specification: API Commons Plans
specificationVersion: '0.1'
provider: DataCite
providerId: datacite
created: '2026-06-12'
modified: '2026-06-12'
reconciled: true

description: >
  DataCite operates a membership-based model. Public metadata retrieval is free and open to
  everyone without authentication. DOI registration and metadata management (write access)
  require institutional membership. Fees cover annual membership participation plus a shared
  infrastructure fee adjusted for socioeconomic context. High-volume DOI registration incurs
  additional tiered fees above 100,000 DOIs per year.

type: freemium

plans:
  - name: Public Access (Unauthenticated)
    description: >
      Free, open access to all DataCite REST API and GraphQL API read endpoints. No authentication
      required. Enables querying and retrieving DOI metadata records and the research data graph.
    type: free
    quotas:
      - metric: api_requests
        limit: 500
        timeFrame: 5m
        scope: per_ip
        type: metered
    features:
      - Read-only access to all DOI metadata
      - GraphQL query access
      - OAI-PMH harvesting
      - Content negotiation
      - Event Data API access

  - name: Identified Access
    description: >
      Free access with identification via User-Agent email header or mailto= query parameter.
      Higher rate limits than anonymous access. No membership fee required.
    type: free
    quotas:
      - metric: api_requests
        limit: 1000
        timeFrame: 5m
        scope: per_ip
        type: metered
    features:
      - All Public Access features
      - Higher rate limits with email identification

  - name: Consortium Organization Member
    description: >
      Organizations joining DataCite via a consortium lead. No annual membership fee but
      pays the shared infrastructure fee. Full DOI registration access up to 100,000 DOIs/year.
    type: paid
    pricing:
      membershipFee:
        amount: 0
        currency: EUR
        period: annual
      sharedInfrastructureFee:
        description: Non-profit fee, varies by socioeconomic context
        range:
          min: 200
          max: 700
        currency: EUR
        period: annual
    quotas:
      - metric: dois_registered
        limit: 100000
        timeFrame: annual
        scope: per_organization
        type: quota
      - metric: api_requests
        limit: 3000
        timeFrame: 5m
        scope: per_ip
        type: metered
    features:
      - Full DOI registration via REST API and Fabrica UI
      - MDS API access (legacy)
      - Metadata management
      - Usage Reports API
      - Member dashboard access

  - name: Institutional Direct Member
    description: >
      Direct institutional membership for organizations joining DataCite independently (not via
      consortium). Includes annual membership fee plus shared infrastructure fee.
    type: paid
    pricing:
      membershipFee:
        amount: 2000
        currency: EUR
        period: annual
      sharedInfrastructureFee:
        description: Non-profit fee, varies by socioeconomic context
        range:
          min: 200
          max: 700
        currency: EUR
        period: annual
      forProfitInfrastructureFee:
        description: For-profit organizations, based on annual revenue
        tiers:
          - revenue_up_to: 500000
            amount: 1000
            currency: EUR
          - revenue_up_to: 2000000
            amount: 2500
            currency: EUR
          - revenue_up_to: 50000000
            amount: 5000
            currency: EUR
          - revenue_up_to: 1000000000
            amount: 7500
            currency: EUR
          - revenue_above: 1000000000
            amount: 10000
            currency: EUR
    quotas:
      - metric: dois_registered
        limit: 100000
        timeFrame: annual
        scope: per_organization
        type: quota
      - metric: api_requests
        limit: 3000
        timeFrame: 5m
        scope: per_ip
        type: metered
    features:
      - All Consortium Organization Member features
      - DataCite governance participation
      - Priority support

  - name: Consortium Lead Member
    description: >
      Organizations that act as lead for a consortium of DataCite members. Annual membership fee
      plus shared infrastructure fee. Manages sub-members and their DOI allocations.
    type: paid
    pricing:
      membershipFee:
        amount: 2000
        currency: EUR
        period: annual
      sharedInfrastructureFee:
        description: Non-profit fee, varies by socioeconomic context
        range:
          min: 200
          max: 700
        currency: EUR
        period: annual
    features:
      - All Institutional Direct Member features
      - Consortium management via Fabrica
      - Sub-member provisioning

  - name: High-Volume DOI Add-on
    description: >
      Additional fees for organizations exceeding 100,000 DOI registrations per calendar year.
    type: paid
    pricing:
      tiers:
        - label: 100,001 – 250,000 DOIs
          amount: 3500
          currency: EUR
          period: annual
        - label: 250,001 – 1,000,000 DOIs
          amount: 8500
          currency: EUR
          period: annual
        - label: 1,000,001 – 2,000,000 DOIs
          amount: 13000
          currency: EUR
          period: annual
        - label: 2,000,001 – 5,000,000 DOIs
          amount: 18500
          currency: EUR
          period: annual
        - label: 5,000,001 – 10,000,000 DOIs
          amount: 25500
          currency: EUR
          period: annual
        - label: 10,000,001 – 20,000,000 DOIs
          amount: 32500
          currency: EUR
          period: annual