What is the cost of obtaining a DOI?

Cost of Obtaining a DOI

The cost of obtaining a DOI depends on the registration agency, the type of work, and whether you are an individual researcher, a journal, or an institution. Below are key factors influencing DOI pricing and possible free alternatives.

1. DOI Costs by Registration Agency

Crossref: Charges an annual membership fee plus per-DOI fees.

Membership: Starts at $275 per year (for small publishers).

DOI Fees:

• $1 per article DOI for members.
• $0.15 per preprint DOI.
• Books and chapters have variable costs.

DataCite: Used mainly for datasets and institutional research repositories.

• Institutions must be members or work through affiliated repositories.
• Costs vary but often require annual fees and per-DOI charges.

mEDRA, Airiti, and ISTIC: Pricing depends on the services offered to publishers and institutions.

2. Free or Low-Cost DOI Options

For researchers and smaller publishers looking for cost-effective DOI solutions:

• Institutional Repositories: Many universities and research organizations offer DOI registration for free through DataCite or Crossref partnerships.
• Preprint Servers: Platforms like arXiv, Zenodo, and OSF provide free DOIs for uploaded research.
• Scholar9 and OJSCloud: These platforms offer affordable DOI registration services for academic journals and researchers, integrating with Crossref for seamless DOI issuance.

3. Alternative Considerations

• If you publish through a journal, the journal usually covers DOI costs.
• Some funding agencies or research grants include DOI registration fees in publication costs.

Conclusion

DOI pricing varies depending on the agency, with Crossref and DataCite requiring membership fees plus per-DOI charges. Free options exist through institutional repositories, preprint servers, and platforms like Scholar9 and OJSCloud, which provide affordable DOI registration with publishing support. Always check with your institution or publisher to see if they cover DOI costs before registering independently.