Materials (MDPI) APC and Open Access: Full Cost Breakdown and Smarter Alternatives

This is the first thing to understand about Materials. Unlike hybrid journals from Elsevier, Springer Nature, or Wiley, there's no subscription track. You can't publish for free and let readers access your work through library subscriptions. Every accepted paper costs CHF 2,600.

This changes the economics compared to journals like Materials Letters (Elsevier) or Journal of Materials Science (Springer Nature), where the subscription track is free and OA is optional. If you don't have APC funding, a hybrid journal's subscription track may be the better financial choice.

MDPI's discount structure is more layered than traditional publishers:

Reviewer vouchers are particularly relevant for active researchers. If you review two papers for MDPI journals, you can accumulate enough credit to cover a significant chunk of the Materials APC. MDPI sends voucher codes automatically after you complete a review.

Institutional memberships provide a flat 10% discount. More universities have signed up for MDPI memberships in recent years, though coverage is still far less extensive than Elsevier or Springer R&P agreements.

This is where Materials (MDPI) falls short compared to Elsevier or Springer titles:

The practical impact is significant. If your institution has a Springer Compact agreement, you can publish OA for free in Scientific Reports or Journal of Materials Science. If it has an Elsevier R&P deal, Materials Letters and Materials Science and Engineering are covered. At Materials (MDPI), you're paying out of your own grant in most cases.

Despite the cost disadvantage, Materials attracts a huge volume of submissions. Here's why:

Speed. MDPI's review process is fast. Materials typically returns a first decision in 15-20 days. Total time from submission to online publication often runs 5-8 weeks. That's dramatically faster than Elsevier or Springer journals, where 3-6 months is normal.

Broad scope. Materials accepts work across all materials science subfields. If your paper sits at the intersection of multiple materials disciplines, or if it doesn't fit neatly into a specialized journal's scope, Materials provides a home.

High acceptance rate. Estimated at 40-50%, Materials accepts a larger proportion of submissions than selective journals. For work that's methodologically sound but incremental, this matters.

Special issues. A large proportion of Materials content comes through guest-edited special issues. These themed collections can attract a focused readership for your specific subfield.

Immediate OA. Every article is immediately free to read. No embargoes, no access barriers. For fields where practitioners (engineers, industry researchers) need access but don't have institutional subscriptions, this has real value.

Like all gold OA journals, Materials automatically satisfies every major funder mandate. The CC BY license is the default, and there's no embargo. This is one clear advantage over hybrid journals, where you need to actively choose OA and select the right license to ensure compliance.

• Swiss franc invoicing. MDPI bills in CHF. Foreign transaction fees may apply depending on your institution's payment setup.

• VAT. European authors may face additional VAT charges (7.7% Swiss rate or local rate).

• English editing service. MDPI offers optional paid English editing. It's not required, but reviewers may suggest it. This is a separate cost.

• No page limits in practice, though MDPI encourages concise writing. Supplementary files are hosted for free.

• MDPI templates required. Word and LaTeX templates are free but MDPI-specific.

• Preprint posting. MDPI encourages preprint posting on Preprints.org (MDPI's own preprint server) before or during review. This doesn't cost anything extra.

Materials, like other large MDPI journals, faces skepticism in some academic circles. The journal's high volume, rapid turnaround, and extensive special issue program have led some researchers to question editorial rigor.

The facts: Materials is indexed in Web of Science and Scopus, has a legitimate IF (~3), and conducts peer review. But the quality of individual papers is more variable than at selective journals. In hiring and promotion contexts, Materials publications generally count but may receive less weight than publications in traditional society journals or high-IF Elsevier/Springer titles.

If your institution or tenure committee evaluates journals closely, factor this into your decision.

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

1. Speed matters most? Materials offers the fastest path to publication in mainstream materials science. Budget CHF 2,600 from your grant.
2. Institution has Springer or Elsevier agreements? Consider Scientific Reports (Springer, gold OA, may be covered), Materials Letters (Elsevier, subscription track is free), or J Materials Science (Springer, subscription track is free).
3. No APC funding at all? A hybrid journal's subscription track costs $0. Materials Letters, J Materials Science, or MSE:A/B/C let you publish for free.
4. Plan S compliance with minimal hassle? Materials' gold OA model handles compliance automatically. No license selection mistakes, no embargo workarounds.

Before submitting, make sure your experimental characterization, data presentation, and novelty statement meet the journal's expectations. Even high-acceptance-rate journals reject poorly prepared manuscripts. Materials (MDPI) submission readiness check to identify the issues that trigger desk rejection.

For more on understanding impact factors and journal selection, see our detailed guide.