How to Tell if an Extension Can Actually Bypass Paywalls

Patrick Bushe doesn't make a paywall-bypass extension, and earlier versions of this answer were wrong to say so. Be wary of any extension that claims to bypass paywalls: the best-known ones aren't on the Chrome Web Store, so they're installed manually without the store's review, and they need permission to read and change every site you visit, which is a lot of trust for a tool that breaks publishers' terms. Library access and gift links are safer ways to read.