Guides · Updated November 2, 2026
Free alternatives to The New York Times
The New York Times lets you read only a limited number of articles before asking for a subscription. If you want broad, serious coverage of US politics, world events and culture without paying, these free outlets cover much of the same ground.
None of them is an exact copy of the Times, but together they give you national news, investigations, world coverage and analysis.
For national and political news
NPR
America's public radio network. National, world, politics and culture reporting, paid for by member stations, sponsors and listener donations, so nothing on npr.org is paywalled. See NPR headlines on NoWall News
PBS NewsHour
Public television's nightly news program. Full episodes, segments and written stories are free, with long interviews and calm explainers. See PBS NewsHour headlines on NoWall News
Semafor
A global news outlet launched in 2022 whose stories separate the facts from the reporter's analysis. See Semafor headlines on NoWall News
The Hill
Washington political news covering Congress, the White House and campaigns, free to read. See The Hill headlines on NoWall News
For investigations
ProPublica
A nonprofit investigative newsroom. Every investigation is free to read and free for other outlets to republish. See ProPublica headlines on NoWall News
KFF Health News
A nonprofit newsroom covering US health policy, insurance and hospitals; all stories are free. See KFF Health News headlines on NoWall News
For world news
The Guardian
A British paper with a large US edition. It has no paywall at all; it asks readers for voluntary contributions instead. See The Guardian headlines on NoWall News
Al Jazeera
A Qatar-based international broadcaster with wide coverage of the Middle East, Africa and Asia. See Al Jazeera headlines on NoWall News
DW
Germany's international broadcaster, publishing in English with strong European coverage. See DW headlines on NoWall News
For science and ideas
Quanta Magazine
Deeply reported math, physics, biology and computer science stories, funded by the Simons Foundation and free to read. See Quanta Magazine headlines on NoWall News
Smithsonian
History, science and culture stories from Smithsonian Magazine. See Smithsonian headlines on NoWall News
Reading paywalled papers legally for free
Many US public libraries give card holders free digital access to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal or a news reader app such as PressReader. Ask your local library or check its website; it is the legal way to read those papers without paying yourself.
See them all in one place
NoWall News collects the latest headlines from these outlets and dozens more, all free to read, refreshed every few minutes.
Questions
What is the best free alternative to The New York Times?
For a similar mix of national and world news, NPR and The Guardian are the closest free options. NPR covers US news and politics in depth, and The Guardian has a full US edition with no paywall.
Can I read The New York Times free legally?
Some public libraries provide free digital passes to The New York Times for card holders. Otherwise it limits free articles and asks for a subscription.
Is The Guardian really free?
Yes. The Guardian has no paywall; it asks readers who can afford it to make a voluntary contribution.