Hit a paywall? No problem
You've found an article you want to read but you're not ready to subscribe. With Paperwall, you can still unlock just this article and move on.
Pay-per-read for
publishers. readers. quality content.
publishers.
readers.
quality content.
Read any article, support any publisher.
Just one monthly payment.
No surprises. No commitment.
How it works
Just pay for the article
Choose the pay-per-read option right next to the subscription offer. No commitment, no recurring charge. Just the article you came for.
One wallet, many publications
Add your payment details once and unlock articles across every publication in the Paperwall network. You can also use the Discover Feed to find more of what you like.
Low-lift integration, full control
Add the Paperwall widget alongside your existing paywall with a small code change. Keep control of identity, entitlements, pricing logic, and editorial policy.
Monthly reconciliation and payout
Every article unlock is tracked and reconciled. Publishers receive a monthly payout based on actual reads, with full transparency into revenue per article.
Qualified demand from the network
Paperwall's discovery layer can send qualified, payment-ready readers back to your publication from across the network of participating sites.
Learn More
How it works for readers
See an article you want but don't want another subscription? Choose the pay-per-read option right at the paywall. You pay only for what you read, with no recurring charges, no new subscriptions, and no long‑term commitment.
Set up your payment once and it works across every publication in the network. Your Activity Page shows exactly what you've unlocked and what you've been charged.
How it works for publishers
Publishers add the Paperwall widget alongside their existing paywall with a small code change, making it easy to run a time‑boxed test. After a quick ownership verification, you configure which articles are eligible and set pricing rules.
You keep full control of identity, entitlements, editorial policy, and when or where the pay-per-read option appears. Paperwall shows up only at the paywall moment; the reading experience stays entirely on your site.
Pricing
Publishers set pricing per article. Readers are billed monthly based on what they actually read. Each unlock is tracked and reconciled, and publishers receive a transparent monthly payout.
Discovery layer
The Discover Feed surfaces trending and relevant articles from across the Paperwall network based on engagement, categories, and tags, then sends readers straight into the publisher’s paywall where they can unlock the article instantly. It's a single place to find quality content you can unlock instantly.
Create a Following Feed to save filters for publications, authors, categories, and tags you care about, and get notified when matching content appears.
Refund policy
If you're not happy with a transaction or it happened in error, you can dispute it directly from your account. Requests are reviewed and resolved within 48 hours by Paperwall and the publisher.
- Every time I run into an article behind a "subscribe now" paywall, I'm more convinced this is a good idea.
What's Next
Paperwall is in early rollout. We're looking for readers who are tired of subscription fatigue and publishers who want to capture more of their audience.
Interested in a pilot? See how pay‑per‑read looks alongside your paywall in preview mode, with no change to your live site until you're ready.