Wiley
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you're an author targeting Wiley journals, a library negotiating open access, or a student whose course mandates WileyPLUS.
New check
Comparison
Wiley vs PLOS
Wiley and PLOS both land on Depends.
PLOS
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Good fit if your funder mandates open access, your work is sound-but-not-flashy, and you or your library can cover the ~$2,477 APC.
| Compare | ||
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Researchers targeting Wiley's journals | Funder-mandated open access |
| Who it's not for | Anyone evaluating software . this is a publisher, not a tool | Researchers needing fast turnaround . delays recur |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed. (Breach stories about 'Wiley Rein' concern a separate law firm, not this publisher.)13 | One past data-breach notification on record; current scans report no threats; no dedicated security page found. |
| Support quality | Self-reported 40% case-resolution gain; author complaints persist | Recurring complaints of long review delays |
| Public sentiment | Students and authors gripe about pricing and subscriptions in reviews, while the strongest praise is self-reported automation gains in the Research Exchange workflow.³ | Researchers on Reddit and ResearchGate repeatedly complain about long PLOS ONE review wait times, while accepting it as a reputable open-access fallback. |
| Biggest gotcha | CPA prep: $780 base plus $480 optional final review; total cost adds up fast⁴ | Published APC figures conflict: $1,931 vs $2,477 . verify the current fee before submitting |
Pick Wiley when
- Researchers targeting Wiley's journals
- Libraries negotiating open access agreements
- Students in courses requiring WileyPLUS
- CPA and exam candidates wanting brand-name prep
When Wiley is not a fit
- Anyone evaluating software . this is a publisher, not a tool
- Students whose course doesn't require a WileyPLUS code
- Budget authors avoiding per-article open access fees
- Casual learners wanting cheap study materials
Pick PLOS when
- Funder-mandated open access
- Sound-but-unglamorous findings
- Interdisciplinary work
- Authors with APC funding or waivers
When PLOS is not a fit
- Researchers needing fast turnaround . delays recur
- Authors chasing prestige for hiring or grants
- Unfunded authors facing the ~$2,477 APC
- Anyone shopping for software . this is a publisher
Sources
- Wiley Advances Research Exchange Platform with AI-Driven Automationstm-publishing.comnews
- John Wiley & Sons Reviews . Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview
- Wiley sucks . Reddit r/Accountingreddit.comreview
- Wiley Pro pricing thread . Reddit r/CPAreddit.comreview
review
- Wiley's Predatory Behavior: My Recent Experiencedethwench.comreview
- Article Publication Charges (APCs)authors.wiley.comofficial
- Open Access Waivers and Discountsauthors.wiley.comofficial
- Wiley Efficient Learning to UWorld Transitionfinance.uworld.comofficial
- BTAA Finalizes 2026-27 Open Access Agreement with Wileylibrary.uoregon.edunews
news
- Wiley sees 213% return on investment with Salesforcesalesforce.comnews
- Wiley Privacy Policywiley.comofficial
- Wiley Security pagewiley.comsecurity
- PLOS fees and fundingplos.orgofficial
- PLOS ONE Journal Informationjournals.plos.orgofficial