Manually calculate open access publishing costs
For authors not covered by an institutional open access agreement
Most authors enjoy reduced- or no-cost open access publishing
A large number of our authors qualify for financial support from their research funder or representative institution through an ACS institutional open access agreement. A generous additional range of discounts and promotions help make open publishing more accessible to authors who don’t qualify for institutional or funder support.
We also provide step-by-step instructions for publishing open access using grant or personal funding.
Overview of ACS open access journal categories
Funders, authors, and research institutions all have unique needs. ACS offers different types of open access journals to help meet these needs and enable open publishing for all regions, institutions, and individuals.
- ACS Central Science: Edited by Nobel Laureate Carolyn Bertozzi, publication in this highly selective and prestigious diamond open access journal is fully sponsored by ACS–there is no cost to the author or reader.
- ACS Chemical Health & Safety: Reports on chemical safety, security, risk assessment and management, incident case studies and hazard warnings, and other influential safety topics. As a diamond open access journal, articles published from January 1, 2026 are free to read, and all open access publication costs are covered by ACS.
- ACS Omega: Impact-neutral journal focused on quality, reporting new findings plus notable negative results in chemistry and related areas of science.
- ACS Au journals: Named after the periodic table symbol for gold, this suite of journals is fully open access and retains the same rigorous peer review and selectivity of ACS’ wider portfolio.
- Other fully open access journals: ACS partners with global organizations to co-publish and also support the cost of publication. These journals attract and support the work of global scientists while offering a reduction in cost.
- ACS hybrid journals: These are the traditional ACS journals that evolved prior to the open access transformation. They publish a blend of open access content and articles which require a subscription to read.
APCs for fully open access journals
| Journal / Collection | CC BY 4.0 license (USD) | CC BY‑NC‑ND 4.0 license (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| ACS Central Science | $0 | N/A |
| ACS Chemical Health & Safety | $0 | N/A |
| ACS Omega | $1,935 | $1,935 |
| ACS Au Journals | $3,500 | $3,000 |
| Other fully open access journals* | $3,500* | $3,000* |
* Sponsored or waived APCs are currently available for select fully open access journals - see "Other fully open access journals" below for details.
APCs for hybrid journals
| Pricing type | CC BY 4.0 license (USD) | CC BY‑NC‑ND 4.0 license (USD) | CC BY after 12 months (USD) | CC BY‑NC‑ND after 12 months (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Pricing | $4,500 | $4,000 | $2,500 | $2,000 |
Special pricing and promotions
Special pricing and promotions
ACS Premium Package members are eligible for a $250 USD discount on listed prices for open access publication in all ACS journals.
ACS offers full waivers or significantly discounted article publishing charges for papers in our fully open access journals whose submitting corresponding authors are based in countries classified by the World Bank as low-income economies as of July 2022.
Submitting corresponding authors from World Bank Group A countries will receive a full waiver of article publishing charges.
Submitting corresponding authors from World Bank Group B countries are eligible for significantly discounted article publishing charges.
Article publishing charges for eligible authors will be automatically discounted or waived upon acceptance. Find out more here.
Authors based at institutions which subscribe to ACS All Publications Package are eligible for a discount of $250 on listed prices. This discount is only applicable toward open access publishing in hybrid / transformative journals.
Discounted APCs for hybrid / transformative journals are shown in the table above.
Your librarian will be able to confirm your institution’s subscription status. This does not apply to ACS Au journals or when country discount is applied.
The following ACS open access publications are offering special introductory sponsored open access publishing. Special thanks to the institutions partnering with ACS, who make it possible to offer introductory no-fee open access publication.
- Artificial Photosynthesis: APCs automatically waived for all articles accepted before December 31, 2026
- Chem & Bio Engineering: APCs automatically waived for all articles submitted by December 31, 2026 if they are accepted after peer review
- Environmental Health Perspectives: APCs automatically waived for all articles submitted by December 31, 2026 if they are accepted after peer review
- Photon Science: APCs automatically waived for all articles submitted by December 31, 2027 if they are accepted after peer review
- Polymer Science & Technology: APCs automatically waived for all articles submitted by December 31, 2027 if they are accepted after peer review
If your institution participates in a qualifying ACS institutional open access agreement, article publishing charges for these journals will automatically be covered by the agreement after the dates listed above.
Authors publishing in any of ACS’ hybrid / transformative journals may opt to publish the article open access after a 12 month embargo and receive a $2,000 USD discount. Discounted APCs for hybrid / transformative journals are shown in the table above.
This embargo period allows the article to be offered under subscription access for 12 months prior to becoming available via open access.