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If you are a frequent internet user, you have probably come across the term paywall. This paywall cannot be circumvented.
This is what the term “paywall” means
The term “paywall” comes from English and literally means “payment wall”, but stands for the word “payment barrier”.
- You can usually find this paywall on the websites of certain newspapers or media outlets when you want to access articles to read.
- There are different paywalls on the internet: the soft paywall, the hard paywall and the metered paywall, as well as the donation model.
- With the soft paywall you have access to some of the content, while others you can only reach with a subscription.
- With the hard paywall, you have no access to the content at all unless you have taken out a subscription.
- With the Metered Paywall, a certain number of articles are free, once this is exceeded, you pay.
- With the donation model, the respective site is funded by donations and you decide whether you want to offer support or not.
Bypass Paywall
If you urgently need access to some articles, it is tempting to bypass the paywall.
- However, you should exercise caution and never manipulate any data, as you may well be liable to prosecution.
- It is wiser to search for alternative texts that are freely available via Unpaywall.
- If you are faced with a metered paywall, delete the website’s cookies or use incognito mode in the browser so that you can access the articles again.
