Best Udemy Alternatives and Competitors

If you are looking for the best Udemy alternatives and competitors, you are in the right spot.

Udemy has long been a household name for online learning. However, with the rise of new platforms and Udemy competitors, the options for learners have expanded exponentially.

Whether you are looking for more interactive learning platforms or websites like Udemy which provide certifications, this article has got you covered.

In this article, you will learn about the top Udemy alternatives highlighting their unique features, advantages, disadvantages, and pricing.

So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get started!

Best Udemy Alternatives and Competitors

Coursera (Ideal if you want to earn free certificates)
LinkedIn Learning (Best for Professional Development)
edX
Skillshare
MasterClass
Udacity
Pluralsight
Khan Academy

Let’s delve into the details of these Udemy alternatives!

1. Coursera

Link: https://www.coursera.org/

Coursera is one of the best Udemy alternatives where you can learn new skills and courses. You can’t only learn but also earn a certificate on completion of your course. It provides comprehensive categories including data science, computer science, business, health, and more to explore courses according to your interests.

Plus, Coursera offers different solutions for individuals, businesses, governments, and universities. And it completely depends on you if you want to learn for free or pay.

Key Features

University Collaboration & Degree Programs: With Coursera, you can do courses and degree programs from universities like Stanford, University of London, etc.
Professional Certificates: You can earn professional certificates (paid) from top companies like Google, IBM, and others. Also, there is no time limit to complete these courses so you can complete them according to your schedule.
Guided Projects: The courses on Coursera are designed in a way that learners can also gain practical knowledge with stepwise explanations of how to do it.
Multilingual support: Coursera provides courses in multiple languages including Deutsch, Portugues, Turkey, and many others.

Advantages

Self-paced learning.
A varied range of courses.
Prestigious degrees and certifications.
Interactive learning modules like quizzes, assignments, videos, etc.
Dedicated app for Android and iOS users.

Disadvantages

Not completely free.
No face-to-face interaction.
Self-motivation is required as Coursera is self-paced.
Multilingual support is not available for all courses.

Pricing

It’s very subjective to say if it’s free or not as it is solely dependent on the course you want to choose. You can learn courses for free by exploring its free section. Meanwhile, if you want to earn unlimited certificates and need access to all courses, consider its subscription plan named Coursera Plus.

Here are the pricing details of the Coursera subscription:

Monthly for a single learning program: $49-$79 (For an individual)
Coursera Plus Monthly: $59 (For an individual)
Coursera Plus Annually: $399 (For an individual or teams)

Additionally, if you want a Coursera plan for your enterprise or business or Coursera Government, consider visiting the official website for more info.

Coursera vs Udemy

The courses on Coursera are designed and made by top universities and institutions whereas Udemy’s courses are based on individual instructors.
The learning format of Coursera includes video lectures, readings, and interactive elements like assignments, and quizzes. On the other hand, the learning format of Udemy is mainly video lectures.
Coursera provides many free courses and certifications which is not the case with Udemy. You have to pay for every course on Udemy.
Both of the learning platforms have their dedicated mobile app.
You can’t download the videos from Coursera but Udemy provides lifetime access to purchased courses that can also be downloaded.

2. LinkedIn Learning

Link: https://learning.linkedin.com/

LinkedIn Learning is one of Udemy’s competitors where you can learn high-quality content and improve your business skills. The content on LinkedIn Learning is primarily video-based and is available in multiple languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, and others.

Whether you want to learn job-ready skills or simply want to improve your communication, this platform has something for everyone.

Key Features

Extensive Course Library: LinkedIn Learning provides a wide range of courses across multiple fields like leadership, personal development, graphic design, marketing, and more.
Integration with LinkedIn: The learning platform is integrated with LinkedIn which ensures that each certificate, course, or skill you complete on LinkedIn Learning can be easily added to your LinkedIn profile. This helps you to optimize your professional visibility and land your dream job.
Personalized Learning Modules: As LinkedIn Learning is integrated with LinkedIn, it uses LinkedIn data to provide you with tailored learning modules.
Mainly focused on Professional Development.
Completion certifications: You receive a certificate after the successful completion of every course which can be directly shared to LinkedIn. Also, you can download it to your device for further use.
Corporate Training: It provides solutions for businesses and organizations for employee training and skill development.

Advantages

Career-oriented learning.
Learn at your own pace.
Caters to a broad audience.

Disadvantages

Subscription cost.
It is more focused on practical skills and professional development.

Pricing

You can try LinkedIn Learning for free with its 1-month free trial. Otherwise, here are the pricing details for its different plans:

Individual: $11.90 per month.
Teams: $30.33 per month when billed annually.

Also, you can choose its organization plan to train your employees with LinkedIn world-class courses.

LinkedIn Learning vs Udemy

LinkedIn learning is primarily focused on professional development whereas Udemy covers a diverse range of topics including personal and professional development.
As Udemy content is user-generated, the content quality of LinkedIn Learning is higher than Udemy.
While anyone can create courses on Udemy, Instructors on the LinkedIn Learning platform are industry experts only and this is what makes it one of the better Udemy alternatives.
The pricing of LinkedIn Learning is subscription-based while you can purchase any specific course on Udemy.

3. edX

Link: https://www.edx.org/

edX is yet another name among sites like Udemy that offers a massive variety of courses across topics like Architecture, Art, Biology, Business, Computer, and whatnot. Not only courses, but you can also earn professional certificates and top degrees.

You can unlock courses and learn new skills on edX for free but you won’t get any certificate. Still, if you want to earn a certificate, you need to upgrade or pay a particular amount for it.

Key Features

University Partnerships: edX collaborated with prestigious universities like MIT, Berkeley, etc. to provide users access to their courses.
Online Degree Programs: edX offers various degree programs from Bachelor’s to Doctoral.
Professional Certificates: You can earn certificates from top universities and institutes like Harvard, Catalyst, Penn, and many more.
Flexible Learning: You can learn anytime you want. However please take care of the deadline if you are accessing the course for free. You can otherwise upgrade it to its premium version where you will get unlimited access and a certificate as well.
Interactive Elements: edX provides various options like changing the speed of videos, transcripts, etc, for better user experience. It also includes assessments and key findings of the course module to make it more engaging.
Customized Experience: You can select from different courses that align well with your goals to create a personalized learning path.
edX for Business to enhance the skills of your employees.

Advantages

Accredited degrees and professional certificates.
High-quality content.
Corporate training solutions.
Download options for video content.
Customizable learning paths.

Disadvantages

Cost of Programs.
Limited interaction.

Pricing

You can access many courses on edX for free but certification and degree programs on edX have variable pricing. For example, a Professional Certificate in Computer Science for Web Programming by Harvard University is priced at $376.20.

edX vs Udemy

The course providers of edX are prestigious universities and institutions whereas it can be any individual instructor on Udemy.
Udemy is ideal for personal development while edX is focused on university-level courses, professional certificates, and degrees.
The degrees and certifications of edX are accredited.
Both of the platforms don’t have any subscription model. Udemy follows a pay-per-course model. On the other hand, you can access any course on edX for free until or unless you need a certificate.

4. Skillshare

Link: https://www.skillshare.com/

From creative career, design, art & illustration to personal development, Skillshare offers a comprehensive category of online classes and one-to-one sessions, which makes it one of the top Udemy alternatives.

Furthermore, it provides additional details like what will be covered in the class, teacher details, hands-on projects, etc. so you can select the best class for you. And if you have the teaching skills then you can become a teacher on Skillshare.

Key Features

Diverse Content Library: Skillshare offers a diverse range of courses including home, lifestyle, music, marketing, and many others.
Practical Learning: Most of the courses on Skillshare consist of practical projects and hands-on modules.
Offline Viewing: Users having a premium plan can download classes for offline viewing.
Duration of Classes: All the classes on Skillshare are divided into multiple modules with short durations which are easier to complete for everyone.

Advantages

The flexibility of Skillshare is comparatively higher than other platforms.
Access to a community of learners and instructors.
Short and easy-to-learn classes.
Affordable.

Disadvantages

Lact of accredited certificates.
Content quality is dependent on instructors.
Not free.
Limited interactions.

Pricing

Learning on Skillshare is not free. However, you can try Skillshare for one month for free. Following are the pricing details of Skillshare premium to unlock features like offline viewing, unlimited access, etc.

Monthly: $4.05
Annually: $48.66

Skillshare vs Udemy

Skillshare particularly focuses on creative fields like design, writing, styling, lifestyle, etc. whereas Udemy focuses on more professional domains like technology, business, and more.
Skillshare follows a subscription-based model and provides a one-month free trial to its new users. In comparison, Users have to pay according to course they want to learn on Udemy.
You get access to all courses with Skillshare premium while Udemy only gives access to the courses you have purchased.
Both of the platforms majorly follow video format for their content delivery and don’t provide any accredited certificates.
Skillshare is best suited for those who want to develop new skills and are busy as it provides short classes, whereas Udemy is best for students, professionals, etc seeking in-depth learning.

5. MasterClass

Link: https://www.masterclass.com/

Do you want to become a chef or maybe a musician, actor, artist, and more? Well, no worries! You can become what you want at your own pace and space. But how?

Explore MasterClass one of the top Udemy competitors where you can learn from the world’s top experts through high-quality video lessons. In addition to its mobile app, you can access MasterClass on Apple TV, Roku, etc.

But do you prefer audio lessons over video? Well, you can listen to the available lessons in audio-only mode as well.

Key Features

Focus on Practical Learning: MasterClass’s Sessions are specifically designed to enforce hands-on learning by working on real projects and sharing your work with others. This also helps in building an engaging community.
Top Instructors: Instructors on the MasterClass platform are renowned experts in various fields like filmmaking, cooking, writing, and others, resulting in high-quality content on MasterClass.
Course Structure: Every course on MasterClass is about 10 to 12 minutes of video lessons, along with detailed workbooks which are quite efficient for everyone to grasp.
Device Flexibility: You can access it on multiple devices including PCs, laptops, smartphones, smart TVs, etc.

Advantages

Learn from the masters in various industries.
Professionally produced content.
Broad category.
Multi-device compatibility.

Disadvantages

No certificates.
Subscription cost.
No direct interaction with instructors.
Content is pre-recorded.

Pricing

MasterClass offers three subscription plans to unlock features such as offline viewing, no. of devices to watch at the same time, access to MasterClass sessions, bonus guides, and more. Below are the pricing details for each of its plans:

Standard (1 device and no Offline mode): $10
Plus (2 devices with Offline mode): $15
Premium (6 devices with Offline mode): $20

Consider visiting the official site for a detailed overview of the offering of its subscription plans.

MasterClass vs Udemy

While instructors on Udemy are independent creators or industry professionals, MasterClass is known for its celebrity instructors and experts like Gordon Ramsay.
Udemy courses are more longer and detailed than courses on MasterClass.
Udemy provides certificates for some of its courses but MasterClass doesn’t offer any certifications which can be a drawback for some users.
Both of these learning platforms promise a 30-day money-back guarantee.
In short, MasterClass means Learning from the Best whereas you can consider Udemy for more affordable learning.

6. Udacity

Link: https://www.udacity.com/

Udacity is yet another site like Udemy to learn new skills through its courses and nanodegree programs. It is known for its unique courses on topics like AI, deep learning, flying cars, autonomous flight engineer, machine learning engineer, etc.

When you visit the site, the platform lets you enroll in multiple courses for free. You can explore the Udacity courses more efficiently using its filters and sort including price, school, type, skill, level, and duration. However, the platform is mainly focused on professional skill development.

Key Features

Nanodegree Programs: Udacity offers specialized Nanodegree programs for various skills like programming, data science, AI, cloud computing, and more.
Partnership with top industries like Google, IBM, etc.
Certificate upon course completion.
Regularly updated content.

Advantages

Focus on professional skills that are job-relevant.
Expert instructors.
Mentorship and support.
Scholarship Programs.

Disadvantages

Expensive compared to other learning platforms.
Limited content for free.
Less flexibility.
Lack of accredited degree programs.

Pricing

While Udacity offers various free courses, you can unlock access to premium courses with its subscription plan with extra features like real-world projects, personalized project reviews, certificates, etc.

Here are the pricing details of Udacity’s subscription:

Monthly: $244.50
Quarterly: $830.28
Business Plan for Team members up to 1000: $122.10/month

And if the strength of employees in your organization is more than 1000, head to Udacity’s official website to know its pricing.

Udacity vs Udemy

Udacity is primarily tech-focused whereas Udemy also covers the areas of personal development, arts, business, and hobbies.
Udacity is more expensive compared to Udemy.
Udacity partners with top tech companies while Udemy courses are created by individual instructors or industry professionals.
While Udemy doesn’t offer any career services, Udacity provides career services like LinkedIn optimization, resume reviews, and others.

7. Pluralsight

Link: https://www.pluralsight.com/

Pluralsight is not just a common learning platform but a more comprehensive Udemy alternatives that offers different solutions for effective learning including Skills, A Cloud Guru, and Flow.

Skills by Pluralsight offers personalized learning paths, courses, and skill assessments in areas like software development, data professional, technology, and more.

Furthermore, If you want to learn everything about the cloud with practical experience, you can head to its A Cloud Guru. Lastly, Flow by Pluralsight is useful to learn insights about your team’s efficiency and productivity. Now, let’s move its key features.

Key Features

Integration of A Cloud Guru: With this tool of Pluralsight, you can learn extensive cloud computing skills on various cloud platforms.
Extensive course library.
Skill assessments: Pluralsight provides skill assessments for users to let them know their current understanding level and later provide them with customized learning modules or courses.
Pluralsight provides its users with practical learning and hands-on experience through labs and real-world projects.
AI Sandbox (Coming up): They are also launching an AI sandbox to provide users with a platform to experiment and learn AI concepts.

Advantages

Flexible and personalized learning paths.
Expert instructors.
Provide efficient tools for business management.
Emphasizes hands-on practice.

Disadvantages

No free tier.
No course for soft skills development.

Pricing

As mentioned earlier, Pluralsight provides three different plans for its different solutions. So, let’s unveil the pricing:

Skills

Standard: $7.49/month (Individual)
Premium: $13.68/month (Individual)
Starter: $32.19/month (Team)
Professional: $46.69/month (Team)

A Cloud Guru

Personal Basic: $35/month
Personal Plus: $47/month
Business Basic: $35/month
Business Plus: $49/month

Flow

Core: $38/month
Plus: $50/month

Please consider visiting the official site to know all of its features.

Pluralsight vs Udemy

Pluralsight is an ideal platform for tech-related fields such as IT, data science, cloud computing, AI, machine learning, etc. On the other hand, choose Udemy to develop new hobbies, arts, soft skills, etc.
While Udemy follows a pay-per-course model, Pluralsight has a subscription-based model.
The courses produced on Pluralsight are of better quality than Udemy. As Udemy courses are created by individual creators.
While Udemy’s key features include course discussions and Q&A, Pluralsight offers features like Flow for team skill assessment, AI-based interactive coding environments, and comprehensive training modules for cloud computing.

8. Khan Academy

Link: https://www.khanacademy.org/

Looking for some free Udemy alternatives? No further looking! Whether you want to learn subjects and topics from grade 1 to 10 or develop some life skills, everything is possible for free with Khan Academy.

In addition, you can prepare for exams like LSAT, digital SAT, and computer languages. Khan Academy also provides advanced courses for educators and parents.

Key Features

Free access: Every course and subject is accessible to everyone for free.
Personalized learning: Khan Academy provides a personalized dashboard to its users to keep track of their learnings and goals.
Video lessons and interactive exercises
Teacher and parent resources: Not only students but teachers and parents can also take advantage of this learning platform.
Test Prep: You can prepare for competitive exams for free with Khan Academy.

Advantages

Self-paced learning.
Free for everyone.
Global accessiblity.
Expert content creators from various fields.
Khan Academy Kids app, designed especially for kids aged 2 to 12.

Disadvantages

Focus on Core Subjects instead of specialized topics.
Limited accreditation and interaction.

Pricing

The online learning platform, Khan Academy is absolutely free for everyone but they do accept donations to support its mission of providing free education for everyone and everywhere.

Khan Academy vs Udemy

Khan Academy majorly covers academic subjects like math, science, and history, and limited topics related to life skills, whereas Udemy provides a more comprehensive range of content including tech, business, and skill development.
All courses on Udemy are paid which users have to purchase individually whereas everyone can access Khan Academy for free.
Courses at Khan Academy follow a structured curriculum which is not the case with Udemy.
The content on the Khan Academy platform is curated by educational experts that ensures high quality. On the other hand, the course quality on Udemy is varied.
There are no certificates for learners on Khan Academy whereas Udemy provides certification upon course completion.
Choose Khan Academy if you are seeking a free option for your kids in school whereas If you prefer to pay to learn more diverse subjects, you can head to Udemy.

If you are looking for even more choices, consider the following Udemy alternatives:

Codecademy: Learn to code for free
FutureLearn: Learn in-demand skills from various fields like Healthcare, IT, Tech, etc.
Treehouse: Learn to code & design for free.
Thinkific: Got teaching skills? Then head to Thinkfic, create your courses, and sell them.
CreativeLive: Explore courses in creative fields including photography, self-improvement, videography, and more.
Alison: Free courses, diplomas, and certifications.
Teachable: Share your knowledge and sell courses online

Summary

In conclusion, selecting a perfect online learning platform solely depends on various factors including budget, what type of courses or skills you want to learn, and more.

While Udemy is a go-to online learning platform for many, there are various Udemy alternatives and competitors that offer unique features and competitive pricing.

So, if you are looking for completely free Udemy alternatives, you can try Khan Academy and Coursera. Still in doubt, what’s best for you? Then, check the brief description of Udemy alternatives given below:

Coursera: Ideal for university-level education and degree programs.
LinkedIn Learning: Best for Professional Development.
edX: Best for online courses and to earn professional certificates.
Skillshare: Best for creative skills and hobbies.
MasterClass: Head to MasterClass for expert-led creative courses.
Udacity: Nest for tech-skills and nanodegrees.
Pluralsight: Best for in-depth technical training.
Khan Academy: Get free access to every subject and test prep.

No more excuses, start your learning today!

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