I'm not sure if things have changed but the paywall is completely optional if you're in the partner program, although it is an opt-out setting on each post you

I'm not sure if things have changed but the paywall is completely optional if you're in the partner program, although it is an opt-out setting on each post you make (if you're in the partner program). You will lose out on discoverability through the medium platform if you do this. This affects search engine rankings as well. >To remove your story from the paywall, follow these instructions. Because your post will no longer be a part of our metered paywall, it will also no longer be recommended to readers, except those who follow you. >At the moment, you can only unmeter a post if you're in the Partner Program. We're working on adding functionality that gives writers who aren't in the Partner Program the option to unmeter previously metered posts. In the meantime, you can join the Partner Program to see the option to unmeter your posts.