An ion-exchange resin-based methodology has been used to synthesize the N-doped graphene-like metal-free catalyst (NGMFC). This catalyst is hierarchical porous structured with high surface area. In acidic media, the NGMFC shows a high electrocatalytic performance and good stability towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in rotating ring-disk electrode measurements. The onset potential of the catalyst for ORR is 0.99 V which is very close the onset potential of Pt/C catalyst. This research demonstrates that the ion-exchange resin-based methodology can be a potential alternative to produce efficient metal-free catalyst at extremely low cost for ORR. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.