PLoS ONE: review time and acceptance speed
ISSN 1932-6203 · Public Library of Science · Multidisciplinary
Half of the articles PLoS ONE accepted in 2025 were accepted within 157 days of submission (n = 16,959); the middle half took 106–229 days.
Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026
How long does PLoS ONE take to accept a paper?
| Year | Articles (n) | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Accepted <14 days | Have a revised date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16,959 | 106 | 157 | 229 | 321 | 0.7% | 0% |
| 2024 | 17,176 | 105 | 153 | 223 | 311 | 0.6% | 0% |
| 2023 | 15,008 | 108 | 157 | 235 | 336 | 0.4% | 0% |
| 2022 | 15,864 | 119 | 178 | 265 | 368 | 0.4% | 0% |
| 2021 | 16,135 | 103 | 149 | 214 | 290 | 0.2% | 0% |
| 2020 | 15,873 | 96 | 138 | 197 | 268 | 0.1% | 0% |
- 2026: not shown yet — a year is reported once late-indexed articles have arrived (at least 180 days after it ends).
Research articles vs reviews (2025)
| Type | n | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research articles | 16,339 | 105 | 156 | 227 |
| Reviews | 619 | 139 | 199 | 276 |
Distribution in 2025
Show as a table
| Days | Articles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–29 | 184 | 1.1% |
| 30–59 | 653 | 3.9% |
| 60–89 | 1,876 | 11.1% |
| 90–119 | 2,690 | 15.9% |
| 120–149 | 2,482 | 14.6% |
| 150–179 | 2,185 | 12.9% |
| 180–209 | 1,750 | 10.3% |
| 210–239 | 1,323 | 7.8% |
| 240–269 | 1,007 | 5.9% |
| 270–299 | 722 | 4.3% |
| 300–329 | 523 | 3.1% |
| 330–359 | 416 | 2.5% |
| 360+ | 1,148 | 6.8% |
From acceptance to online publication
After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 34 days (middle half 22–49 days, n = 16,958).
From submission to online publication, the median was 198 days (middle half 143–271 days, n = 16,959).
Read these numbers carefully
- These times describe articles the journal accepted. Rejected manuscripts never appear in public data, so they cannot tell you how long a rejection takes.
- Dates are the ones the publisher deposited with PubMed. Some publishers record the date a revised manuscript arrived as the submission date, which makes review look faster.
- Invited articles and special issues can move faster than regular submissions.
Open access status and publishing fees
Open access (listed in DOAJ). Listed APC: $2,477 (DOAJ).
Institutions reported paying a median of about $2,117 per article (2023–2025, 1,268 reported payments in OpenAPC; converted from euros at yearly ECB average rates).
Many journals waive or reduce fees for authors from eligible countries or institutions with publishing agreements — check with the journal and your library.
Integrity and indexing signals
Facts from public records, shown without judgement. See the methodology for why each can be worth a closer look.
| Listed in DOAJ | Yes (DOAJ record) |
|---|---|
| Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025 | Yes |
| Retractions | 528 retracted articles among 80,863 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (6.53 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database. |
| Accepted within 14 days of submission | 0.7% of 2025 articles |
| Publication volume | 18,429 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+13% vs 2024). |
Topics and scope
- HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions (6% of indexed topics)
- Plant and animal studies (5% of indexed topics)
- Global Maternal and Child Health (5% of indexed topics)
- HIV Research and Treatment (5% of indexed topics)
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies (5% of indexed topics)
- MicroRNA in disease regulation (5% of indexed topics)
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology journalsMedicine journals
Similar journals — faster or cheaper, side by side
Journals publishing on the most similar topics (OpenAlex), ordered by similarity. Only 2025 figures are compared with the 2025 median of PLoS ONE, 157 days.
| Paid APC median | DOAJ | MEDLINE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific Reports | 137 (2025, n = 47,228) | $2,850 | $2,538 (1,546 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| Communications Biology | 217 (2025, n = 1,969) | $4,390 | $3,670 (197 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| iScience | 182 (2025, n = 2,505) | $3,240 | $3,046 (266 payments) | Yes | No |
| BMC Research Notes | 127 (2025, n = 525) | $1,790 | $1,672 (15 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| PLoS Medicine | 197 (2025, n = 149) | $6,460 | $5,350 (27 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| Science China Life Sciences | 93 (2025, n = 306) | ≈$3,790 | — | No | Yes |
| Tropical Medicine & International Health | 129 (2025, n = 68) | ≈$3,400 | — | No | Yes |
| Molecular Biology Reports | 77 (2025, n = 1,169) | ≈$4,290 | — | No | Yes |
| Biology | 37 (2025, n = 1,833) | ≈$3,300 | $2,355 (43 payments) | Yes | No |
| Ecology and Evolution | 133 (2025, n = 1,999) | $2,700 | $2,015 (82 payments) | Yes | No |
No journals match these filters.
Frequently asked questions
How long does PLoS ONE take to accept a paper?
Half of the articles PLoS ONE accepted in 2025 were accepted within 157 days of submission (n = 16,959); the middle half took 106–229 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.
How long after acceptance are PLoS ONE articles published online?
Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 34 days of acceptance (n = 16,958).
Does PLoS ONE charge an article processing charge (APC)?
Listed APC: $2,477 (DOAJ).
Sources and method
Journal identity: ISSN-L 1932-6203; NLM ID 101285081; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 16,959 articles accepted in 2025 with valid dates; excluded records for that year: online date out of range 1.
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Data sources. Submission, acceptance and publication dates: Courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed, entries through Sep 15, 2026). NLM does not endorse Journal Clock, and these figures may not reflect the most current PubMed data. Journal fees and open-access listing: DOAJ (CC0, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Fees paid by institutions: OpenAPC (Open Database License, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Retractions: Retraction Watch Database via Crossref (retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Journal identifiers and topics: OpenAlex (CC0). Currency conversion: ECB reference rates (Sep 15, 2026). How these numbers are calculated · For organisations.