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How to read The Times and The Sunday Times free or for less

The Times and The Sunday Times keep almost all of their journalism behind a paywall, so a casual reader gets very little without paying. The good news is that several cheap or free legal routes exist in the UK: library newspaper databases, a heavily discounted student plan, Apple News+, an American Express card perk and the free Times Radio station.

Last checked 6 Nov 2026. Offers change often, so confirm the price on the outlet's own page before you pay.

Quick answer

UK students should take the Student Beans plan at £9.99 a year; everyone else can read the text of The Times free through a UK library's NewsBank service, or get it as part of Apple News+.

United Kingdom

Library

Read The Times text free through your library's NewsBank service

Free

A number of UK council library services subscribe to NewsBank UK, which carries the articles from The Times and The Sunday Times. You sign in on the library website with your card number. Coverage differs between councils, so look at your own library's online newspapers page. The Times is generally missing from library PressReader and BorrowBox ePress collections.

How to get it Confirmed on an official page Source 1 Source 2
Library

Times and Sunday Times Digital Archive for older articles

Free

For historical articles, some library services give card holders access to the Times Digital Archive (1785 to 2006) and the Sunday Times Digital Archive (1822 to 2006), both at home and in the library. East Sussex is one example. Recent articles are not included.

How to get it Reported by a reliable source; check before relying on it Source
App

Times Radio, free on DAB and in its app

Free

Times Radio, the paper's speech radio station, runs 24 hours a day and costs nothing. You can listen on DAB, at times.radio, on smart speakers or in the free Times Radio app, and the app lets you replay shows from the past week.

How to get it Confirmed on an official page Source 1 Source 2
Student rate

Student digital plan through Student Beans

£9.99/year for 3 years

UK higher education students who are 18 or over can get a digital subscription at £9.99 a year, locked in for three years. You have to verify through Student Beans and have a valid UCAS number, and the deal is only for new subscribers. It also comes with three months of free Perlego.

See the offer Confirmed on an official page Source
Bundle

Included in Apple News+

£12.99/month (1 month free for new subscribers); also part of Apple One Premier at £36.95/month

Apple names The Times and The Sunday Times among the titles that come with Apple News+ in the UK. You read them in the Apple News app on an iPhone, iPad or Mac, and the plan can be shared with family members.

See the offer Confirmed on an official page Source
Other

Free annual digital subscription for Amex Platinum cardmembers

Free with the American Express Platinum Card (the card has a large annual fee)

UK Platinum cardmembers can claim a free year-long digital subscription to The Times and Sunday Times, plus Times+ rewards, by enrolling in the Amex Experiences app. You must not have an active Times subscription when you enrol, and the benefit can be stopped if you give up the card.

How to get it Confirmed on an official page Source

Questions

Often you can. Many UK council libraries subscribe to NewsBank UK, which has the article text from The Times and The Sunday Times, and you log in with your card number. The Times is usually absent from library PressReader, so look for NewsBank on your library's online resources page.

Yes. UK university students who verify through Student Beans can subscribe digitally for £9.99 a year, held at that price for three years. It is only for new subscribers aged 18 or over who have a UCAS number.

Yes. Apple's UK Apple News+ page names The Times and The Sunday Times among its titles. The plan costs £12.99 a month after a one-month free trial and is also part of Apple One Premier.

UK Amex Platinum cardmembers can claim a free annual digital subscription to The Times and Sunday Times through the Amex Experiences app. The card itself has a high annual fee, so this only pays off if you already want the card.

The usual introductory deal has been £1 for the first three months, but we could not confirm it on the publisher's site, and renewal is at the full rate. If you only want Times journalism in audio, Times Radio is free.