Nature Communications vs PNAS: Key Differences in 2026

Nature Communications and PNAS are both prestigious. Both are multidisciplinary. Both publish high-quality research that crosses disciplinary lines. And if you're comparing them as target journals, you're probably asking the wrong question first.

They're not really competing for the same papers. Understanding why that's true - and when they do overlap - will help you make a better submission decision than just comparing impact factors.

The Numbers at a Glance

The IF gap (15.9 vs 9.1) sounds large, but it's partly a reflection of field composition, publishing volume, and citation patterns - not purely editorial quality. Both journals publish work that's worth publishing.

The Prestige Question: More Complicated Than the IF Suggests

Nature Communications launched in 2010 as Springer Nature's high-impact multidisciplinary venue, positioned just below the flagship Nature journals. Its brand benefits from the Springer Nature halo and from being relatively new - it hasn't accumulated the baggage that older journals sometimes carry.

PNAS, on the other hand, has been published since 1915 and carries one of the most recognized names in all of science. The National Academy of Sciences imprint means something outside the lab. In US academic medicine, biomedical research, and basic biology, PNAS is the journal you know because it's been there your whole scientific career.

Until 2022, PNAS had a significant credibility problem: the "Contributed" track allowed NAS members to submit their own work with reviewer selection that effectively let them bypass standard peer review. That track got abolished in 2022. PNAS now runs entirely on direct submission with standard peer review.

If you've been avoiding PNAS based on the old Contributed track reputation, it's worth revisiting. The post-2022 peer review process is substantially more rigorous than what it replaced.

What PNAS's Significance Statement Requirement Actually Means

Every manuscript submitted to PNAS must include a "Significance Statement" - a 120-word plain-language summary explaining why the work matters to a broad scientific audience. This isn't optional and it's not just administrative. Editors use it to evaluate whether the paper is suitable for PNAS's scope.

PNAS is explicit that it wants research with broad significance - work that would be interesting to scientists outside the submitting discipline. A highly technical paper with narrow implications for one subfield doesn't fit, regardless of its rigor. If you're struggling to write a compelling 120-word significance statement that works outside your discipline, that's useful information before you spend time on the full submission.

Nature Communications doesn't require this, but it has similar expectations about cross-disciplinary relevance. The difference is that PNAS makes you state it explicitly.

Acceptance Rates: Both Selective, Different Paths to Rejection

Nature Communications sits around 12-15% overall acceptance. About 60% of submissions are desk-rejected without going to peer review. The desk rejection rate is high because editors are filtering for cross-disciplinary significance before the science even gets evaluated externally.

PNAS sits around 15% post-2022. Its desk rejection rate is harder to pin down publicly, but based on editor commentary, it runs similarly high - around 50-60%. The Significance Statement requirement is partly an early filter: manuscripts that can't make a compelling case for broad relevance often don't make it past editorial assessment.

If you reach external peer review at either journal, your odds are significantly better than the headline numbers suggest.

Open Access and Cost: A Real Difference

Nature Communications requires open access for all published work. The APC is £2,490 (approximately $3,100 at current rates). There's no subscription access option.

PNAS gives you a choice. You can publish under subscription access with no APC, or pay $1,350 to make your paper open access. For researchers with institutional read-and-publish agreements with Springer Nature, the Nature Communications APC may be covered. Check with your library before assuming you'll pay full price.

For researchers without institutional APC coverage and without grant funding that includes publication costs, PNAS's optional OA model is significantly more accessible.

Field Fit: Where Each Journal Has Stronger Communities

Nature Communications has built particularly strong communities in:

• Physics and materials science
• Chemistry and chemical biology
• Ecology and environmental science
• Genomics and molecular biology
• Earth and climate science

PNAS has historically stronger communities in:

• Cell and developmental biology
• Biochemistry and structural biology
• Neuroscience
• Immunology and microbiology
• Social and behavioral science (uncommon at Nature Communications)
• Evolutionary biology and ecology

The social science scope of PNAS is genuinely unique - Nature Communications doesn't publish social science research. If your work crosses biology and economics, or biology and sociology, PNAS might be the only multidisciplinary journal that can appropriately publish it.

Turnaround Times: What to Actually Expect

Nature Communications typically moves faster than PNAS through its editorial pipeline. First decisions - either desk rejection or a decision to send for review - come within 4-6 weeks at Nature Communications. If your paper goes to full review, expect another 4-8 weeks for reviewer reports. Total time from submission to first post-review decision is usually 8-14 weeks.

PNAS timelines are harder to pin down precisely, because the journal handles significantly different paper types. For papers that pass the initial editorial screen, the review period is comparable to Nature Communications - roughly 6-10 weeks. Where PNAS can be slower is the initial editorial assessment, which can take longer due to the volume of submissions and the Significance Statement evaluation process.

Neither journal is fast by the standards of preprint culture. If speed matters and your work is in biology, posting a preprint to bioRxiv before or alongside submission is worth considering. Both journals accept submissions of work that has appeared as preprints.

Who Does Well at Each Journal

Nature Communications is a strong fit if:

• Your paper has clear cross-disciplinary appeal in natural sciences
• Your institution has a Springer Nature OA agreement
• Your field community reads Nature Communications regularly
• You want Nature brand visibility on the publication

PNAS is a strong fit if:

• Your work has broad significance to a non-specialist scientific audience
• You work in US-based academic biology or biomedical research
• You want OA flexibility without mandatory APC
• Your work crosses into social or behavioral science
• Your paper has implications that the Significance Statement captures compellingly

The Bottom Line

The 15.7 vs 9.1 IF difference makes Nature Communications look like the clear winner on a spec sheet. In practice, the right journal depends on your field community, your APC situation, and what your paper actually says.

For researchers in physical sciences and ecology, Nature Communications tends to have better community fit. For US-based academic biomedical researchers, PNAS carries its own prestige weight that the IF doesn't capture. PNAS is also the only option if your work touches social science.

If your paper genuinely fits both and all else is equal, submit to Nature Communications first - the IF advantage is real and will matter for citation velocity. But don't dismiss PNAS on IF alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Nature Communications better than PNAS?

By impact factor, yes - Nature Communications sits at 15.7 vs PNAS's 9.1. But PNAS carries prestige in US academic biology and biomedical research that the IF doesn't fully capture. For physical sciences, Nature Communications has stronger community fit. For US biomedical research, PNAS often makes more sense.

Does PNAS still have the contributed track?

No. PNAS abolished the Contributed track in 2022. All submissions now go through standard direct peer review. The old reputation for weak peer review via member-selected reviewers no longer applies.

How much does it cost to publish in Nature Communications vs PNAS?

Nature Communications requires mandatory open access at £2,490 (~$3,100). PNAS charges nothing for subscription-only publication or $1,350 for open access. If your institution has a Springer Nature read-and-publish agreement, the Nature Communications APC may be fully covered.

What's the acceptance rate at PNAS vs Nature Communications?

Both are around 12-15%. Both have high desk rejection rates (50-60%) before external peer review. If you reach external review at either journal, your chances improve substantially.

Does PNAS publish social science research?

Yes. PNAS publishes in biological sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences. The social sciences scope includes economics, psychology, sociology, and political science when the work has broad scientific significance. Nature Communications doesn't publish social science research.

Best for

• Authors deciding between these two venues for an active manuscript this month
• Labs that need a practical trade-off across fit, timeline, cost, and editorial bar
• Early-career researchers who need a realistic first-choice and backup choice

Not best for

• Choosing a journal from impact factor alone without checking scope fit
• Submitting before methods, controls, and framing match recent accepted papers
• Treating this comparison as a guarantee of acceptance at either journal

Sources

• Clarivate Journal Citation Reports 2024 - Impact Factor data
• PNAS author instructions - pnas.org/author-center
• Nature Communications author guide - nature.com/ncomms
• PNAS announcement on Contributed track elimination, 2022 - pnas.org

See also

• Nature Communications journal profile
• PNAS journal profile
• Is PNAS a good journal?
• Is Nature Communications a good journal?
• Nature Communications submission process
• PNAS submission guide