Why parts of Tom’s Hardware now have a paywall

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

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.

You can contact our customer service team at [email protected]. You can also call our team from the U.S. or UK at the following numbers:

U.S.: 1-855-568-1368
(Lines open Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5pm EST, and Saturdays 7am – 10am EST).

UK & ROW: +44 330 333 9494
(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.