Why parts of Tom’s Hardware now have a paywall
Everything you need to know about the paywall for Tom’s Hardware Premium

You may have noticed that parts of Tom’s Hardware now have a paywall. This is because we have now launched a beta of Tom’s Hardware Premium, which offers paywalled subscriber-only content.
Before we continue to explain how these newer parts of Tom’s Hardware function, above all else, the articles that you already know and love will remain free to access. After reading five articles in a 30-day window, you will be asked to register for a free Tom’s Hardware account, if you wish to do so.
Why is this happening?
Since 1996, Tom’s Hardware has delivered cutting-edge benchmarks, reviews, and news coverage around the PC hardware and semiconductor industry. Up until now, all content on Tom’s Hardware has been free to access.
A part of the reason why we have launched a premium subscription is to enable more of the journalism you love. No BS, no bias, just the best hardware coverage that we can muster, penned by expert authors. Tom’s Hardware Premium aims to offer new types of articles, such as news analysis and premium deep-dives that you won’t find anywhere else.
You’ll also get access to our internal benchmarking database, presented in a handy tool named Bench, in addition to a subscriber-exclusive newsletter named Uptime.
All of these efforts cost money, and to deliver these new features and content types, we’re going to need the support of the Tom’s Hardware community.
What do you get with a Tom’s Hardware Premium subscription?
Tom's Hardware Premium offers the following features:
- Dedicated news analysis posts
- Subscriber-exclusive features & interviews
- Uncut Q&A sessions with industry execs
- Access to Uptime, a brand-new subscriber newsletter
- Unlocked access to Bench, a tool built on our benchmarking database
Feature | Free Access | Tom's Hardware Premium |
---|---|---|
Reviews, news & guides | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Standard editorial coverage | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Dedicated news analysis | ❌ | ✔️ |
Exclusive features and interviews | ❌ | ✔️ |
Access to Uptime newsletter | ❌ | ✔️ |
Bench access | ❌ | ✔️ |
How the paywall works
All articles created for Tom’s Hardware Premium will be paywalled, and none of the coverage that you continue to expect from us, such as reviews, news, guides, and deals, will be affected by this.
All Tom’s Hardware Premium content can be accessed through its dedicated hub page. Occasionally, Tom’s Hardware Premium articles will appear on the main home page, with a clear denotation that it is a paywalled page, before you click on it, so there’ll be no nasty surprises.
How the registration wall works
For non-subscribing Tom’s Hardware readers, we will be employing a dismissible registration wall to sign up for a Tom’s Hardware account. If you are a Tom’s Hardware forum user, you can also log in using your forum account. This registration wall will only appear after you read five Tom’s Hardware articles within 30 days. Once logged in, the registration wall will disappear. You can also dismiss this registration wall. You will be able to access all of our standard content, as well as the option to be added to our mailing lists, if you consent to it.
The website, forums, and all usual coverage will continue to be free.
How much does Tom’s Hardware Premium cost?
You can view up-to-date pricing information for Tom’s Hardware Premium on our subscription page.
How do I manage my Tom's Hardware Premium subscription?
Should you choose to subscribe to Tom’s Hardware Premium, you’ll be asked to make an account on our website. Then, your Tom’s Hardware Premium subscription will be handled by a system named MyMagazine. Despite being named after a magazine, it’ll manage your subscription for you. This is where you can view the terms of your subscription, renew, or cancel.
After you have subscribed, your subscription will be active. You will then be able to access our library of premium content and get access to Bench.
If I get an annual subscription, can I get a refund if I no longer want it?
If you take out the annual subscription, you purchase Tom’s Hardware Premium for one year.
During your initial annual subscription period, you can cancel at any time, and no further payments will be taken. You will get to access Tom’s Hardware Premium until the period of your subscription has ended.
You can cancel via our online portal, MyMagazine, and by contacting customer service.
How to contact customer services
You can contact our customer service team at contact@magazinesdirect.com. You can also call our team from the U.S. or UK at the following numbers:
U.S.:+1 305-910-0069
(Lines open Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5pm EST, and Saturdays 7am – 10am EST).
UK & ROW: +44330 333 1113
(Lines open Monday – Friday 8.30am – 7.00pm GMT, and Saturday 10am – 3pm GMT).
How can I sign in to my Tom’s Hardware account?
You can access Tom’s Hardware via any digital device. When you first join, you’ll create an account. When prompted, simply log in using the credentials you created when you joined. You can also click the login button in the right-hand corner of any Tom’s Hardware page. If you have forgotten your password, simply select the reset password option.
I've signed up. When can I start reading Tom's Hardware Premium?
You’ll have instant access to your subscription as soon as you join. Once you have joined, you will receive an immediate email confirmation from us. If you don’t get it, please contact our customer care team.
To access Tom’s Hardware Premium, head over to https://www.tomshardware.com/premium to log in and start reading.
Can I choose the start date of my Tom's Hardware Premium Subscription?
You cannot defer or select the starting date of your subscription. Access will begin immediately.
Can I still read Tom’s Hardware articles for free?
Yes, all non-premium Tom’s Hardware articles are free to read. If you are a regular reader, you might see a dismissible window asking you to create a free Tom’s Hardware account after reading five articles. This window is dismissible. However, if you want to view Premium articles, you will need to subscribe.
Why am I still seeing adverts with a Premium subscription?
We want to offer you the best journalism possible. To do this, we fund our content through a mix of advertising, affiliate earnings, and now, subscriptions. This enables us to keep offering you best-in-class content, whether you are a free reader or a paid subscriber. As ever, advertisements will never affect what we, the Tom’s Hardware editorial team, choose to cover.
Why should I subscribe for a year?
Across the calendar year, you’ll get a holistic view of insights, right from the busy news periods, event coverage, and product releases, which will be fed into our Bench database. You’ll benefit from expert insights, build advice, exclusive benchmarks, and more throughout the year.
Why has Tom’s Hardware launched a Premium subscription?
Tom’s Hardware Premium was created to give our most engaged readers more of what they value: deeper analysis, performance insights, and access to expert opinions. It supports the continued development of quality, well-researched content.
I’m a Premium subscriber, but I’m being asked to log in repeatedly — why?
Make sure to tick the “Remember me” box when you log in. This tells your browser to save your login, so you won’t have to sign in every time. If you switch devices or clear cookies, you may need to log in again.
Tom's Hardware is the leading destination for hardcore computer enthusiasts. We cover everything from processors to 3D printers, single-board computers, SSDs and high-end gaming rigs, empowering readers to make the most of the tech they love, keep up on the latest developments and buy the right gear. Our staff has more than 100 years of combined experience covering news, solving tech problems and reviewing components and systems.
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Roland Of Gilead €59! TuT Tut. Waaaaay disappointing.:sleep:Reply
Edit: We've known for a while that this was coming. I get why. But, still. This is not an easy pill to swallow. -
SayemAhmed On your pricing queries, I'll echo what @Jeremy Kaplan said in the main feedback thread.Reply
We feel this is a fair price for the offering, considering the breadth of content, the new benchmark test visualization features, the specials we have planned and more. Note that this is just a beta ... Tom's Hardware is just getting started. We have loads of technical work to do behind the scenes, and we have many plans for future features, which is likely to include more pricing options down the line. THP is only going to get better."
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alceryes This is...dissapointing, to say the least.Reply
You could've saved a lot of e-ink by just saying, "Why = Greed." -
jg.millirem As far as the claim that the content we’re all used to reading will stay the same and free, I’m very skeptical. There will now be an incentive for the owners to gradually move content to the paid tier. I’ve seen it happen over and over with news sites.Reply -
Jeremy Kaplan As someone who has been involved with the discussion from Day One, I can tell you we have never once discussed "stuffing existing content behind a paywall." I understand your skepticism, but rest assured, we ain't gonna do that.Reply -
baboma "We feel this is a fair price for the offering, considering the breadth of content..."Reply
Hello @SayemAhmed,
I'm sure you recognize that it's a foregone conclusion that forumgoers here would react negatively. I doubt anything you (or anyone) say would convince them otherwise. I applaud you for trying, all the same.
Some suggestions to aid you:
People won't pay for things sight unseen. If you want people to pay, you need to consider the freemium model that most paywalled news sites use: "teaser" portion of articles, entire articles sampling, limited number of free articles per day/month.
The per-year sub idea is frankly DOA. (Not mentioning the outrageous pricing of $69/$99.) Suggest a per-month sub with something like a $3 rate to start. If the site's content quality justifies it, and volumes of subs pour in, you can always raise the rates later.
The main problem I see is that THW's content is, to be brutally honest, somewhere between "junk" and "filler" status. It's not just my assessment, but of many,
https://reddit.com/r/hardware/comments/1ixgas1/articles_from_tomshardwarecom_should_be_banned/=====
IanCutress: "As someone who worked for the same publisher, the goal is always to get on top of Google search results, accuracy be damned. TH has a habit of hiring non-Technies to fill editor roles. The publisher is always willing to pay less and overwork more. Lots of other behind-the-scenes idiocy (The EIC who wrote Just Buy It is still in charge). The desire to second source news is out the window because it gets in the way of speed of publishing, which is the main KPI for news. The same publisher also runs PC Gamer, Laptop Mag, TechRadar. All show the same attention to 'news' because it's all the same playbook. There are good writers at Tom's, though the mishandling of unconfirmed-as-true statements or really, really bad headlines that bait-and-switch. I regularly call them out. It's been three years since I worked at that publisher. Have to wonder what their AI strategy is these days."=====
It will take a lot of heavy lifting to raise THW's reputation to a level where it can command subscriptions. Frankly, I have my doubts.
Good luck, all the same. -
helper800
Is that right? You must have insider information then. How is this disappointing? Don't like the price, then don't pay. Everything else that you have used the site for will remain as is.alceryes said:This is...dissapointing, to say the least.
You could've saved a lot of e-ink by just saying, "Why = Greed." -
Cookielover Declining readership cant be saved by few people willing too pay 69$ modelReply
Until it doesnt - first time with pay walls ?helper800 said:Everything else that you have used the site for will remain as is.