | metered |
| 190 | Daily Mail | 2,602 | 99% | soft |
| 191 | El País | 1,662 | 99% | metered |
| 192 | El Mundo | 413 | 99% | metered |
| 193 | Vanity Fair | 323 | 99% | hard |
| 194 | The Observer | 312 | 99% | metered |
| 195 | Corriere della Sera | 251 | 99% | metered |
| 196 | The New Yorker | 241 | 99% | metered |
| 197 | El Correo | 213 | 99% | metered |
| 198 | De Morgen | 161 | 99% | hard |
| 199 | The Verge | 144 | 99% | metered |
| 200 | The Globe and Mail | 139 | 99% | metered |
| 201 | Ara | 114 | 99% | metered |
| 202 | The Indian Express | 103 | 99% | hard |
| 203 | Estadão | 100 | 99% | metered |
| 204 | BBC News | 87 | 99% | soft |
| 205 | CNN | 75 | 99% | metered |
| 206 | El Confidencial | 803 | 100% | metered |
| 207 | The Daily Beast | 246 | 100% | soft |
| 208 | Onet Premium | 222 | 100% | metered |
| 209 | The Sydney Morning Herald | 132 | 100% | metered |
| 210 | Het Parool | 102 | 100% | hard |
| 211 | Business Insider | 101 | 100% | metered |
| 212 | Las Provincias | 99 | 100% | metered |
| 213 | Expansión | 95 | 100% | metered |
| 214 | Los Angeles Times | 77 | 100% | metered |
| 215 | Clarín | 74 | 100% | metered |
| 216 | L'Équipe | 72 | 100% | metered |
| 217 | Prensa Libre | 68 | 100% | metered |
| 218 | HotNews | 65 | 100% | metered |
| 219 | The i Paper | 64 | 100% | soft |
| 220 | Diario de Sevilla | 64 | 100% | metered |
| 221 | Trouw | 64 | 100% | hard |
| 222 | infoLibre | 60 | 100% | metered |
| 223 | El Financiero | 56 | 100% | hard |
| 224 | The Cut | 53 | 100% | metered |
| 225 | Slate | 51 | 100% | metered |
| 226 | Berliner Zeitung | 49 | 100% | metered |
| 227 | Scientific American | 48 | 100% | metered |
| 228 | Business Insider Polska | 48 | 100% | metered |
| 229 | Nature | 46 | 100% | hard |
| 230 | Foreign Policy | 45 | 100% | metered |
| 231 | The Boston Globe | 44 | 100% | metered |
| 232 | The Canberra Times | 40 | 100% | hard |
| 233 | Rolling Stone | 36 | 100% | metered |
| 234 | Daily Record | 35 | 100% | metered |
| 235 | Telegram.hr | 34 | 100% | metered |
| 236 | Liverpool Echo | 34 | 100% | metered |
| 237 | WalesOnline | 34 | 100% | metered |
| 238 | der Freitag | 34 | 100% | metered |
| 239 | The Independent | 32 | 100% | soft |
| 240 | WWD | 31 | 100% | soft |
| 241 | rosenheim24.de | 31 | 100% | soft |
| 242 | Observador | 31 | 100% | metered |
| 243 | The Spectator | 30 | 100% | metered |
| 244 | La Voz de Almería | 29 | 100% | hard |
| 245 | Menorca | 25 | 100% | metered |
| 246 | Sky TG24 | 23 | 100% | metered |
| 247 | Vanity Fair Italia | 22 | 100% | hard |
| 248 | The Quint | 20 | 100% | hard |
| 249 | LiveMint | 20 | 100% | metered |
Method: success = the tool returned the readable article text in its reader view. A full-page view or a publisher's free preview is shown to the reader but not counted. Figures cover the last 7 days (the last 30 for outlets with fewer than 30 reads a week) and come from our own server logs of real usage — no outlet is contacted to build this page — and blend passive results with user 👍/👎. Only outlets with at least 20 recorded attempts are listed. Free to cite with a link back. Full methodology →
Cite this data
Free to reuse and quote with a link back — CC-BY 4.0.
RemovePaywall (2026). “The hardest paywalls to bypass in 2026.” Retrieved 27 Oct 2026 from https://removepaywall.co/hardest-paywalls