Free Publishing, No APC, Scopus, Open Access, Diamond OA

Top 50 Free-to-Publish Scopus Journals Across All Fields 2026

Top 50 Free-to-Publish Scopus Journals

Across All Fields – Zero APC, 100% Indexed (2026)

Last Updated: March 2026  |  By ResearchJournalRank Team

Introduction

One of the biggest barriers to academic publishing in 2026 is the Article Processing Charge (APC). With top open access journals charging anywhere from $2,000 to $6,000+ per article, many researchers – especially PhD students, early-career academics, and scholars from developing countries – simply cannot afford to publish their work in indexed journals.

But here is the good news: there are over 2,500 legitimate, peer-reviewed, Scopus-indexed journals that charge absolutely zero APC. These journals are funded by universities, academic societies, government research councils, and institutional grants, allowing researchers to publish for free while still getting their work indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and other major databases.

This comprehensive guide presents 50 of the best free-to-publish Scopus indexed journals across all academic fields – from medicine and engineering to mathematics, social sciences, and humanities. Every journal listed here charges no publication fee, is currently indexed in Scopus, and has been verified as of March 2026.

You can explore and compare all these journals on ResearchJournalRank.com, where you can filter 31,000+ journals by open access status, quartile, SJR score, and subject area.

What Are Free-to-Publish (Diamond Open Access) Journals?

Free-to-publish journals, also known as Diamond Open Access or Platinum Open Access journals, are journals where neither the author nor the reader pays any fee. The publication costs are covered by the institution, academic society, or government agency that publishes the journal.

How Diamond OA Differs from Gold OA:

Gold Open Access: Author pays APC (typically $1,500–$6,000+). Article is freely available to readers. Examples: PLOS ONE, BMC Medicine, Frontiers journals.

Diamond/Platinum Open Access: Author pays NOTHING. Article is freely available to readers. Journal is funded by institutions/societies. Examples: Cureus, JMLR, many university-published journals.

Green Open Access: Author deposits manuscript in repository (PubMed Central, institutional repository) after embargo. No APC but article may not be immediately available.

Subscription/Hybrid: Journal is subscription-based but offers optional OA for individual articles at a fee. Most traditional publishers (Elsevier, Springer, Wiley) offer this.

According to noapc.com, there are currently over 2,592 verified Diamond OA journals indexed in Scopus and Web of Science. These journals span every major academic discipline and are published by universities, national academies of science, government research bodies, and professional societies worldwide.

Who Funds These Journals?

• Universities: Many university presses publish journals funded by institutional budgets (e.g., University of Zagreb, University of Ljubljana, University of California).

• Government Research Councils: Bodies like CSIC (Spain), CSIR (India), TUBITAK (Turkey), and CONICET (Argentina) fund high-quality journals in their national languages and English.

• Academic/Professional Societies: Medical associations, mathematical societies, and engineering bodies often fund journals as a service to their members.

• International Organizations: Some journals are funded by grants from national science foundations or international academic cooperation programs.

Top 50 Free-to-Publish Scopus Journals – Complete List

The following 50 journals charge zero APC, are indexed in Scopus, and cover 15+ academic disciplines:

#	Journal Name	Subject Field	Publisher	Q	Indexing	ISSN	Funded By
1	Cureus	Medicine (General)	Springer Nature	Q2	Scopus, PubMed, DOAJ	2168-8184	Springer Nature
2	Indian Heart Journal	Cardiology	Elsevier	Q2	Scopus, SCIE, PubMed	2213-3763	Cardiological Society of India
3	Indian Journal of Anaesthesia	Anesthesiology	Wolters Kluwer Medknow	Q2	Scopus, PubMed, DOAJ	0976-2817	Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists
4	Indian Journal of Dermatology	Dermatology	Wolters Kluwer Medknow	Q3	Scopus, PubMed, DOAJ	1998-3611	IADVL
5	Indian Journal of Psychiatry	Psychiatry	Wolters Kluwer Medknow	Q2	Scopus, PubMed, DOAJ	1998-3794	Indian Psychiatric Society
6	Journal of Postgraduate Medicine	Medicine (General)	Wolters Kluwer Medknow	Q2	Scopus, SCIE, PubMed	0972-2823	Staff Society of SETH GS Medical College
7	Ghana Medical Journal	Medicine (General)	Ghana Medical Association	Q3	Scopus, PubMed, DOAJ	2616-163X	Ghana Medical Association
8	Arquivos de Gastroenterologia	Gastroenterology	IBEPEGE	Q3	Scopus, SCIE, PubMed	1678-4219	IBEPEGE Brazil
9	Acta Stomatologica Croatica	Dentistry	Univ. of Zagreb	Q3	Scopus, PubMed	1846-0410	University of Zagreb
10	Annals of Saudi Medicine	Medicine (General)	King Faisal Hospital	Q2	Scopus, SCIE, PubMed	0975-4466	King Faisal Specialist Hospital
11	Journal of Machine Learning Research (JMLR)	Computer Science / AI	JMLR Inc.	Q1	Scopus, SCIE, DBLP	1533-7928	Community-funded (MIT)
12	Brodogradnja	Naval / Marine Engineering	Univ. of Zagreb	Q1	Scopus, SCIE	1845-5859	Faculty of Mech. Eng., Zagreb
13	Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research	Industrial Engineering	CSIR-NIScPR India	Q3	Scopus, SCIE	0975-1084	CSIR India
14	Informes de la Construccion	Civil Engineering / Architecture	CSIC Spain	Q2	Scopus, SCIE	1988-3234	CSIC Spain
15	Operations Research and Decisions	Computer Science / OR	Wroclaw Univ. of Science	Q3	Scopus	2391-6060	Wroclaw University
16	Drvna Industrija	Forestry / Wood Technology	Univ. of Zagreb	Q2	Scopus, SCIE	1847-1153	University of Zagreb
17	Landtechnik	Agricultural Engineering	KTBL Germany	Q3	Scopus	2700-7898	KTBL Germany
18	Thermal Science	Mechanical / Thermal Eng.	VINCA Institute, Serbia	Q2	Scopus, SCIE	2334-7163	VINCA Institute
19	Commentarii Mathematici Helvetici	Mathematics	EMS Press	Q1	Scopus, SCIE	1420-8946	Swiss Mathematical Society
20	Croatica Chemica Acta	Chemistry	Croatian Chemical Society	Q3	Scopus, SCIE	1334-417X	Croatian Chemical Society
21	Collectanea Botanica	Botany / Biology	CSIC Spain	Q3	Scopus	1989-1067	CSIC Spain
22	Darwiniana	Plant Sciences / Botany	Inst. Botánica Darwinion	Q3	Scopus	1850-1702	CONICET Argentina
23	Geologija	Geology	Geological Survey of Slovenia	Q3	Scopus	1854-620X	Geological Survey of Slovenia
24	Geographica Helvetica	Geography	Copernicus Publications	Q2	Scopus, ESCI	2194-8798	Swiss Acad. of Sciences
25	Bulletin of Mineral Research & Exploration	Mineralogy / Geosciences	MTA Turkey	Q2	Scopus, SCIE	2651-3048	General Directorate MTA, Turkey
26	Archivos de Zootecnia	Animal Science / Zoology	Univ. of Córdoba, Spain	Q3	Scopus	1885-4494	University of Córdoba
27	California Agriculture	Agriculture	UC Agriculture & Natural Resources	Q2	Scopus	2160-8091	University of California
28	Grasas y Aceites	Food Science / Nutrition	CSIC Spain	Q2	Scopus, SCIE	1988-4214	CSIC Spain
29	Africa Spectrum	Political Science / Area Studies	SAGE Publishing	Q1	Scopus, SSCI	1868-6869	GIGA Institute, Hamburg
30	Hispania (CSIC)	History	CSIC Spain	Q1	Scopus, AHCI	1988-8368	CSIC Spain
31	Korea Journal	Asian Studies / Humanities	Academy of Korean Studies	Q2	Scopus, AHCI	2733-9343	Academy of Korean Studies
32	Dialectica	Philosophy	Philosophie.ch	Q1	Scopus, AHCI	1746-8361	Swiss National Science Foundation
33	Moneta e Credito	Economics / Finance	Associazione Economia civile	Q3	Scopus	2037-3651	Associazione Economia civile, Italy
34	Emerita	Linguistics / Philology	CSIC Spain	Q1	Scopus, AHCI	1988-8384	CSIC Spain
35	Linguistica	Linguistics	Univ. of Ljubljana Press	Q2	Scopus	2350-420X	University of Ljubljana
36	Names	Onomastics / Linguistics	American Name Society	Q2	Scopus, AHCI	1756-2279	American Name Society
37	Hispania Sacra	Religious Studies / History	CSIC Spain	Q1	Scopus, AHCI	1988-4265	CSIC Spain
38	Bogoslovni Vestnik	Theology	Univ. of Ljubljana	Q2	Scopus, AHCI	1581-2987	Faculty of Theology, Ljubljana
39	ACME	Humanities (General)	Univ. degli Studi di Milano	Q3	Scopus	2282-0035	University of Milan
40	Archeologia Polski	Archaeology	Polish Academy of Sciences	Q2	Scopus, AHCI	2719-7034	Polish Academy of Sciences
41	ASM Science Journal	Multidisciplinary Science	Academy of Sciences Malaysia	Q3	Scopus	2682-8901	Academy of Sciences Malaysia
42	J. Electrochemical Science & Eng.	Electrochemistry / Materials	Int. Assoc. of Physical Chemists	Q2	Scopus, ESCI	1847-9286	IAPC / Univ. of Split
43	Mljekarstvo	Dairy Science / Agriculture	Croatian Dairy Union	Q3	Scopus, SCIE	1846-4025	Croatian Dairy Union
44	Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia	Pharmacology / Pharmacy	Springer Nature	Q2	Scopus, SCIE, PubMed	1981-528X	Brazilian Society of Pharmacognosy
45	Turkish Journal of Mathematics	Mathematics	TUBITAK, Turkey	Q2	Scopus, SCIE	1303-6149	TUBITAK, Turkey
46	Turkish Journal of Electrical Eng. & CS	Electrical Eng. / CS	TUBITAK, Turkey	Q3	Scopus, SCIE	1303-6203	TUBITAK, Turkey
47	Revista Colombiana de Química	Chemistry	Univ. Nacional de Colombia	Q3	Scopus	2357-3791	Universidad Nacional de Colombia
48	South African Journal of Science	Multidisciplinary Science	Academy of Science of South Africa	Q2	Scopus, SCIE, SSCI	1996-7489	ASSAf / South African DSI
49	Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências	Multidisciplinary Science	Brazilian Academy of Sciences	Q2	Scopus, SCIE	1678-2690	Brazilian Academy of Sciences
50	Philippine Journal of Science	Multidisciplinary Science	DOST Philippines	Q3	Scopus, SCIE	2362-8294	DOST Philippines

All journals verified as zero-APC and Scopus-indexed as of March 2026. Always verify current status before submitting.

Highlights by Field

Medicine & Health Sciences (Journals 1–10)

Medical researchers on a budget have excellent options. Cureus (#1) is the standout – owned by Springer Nature, indexed in Scopus and PubMed, it publishes across all medical specialties with zero cost to authors. The Wolters Kluwer Medknow portfolio (#3–6) offers several Indian medical society journals that are Scopus-indexed and completely free, covering anesthesiology, dermatology, psychiatry, and general medicine. These journals are particularly popular among researchers in South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Engineering & Technology (Journals 11–18)

The Journal of Machine Learning Research (JMLR, #11) is the crown jewel of this category – a Q1 Scopus and SCIE-indexed journal that is completely free to publish and read. It is one of the most-cited AI journals in the world, proving that free publication and world-class quality can coexist. Brodogradnja (#12) from the University of Zagreb is another remarkable Q1 journal in naval and marine engineering. TUBITAK (Turkey) publishes several free engineering journals including electrical engineering and computer science (#46).

Natural Sciences (Journals 19–28)

Commentarii Mathematici Helvetici (#19) stands out as a Q1 mathematics journal funded by the Swiss Mathematical Society – entirely free for authors. The CSIC (Spain’s national research council) publishes multiple free Scopus journals covering food science (#28), botany (#21), and construction (#14). TUBITAK Turkey offers a free Q2 mathematics journal (#45). Researchers in geology, geography, and agricultural sciences also have quality free options from university and government publishers in Slovenia, Argentina, and California.

Social Sciences & Humanities (Journals 29–40)

This category has some of the strongest free journals on the list. Four journals – Africa Spectrum (#29), Hispania (#30), Dialectica (#32), Emerita (#34), and Hispania Sacra (#37) – are all Q1 ranked, proving that free publication is fully compatible with top-quartile status. SAGE Publishing backs Africa Spectrum, and the Swiss National Science Foundation funds Dialectica. The CSIC (Spain) is a powerhouse publisher of free humanities journals, with several Q1 titles in history, linguistics, and religious studies.

Multidisciplinary (Journals 41–50)

National academies of science are the primary publishers here. The South African Journal of Science (#48) is indexed in both SCIE and SSCI (Q2), while the Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências (#49) from Brazil is also SCIE-indexed. The Philippine Journal of Science (#50) from DOST is another excellent option. These journals are ideal for interdisciplinary research that does not fit neatly into a single subject category.

How to Find More Free-to-Publish Scopus Journals

Method 1 – ResearchJournalRank.com: Filter by open access status on our database of 31,000+ journals. Use the open access filter at ResearchJournalRank.com/?open_access=1 to find OA journals, then check individual journal websites for APC information.

Method 2 – DOAJ (doaj.org): The Directory of Open Access Journals has a filter for “without APC” that shows all Diamond OA journals. Cross-reference with Scopus Sources to verify indexing.

Method 3 – noapc.com: This dedicated website lists 2,592 verified free-to-publish journals indexed in Scopus and/or Web of Science, organized by subject category.

Method 4 – Scopus Source List + Manual Check: Download the complete Scopus source list from scopus.com/sources, filter for open access journals, then visit each journal’s website to check APC policy.

Method 5 – Ask Your Library: University librarians often maintain lists of free publication options. They can also help you identify Read & Publish agreements that cover APCs at paid journals.

Tips for Publishing Successfully in Free Scopus Journals

1. Don’t Compromise on Quality: Free journals still have peer review. Submit well-written, rigorously researched manuscripts. Free publication does not mean lower standards.

2. Expect Longer Review Times: Since these journals are funded by non-commercial entities, review turnaround may take 3–6 months or longer. Plan your submission timeline accordingly.

3. Match Your Scope Precisely: Many free journals are niche or regional. Read the aims and scope carefully and ensure your research fits.

4. Verify Current Indexing: Journals can lose Scopus indexing. Always verify on scopus.com/sources before submitting.

5. Check for Hidden Fees: Some journals are free to publish but charge for extras like color figures, extra pages, or English editing. Read the author guidelines completely.

6. Consider Regional Journals: Many excellent free journals are published by institutions in Spain (CSIC), India (Medknow), Turkey (TUBITAK), Croatia (University of Zagreb), and Latin America (CONICET). These often have less competition than English-language mega-journals.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Are free-to-publish Scopus journals legitimate?

Yes. The 50 journals listed in this guide are all published by universities, government research councils, national academies of science, or established publishers like Springer Nature, Elsevier, Wolters Kluwer, and SAGE. They are peer-reviewed, indexed in Scopus, and many are also in Web of Science and PubMed.

Q2: Why do these journals not charge APC?

These journals are funded by institutional budgets, government grants, academic society membership fees, or international research cooperation programs. Their mission is to disseminate research freely, not to generate revenue from author fees.

Q3: Can I find Q1 free journals in Scopus?

Yes. Our list includes 6 Q1-ranked free journals: JMLR (Computer Science), Brodogradnja (Marine Engineering), Commentarii Mathematici Helvetici (Mathematics), Africa Spectrum (Political Science), Hispania and Hispania Sacra (History), Dialectica (Philosophy), and Emerita (Linguistics).

Q4: How many free Scopus journals exist in total?

According to noapc.com, there are currently over 2,592 verified Diamond OA journals indexed in Scopus and Web of Science that charge zero APC. This number grows each year as more institutions adopt the Diamond OA model.

Q5: Do free journals take longer to review?

Generally yes. Since these journals rely on volunteer reviewers and limited editorial budgets, review times of 3–6 months are common. Some may take up to 12 months. If speed is critical, check the journal’s stated review timeline before submitting.

Q6: Are there free Scopus journals for every field?

Most fields have at least some free Scopus journals. Medicine, social sciences, humanities, and basic sciences are well covered. Engineering and computer science have fewer free options, though notable exceptions like JMLR exist. Use DOAJ and noapc.com to search by your specific discipline.

Q7: What is the difference between “no APC” and “APC waiver”?

A “no APC” journal never charges any fee to any author. An “APC waiver” means the journal normally charges APC but offers exemptions for specific authors (e.g., from low-income countries). The 50 journals in this list are all genuinely no-APC – they don’t charge any author, regardless of country or funding status.

Conclusion

Publishing high-quality research in Scopus-indexed journals does not have to cost thousands of dollars. The 50 free-to-publish journals in this guide prove that Diamond Open Access is alive, thriving, and available across virtually every academic discipline – from cardiology to philosophy, from machine learning to marine engineering.

Whether you are a PhD student without funding, a researcher from a developing country, or simply an academic who believes research should be freely shared, these journals offer legitimate, indexed, peer-reviewed publication at zero cost.

Start your journal search today on ResearchJournalRank.com – filter by open access, quartile, and subject area to find the perfect free Scopus journal for your research.