PaywallBuster vs. archive.is

PaywallBuster

PaywallBuster is a tool that helps you get around paywalls on news articles. You just paste the article link into the site, and it tries different methods to let you read the content for free. It doesn’t host anything itself—it just sends you to third-party websites that do the work. Not every method works for every site, so it opens multiple tabs using different tools, hoping one will break through. It’s free, works on iOS through a shortcut, and claims it’s legal since it only redirects you to other services. The creators say they don’t encourage breaking site terms or copyright laws, but they know people just want to read an article without hitting a wall.

archive.is

archive.is, also known as archive.today, is a website that lets you save a copy of any webpage. It works like a time capsule, taking a "snapshot" of the page as it is at that moment. This snapshot stays online even if the original page is deleted or changed. It saves both the text and images, making sure the copy is accurate. The archived page doesn’t have active elements like pop-ups or scripts, so it’s safer to view. People use archive.is for different reasons—saving articles that might get taken down, capturing price lists or job postings before they change, or keeping a record of social media posts. It’s also used to get around paywalls, since the archived copy often shows the full content without restrictions. You can use the site by entering the URL of the page you want to save. Once archived, you get a short, stable link to the snapshot. There’s also a search feature to find past snapshots of certain websites. They even offer a Chrome extension for quicker access.

Reviews

Reviews

Reviewed on 2/23/2025

Archive.is works on most websites - for examples Financial Times, The Economist, Medium etc. It's easy to use but sometimes takes a long time to load.

Pros
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Seamless Bypass1
Cross-Device Compatibility1
Ethical Usage1
Cons
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Pros
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Easy to use1
Reliable1
Works on most major sites1
Cons
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Can be slow1
Somewhat dated user interface1

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