Applied Sciences APC and Open Access: MDPI Pricing, Volume, and How It Stacks Up

These figures were verified against the MDPI Applied Sciences fee page at MDPI journal page in October 2026, and the journal's indexing was cross-referenced against its DOAJ record. Applied Sciences uses a single flat APC with no article-type tier: the CHF 2,400 charge is the same for an Article, a Review, or a Communication. MDPI prices its journals in Swiss Francs.

At current exchange rates, CHF 2,400 comes out to approximately $2,600 USD, but this fluctuates. Invoices are emailed shortly after acceptance to the payment contact provided by the authors. Payment options listed by MDPI include credit card, wire transfer, and PayPal, and MDPI accepts purchase orders. For the journal's full scope and metrics, see the Applied Sciences journal hub.

At CHF 2,400, Applied Sciences sits in the upper part of MDPI's price list, which runs from free and CHF 500 titles up to CHF 2,900, but at the low end of the largest MDPI journals. For comparison, Sensors (MDPI) charges CHF 2,600, and higher-tier MDPI journals like the International Journal of Molecular Sciences charge more. Among the large MDPI journals with a Web of Science impact factor, it is one of the cheaper ones.

If the cost looks workable, the harder question is whether your paper will clear desk review. A Applied Sciences desk-rejection risk check takes about two to three minutes before you commit to these fees.

MDPI runs a distinctive operation. Understanding how it works helps contextualize the APC and what you're paying for.

Volume and speed: Applied Sciences published 13,404 papers in 2025, according to its MDPI statistics page. MDPI reports a first decision about 15 days after submission and acceptance to publication in 2.9 days (medians for papers published in the first half of 2026). This speed is a genuine differentiator for researchers who can't afford to wait 6-12 months at traditional journals.

Special Issues: A significant portion of Applied Sciences content appears in Special Issues, which are themed collections organized by Guest Editors. MDPI actively recruits Guest Editors and invites submissions. Some researchers find Special Issues useful for targeted peer review within their niche. Others see them as a potential quality concern. Either way, the APC page lists a single APC for Applied Sciences and no separate Special Issue charge.

Scope: Applied Sciences covers essentially everything in applied natural sciences and engineering, from materials science to computer science to civil engineering to food technology. The scope is deliberately broad, similar to Scientific Reports but skewed toward engineering and applied fields.

Peer review: Standard single-blind peer review with at least two reviewers. MDPI also offers an optional open review feature where reviewer reports are published alongside the paper.

MDPI runs its own institutional program rather than the Read & Publish agreements used by Elsevier, Springer Nature, or Wiley.

Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP): MDPI says it has over 1000 participating institutions. Researchers affiliated with participating universities receive a discount on APCs across all MDPI journals, including Applied Sciences, and the discount level is set by the agreement between MDPI and the institution.

Flat fee agreements exist. MDPI's IOAP page describes a flat fee agreement for institutions with substantial ongoing publication: the institution pays an annual fee so its corresponding authors can publish a fixed or unlimited number of articles in MDPI journals. Ask your library whether your institution has one.

Recommending the program: If your institution is not on the IOAP participants list, MDPI invites you to recommend the program to your library.

Check whether your institution participates in IOAP on MDPI's institutional partnerships page.

Invited submissions: MDPI says its Editorial Offices may issue personal invitations to submit to a journal or Special Issue and offer discounts and waivers for those invited submissions.

Institutional path: The Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) gives affiliated authors a discount whose level is set by the agreement between MDPI and the institution, and some institutions have flat fee agreements.

Waiver requests: MDPI states that it is "committed to making open access publishing accessible to all authors" and that waiver requests are handled separately from peer review. Its APC page does not list a hardship or country-based waiver, so ask the editorial office before assuming one.

Reviewer vouchers and editorial board waivers: MDPI provides reviewer vouchers to selected reviewers, and Editorial Board Members may receive up to one full APC waiver per year.

Affiliated societies: The International Society for Plasma Medicine (ISPM) and the Polish Society of Applied Electromagnetics (PTZE) are affiliated with Applied Sciences, and their members receive a discount on the article processing charges.

Applied Sciences is fully Plan S compliant. All articles are published gold OA with CC BY, so there's no embargo period and no need for green OA workarounds.

• Currency risk and VAT: CHF pricing means USD costs shift with exchange rates. The Swiss Franc has historically appreciated against the dollar, which gradually pushes costs up for US-based authors. Depending on your country, MDPI's invoice may also add local VAT on top of the CHF 2,400 headline, so the all-in cost can exceed the quoted APC.

• Institutional coverage depends on your institution. The IOAP discount level is set by each agreement, and some institutions have flat fee agreements that cover APCs. If yours does not, you will likely pay out of pocket or from grant funds.

• Special Issue quality variance. While there's no extra charge for Special Issues, the quality of peer review can vary depending on the Guest Editor. Stick to Special Issues organized by researchers you know or whose work you respect.

• Reputation considerations. MDPI's high-volume model attracts criticism in some academic circles. In certain fields (particularly in Europe), MDPI journals are viewed with skepticism. In others (particularly in Asia and engineering), they're mainstream. Know your community's norms.

Applied Sciences is a good fit when:

1. You need fast, indexed, OA publication in applied engineering or natural sciences

1. Your work is technically sound but not high enough impact for field-specific selective journals

1. Speed matters (first decisions in about 15 days, the MDPI median)

1. Your budget is limited and you can't afford $4,000+ Elsevier or Wiley APCs

1. Your funder mandates immediate gold OA

Think carefully if:

1. Your community looks down on MDPI (ask your advisor or senior colleagues)

1. IEEE Access could work and is cheaper ($2,160)

1. The specific subfield journal (Sensors, Materials, Energies) is a better scope fit

1. You're applying for jobs or grants where journal prestige matters more than output speed

If you're considering Applied Sciences, you're probably also looking at other MDPI titles. Here's how the APCs, metrics, and volumes stack up across the publisher's most popular journals.

The pattern is clear: MDPI prices its lower-IF titles at CHF 2,400 and its stronger-IF titles at CHF 2,600-2,900. Applied Sciences sits at the bottom of the APC range in this table, tied with Sustainability, which matches its position in the metrics hierarchy. If your work fits Sensors or Materials by scope, you'll pay CHF 200 more but get a meaningfully higher IF and JCI. If it doesn't fit those narrower scopes, Applied Sciences is the default broad-scope option, and tied with Sustainability for the lowest APC in this table.

One thing worth noting: Applied Sciences' JCI of 0.52 is below the global median (1.0), meaning papers in this journal get cited less than average for their category. That's not a dealbreaker, but it's context you should have when comparing options.

MDPI sets APCs journal by journal and shows only the current amount on each journal's APC page, which carries no effective date and no fee history. On 9 October 2026 that page lists CHF 2,400 for Applied Sciences. Because the page does not publish past or future amounts, treat the fee as something that can change: the CHF pricing adds currency risk, and if you are budgeting a multi-year grant, check the MDPI APC page again before you submit rather than assuming CHF 2,400 will hold.

Let's be direct. MDPI journals aren't for everyone, and Applied Sciences' CHF 2,400 isn't always money well spent. Here's an honest breakdown.

The honest take: Applied Sciences is a rational choice when you need fast, indexed, compliant OA publication and your work is solid applied research without a better-fit specialist home. It's not a rational choice when you're paying out of pocket and a cheaper or more prestigious alternative exists. Don't let MDPI's efficient submission workflow substitute for asking whether this is actually the best venue for your career.

Across Manusights submission reviews for authors weighing the Applied Sciences APC, the CHF 2,400 fee is rarely the real decision. The real decision is whether the manuscript is ready and whether Applied Sciences is the right venue for it. Three patterns recur, and each one shows where the money is at risk of being spent before the question is answered.

Paying the APC to skip a fit decision: Authors reach for Applied Sciences because the workflow is fast and the fee is moderate, but the abstract and scope have not been tested against whether a no-APC field journal would take the same paper. We flag this before the invoice, because a Q1 field journal with no APC usually beats a CHF 2,400 Q2 megajournal for most career goals; the fee should follow a deliberate venue choice, not a default.

Soundness gaps that the fee does not fix: Applied Sciences reviews for technical soundness, so a paper with thin methods, missing controls, or a vague data-availability statement still gets sent back, and the fast turnaround does not help. The money buys open-access visibility, not a pass on rigor, so the methods and the data package have to be ready before the APC is a sensible spend.

Special-issue momentum overriding venue fit: A guest-editor invitation creates urgency that pushes authors to pay before they have asked whether Applied Sciences is the right home rather than a narrower specialist journal. We separate the invitation from the fit question so the APC is spent on a considered choice.

The common thread is that the APC is a downstream decision. When the abstract names the contribution, the methods and figures are reproducible, the data is deposited, and the venue is a deliberate fit rather than the fastest option, CHF 2,400 for fast, indexed, compliant open access is a rational spend. When any of those are still open, the cheaper move is to fix the manuscript or change the target before paying, not after.

Worth paying if:

• Your funder mandates open access (check Plan S / cOAlition S requirements)

• An institutional Read & Publish agreement covers the fee

• Open access visibility meaningfully benefits your research area

• The APC fits within your grant budget

Consider alternatives if:

• The APC is a personal out-of-pocket expense

• A subscription option or green OA (preprint + embargo) satisfies your funder

• Another OA journal with a lower APC would provide similar visibility

Last verified: April 2026 against Clarivate 2026 JCR release.

For a manuscript-specific signal before you submit, run an Applied Sciences Basel submission readiness check.

Or see example reports before you finalize.

Applied Sciences fills a specific niche: affordable, fast, broad-scope OA publication for applied research. It won't win prestige contests with Nature or Science, and it doesn't need to. For researchers who need to get solid work published and accessible quickly, it's a reliable, indexed venue with predictable costs.

The biggest risk isn't the money (it's one of the cheaper options). It's the reputational question. Before submitting, ask whether your department and field view MDPI favorably. If the answer is yes, or if it doesn't matter for your career stage, Applied Sciences is a strong practical choice.

Before you submit, make sure your manuscript meets the journal's standards for technical soundness and reproducibility. Applied Sciences submission readiness check to catch issues before they reach reviewers.