The new subscription packages includes around-the-clock access to all of the local news, opinion, sport, food, culture and lifestyle reading produced by the journalists, photographers and columnists of The Canberra Times, as well as the latest in news, sport, travel and more from around the nation and the world.

Online readers can sign up and pay at canberratimes.com.au from Thursday to activate immediate access on their favourite device.

Packages start from $3 a week for a basic annual subscription.

Premium subscribers will enjoy additional benefits, including access to the digital version of each day's newspaper and a daily selection of interactive puzzles.

"Our newspaper has long had a cover price so now we're asking our online audiences to join us as subscribers," managing editor John-Paul Moloney said.

"By supporting The Canberra Times, subscribers will be helping us continue to provide the quality Canberra journalism they trust to keep them informed and connected.

"Every day, our journalists, photographers and editors bring you breaking-news as it happens. And they're asking the tough questions on important issues like politics, the public service, the environment, health, transport, education and planning. And they're dishing up the good bits of Canberra life too - like the food, wine, arts and entertainment."

From June 6, canberratimes.com.au will offer two subscription packages: premium and basic.

The basic package offers unlimited articles on any device for $3.75 a week if you pay monthly, or $3 a week if you sign up for an annual subscription - a saving of 20 per cent.

The premium package includes unlimited articles at canberratimes.com.au, plus access to the digital version of the daily newspaper - allowing frequent travellers and iPad or tablet users to flip through every page of each day's Canberra Times and view articles as they appear in the printed edition.

Premium subscribers will also enjoy access to our newsletters, interactive crosswords, Sudoku and trivia quizzes refreshed daily, plus exclusive events and special offers.

The premium package costs $5.50 a week if you pay monthly, or save 20 per cent if you sign up for an annual subscription at $4.40 a week. Premium subscribers can save even more with a two-year package, which costs only $3.85 a week - a 30 per cent saving.

Visitors to canberratimes.com.au will be able to read five articles a month for free before they are invited to subscribe for access to unlimited articles.

Non-subscribers will see a meter displayed at the bottom of the article they are reading. The meter will show the number of articles they have read in the past month. After reading five articles in a month, the next article opened will invite the user to subscribe for full website access.

While some content will be exclusive for subscribers only, content that will remain open to all website visitors includes classified advertisements, such as birth and funeral notices, and recommended articles featuring local businesses and sponsored content.

You can subscribe here.