EdX and Udemy are two platforms that are amongst the best e-learning platforms at present. We all are aware of how busy our lives are, loaded with work, household chores, kids, etc. It gets tough to enroll in a university or institute and allocate fixed time to learning skills or languages or subject-related courses.
These days, employers too look out for educated candidates to be part of their workforce. Online courses have been life saviors in this aspect. However, prior to selecting any course on online platforms, you must be aware of the fact that they differ in many ways from your traditional courses. Taking up any program relies on your style of learning and your requirements. It can boost your education as well as your career.
Udemy vs Coursera 2020: Which One Is The Best? (In-Depth Comparison)
Udemy Vs EdX: Facts and Statistics
Udemy:
When it comes to Udemy, it is the biggest educational platform that has a lot of "how-to" videos being produced. At present, there are around 20,000+ video instruction courses that are available to the public under categories of Lifestyle to even Test preparation.
It has about 10,000 or more instructors all over the world. Every single month about 1,000 courses being added. There are about four million students on this platform and about 80,000+ lectures are being conducted daily. The programs are offered in many languages and in about 190 countries or more.
EdX:
Now, when we talk about EdX, the numbers speak volumes about its potential and popularity amongst the students. There 18 million learners with this major global provider. Students have the choice to select from 2500+ courses from different 140 universities all over the world.
Udemy Overview
Udemy was founded in the year 2009 and is a platform wherein instructors are allowed to create a lot of courses on various topics. Classes can include live classes, videos, PowerPoint presentations, etc. This is a great e-learning platform where one can opt for courses as well as skill training. At Udemy anybody can create a course and there is no requirement for anyone to be experts for the same. This, in fact, can have an impact on the course quality and quality of training.
Hence, one has to be very careful when you select any course to get enrolled in. The best part about Udemy is that you can understand which are good courses and which are not. Make use of the ratings of the course. A course with a rating of 5 stars would be a great course. Also, if a course has many students enrolled in it, then it must have been a successful course. You can check out the introductory videos to see the presentation of the lessons and you can understand if the course suits your style of learning. Some courses can be expensive, however, the platform also offers discounts. There is a wide variety of instructors on Udemy. Also, in case you don't like any course, a full refund will be provided as well. The popular courses out here are practical courses. It is also part of the movement - MOOC.
EdX:
EdX was founded in the year 2012. EdX is a non-profit firm wherein the proceeds from courses are contributed towards the provision of quality courses to almost everyone.
EdX comes with a broad range of courses pertaining to higher education and many courses are in the science category. One vital feature is the classes offered are self-paced as well as timed classes. This indicates that in case you are very busy, these courses can be completed at your own time. The duration of the classes lie in between four to twelve weeks. Also, every courses comes with their video transcript.
The EdX platform makes use of some cool tools such as videos, gamified labs, 3D molecule builder, etc. This platform is an open-source one wherein developers can build as well as share assessment modules. The students at EdX can also get enrolment proof or the Honor Code Certificates free of cost, however, they do not receive credentials like a diploma. At EdX, there are 2 main types of certificates - Verified Certificates and Honor Code. certificates. The verified certificates will confirm the identity of a student via an ID and photo and the price begins at $50. The Honor Code Certificate will confirm just the completion of a course and are free of cost. EdX along with its partners provide a way of earning college degrees and credits in a good way and which have a low risk.
Udemy Vs EdX: Pricing/Cost
Udemy:
An LMS software involves costs towards software license, software training cost, subscription fees, personalization cost, hardware, along with maintenance and support cost. These costs must be considered in order to understand the cost of ownership of the system.
The price of Udemy begins from $109 per month per user. On a rating scale of 10, Udemy has received a rating of 4, and this is quite low in contrast to the LMS Software's average cost.
Course Cost
The USP in Udemy is its price, and this is the reason why it is popular with students. A learner can get a very expensive course which costs $200 or more for only $10. Udemy offers plenty of flash sales, wherein expensive courses are sold for throwaway prices. Instructors try to attract students by offering a lot of coupons and discounts. Udemy, however, does not give you course completion certificates on every course.
Even if certificates are provided for some courses, they are not very valuable and does not increase the value to the user's resume. Once you purchase a course, you are provided lifetime access. You can check the course anytime or access the materials of the course anytime.
EdX:
EdX prices begin at $50 per license, in contrast to its competitors, the software has a rating of 4 stars. This is also quite low than the LMS Software's average cost. In short, the cost of both Udemy, as well as EdX, is on the same lines.
Course Cost
EdX has many free courses, and a lot of paid courses also. The noncredit courses are offered free of cost mostly. The Certificate courses related to Credit-based programs are reasonable and have a varied price range.
A " featured" course also comes at a price. The courses do not have fixed prices. A few might be priced at $50 and a few might be over $100.
Udemy Vs EdX: Features and functionality
When it comes to business software solutions, one must consider its features and functions. Any tool should be able to support the various processes, the reports, workflows, and requirements as needed. Udemy and EdX have been compared on some vital LMS features which are essential.
Udemy, as well as EdX, has a lot of customers from Medium and Large Businesses.
Udemy:
Udemy has a very unique learning management system that connects the students and instructors. Udemy has about 15 main categories under which there are subcategories of courses to choose from. Any student can opt for any course which fascinates them. You can view the courses on any device.
EdX:
The main features of Udemy are:Udemy Vs EdX: Courses
Udemy:
Udemy is a learning platform that offers numerous courses. Be it just enhancing a skill or learning music or learning programming, Udemy has it all. You can select from free courses or paid courses. You can learn various programming languages like C, C++, C#, Javascript, PHP, Ruby, Python, etc. There are more than 80,000 courses under programming. You can also learn on frameworks - React, Angular, and the like.
You can check out courses on tools like Maven, Docker, Gradle and similar courses. Udemy, though not very organized, has a search option which makes it easier to find suitable courses. Some of the courses might be short duration ones which go on for a few hours, whereas there could be some high-end courses which would need 50 hours as well.
EdX:
This platform gives you the option of self-paced learning. You can browse through all the courses and topics and select the one you want. There are forums as well as discussion groups for all students and instructors. You can look for a course by choosing the subject or even the participating university. At present, there are 62 online courses under 23 categories. When selecting a course, the course details will be given to you like the course title,
the intro video, the code number of the course, the date of the start of the course, the institute, and the time required to complete the course, and any prerequisites wherever needed. There are a lot of subject areas to like Architecture, Art and Culture, Chemistry, Life Sciences, Biology, Business Management, economics, data analysis, design, Computer Science, Communications, finance,
Education, ethics, Teacher Training, nutrition, engineering, history, energy, language, humanities, health, law, safety, Literature, Environmental Studies, Music, Philanthropy, mathematics, Medicine, science, physics, Philosophy, and Social Science. Some of the very popular courses offered are business and management; humanities, language, data analysis, and computer science.
Udemy Vs EdX Content Quality
Udemy:
Content quality is quite an important factor that determines the platform especially in the market of online courses. Generally, there is a mixed opinion on the quality of content on Udemy. A lot of people state that the courses are just fine or average. However, there are reviews on courses of Udemy which state that they not even worth consideration. The difference in opinions can make choosing a course on Udemy quite a task for people.
Yes, it is not possible humanely to check out every single course on the platform to take a call on the credibility of the platform and its courses. What is important is that you must be wary of the fact that almost all the courses offered here are being marketed by the course instructor! Naturally, no instructor will demean their course! Udemy brags of having 80,000 or more courses to select from. Is it not possible for any company to check the quality of so many courses. Make sure you check out the reviews, the ratings, get a background check on the instructor and decide on whether you should opt for the course of not.
EdX:
An online platform's success solely depends on quality content. A site boast of having the top professionals, or a high-end server, exceptional graphics as well as visualizations; however, if the content quality is not up to the mark, the site will not be successful! Though people might flock to any platform initially, word-of-mouth is something that spreads like wildfire. Regarding the courses offered by EdX, there are some conflicting opinions. Some of the students have had an amazingly positive experience in their course, whereas some have reported a few courses to be sloppy. A few people have found the courses to be worth the money, whereas some students stated that the quality of courses is bad due to technical issues on the platform or the instructor not being as great as expected. Mac iOS users have stated crashing of the platform is a regular feat. EdX boasts of having courses of the highest quality and it partners with some of the top universities or institutes. Hence, it must focus on setting right the issues related to the performance of the website or other small issues faced by the users.
Udemy Vs EdX: Certification
Udemy:
In Udemy, a lot of courses provide the completion certificate. However, as no independent verification of the mastery of the subject is possible, there are chances that the certificate value might be questioned by those who are not familiar with you or with the platform.
Some of the courses have got approved for credits and interested students must verify the status pertaining to these courses before they buy the course.
EdX:
EdX has five types of course offerings which are as follows
These Courses are available in many different subject areas and you also get a certificate of completion.
Here, the completion certificate is given to students. Furthermore, the courses are lead by professors from some of the best universities. These courses are the ' higher-level instruction" courses.
These have been created specifically for the college students
(i) Courses which are EdX Verified:These courses are designed in partnership with a lot of top universities/ colleges and these permit the student to receive degree credits.
(ii) XSeries Programs:These courses are created with the aim of enhancing the professional skills of an individual. They provide practical know-how and experiential learning. A few courses might require some prerequisites for enrolment.
Udemy vs EdX: Learning Experience
(iii) High School program:Udemy
When we speak of the learning experience, the experience can differ from one person to another and it relies on various factors like the course selected, the speed of internet connections, the general mood, expectations, etc.
(iv) Courses which are Credit Eligible:
But, you can always find a general consensus on the platform; whether it is fun and worth considering. Udemy gives its instructors advice related to the quality of learning and student engagement. It indicates that the company cares about its students, and intends to make the learning experience the best experience for its students.
EdX:
In general, on this platform, people appear to be divisive about the learning experiences - they are either very happy or very disappointed. There is no mid-ground. However, the platform offers some great courses online despite a few bad ones. In case you wish to take up a high-level education course, EdX would definitely be the preferred choice. You can check the edX reviews which will help you decide on the course.
Pros and Cons of Udemy and EdX
Pros of Udemy
Cons of Udemy
Pros of EdX
Cons of EdX
Conclusion: Udemy Vs EdX 2020
Creating online learning platforms that aim at educating the masses at affordable costs, in itself, is worthy of praise. Sites that are created with the purpose of doing good to society are always welcomed with open arms. Udemy has maintained its reputation as a platform that intends to educate the masses. EdX, too, is one of the top online platforms for learning. Each of these websites offers a huge variety of courses - free as well as paid.
However, what we need to bear in mind is that these platforms are companies and companies also exist to make money! With this thought in place, if you want to learn a new hobby or a new skill or some basic beginner-level courses, you can check out Udemy. In case you wish to go for some higher-level courses offered by some top institutes, then check out EdX. In the end, what needs to be considered is time, money and the requirement; based on which you can choose the online learning platform and the course.
- The courses can be very expensive, especially the top quality courses
- A student might find it tough to take up multiple courses simultaneously
- The quality of instructors and courses varies, as anyone can be an instructor in this platform
- Some of the courses are not genuine and are created for easy money.
- The courses might not be available at all times, hence you might have to wait for your preferred course at times
- The forum is not very engaging
- The forums lack intuitive navigation
