Compare
eLife reviewed preprints vs Unjournal
eLife is an established non-profit journal whose editors choose which life-science and medicine preprints to review, then publish each one with public reviews and an eLife Assessment; Unjournal reviews papers in any field, with reviewers the author approves, double-blind. Both publish the reviews with the paper and neither issues an accept or reject verdict after review.
How eLife reviewed preprints work
eLife has reviewed only papers already posted as preprints since 2021. Its editors decide which submissions to send for review. Since 2023, every paper it reviews is published as a Reviewed Preprint: the article, the reviewers' public reviews, the authors' response if they write one, and an eLife Assessment that rates the significance of the findings and the strength of the evidence in a common vocabulary.
There is no accept or reject decision after review. Authors can revise, and at any point after review can choose to publish the paper as a Version of Record, a regular journal article sent to indexers such as PubMed. eLife charges a publication fee of $3,750 once a paper is selected for review, waived for authors who cannot afford it.
How Unjournal works
- You upload your paper (PDF or Word). It is read for the specific questions that need an expert, and nothing is sent to anyone yet.
- Researchers whose own work is closest to those questions are found in the global publication record, and you approve the anonymized shortlist.
- They review it double-blind, commenting on the passages that matter.
- You revise, and the same reviewers check the revision against their comments.
- Once at least two endorse it and none says “not yet”, you can publish it on the Unjournal preprint journal with its reviews. You keep the copyright.
Uploading and seeing the shortlist are free, publishing is free, and the review is paid once it is delivered, with a money-back guarantee.
The real differences
Who gets reviewed. At eLife, editors decide whether a preprint is reviewed at all. On Unjournal, every uploaded paper gets a reviewer shortlist, and the author decides whether to go ahead.
Who reviews. eLife's editors run the review. On Unjournal, reviewers are matched to the paper's specific questions and the author approves the shortlist before anyone is contacted.
Scope. eLife covers the life sciences and medicine. Unjournal searches the whole publication record, so any field.
What the paper becomes. An eLife Reviewed Preprint carries eLife's name and assessment, and can become an indexed journal article. An Unjournal peer-reviewed preprint is published on the Unjournal preprint journal once the reviewers endorse the revision.
| Criterion | eLife | Unjournal |
|---|---|---|
| Fields | Life sciences and medicine | Any field: reviewers are found in the global publication record |
| Who decides a paper is reviewed | eLife's editors | The author |
| Who picks the reviewers | eLife's editors | Matched to the paper's questions; the author approves an anonymized shortlist |
| Reviewer identities | Not shown on the public reviews by default | Double-blind: reviewers and author are anonymous to each other |
| Reviews public | Yes, with an eLife Assessment | Yes, published alongside the paper |
| What the paper becomes | A Reviewed Preprint, then optionally a Version of Record | A peer-reviewed preprint on the Unjournal preprint journal |
| Accept or reject after review | No | No: the author publishes once reviewers endorse |
| Cost to the author | $3,750 publication fee, waived if you cannot afford it | Free to upload and publish; the review is paid on delivery, with a money-back guarantee |
When eLife is the better fit
If your paper is in the life sciences or medicine and you want an established journal's name, an editorial assessment readers recognise, and a Version of Record indexed in PubMed, eLife offers that and Unjournal does not. If your field is outside eLife's scope, if you want to choose who reviews your work, or if you want double-blind review, Unjournal fits better.
Frequently asked questions
Does eLife accept or reject papers after review?
No. Since 2023 eLife publishes every paper it reviews as a Reviewed Preprint with the reviews and an eLife Assessment, and makes no accept or reject decision after review. Its editors do decide which preprints are reviewed in the first place.
How much does eLife charge?
eLife's peer review page states a publication fee of $3,750, charged once a paper is selected for review and waived for authors who cannot afford it (read 26 October 2026).
Can I use Unjournal for a paper outside the life sciences?
Yes. Unjournal finds reviewers in the global publication record, so it is not limited to one discipline.
Are the reviewers anonymous on Unjournal?
Yes, both ways: reviewers never see who wrote the paper and the author never sees who they are. The reviews themselves are published with the paper.
Sources
- eLife: Peer review: fee, no accept or reject decision, Reviewed Preprint, eLife Assessment, Version of Record (read 26 October 2026)
- eLife: About: non-profit, life sciences and medicine (read 26 October 2026)
- eLife (2022): eLife's new model, changing the way you share your research: review of preprints only since 2021, the new model from 2023
- eLife: Reviewer instructions: reviewer identities on public reviews (read 26 October 2026)