Elsevier journals without an APC: 1,885 titles that cost nothing to publish in
From Elsevier’s official APC price list, read 14 October 2026: which Elsevier journals charge authors nothing, and what “free” means in each case.
Sources read 16 October 2026
In Elsevier’s APC price list (read 14 October 2026), 1,885 of the 2,894 journals are hybrid: publishing through the subscription route carries no author charge — the article is simply not open access. All 1,005 fully open access Elsevier journals in the list charge an APC, from $330 to $8,900.
What “free” means at Elsevier
A hybrid journal offers two routes. Through the subscription route you pay nothing and readers need a subscription. If you choose open access, you pay the APC — for these 1,885 titles between $1,390 and $11,400, median $3,590 (USD list prices, before tax).
Your institution may pay the open access fee for you under a read-and-publish agreement — how agreements work.
The list
All 1,885 hybrid titles, with ISSN and the open access price, are in elsevier-subscription-route.csv (CC BY 4.0). Every Elsevier journal, hybrid and open access, is in the searchable table on Elsevier APCs — the “Model” column shows “Hybrid (optional OA)”.
Lowest-priced fully open access Elsevier journals
| Journal | APC (USD, list) |
|---|---|
| Societal Impacts | $330 |
| Indian Heart Journal | $360 |
| IHJ Cardiovascular Reports | $400 |
| First Nations Health and Wellbeing - The Lowitja Journal | $500 |
| Solar Compass | $500 |
From the same price list. Open access journals at Elsevier always carry an APC in this list; a waiver may reduce it.
Waivers on the open access route
Elsevier’s Research4Life-based waiver applies to its fully open access journals; most publishers do not extend country waivers to hybrid titles — which publishers do. Elsevier’s rules in full: Elsevier waiver policy.
No-fee journals beyond Elsevier
Diamond open access journals charge neither readers nor authors: 778 diamond journals and no-fee journals by field.
Questions
Does Elsevier have journals without publication fees?
Yes: in Elsevier’s price list 1,885 journals are hybrid, and publishing in them through the subscription route has no author charge. The article is then not open access.
Do Elsevier open access journals always charge an APC?
In Elsevier’s price list read on 14 October 2026, all 1,005 fully open access journals carry an APC, from $330 to $8,900. A waiver or an institutional agreement can cover it.
Sources for this page
- Prices
- Elsevier — article publishing charge price list (XLSX), read 14 October 2026
- Data
- JournalFees verified prices (CC BY 4.0)