I was twenty-seven when I found myself staring at two very different publication offers. One was from a traditional Elsevier journal, with a history stretching back over a century and a reputation that made my supervisor nod with approval. The other was from MDPI, a relatively young open-access publisher that promised publication in under two months. I had spent three years on my dissertation research. I had survived late nights, endless revisions, and a defence that left me emotionally drained. Now, I had to choose where to send my work. And I had no idea which publisher was right for me.
My supervisor, a woman who had published with Elsevier for decades, warned me about the speed of MDPI. “Fast doesn’t always mean good,” she said. “You need to think about where your work will be taken seriously.” But a postdoc in the lab next door had just published three papers with MDPI in a single year and was celebrating his first Scopus-indexed publications. “They’re fast, they’re efficient, and they actually reply to your emails,” he told me. “Elsevier takes forever. You’ll wait six months just for the first review.” I was caught between two competing visions of academic publishing. And I realised that choosing between Elsevier and MDPI was not just about picking a journal. It was about deciding what kind of researcher I wanted to be.
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The first thing I learned was that Elsevier and MDPI represent two fundamentally different philosophies of academic publishing. Elsevier is the traditional stronghold of academic publishing, with hundreds of journals including flagship titles like The Lancet, Cell, and Applied Energy. It has a reputation for high editorial standards and rigorous peer review. Most Elsevier journals operate under a subscription model, though many now offer open-access options. MDPI, the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, is known for its high-volume, open-access publishing model, which includes a wide array of journals across disciplines such as life sciences, engineering, and environmental studies. Its peer review process is generally efficient and relatively fast, often completing within a few weeks. Both publishers are legitimate academic publishers and cannot be classified as predatory. But they are very different in practice.
The most obvious difference is cost. Elsevier’s open-access fees are significantly higher than MDPI’s. Gold open-access fees at Elsevier journals typically range from $500 to $5,000 USD, depending on the journal. Some Elsevier journals charge APCs as high as $3,000 for a single article. MDPI, by contrast, is considerably cheaper. Its average APC per journal was USD 2,808 in 2025, but many MDPI journals charge between CHF 1,200 and CHF 2,600. A PhD student we supported submitted to MDPI with an open-access dissertation publishing cost of £850, including a plagiarism report and formatting. The difference is substantial, especially for early-career researchers without dedicated funding. If you are worried about costs, Premier Dissertations offers a detailed breakdown of dissertation publication costs, including APC ranges for both publishers, available here: https://premierdissertations.com/dissertation-publication-cost/.
The second difference is speed. MDPI is famously fast. Its peer review typically completes in four to eight weeks from submission. The average publishing time for MDPI is around 37 days. Traditional Elsevier Q1 journals, by contrast, often take six to fourteen weeks for peer review alone. The average publishing time for Elsevier is around 134 days. That means publishing with Elsevier can take three to four times longer than publishing with MDPI. For PhD students facing graduation deadlines or funding expirations, that difference can be decisive. One researcher noted that MDPI’s ultra-fast review process makes it attractive for those who need publications quickly. But speed comes with trade-offs.
The third difference is reputation. Elsevier is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious academic publishers in the world. It ranks first among global publishers in the Web of Science rankings. Its journals are known for rigorous peer review, high editorial standards, and strong impact factors. However, Elsevier is not without criticism. Its high APCs have been described as “really, really expensive”. Some researchers have also criticised the publisher for questionable practices, including its role in the systemic problems of academic publishing. MDPI’s reputation is more polarised. Many MDPI journals are indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, and several have respectable impact factors. As of 2026, 365 MDPI journals are indexed in Scopus. But MDPI has been criticised for relying heavily on special issues and a model that some argue may compromise the depth of peer review. Academic opinion is divided, with some institutions welcoming MDPI publications while others remain cautious due to concerns about quality control. A LinkedIn post from December 2025 stated that the author would not consider MDPI a serious publisher, arguing that its business model prioritises quantity over quality.
The fourth difference is peer review. Elsevier uses a mixed approach: of its sampled journals, 55.9% use double-blind review and 44.1% use single-blind review. MDPI, by contrast, uses single-blind review for the vast majority of its journals, with 88.9% of sampled MDPI journals using single-blind review. Double-blind review is generally considered more rigorous because it reduces bias based on author identity. The submission process also differs. MDPI and Frontiers use their own developed submission platforms, while Elsevier typically uses Editorial Manager. Some researchers have complained that Elsevier’s electronic submission system is “not well configured and is a real hurdle for submissions”.
The fifth difference is indexing and visibility. Elsevier owns Scopus, one of the world’s largest abstract and citation databases. This means Elsevier journals are automatically indexed in Scopus, which is a major advantage for visibility and career progression. MDPI journals are also widely indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, but they have to earn that indexing. In 2025, the number of MDPI journals indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection increased from 298 to 329, while Scopus coverage reached 355 journals. Both publishers offer strong indexing, but Elsevier’s ownership of Scopus gives it a structural advantage.
The choice between Elsevier and MDPI ultimately depends on your priorities. If your priority is prestige, long-term reputation, and the highest editorial standards, Elsevier is the better choice. Its journals are globally recognised, widely cited, and carry significant weight in academic hiring and promotion decisions. But you will pay more, wait longer, and navigate a more complex submission process. If your priority is speed, cost, and efficiency, MDPI is the better choice. Its journals are fast, affordable, and widely indexed. But you may face questions about quality from colleagues who remain sceptical of the publisher. As one researcher noted, MDPI has a high impact inflation due to excessive self-citation compared to other publishers. Another observed that MDPI gives the impression of a predatory journal. These perceptions matter, even if they are not always fair.
The publication journey taught me something I will never forget. There is no single right answer when choosing between Elsevier and MDPI. The right choice depends on your field, your career stage, your funding situation, and your personal values. Some researchers need to publish quickly to meet graduation requirements. Others need to publish in prestigious journals to secure academic positions. Both are valid paths. What matters is that you make an informed choice. Check the journal’s impact factor, its Scopus indexing, its APC, and its reputation in your field. Talk to your supervisor and colleagues. Read recent articles from the journal to assess quality. And never, ever pay for a guaranteed publication. The research you have worked so hard on deserves to be published in a journal that respects the integrity of the peer review process. Whether that journal is published by Elsevier or MDPI is a decision only you can make. But at least now, you have the information to make it wisely.