ACM Open for Authors

Open Access publishing that expands the reach and impact of your research

What Is ACM Open? 

From January 1, 2026, all ACM publications will be published Open Access (OA), free to read, share, and reuse in the ACM Digital Library.

ACM Open is the sustainable publishing model designed to make computing research accessible to everyone, whilst preserving the high editorial standards that define ACM. 

Check if your institution participates in ACM Open.

Open Access Benefits for Authors:

• Global Reach: More than 3,000 institutions worldwide already participate in ACM Open, helping authors publish their work Open Access at no cost. 
• Higher Impact: Articles published open access in the ACM Digital Library receive 2-3x more downloads and 70% more citations than paywalled articles. 
• Funder Compliance: Automatically meet open access mandates from major funders. 
• Rights Retention: Keep your copyright with Creative Commons licensing.

How ACM Open Works:

If you, or the corresponding author, are affiliated with an institution participating in ACM Open, your research will be published open access at no cost to you. 

Once your paper has been accepted, we will confirm your eligibility automatically through the eRights system, and you’ll get to choose your Creative Commons license (CC BY or CC BY-NC-ND).

If your institution isn’t yet participating in ACM Open, you can still publish Open Access by paying an Article Processing Charge (APC), with temporary subsidized rates for 2026 to support a fair transition. 

Check if your institution participates to see if you can publish at no cost.

View the Author Rights Workflow for more information on how to publish as a corresponding author from an ACM Open institution.

2026 Article Processing Charge (APC) Rates:

To support a smooth transition, ACM has introduced temporary subsidized APC rates for 2026, funded by the ACM. The subsidized rates for 2026 are as follows:

Authors	No ACM or SIG Members	At Least 1 ACM or SIG Member
Journal Article	$1450	$950
From a lower-middle income country	$725	$475
Proceedings of the ACM Article	$350	$250
From a lower-middle income country	$175	$125
ACM Conference Article	$350	$250
From a lower-middle income country	$175	$125
ICPS Conference Article	$350	$250
From a lower-middle income country	$175	$125

ACM Open ensures that your research reaches the world openly and equitably.

Questions? Contact ACM Publications at [email protected].