A powerful browser extension that adds a "Free Read" button to Medium articles and other paywalled content, allowing you to open them in Freedium for free reading without restrictions.
- One-click access to Freedium for any Medium article
- Automatic detection of Medium and Medium-hosted publications
- Beautiful floating button with modern design
- SPA support - Works with Single Page Applications
- Right-click context menu for universal access
- Keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+F) for power users
- Light/Dark themes with auto system detection
- Customizable button position (4 corners with offset control)
- Multiple button sizes (Small, Medium, Large)
- 4 button styles (Gradient, Solid, Minimal, Glass)
- Entrance animations with customizable timing
- Live preview of button positioning
- Comprehensive options page with professional UI
- Custom site support - Add your own domains
- Auto-detection toggle for Medium articles
- Context menu control - Enable/disable right-click menu
- Debug mode for troubleshooting
- Keyboard shortcuts management
- No data collection or tracking
- Local storage only for settings
- Lightweight and fast performance
- Privacy-focused design
- Medium.com and all Medium-hosted publications
- Substack.com - Newsletter platforms
- TowardsDataScience.com - Data science articles
- InfoSecWriteups.com - Cybersecurity content
- BetterProgramming.pub - Programming tutorials
- JavaScript.PlainEnglish.io - JavaScript guides
- Python.PlainEnglish.io - Python tutorials
- LevelUp.GitConnected.com - Developer content
- Blog.DevGenius.io - Tech articles
- Custom sites - Add your own domains in settings
-
Download the extension:
git clone https://github.com/Paresh-Maheshwari/Freedium_Extensions.git cd Freedium_Extensions -
Load in browser:
- Open
chrome://extensions/(oredge://extensions/) - Enable "Developer mode" (toggle in top right)
- Click "Load unpacked"
- Select the
Freedium_Extensionsfolder - ✅ Extension installed successfully!
- Open
- Download the extension (same as above)
- Load in Firefox:
- Open
about:debugging - Click "This Firefox"
- Click "Load Temporary Add-on"
- Select the
manifest.jsonfile - ✅ Extension loaded successfully!
- Open
- Navigate to any Medium article
- Look for the "Free Read" button (customizable position)
- Click the button to open the article in Freedium
- Right-click anywhere on any webpage
- Select "Open in Freedium" from the context menu
- Choose "Open Current Page in Freedium" or "Open Link in Freedium"
- The page/link will open in Freedium in a new tab
- Click the extension icon in your browser toolbar
- Click "Open Current Page in Freedium"
- The current page will open in Freedium in a new tab
- Press
Ctrl+Shift+F(Windows/Linux) orCmd+Shift+F(Mac) - The current page will open in Freedium in a new tab
- Dark Theme - Original purple gradient design
- Light Theme - Clean light gray design
- Auto Theme - Follows system preference
- 4 Positions: Top-right, Top-left, Bottom-right, Bottom-left
- Custom Offsets: Horizontal and vertical pixel adjustments
- Live Preview: See changes in real-time
- 3 Sizes: Small, Medium, Large
- 4 Styles:
- Gradient (default purple gradient)
- Solid (solid purple color)
- Minimal (outline style)
- Glass (translucent effect)
- Animation Toggle: Enable/disable entrance animation
- Auto-detect Toggle: Enable/disable Medium detection
- Show on All Sites: Control button visibility
- Custom Sites: Add your own domains (one per line)
- Debug Mode: Console logging for troubleshooting
- Context Menu: Enable/disable right-click menu
- Button Delay: Customize appearance timing (0-5000ms)
- Keyboard Shortcuts: Manage shortcut preferences
The extension:
- Detects when you're on a Medium or supported publication page
- Injects a floating "Free Read" button with customizable styling
- Redirects to
https://freedium.cfd/[original-url]when clicked - Opens the Freedium version in a new tab for seamless reading
The extension includes professionally designed icons:
icons/icon16.png- 16x16 toolbar iconicons/icon48.png- 48x48 extension manager iconicons/icon128.png- 128x128 Chrome Web Store iconicons/icon.svg- Original SVG source file
Icon Design Features:
- Purple gradient background representing premium content
- Unlocked padlock symbolizing free access
- Green checkmark indicating availability
- Document lines representing articles
Freedium_Extensions/
├── manifest.json # Extension configuration
├── background.js # Context menu & keyboard shortcuts
├── content.js # Main content script with settings
├── styles.css # Button styling & themes
├── popup.html # Extension popup UI
├── popup.js # Popup functionality & theme
├── options.html # Settings page UI
├── options.js # Settings functionality
├── README.md # Documentation
├── CHANGELOG.md # Version history
└── icons/ # Extension icons
├── icon.svg # Original SVG
├── icon16.png # Small icon
├── icon48.png # Medium icon
└── icon128.png # Large icon
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Paresh-Maheshwari/Freedium_Extensions.git
cd Freedium_Extensions
# Load in browser (see installation instructions above)- Check if you're on a supported site
- Verify auto-detection is enabled in settings
- Try refreshing the page
- Check browser console for errors (enable debug mode)
- Ensure all files are in the same folder
- Check that
manifest.jsonis valid JSON - Make sure Developer mode is enabled
- Try reloading the extension
- Check browser permissions for storage
- Try resetting to default settings
- Ensure popup blockers aren't interfering
- Verify the URL format:
https://freedium.cfd/[original-url] - Some articles may not be available on Freedium
- Try the original Freedium website directly
- Check if the article is publicly accessible
This extension:
- ✅ Only runs on specified Medium-related domains
- ✅ Does not collect or store any personal data
- ✅ Does not track your browsing activity
- ✅ Only accesses the current page URL when you click the button
- ✅ No external servers - all processing is local
- ✅ Open source - code is fully transparent
- ✅ Local storage only - settings stored on your device
Contributions are welcome! Here's how you can help:
- Fork the repository
- Create a feature branch (
git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature) - Commit your changes (
git commit -m 'Add amazing feature') - Push to the branch (
git push origin feature/amazing-feature) - Open a Pull Request
- 🌐 Add support for more publications
- 🎨 Improve the design or functionality
- 🐛 Fix bugs or issues
- 📚 Improve documentation
- 🌍 Add internationalization support
- ⚡ Performance optimizations
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
Paresh Maheshwari
- GitHub: @Paresh-Maheshwari
- Freedium - For providing the free Medium reading service
- Medium - For creating great content (even if it's behind paywalls)
- The open-source community for inspiration and tools
If you find this extension helpful, please:
- ⭐ Star this repository
- 🐛 Report any bugs or issues
- 💡 Suggest new features
- 🔄 Share with others who might find it useful
Disclaimer: This extension is for educational purposes. Please respect content creators and consider supporting them directly when possible. The extension simply redirects to Freedium, which is a third-party service.