Compare journals
Nature vs Nature Communications
Same publisher, different routes: one is a subscription journal with an open access option, the other is open access throughout.
Nature’s open access option costs $12,850; Nature Communications costs $7,350, a difference of $5,500. The Nature price applies only to the open access option.
Where each stands
| Nature | Nature Communications | |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | Springer Nature (Nature Portfolio) | Springer Nature (Nature Portfolio) |
| Route | Subscription journal with a gold open access option | Gold open access |
| Open access fee (list) | $12,850 / €10,850 / £9,390 | $7,350 / €6,150 / £5,490 |
| Without open access | Published through the subscription route; the article is not open access | Not applicable — every article is open access |
| Against the proposed NIH limits | Over $2,000 and over $6,000 | Over $2,000 and over $6,000 |
| Price read | September 2026 | September 2026 |
Which should you submit to
- At list price Nature Communications is $5,500 cheaper — $7,350 against $12,850.
- Nature’s price applies only if you choose open access; the alternative is its subscription route, where the article is not open access.
- Both prices are above the $2,000 and $6,000 per-publication options in the proposed NIH limit on allowable publication costs. The proposal is not final; see the proposed NIH limit.
List prices are before tax, waivers and institutional agreements, and are quoted from the publisher’s pages: Nature, Nature Communications. Reconfirm before submitting.