Coursera vs edX 
If you are looking to study with one of the most prestigious online educational platforms out there, then you are probably deciding between edX and Coursera. Deciding on which one is right for you may not be easy.
You may be asking yourself, What are their prices?, How do edX vs Coursera courses compare?, Which one will help me grow professionally? To answer all these questions and help you out choosing the best platform for your goals, I’ve created this in-depth comparison of edX and Coursera.
Let’s get into it!
5-Question Quiz to Decide Which to Use
Compare edX & Coursera Side By Side
Select a platform to compare:
E-Learning Platforms
Overall Rating ?
Best For
Starting From
Ease of Use ?
Convenience ?
Available Platforms
Certifications ?
Categories ?
Free Courses
Content Quality ?
Languages ?
Instructors ?
Course Requirements ?
Course Structure ?
Quizzes and Tests ?
Payments and Refunds
Support ?
edX Vs Coursera Summary
edX and Coursera are both online learning platforms that offer a variety of different courses, professional certificates and degree programs. Both platforms partner with top Universities and Organizations to design and deliver its courses and programs. edX gives you the option to audit its courses for free, or you can choose to purchase a course ranging from $50 to $300 USD. Its Master’s degree programs will set you back between $10,000 and $25,000 USD. Like edX, Coursera gives users the option to learn for free on individual courses, its Specializations and Professional Certificates begin at $39 USD a month and its MasterTrack Certificates can cost you around $2,000 USD. On top of that, its Degree Programs start at $9,000 USD and can take between 2–4 years to complete.
Coursera Plus offers more than 7,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects and job-ready certificate programs, which are all included in the subscription. Whilst edX’s strength is that it focuses on specific subjects like computer science, engineering and humanities. Overall, it’s important that the learner consider what the course is offering, the cost and its academic credit. An ideal way to get started with either platform is by trying out one of its free courses and if you do decide to purchase a course, most offer a refund guarantee apart from the degree programs.
Warm up Round: Which One Is More Popular?
Popularity is not really a category that should make us choose one provider over the other, as sometimes popular products or services aren’t always the best choice. I remember the hype for Google glasses back in 2014, and where are they now?
However, it’s a good way to assess the market and see where each elearning platform stands.
Please note that the screenshot was taken during the COVID-19 period, this explains the spike in the graph.
As you can see in the graph above, there is a clear winner of this popularity contest, Coursera is clearly more popular than edX.
edX was founded in 2012 and is partnered with 250+ prestigious institutions from around the world. In November 2021, it was sold off as a non-profit organization and is now part of a for-profit organization. It has had over 44 million+ users offering more than to 4,000+ courses that are created by their professional partners.
Coursera was also founded in 2012 by two Stanford professors and is partnered with 300+ Universities and Companies. It is an online learning platform that focuses on its partnerships with Universities and Corporations and has had well over 150 million course enrollments. It currently offers more than 5,800 courses, specializations and degrees.
Round 1: Ease-of-Use & Interface
I think we can all agree that having a clear and well-organised interface makes it easy for us to navigate around the platform. So let’s have a look at which one is the most straightforward.
Registration
Registering at edX is pretty straightforward, add your full name, public username, email, password and country of residence. Then you will receive an email from edX asking you to activate your account, and then you are good to go. If you prefer to sign up via Facebook, Google or Microsoft that is also an option.
The registration process at Coursera is similar, but you’ll only need to add your name, email address and create a password and then click Join for Free. There is also the option to register using your Facebook or Apple account if you prefer.
Backend & Design
After you register with edX you will quickly see how easy it is to navigate around the platform. In the navigation bar you will find Courses, Programs & Degrees, Schools & Partners and edX for Business.
If you are looking to learn with a particular School or Partner , you can navigate directly to this page and your chosen institution and read a brief description and also see which courses they offer with edX.
You can use edX from any modern internet browser on your desktop or laptop, or use the app for Apple or Android apps that have a 4.7 rating.
The Coursera platform is really intuitive and easy to navigate, the filter system makes it easy to find what you are looking for. Similarly to edX, Coursera is collaborating with 300+ partners from leading Universities and Companies to create its courses and programs. On its homepage you can navigate to its partners page and read in more detail about the Universities and Companies and which courses and programs they are partnered with.
Coursera is also available from any modern internet browser on your desktop or laptop, or use the Apple app with a 4.8 rating and Android app with a 4.3 rating.
Winner: Coursera does have an easy design and interface, but at times can feel a little packed of information. Whereas edX has a slighter cleaner design, making it easier to find what you are looking for. So, the first point goes to edX.
There you go, edX is leading with 1 point.
Round 2: Courses & Programs
It’s difficult to say who’s got the best courses around, but let’s try to answer a couple of questions, so you know whether to choose edX or Coursera.
Course Information
With so many courses and programs available, it’s challenging to find which one you should use. But some elearning communities make it easier than others to find the relevant information.
edX offers a wide array of courses, from introductory courses to career-focused learning. Offering 3,600+ courses with 32 different categories. edX has a helpful filtering system where you can select Subject, Partner, Program, Level, Availability and Language.
You will also be able to find some Learner testimonials and an FAQ at the bottom of the About the course page. Sadly, the learner testimonials feel quite limited, and they don’t give you a well-rounded review of the course from past students.
Coursera offers more courses than edX – 5,800+ along with specializations and degrees. It has 11 categories, from Data Science to Health, Arts and Humanities and much more, plus dozens of subcategories. Once you have selected your subject, you can then use its helpful filtering system to get really specific about what you are looking for.
Once you have picked your chosen course and are on the About this course page, you will find it is straightforward to navigate around and with a helpful set of filters like Reviews (see image below) which will take you directly to that part of the page. The Reviews are clearly displayed with a profile photo of the learner.
The overall presentation of the About this Course is visually pleasing and nicely structured, making it easy to find what you are looking for.
We have a draw with 1-1
Popular edX and Coursera Courses
edX Courses
Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) – This course is brought to you by the University of Michigan and aims to teach everyone the basics of programming computers using python. You will learn the basics of how to construct a program from a series of simple instructions in Python. This course has a start date for you to enrol on and is 7 weeks long, working 2–4 hours a week.
Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles – This course is brought to you by Harvard University, and it helps to mobilize people to tackle tough problems and build the capacity to thrive. This is an introductory course, where you will explore strategies for leading in a changing world. This course has a start date for you to enrol on and is 4 weeks long, working 2–3 hours a week.
Python Basics for Data Science – This course is brought to you by IBM that is a beginner-friendly introduction to Python for Data Science. The objective of this course is to get you started with Python and give you a taste of how to start working with data in Python. This course has a start date for you to enrol on and is 5 weeks long, working 2-5 hours a week.
Solar Energy Engineering – This MicroMasters Program is brought to you by TU Delft where you will master the technical knowledge for a career in solar energy. The program is taught by photovoltaics research experts from TU Delft, and it includes real-world applications. This program has a start date for you to enrol on and will take you 1 year and 1 month to complete, working 9–10 hours a week.
Product Management Fundamentals – This course is brought to you by University of Maryland and is to help you understand the keys to successfully navigating the roles and responsibilities of being a product manager. This course defines the product manager’s position in an organization and the key responsibilities. This course has a start date for you to enrol on and is 4 weeks long, working 2-3 hours a week.
Coursera Courses
Machine Learning – A free course to learn the science of getting computers to act without being programmed. It has had more than 4,000,000 students enrolled on the course and a 4.9 (out of 5) rating from student feedback. The course instructor is Andrew Ng the Co-founder of Coursera. You have the option to upgrade and purchase the course, where you will earn the certificate for $49 USD.
Getting Started with Power BI Desktop – A 2-hour long project-based course, where you will learn the basics of using Power BI Desktop software. It’s offered by Coursera project network for beginners, with over 30,000 already enrolled and a 4.7 (out of 5) rating from student feedback. It costs $9.99 USD to take this guided project.
Python for Everybody Specialization – A Specialization to learn to program and analyze data with Python. It has had more than 1,000,000 students enrolled in this specialization and a 4.8 (out of 5) rating from student feedback. The course instructor is Charles Russell Severance and partnered with the University of Michigan. It will take approximately 8 months to complete, and costs $49 USD a month, with a 7-day free trial available.
Facebook Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate – A Professional Certificate to launch your career in social media marketing to build job-ready skills and credentials. It has had more than 50,000 students enrolled in this professional certificate and a 4.9 (out of 5) rating from student feedback. The course instructor is Anke Audenaert and partnered with Facebook. It will take approximately 7 months to complete, and costs $49 USD a month, with a 7-day free trial available.
Machine Learning for Analytics – In this 4-course program, you’ll develop skills in statistics and machine learning to advance your career as a data science professional. The certificate is partnered with The University of Chicago and will take you 5 months to complete. You can either do a 1 off payment for $3,900 USD or 4 payments for $1,000 USD monthly.
BSc Computer Science – Earn a Bachelors Degree with University of London to give you a strong foundation in Computer Science and specialized knowledge of topics such as Data Science, Artificial Intelligence and Web Development. The Bachelors degree should take you 3–6 years and will cost you between £11,229 – £16,790 ($15,230 – $22,872 USD). You will need to apply for the Bachelors Degree.
Round 3: Free Courses At edX & Coursera
A popular question I get asked frequently is: Where do I find the best free courses?
The truth is, it really does depend on what you are looking for. If you are looking to learn a skill without the need of a certificate or proof you have studied on that course, then studying for free is probably right for you.
edX offers the option on its courses to take the Audit Track (see image above), meaning you will be able to learn for free. This does come with its limitations, like access to the course materials, you won’t receive a certificate of completion, and you can’t participate in graded assignments and exams. But it’s hard to complain, isn’t it? When you are learning for free from top Universities and Organizations.
Coursera offers more than 2,800+ courses for free, these courses are really easy to find. When you land on the homepage and click on ‘Explore’ in the header, there is an option that says ‘Take a free course’. Once there, you will find all the free courses available (see image below). You won’t be able to receive a certificate with the free version of these courses, but if you do change your mind and want to purchase the course, you can upgrade later on and that way receive a certificate.
Coursera, like edX offers the option to audit the course, which means you will get access to most of the course material for free, but you won’t be able to submit certain assignments, get grades for your work or earn a course certificate. The only real difference to edX is the fact that the ‘Audit the course’ option is a little more hidden and some learners may miss it (see image below).
Round 4: Available Languages at edX & Coursera
This will be a short round, I promise.
edX courses are mostly taught in English. Some courses are offered in other languages such as Spanish, French or Chinese, but this obviously can’t be promised on all courses. I think it is best to presume the course will probably be in English.
Whereas Coursera has a wide range of languages available including the following; English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Chinese, Chinese (Traditional) and more. The majority of the video lessons have an interactive transcript (also available on the mobile app).
Once you have selected your subject category, you are then able to view what languages are available with the filter system.
Winner: Coursera wins this one hands down.
This leaves the score 3-2, Coursera is leading this one.
Round 5: edX Vs Coursera Certificates
If you are considering edX or Coursera for its accredited certificates, then you are considering the right types of elearning platforms.
When you successfully pass an edX course, you will receive a verified certificate. The verified certificate includes; The course name, The instructor’s signature, The logo of the partner institution, valid certificate ID.
Learners who originally audit the course can still upgrade to a verified certificate. The fee of the verified certificates vary from course to course.
Coursera works in a similar way, once you have completed a course with Coursera you will receive a verified certificate that includes: The course name, The instructor’s signature, the logo of the partner institution, A verification URL that allows others to check the Certificate’s authenticity, A statement that Coursera has confirmed the identity of the learner who completed the course.
You will be able to download, print and share your certificates. Like edX if you take the course in the audit mode, you can then upgrade to a paid Certificate at any time during your audit.
edX is partnered with some top institutions like Harvard and MIT and Coursera alike has partnerships with Duke and Imperial College, which are very impressive.
Winner: Again it is going to have to be a draw with both edX and Coursera taking a point each.
The score is 4-3 to Coursera
Round 6: Course Quality & Instructors
Finding the right instructor can be key for your learning success, you want to feel it is someone you can connect with and is passionate about the subject they are teaching that will keep you engaged and motivated.
At edX its courses are taught by an instructor from one its top partnered institutions, which is reassuring that the instructors are top experts in their fields.
You can read a small blurb about his or her prior experience and social links, and it also highlights their areas of expertise.
Every course at Coursera is created alongside its partnered institution, which is reassuring the course is top quality. Before the courses are open to the public, they will use Beta testers (experts and enthusiasts) to review and give feedback to ensure it is of the highest quality.
An instructor rating is included in the course description, you can then click to read his/her bio and prior experience and social media links. In this case, the instructor of this course is also the Co-Founder of Coursera.
Winner: This one will have to go to Coursera, for its high course quality and top Instructors.
That means Coursera is out in the lead with 5-3
Round 7: Is edX or Coursera’s Support Better
I really like the edX help center, you can almost find out anything that you want help with. Plus you can click on popular topics like Courses, Certificates, Payments & Refunds directly.
They have a detailed FAQ and a helpful Contact Us option to submit a support ticket including subject, course name and details and edX will get back in touch.
Coursera offers a very similar support system to edX where you can search for a specific topic, or you can check out directly popular topics like Account Setup, Payments, Enrollment etc.
Coursera also offers a live chat along as you are logged in. This can be particularly helpful if you are looking for something very specific and the standard help articles aren’t enough.
Winner: This is a tricky one, but because of its live chat support. Coursera just about gets this one.
Coursera is doing something right with 6-3
Round 8: Which One Is Better for Businesses
Many businesses and organizations like to offer their employees a source to keep on learning and develop their professional skills. edX and Coursera aren’t an exception.
edX for Business delivers on-demand elearning solutions to help companies grow and thrive. The platform supports companies of all sizes to upskill its employees with content from top Companies like Google and IBM. Its pricing is customized depending on how big your team is and what exactly it is you are looking for.
Coursera offers training and development programs that have been developed by top institutions for Businesses. Coursera has a couple of packages, Team and Enterprise. The Team package is for teams and small organizations and is $399 USD a year for each user in a team or small organization, giving them access to over 5,400+ courses. The second option is the Custom Pricing that is larger organizations.
Winner: Both platforms share some similarities in what they are offering, but it seems that edX really focuses on curating personalized for its team and business.
That means edX takes a point we are now at 6-4. Still with Coursera in the lead
Round 9: edx vs Coursera Pricing
The price of your course will be a deciding factor when choosing an elearning platform, if you can’t afford its cost, maybe you should look for cheaper alternatives, right?
| edX | Coursera | |
|---|---|---|
| Free courses | All courses (Audit this Course) | 6,000+ free courses (Plus Audit the Course) |
| Individual course prices | $50 to $300 USD a course | $9.99 to $79 USD a course |
| Specialist Program (e.g.degree or Masters) | Starting at $299 to $10,000 USD | Starting at $2,000 to $9,000 USD |
| Platforms | Desktop, iOS & Android | Desktop, iOS & Android |
| More information | Visit edx.org | Visit coursera.org |
Coursera Plus is another payment method which lets pay by subscription either monthly or annually and gives you unlimited access to 7,000+ courses. There is no limit to the number of courses you enroll in, and you will earn a course certificate for every course you successfully complete. The monthly fee costs $59 USD a month, which you can cancel at any time and the annual fee costs $339 USD which comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee. Be mindful that the Coursera Plus subscription doesn’t include degrees or Mastertrack certificates.
Winner: This is a close one, but due to the fact Coursera offers a few different payment methods, the point has to go to them.
The score is 7-4 to Coursera winning the comparison
Bonus Round: edX & Coursera Alternatives
There are times when neither edX nor Coursera are the right option, and you may be looking for something else. It could be a more diverse range of courses or a strong sense of online community. So, I have put together a few alternatives for you to consider.
Datacamp
It’s an online learning platform that specializes in topics like data science and analytics. Its 420+ courses are bite sized and engaging. You can choose between learning a new technology, Career Tracks or Skill Tracks.
If you are looking for a platform that delivers high-quality courses that are built in partnership with industry leaders and recognized by future employees, then Datacamp maybe for you.
Visit datacamp.comUdemy
If a variety of courses is something that you are looking for, then you are considering the right online learning platform. Udemy offers such a diversity of courses, there really is no limit to what you could learn with categories like “Finance & Accounting” to “Lifestyle”.
If you are looking for a career change and develop professional skills or looking to dabble in an exciting new hobby like cake decorating, then Udemy has it all. It offers 500+ courses for free, so you can try out the platform before financially committing.
Visit udemy.com Read Udemy reviewSkillshare
Not only does Skillshare offer a generous 1-month free trial, but its highly engaged community of learners makes it appealing for many. Many of its classes involve peer assessments, which keeps its classes interactive and fun.
Skillshare believes in the importance of community to empower one another, from members to teachers and to employees.
Visit Skillshare.com Read Skillshare reviewFinal thoughts: edX vs Coursera
Hopefully, this detailed edX vs Coursera comparison has cleared up most of your questions and doubts. You may now have a better idea as to which online learning is right for you. I have highlighted below their strengths and weaknesses to give you a takeaway summary of each platform.
edX Pros
- Free Courses: You have the option to audit a course, which means learning on a course for free, this does come with some limitations like no graded assignments or certificate.
- Accredited: edX offers accredited courses and learning programs that are partnered with top Universities and Organizations.
- Refund Policy: edX offers a 14-day refund policy, if you decide within the first 2 weeks that the course or learning program isn’t for you, you’ll have a money-back guarantee.
- Flexibility: The Majority of its courses are self-paced, so you can learn at a time that suits you.
edX Cons
- Limited Topics: edX specializes in academic topics and sciences, if you are looking for alternative categories, it might be best to check out platforms like MasterClass or Skillshare.
- Prior Knowledge: Some courses or learning programs at edX maybe require prior knowledge as some of its courses can be quite challenging.
Coursera Pros
- Partners: Coursera partners with top Universities (e.g. Stanford University) and Organizations (e.g. Google) to create its courses and learning programs.
- Free Courses: Coursera offers 2,600+ courses for free, even though it comes with some limitations e.g. no certificate, you are still learning for nothing.
- Wide Range: The variety of courses and learning programs is more than any other online learning platform, there is something for all users.
- Affordable: It’s learning programs and degrees are very affordable when you compare it to the cost of an on-campus degree or Masters.
- Community: A supportive community who shares, provides support and feedback to one another.
Coursera Cons
- Prior Knowledge: So learning programs and degrees will require learners to have prior knowledge before taking the program.
- No Career Services: Sadly, no career services are available for learners who are looking to be supported post course or learning program.
edX Vs Coursera: FAQs
Both edX and Coursera offer courses and learning programs that have been designed by partnered Universities and Organizations, so when you successfully complete a course you will receive an accredited certificate from the partnered University or Organization. edX focuses more on humanities and natural sciences, whereas Coursera focuses on topics like computer science and business degrees. Deciding on the best platform for you depends on your personal preferences and the specific courses you’re interested in.
Even though both platforms are partnered with prestigious Universities’ and Institutions to create its courses and programs. Some of the key differences are that edX primarily partners with higher education institutions, whereas Coursera has a larger base of partners from multiple industries. Overall, Coursera has a much larger and wider of courses and programs than edX.
47 comments
Alex
2 December 2022, 16:19
Very useful, thanks! Its annoying that coursea is trying to push users to pay for their subsription service, rather than giving us more freedom to get all the products individually.
Kris
18 December 2022, 00:12
I don’t think they are pushing hard… and to be honest it looks that I’ll continue only with coursera (even if I still have more respect to edX and love cs50, not available on coursera) due to lack of annual subscription option for ‘membership’ on edX. If you want to do one course only its not an issue but if you are hungry for knowledge (certified) maths are looking far better on annual subscription prices…unless you want to rush through the courses in 7 days on coursera… free cert, yay! but on some courses it’s not possible and deadlines are approaching super fast so brace for impact. If someone from edX reads this comment I beg you to pass this message: annual subscription option needed to keep our relationship alive! Furthermore, I’d bet the spike on search results putting coursera in the strong lead for ‘popularity’ was driven mainly by their collaborations with loads of universities during lockdowns. A lot of courses were made available for free to their students, next it went on 1 free choice per year (which was still awesome, specially before they locked out 1 choice being an option on full specialization)…but this is now discontinued so it might be a great time for edX to step up and address that demand to get back on top. I’m a poor postgrad student living on a scholarship, and even despite the fact that I have access to pretty much any course available in any school of my uni (…and summer schools all over the world… and I can even jump through some hoops and go on industry courses if I can justify its need – joys of multidisciplinary research) my priority number one for optimizing my access to education with accreditation would be annual subscription to edX and coursera…being semi-true while joking about being a composite ‘alumni’ of harvard, mit, stanford, yale, hopkins, epfl and oxford is priceless in academia 😉
P.s.: beware subscriptions are an awesome business model for both sides of the deal…as long as you can avoid postponing your homework for ‘tomorrow’ on regular basis. Subscription require a lot of self discipline, which seems to be a dying feature these days! I bet all my money on gym industry collapse if all their customers paying for memberships would go there once a week…queues to enter the building would be starting miles from it
Catherine Cooke
2 December 2022, 16:54
Thanks Alex for your comment. Coursera does offer lots of different learning programs with a wide price range. I hope you find what you are looking for 🙂
Saanvi Bhalla
27 June 2022, 18:01
Excellent info share…….”excellently done/articulated/structured/created” …..crisp, intuitive…..even when it is so difficult these days to differentiate between Potato-Potaato..you know the rest (When Harry Met Sally)…….Thank you so very much
Catherine Cooke
29 June 2022, 17:28
Thanks so much Saanvi for your lovely comment. So happy the article was so helpful for you and has given you some clear differentiations between the two platforms. Happy learning 🙂
ABED
6 May 2022, 12:05
So for both EDX and Coursera you can’t have professional certificates with the annual subscription for any course you want?
Kris
18 December 2022, 00:13
Sadly, only on coursera. I would be delighted to see such option on edX
darthvader
19 March 2022, 13:13
I am trying to figure out whether to go for the Coursera Plus subscription. It seems that Coursera prices are way lower if you want to complete Specializations. Even otherwise, it feels that edX has comparatively much higher prices.
To the point that I feel that price sort of becomes an overwhelming factor in this case?
Catherine Cooke
20 March 2022, 16:47
Thanks for your comment. I agree it can sometimes feel a little overwhelming to decide on the right online learning platform. What I would say is that Coursera Plus subscription is a good option if you want to try out multiple courses. But if you are focused on one particular course or learning program from either Coursera or edX its best to just pay for the individual program. Good luck with your decision 🙂
Wumi
3 February 2022, 11:29
Thank you very much, Catherine. Your article is very helpful. It is just what I needed. For flexibility, I will just go ahead with Coursera.
Catherine Cooke
3 February 2022, 17:40
So glad it’s so helpful and helped your decision, Wumi. Happy learning 🙂
Dan
2 December 2021, 09:30
On Coursera,I can still find free and open courses of high quality allowing access to all learning materials. Absent that, I’d avoid it and the platform issues around usability that have crept in there, even for free courses. Once in a while, I purchase a certtificate to show my appreciation. Coursera also presents more than a few courses with very unprofessional production values, and for which they would be unwise to expect many learners to purchase certificates. Generally, edX courses maintain high production and pedagogical values, and I support that platform as well by purchasing course certificates. The sham contest in this blog post simply sets us up for the author’s preferences laid on overall popularity. This is simply uninformative to anyone not disposed simply to jump onto something they hope is viral. Diligent students will (eventually) find good value on both platforms. One remark I can make confidently is that the scheduling constraints imposed at edX result in a much more vigorous community of learners asking questions and giving feedback. This is sadly absent in many Coursera courses that I have found otherwise quite valuable. It is worth mentioning in closing that edX has also very recently transitioned away from a non-profit orientation, and has been sold to a business that operates for revenue and profit. I don’t think this is a bad thing; too much free lunch is not a sustainable prospect.
Catherine Cooke
9 December 2021, 10:59
Thanks Dan, for your insightful and detailed comment. It is really helpful for potential users to hear about your experience of the two platforms. Good luck for future learning 🙂
Bibhu Prasad Panigrahi
23 November 2021, 03:47
An important difference that I learned after losing a lot of money is that edX courses are inflexible in terms of time. I had paid a hefty amount in advance for the Micromasters in Data Science course from MIT on EdX just before the pandemic. During the pandemic, I missed the deadline for a course I was enrolled in. I had no idea that I will never get a chance again after missing the deadline for just one assignment. I was not allowed to move ahead in the course and eventually the course was archived after some time. The course was not available again for a year. Since the payment was valid for a limited time, I wrote to the course advisor repeatedly for help. I received only very curt, almost rude, replies that I will have to wait for the course to be available again without any idea about when I could expect that. They also refused to refund the money since the deadline had passed.
After this ordeal, I vowed never to use edX again. I have completed dozens of courses and specializations on Coursera without any issue. The courses are always available and deadlines can always be reset. This is so important for working professionals like me who cannot predict how much time they can devote to learning in a given period.
To me Coursera is 10/10 and edX is 0/10.
Catherine Cooke
23 November 2021, 15:46
Thanks Bibhu for your comment. Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience with edX, but happy to hear you have had such a great experience with Coursera. I hope your positive learning experience continues with Coursera 🙂
Jenny
15 November 2021, 13:13
I just did a similar programming course with Coursera and edX and did not enjoy Coursera at all. Little to no help, tons of people in the forums asking questions with no response and confusing study material that failed to show the connection between the material you read and watch versus the assignment given. The course at edX however had a very engaging moderator who was constantly in the forum helping people out and answering questions and the biggest positive was the course material was clearly laid out so that the assignment could be solved if you re-reviewed the chapter and looked at prior chapters to connect dots. Neither class was easy but the one at edX gave me the tools and help needed to ensure I could pass.
Tom
8 March 2022, 08:41
Jenny, Wow I just had the opposite with edX. I took 3 courses (paid) and found zero (OK I got 2 student replies from over 100 comments and posts among the 3 courses). Other than that not a single comment or question was replied to by anyone. Even with big guns from Harvard etc. the questions and tests had a good number of errors and one course had a survey that didn’t work and I don’t think it ever did (I opened a ticket with the university and followed up several times and finally they said it was not connected to their system, but it should work now. So its been online for 3 years and they never got a single survey back? Did anyone care or notice? Also, there are a good number of flaws and errors with the UI and highlighting a persons name to see their posts and comments does not match their actual number of posts (by a lot). The dates on the courses also have issues and don’t always match (I got that as a reply from another ticket with a date on a course years in the future). A lot of edX courses are 5-10 years old, but you can’t see that. Lastly its not a non-profit organization anymore and I think they pulled out whatever money they could from a outdated and broken platform, which is very sad. It died in a terrible state. I should not have invested any time in the three courses, and I really gave them my best effort with lots of hope, even when things looked bad, I kept posting replying etc. etc.
Catherine Cooke
15 November 2021, 17:36
Thanks Jenny for your comment. I am happy to hear you had such a great learning experience with edX and the moderator was so involved in answering questions and gave you the tools you need to pass the course. Good luck with any future learning you do 🙂
ALVARO
7 November 2021, 08:40
Thanks Catherine, this is an outstanding review and very helpful for many of us! Cheers.
Catherine Cooke
7 November 2021, 19:23
You are welcome, Alvaro. So happy, it’s so helpful and will help you choose the right online learning platform for you 🙂
Guy
27 October 2021, 18:24
Thanks Catherine and Josep for this great article! It really helps! 🙂
Catherine Cooke
28 October 2021, 07:27
Thank you, Guy. So happy you enjoyed the article 🙂
April
12 October 2021, 17:48
What a great review! I initially enrolled for edX’s IBM data analyst fundamental professional certificate (3 courses) at ~300USD while the full program (9 courses) was near USD800.
I then found out that Coursera offered the same full program (9 courses) for way cheaper (provided you choose the right plan + other factors such as learning time)
So bummed. Wished I chanced upon this article earlier
Tim
17 February 2022, 13:07
May I ask if you have completed the courses on edx/Coursera? If it is any connsolation, I enrolled on the IBM R Specialization (5 courses) from Coursera but the experience is bad. I am on week 5 of the introduction to R course now. I am told to use IBM cloud to complete the exercise to finish the course. However, the cloud platform is terrible (it is a free version), it is like I can never set up the environment to start doing something meaningful. I enrolled on the second course of the Specialization (also on Coursera). It is about SQL. Again, the platform where I work on the exercises/assignments kept crashing, and I could not finish the course either.
In terms of course quality, the two courses practically teach you very little, it took me a lot of googling to grasp some basic concept. I am wondering if the similar courses in edx (provided by IBM) are the same?
Catherine Cooke
13 October 2021, 10:11
Thanks April, for your comment and feedback. I hope you still had a positive learning experience 🙂
Eduardo Cordeiro
16 June 2021, 22:56
superb review!
Catherine Cooke
19 June 2021, 11:09
Thank you Eduardo. So happy it was helpful. Happy learning 🙂
MoroccanNerd
2 June 2021, 19:37
thanks for this well detailed comparaison, i was hesitant between the two but after this i think that i have a winner.
Catherine Cooke
3 June 2021, 11:01
Thanks so much. Really pleased it helped you make the decision on which platform is right for you 🙂
Aditya Sharma
1 June 2021, 09:04
Loved the article. Filled with information. Great work!!!!!
Catherine Cooke
1 June 2021, 09:15
Thanks so much Aditya. Happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Gabrielle Rankine
31 May 2021, 15:53
Wow that was very detailed and clear. Thank you
Catherine Cooke
31 May 2021, 16:06
Thanks, Gabrielle. Happy it was helpful. Good luck and happy learning 🙂
Prateek
31 May 2021, 05:50
Great info and comparison.
Catherine Cooke
31 May 2021, 07:58
Thank you, Prateek. Happy you enjoyed the comparison 🙂
Hammaad
28 May 2021, 14:23
Great Helppp 🙂 .. Thank Youuu
Catherine Cooke
29 May 2021, 06:57
Thank you, Hammaad. Happy it was so helpful 🙂
Alex
17 May 2021, 15:30
After reading this, I think Coursera is the better option. LOVELY <3
Catherine Cooke
17 May 2021, 15:48
Thanks, Alex. Happy the article was helpful, and that Coursera is right for you. Happy learning 🙂
Catherine Cooke
10 May 2021, 07:50
Thanks, Irving, for your comment. That is true with Coursera you are able to move to the next chapter instantly once you are finished which for learners working at a quicker pace, it is definitely a plus. Thank you again for sharing 🙂
Irving Bennett
9 May 2021, 22:10
I enjoyed your article very much! I have used both platforms, and have many certificates from Coursera, none from EdX. I have completed many edX audited courses, and I have always chafed at their time structure. If you complete a chapter promptly, you still have to wait until the next one becomes available. With Coursera, if I cram a chapter, I can instantly move to the next one. To me that makes a huge difference! That is why I have paid the Coursera Plus $399 fee. I have considered trying edX, but they don’t have something like Coursera Plus. That, and it’s time structure, keep me off edX.
Also, I am a Coursera Beta Tester. Every Monday we get an email with courses we can opt to beta test. It’s a great way to find out what is coming up!
O T
10 March 2021, 08:31
Very helpful article. Thank you!
Catherine Cooke
10 March 2021, 20:17
Thank you, Omar. I am happy you found it helpful. Happy learning 🙂
Chris
26 February 2021, 16:17
Thanks for the indepth comparison! Very helpful.
Catherine Cooke
27 February 2021, 19:01
Thanks, Chris. I am happy you found it helpful. Happy learning 🙂
The Ghost
20 December 2020, 13:32
You missed out that Coursera offers 100% financial support to some learners!
Catherine Cooke
17 February 2021, 12:05
Thank you. I will make sure that I add this to the review 🙂