Contents
Academy · Concepts & Definitions · Open access routes
Gold, Green, Diamond and Hybrid: A Comparison of the Four Open Access Routes
The four open-access colours describe different combinations of payer, location of the final version and applicable licence; they do not constitute a ranking from best to worst.
The commonly used open access terms describe distinct publishing routes: Gold (immediate open access via the publisher, typically funded by an article processing charge), Green (self-archiving a version — often the accepted manuscript — in a repository, sometimes after an embargo), Diamond (immediate open access with no author-facing charge, funded by an institution, society or grant), and Hybrid (a subscription journal offering an open-access option, per-article, for a fee).
Learning objectives
- The features that distinguish each of the four open-access routes.
- The typical funding source for each route and its implications for authors.
- Why Plan S and cOAlition S funder policies shaped some of these definitions.
Common misconceptions
- “Green open access refers to a lower-quality or non-peer-reviewed version.” Green open access typically refers to self-archiving the peer-reviewed accepted manuscript (the version after peer review but before publisher formatting), not a pre-peer-review draft, though specific repository policies vary.
- “Diamond open access is the same as Gold with a waived fee.” Diamond describes a funding model in which no author-facing charge exists, the costs being met by an institution, society or grant rather than by an individual waiver. This distinguishes it structurally from Gold, which is typically funded by an article processing charge (APC) by default, with waivers as an exception.
The four open access routes
Gold: the final published version is immediately openly accessible on the publisher's site, typically funded by an article processing charge (APC) paid by the author, their institution, or their funder. Green: the author self-archives a version of the manuscript (commonly the peer-reviewed accepted manuscript) in an institutional or subject repository, sometimes only after a publisher-set embargo period. Diamond: immediate open access with no author-facing charge, funded instead by an institution, society, or grant covering the journal's costs directly. Hybrid: a subscription-based journal that offers individual articles an open-access option for a per-article fee, while the rest of the journal remains behind a subscription.
Funding responsibility under each route
These routes differ structurally in who bears the cost: Gold and Hybrid typically pass a direct charge to the author or their funder (an APC); Diamond removes that author-facing charge by funding the journal through other means; Green has no publication charge at all, since the "payment" is the publisher's original subscription or Gold/Hybrid revenue — the self-archived copy is additional access, not an alternate publishing charge.
The influence of funder policy
Plan S, the initiative led by cOAlition S (a consortium of research funders), requires funded research to be made immediately openly accessible, and has specifically influenced which routes funders consider compliant — generally favoring Gold, Diamond, or Green with no or minimal embargo, over Hybrid routes without additional conditions. Authors funded by a cOAlition S member should check that specific funder's current compliance requirements before choosing a route, since Plan S policy details are funder-specific and have evolved over time1.
Key points
Key points
The four open-access colours describe different funding and access structures rather than a quality hierarchy. Gold and Hybrid typically charge an APC, Diamond has no author-facing charge, and Green involves self-archiving a version in a repository, often after an embargo; funder policies such as Plan S may determine which routes satisfy the requirements of a specific grant.
Practical application
Practical application
- The current open-access policy of the relevant funder should be checked before a route is chosen. Plan S and cOAlition S compliance requirements are funder-specific and may exclude certain routes (for example, Hybrid without additional conditions).
- Authors should confirm which manuscript version a Green repository will accept. Policies vary on whether the accepted manuscript, the published version, or only a preprint is permitted, and whether an embargo applies.
- Diamond and Gold routes should not be assumed to be interchangeable for budgeting purposes. Diamond journals by definition charge no APC, whereas a Gold journal nearly always does; publication budgets should be planned accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
It is less common than Gold or Hybrid overall, but is well-established in specific fields and regions, often via society- or institution-run journals.
Not always — some funder mandates specifically require zero or short embargoes, which not every Green repository policy meets; the specific funder’s requirements should be checked.
The journal's own author guidelines page is the authoritative source, since routes and APC amounts vary by publisher and journal.
References
- cOAlition S. Plan S: Making full and immediate Open Access a reality. read 10 October 2026. View cOAlition S / Plan S
Every source above is a peer-reviewed article, a publisher’s record of one, or a standard issued by the body that owns it. Each carries the date it was last read. Where a standard moves, this article is revised rather than left up with a note.
How to cite this article
Pick your referencing style and copy it. Your university or target journal may vary the punctuation — check its guide if it has one.
Pubrica Academy. (2026, October 10). Gold, Green, Diamond and Hybrid: A Comparison of the Four Open Access Routes. Pubrica. https://pubrica.com/academy/infographics/open-access-routes-explained/
Pubrica Academy. “Gold, Green, Diamond and Hybrid: A Comparison of the Four Open Access Routes.” Pubrica, 10 Oct. 2026, pubrica.com/academy/infographics/open-access-routes-explained/.
Pubrica Academy (2026) Gold, Green, Diamond and Hybrid: A Comparison of the Four Open Access Routes. Pubrica. Available at: https://pubrica.com/academy/infographics/open-access-routes-explained/ (Accessed: 15 October 2026).
Pubrica Academy. “Gold, Green, Diamond and Hybrid: A Comparison of the Four Open Access Routes.” Pubrica. October 10, 2026. https://pubrica.com/academy/infographics/open-access-routes-explained/
Pubrica Academy, ‘Gold, Green, Diamond and Hybrid: A Comparison of the Four Open Access Routes’ (Pubrica, 10 October 2026) <https://pubrica.com/academy/infographics/open-access-routes-explained/> accessed 15 October 2026.
Pubrica Academy. Gold, Green, Diamond and Hybrid: A Comparison of the Four Open Access Routes. [Internet]. Pubrica; 2026 Oct 10 [cited 2026 Oct 15]. Available from: https://pubrica.com/academy/infographics/open-access-routes-explained/
Pubrica Academy, “Gold, Green, Diamond and Hybrid: A Comparison of the Four Open Access Routes,” Pubrica, Oct. 10, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://pubrica.com/academy/infographics/open-access-routes-explained/
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author = {{Pubrica Academy}},
title = {Gold, Green, Diamond and Hybrid: A Comparison of the Four Open Access Routes},
howpublished = {Pubrica},
year = {2026},
month = {oct},
url = {https://pubrica.com/academy/infographics/open-access-routes-explained/},
note = {Accessed: <span data-cite-acc="iso">2026-10-15</span>}
}This article is written to be learned from. Cite it if you are referring to what it says; if you are using the evidence behind it, cite the sources listed above instead.
Open access route comparison
Quick reference.
Gold: immediate OA, typically APC-funded Green: self-archived version in a repository, sometimes after embargo Diamond: immediate OA, no author-facing charge Hybrid: subscription journal, per-article OA option for a fee
Pubrica AcademyWritten and maintained by Pubrica’s subject matter experts. Articles are revised when the underlying standards change, and each article states the date on which it was last reviewed.
How Pubrica can help
Pubrica assists authors in identifying, before submission, which open-access route satisfies the mandate of their funder and is offered by the target journal.