Are There Any Apps For Reading Medium Articles For Free?

I love Medium but hate paywalls, so I’ve hunted down every trick to read for free. 'Reader Mode' in Safari or Firefox often bypasses Medium’s paywall by simplifying the page layout. It’s not foolproof, but it works often enough to be useful. Another hack is using Google Cache—search for the article title with 'cache:' before the URL, and you might get a free version. I’ve also stumbled upon 'Scribd', where some users upload paywalled Medium articles as documents. It’s a gray area, but it’s there.

For app-based solutions, 'Article Reader' on Android is a minimalist tool that sometimes ignores paywalls. I’ve heard mixed reviews about 'Medium Unlimited', an APK that claims to unlock everything, but I’m wary of security risks. A safer bet is following Medium’s free tier authors or subscribing to their newsletters—many share free links to their work.

Lastly, Twitter threads or Reddit discussions often have summaries or screenshots of paywalled Medium articles. It’s not the same as reading the full piece, but it’s better than nothing. The free-reading game is all about resourcefulness.

I’ve explored every free option out there. The best app I’ve found is 'Medium Lite', a third-party client that strips away the paywall and lets you read articles without a subscription. It’s not official, so it can be buggy, but it’s a lifesaver for budget-conscious readers. Another great tool is 'LibreWolf' or 'Brave' browser with aggressive ad-blocking settings—sometimes they bypass Medium’s paywall by accident. I’ve also had luck with '12ft Ladder', a site that removes paywalls by tweaking URLs. It doesn’t always work, but when it does, it’s magical.

For a more structured approach, 'Flipboard' aggregates Medium articles along with other news sources, and you can often read full pieces without hitting the paywall. I’ve noticed that older Medium articles (6+ months) sometimes become free, so searching archives can yield hidden gems. Lastly, joining Medium-focused Discord or Telegram groups where users share unlocked links is a sneaky but effective way to access content. The community often pools resources to bypass restrictions.

If you’re into tech, self-hosting an RSS reader like 'FreshRSS' and adding Medium feeds can work, though it requires some setup. The key is persistence—free access exists, but it’s scattered and requires a bit of effort to uncover.