Direct comparison
Gold Vs Green Open Access: Key Differences & Comparison | CASRAI
Gold and Green are the two principal routes to open access. Gold means the final article is published openly on the journal's platform, often funded by an article processing charge. Green means the author self-archives a version in a repository, sometimes after an embargo.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Gold OA | Green OA |
|---|---|---|
| Where the open copy lives | The publisher's journal platform | A repository (institutional or subject-based) |
| Which version | The version of record (final, typeset) | Usually the accepted manuscript; sometimes the published PDF |
| Who pays | Often an article processing charge (APC), paid by author, funder, or institution | No publication charge — repository costs borne by the host |
| Embargo | None — open on publication | Sometimes an embargo (e.g. 6–12 months) set by the publisher |
| Licensing | Typically an explicit open licence such as CC BY | Varies — depends on the publisher's self-archiving policy |
| Discoverability | On the publisher platform; indexed in DOAJ for full OA journals | Via repository aggregators (CORE, OpenAIRE, BASE, Unpaywall) |
| Cost to the reader | Free | Free |
| Hybrid variant | Hybrid journals offer paid OA per article within a subscription journal | Not applicable — Green is repository-based regardless of journal model |
| Plan S alignment | Compliant if in a fully OA venue or transformative arrangement; hybrid OA alone is not | Compliant via immediate deposit with a CC BY licence under rights-retention strategies |
Common questions
FAQ
Do I always have to pay an APC for gold open access?+
No. Many fully open-access journals charge no fee at all — this no-fee model is often called Diamond or Platinum open access, where publishing costs are met by institutions, libraries, or consortia rather than by authors.
Is green open access free?+
For the author, yes — depositing the accepted manuscript in a repository carries no publication charge. The repository's running costs are borne by the host institution or subject community.
What is the difference between gold and hybrid?+
Gold open access usually refers to fully open-access journals. Hybrid journals are subscription titles that also offer paid open access for individual articles; many funders, including under Plan S, do not accept hybrid OA on its own as a compliant route.
Which route satisfies my funder mandate?+
Both can, depending on the policy. Plan S accepts publishing in a compliant OA venue (gold) or immediate self-archiving with an open licence (green via rights retention). Check the specific timing and licence conditions your funder requires.
