For several years, 12ft.io (also known as “12ft Ladder”) was a popular tool used for bypassing paywalls. Its simple trick — “Show me a 12-foot ladder so I can get over the paywall” — became widely known among researchers, students, and casual readers who occasionally needed access to paywalled news articles.
But in 2025, the situation changed dramatically.
Publishers have increasingly cracked down on paywall-bypass tools, and 12ft.io stopped working reliably, eventually being removed after legal pressure. This left millions of users searching for trusted, safe, and legal alternatives.
In this article, we explore:
- Why 12ft.io no longer works
- The BEST legal and safe alternatives in 2026
- Tools that maintain privacy and reliability
- The safest way to access paid content
- Whether using these tools violates copyright
- FAQ section with detailed answers
This guide is designed to help you find effective solutions without risking your privacy, safety, or legal issues, while also helping your website outrank competitors.
Table of Contents
Why 12ft.io (12ft Ladder) No Longer Works
Before exploring alternatives, you need to understand why 12ft.io has stopped functioning.
1. Legal Pressure From Publishers
In mid-2025, major news organizations worked together to remove 12ft.io from the internet. These publishers argued that the service violated copyright by circumventing technological access controls.
2. Hard Paywalls Became More Advanced
Even before the final takedown, many websites updated their paywall systems:
- Paywalls blocking Googlebot and crawler user-agents
- Paywalls verifying login tokens
- Browser fingerprinting
- Dynamic content loading
12ft.io relied heavily on using Google’s cache or crawler behavior, which became less effective.
3. Hosting & Domain Issues
Finally, hosting providers removed the service after DMCA and copyright complaints.
As a result:
The site is now inaccessible or does not load on most networks.
Top 12ft Ladder Alternatives in 2026 (Ranked & Reviewed)
Below are the best tools you can use instead of 12ft.io — tested, reliable, and detailed so you can choose the safest option.
| Tool / Method | What It Does / How It Works | Best For / Strengths |
|---|---|---|
| RemovePaywalls.com | Takes a paywalled article URL and tries to fetch it from archival sources (e.g., web archives, caches), or strips paywall scripts when possible. | Everyday reading — no setup required; works via browser or mobile. |
| smry.ai | Open-source tool that can fetch full articles (or archived versions) and optionally provide AI-generated summary. | Great for quick content access + summaries; good for students or research. |
| Bypass Paywalls Clean (browser extension) | A community-maintained browser extension that removes paywalls by disabling paywall scripts, spoofing a crawler, or bypassing overlaid paywalls. | Frequent paywall bypassing, flexible — supports many sites; suitable for power users. |
| Archive.today / Archive.is / Internet Archive Wayback Machine | Public archival services that store snapshots of web pages. These versions often lack paywalls, so past content becomes freely accessible. | Useful for older or already-published content; especially good for research, reference, or academic use. |
| Self-hosted tools: e.g., Ladder or 13ft (open-source projects) | For technically inclined users: you host your own paywall-bypassing proxy server that pretends to be a crawler (like Googlebot) to fetch articles. Hacker News | Maximum control, privacy, and flexibility; useful for developers, researchers, or heavy users. |
1. RemovePaywalls.com (Best Overall Alternative)
What It Does
RemovePaywalls.com fetches an article using multiple methods:
- Web archives
- Public search engine caches
- Clean HTML extraction
- Script-free rendering
Why It’s Better Than 12ft
- Works on many major paywalled publications
- No installation required
- Also works on mobile
- Uses legal archival methods
Best For:
Students, occasional readers, researchers.
2. Bypass Paywalls Clean (Browser Extension)
What It Does
This open-source browser extension actively removes:
- Paywall overlays
- JS pop-ups
- Subscription prompts
- Login barriers
Supports:
Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave.
Pros
- Works on 200+ major sites
- Frequently updated by community
- Very effective against soft paywalls
Cons
- Must be installed manually
- Not ideal for “hard paywalls” like WSJ full content
3. Archive.today (Archive.is) — Best for Snapshot Access
How It Works
Archive.today stores a permanent copy of a webpage. Archived copies often contain:
- Full article text
- Clean HTML
- No paywall scripts
Pros
- 100% free
- Works even if original article is deleted
- Great for research & citations
Cons
- Must manually paste URLs
- Doesn’t work for real-time breaking news sometimes
4. Internet Archive (Wayback Machine)
Best For: Accessing older versions of articles
Wayback Machine archives millions of pages per day, including news articles.
Pros
- Backups from years ago
- Paywalls usually weren’t present in older snapshots
- Free and legal
Cons
- May not have the latest content
5. Smry.ai — AI-Based Paywall Bypass + Summaries
What It Does
Smry.ai retrieves public cached versions or archived versions of articles, and can also generate AI summaries.
Pros
- Clean reading interface
- Summary mode
- Works on both soft and selected hard paywalls
Cons
- Might not always pull the full article
6. Self-Hosted Tools (13ft / Ladder Clones)
For advanced users, open-source developers have created self-hosted versions of paywall-bypass tools.
Pros
- Maximum privacy
- Cannot be taken down easily
- Full control over crawler settings
Cons
- Technical setup required
- Only suitable for advanced users
7. Use “Reader Mode” or Disable JavaScript
Many paywalls rely 100% on JavaScript. Disabling scripts can reveal the entire article.
How to do this:
- Chrome DevTools → Disable JS
- Browser extensions (Disable JavaScript)
- Safari Reader Mode
Pros
- Simple hack
- Works instantly
Cons
- Doesn’t work on premium hard paywalls
Which 12ft Alternative Is the Safest?
If your goal is 100% safety and legality, the best options are:
✔ Archive.today
✔ Wayback Machine
✔ RemovePaywalls.com (archive-based approach)
These tools rely on publicly available snapshots and avoid active circumvention of paywall logic — making them much safer from a legal standpoint.
Is It Legal to Use 12ft.io or Its Alternatives? (Must Read)
Understanding the legal boundaries is very important.
✔ Safe / Generally Legal
- Viewing archived versions of pages
- Viewing cached versions from search engines
- Using reader mode or disabling scripts
- Accessing content that was publicly available at the time of capture
✖ Potentially Illegal / Copyright Violations
- Circumventing active paywall software
- Accessing premium content behind login walls
- Using services designed to remove barriers intentionally
Many legal experts consider this a violation of the DMCA Anti-Circumvention law, depending on the jurisdiction.
Best Use Cases for 12ft Ladder Alternatives
✔ Academic research
✔ One-time reference
✔ Fact-checking
✔ Accessing older or previously public content
✖ Not recommended for
- Reading premium content daily
- Avoiding paying for journalism
- Regular consumption of paid publications
Remember: If you use a site frequently, subscribing is the ethical option.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What has happened to the 12ft Ladder?
12ft.io was taken down in 2026 after legal pressure from large publishers. The domain either does not load or fails to bypass paywalls entirely.
2. Does 12ft.io not work anymore?
Yes, it is no longer functional. Even when accessible, it fails on 95% of paywalled websites due to updated scripts and blocks.
3. Is using 12ft.io a violation of copyright?
In many regions, yes.
If it circumvents a technological barrier (like a paywall), it may violate DMCA or terms of service.
4. What is the safest Ladder alternative?
The safest alternatives are Archive.today, Wayback Machine, and RemovePaywalls.com, since they rely on public snapshots, not active paywall circumvention.
5. Can you use ChatGPT to bypass paywalls?
No.
ChatGPT cannot retrieve full paywalled content and is not designed to bypass subscription walls or access paid content.
6. What is the alternative to 12ft.io in 2026?
The best alternatives include:
- RemovePaywalls.com
- smry.ai
- Bypass Paywalls Clean
- Archive.today
- Wayback Machine
- Self-hosted tools like 13ft
7. Is RemovePaywall legal?
RemovePaywalls.com mainly uses public archives, which is generally legal.
However, if used to bypass active paywalls, legality becomes questionable. Always use responsibly.
Final Thoughts
While 12ft.io is gone, several reliable and safer alternatives exist. Whether you want a simple copy-paste tool, a browser extension, or a more powerful archival method, you now have multiple ways to access articles when needed.
However, always:
- Respect copyright
- Use paywall bypass tools sparingly
- Support publishers you read often
Alex is fascinated with “understanding” people. It’s actually what drives everything he does. He believes in a thoughtful exploration of how you shape your thoughts, experience of the world.
