Ladder: Self-Hosted Proxy to Bypass Paywalls and Remove CORS Headers

Ladder: Self-Hosted Proxy to Bypass Paywalls and Remove CORS Headers

Summary

Ladder is a self-hosted HTTP web proxy designed to bypass paywalls and remove CORS headers from any URL. Built in Go, it offers a privacy-focused alternative to commercial services, emphasizing freedom of information and user control. With flexible installation options and support for custom rulesets, Ladder provides a powerful tool for accessing web content.

Repository Info

Updated on February 2, 2026
View on GitHub

Tags

paywall-bypassercors-proxyself-hostingweb-proxyGoprivacyfreedom-of-informationopen-source

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Introduction

Ladder is a self-hosted HTTP web proxy, serving as an alternative to services like 12ft.io and 1ft.io. Developed in Go, this project allows users to bypass paywalls and remove CORS headers from any URL, promoting access to information. It is inspired by projects like 13ft, offering a robust solution for content access.

Disclaimer: This project is intended for educational purposes only. The author does not endorse or encourage any unethical or illegal activity. Use this tool at your own risk.

Installation

Before proceeding with installation, it is crucial to enable Basic Auth if your Ladder instance will be publicly accessible. This prevents unauthorized use and potential liability for content accessed through your proxy.

Binary

  1. Download the latest binary from the releases page.
  2. Unpack and run the binary: ./ladder -r https://t.ly/14PSf
  3. Open your browser (default: http://localhost:8080).

Docker

docker run -p 8080:8080 -d --env RULESET=https://t.ly/14PSf --name ladder ghcr.io/everywall/ladder:latest

Docker Compose

curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/everywall/ladder/main/docker-compose.yaml --output docker-compose.yaml
docker-compose up -d

Examples

Browser

  1. Open your browser (default: http://localhost:8080).
  2. Enter the desired URL and press Enter.

Alternatively, append the URL directly to the proxy URL, for example: http://localhost:8080/https://www.example.com

You can also create a bookmark with the following JavaScript for quick access:

javascript:window.location.href="http://localhost:8080/"+location.href

API

curl -X GET "http://localhost:8080/api/https://www.example.com"

RAW

Access raw HTML content directly via: http://localhost:8080/raw/https://www.example.com

Why Use Ladder

Ladder is built on the principle of freedom of information, aiming to balance media organizations' financial interests with the public's right to access knowledge. By providing a self-hosted solution, it empowers users to control their access to information without relying on third-party services.

Key advantages include:

  • Bypassing paywalls and removing CORS headers.
  • Self-hosted and privacy-focused, with no tracking.
  • Ability to apply domain-based rulesets for content modification.
  • Docker container support for easy deployment.
  • Unexpected side effect: often removes most ads.
  • Basic Auth for securing public instances.

Links

For more detailed information, contributions, or to report issues, visit the official GitHub repository:

Ladder GitHub Repository