When I was exploring online learning platforms to upskill for a career change, edX quickly caught my attention. With courses from top universities like Harvard and MIT, it offers everything from free classes to full degrees—perfect for anyone looking to land flexible jobs or level up their career. But with so many options out there, how does edX compare? In this review, I’ll break down edX pricing, its best courses, and how it stacks up against edX alternatives, so you can make the right choice and master productivity on your learning journey. Please stick around whilst we delve a little deeper into this detailed edX review.
To make sure this edX review is informative and helpful, I’ve taken time thoroughly researching edX courses and programs, instructors, pricing, refund policies, and examined feedback from edX users. Furthermore, my Master’s in Teaching and Education and years of experience of using online learning platforms, has equipped me to creating this well-rounded review.
Catherine CookeUpskillwise Advisor
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edX Summary
edX is a leading online learning platform offering 4,000+ courses, certificates, and degree programs in collaboration with top universities and organizations. Subjects include Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Business, Humanities, Engineering, and more.
Courses are mostly instructor-led with set start and end dates. Many are free to explore via the Audit Track, though this limits access to features like graded assignments and certificates. To unlock everything and earn a certificate, you can pay for the Verified Track.
There’s no subscription—each course or program is paid for individually, with a 14-day refund policy if you change your mind. For teams, edX for Business offers custom-curated learning paths. Whether you’re building career-ready skills or working toward a full degree, edX is a solid choice—and starting with a free course is a great way to dive in.
Visit edXPros & Cons
Pros
Free Courses
edX gives you the option to audit the course, which means to learn for free. This grants you temporary access to the course materials, but it will mean you won’t earn a certificate or graded assignments. If you change your mind, you’ll have the option to upgrade to a paid version.
Verified Certificates
When you successfully complete a course or program, you’ll receive a verified certificate.
Partnerships
Courses are partnered with prestigious organizations, universities and companies like Harvard, Berkeley and Microsoft.
Learning Programs
edX offers a wide variety of different courses, learning programs and degrees, to help upskill all learners.
Refund Policy
If you decide within 14 days of purchasing a verified course or program that you don’t want to continue, edX will give you a full refund.
Variety of Learning
edX offers a wide variety of different courses, learning programs and degrees, to help upskill all learners.
Cons
Limited Interaction
Many courses and programs don’t offer personalized feedback from instructors. This is something to consider if you are looking for this.
Limited Topics
edX specializes in higher education and the sciences, so you won’t find all the topics like (e.g. baking or filmmaking). Alternatively, if you looking for a broader range of creative topics, check out Skillshare or Udemy.
Inconsistency
As edX courses and programs are built in collaboration with its partners, you may find some lack structure or don’t follow a consistent framework.
Who is edX For?
You may be asking yourself, Is edX right for me?
That’s a hard one to answer, especially depending on your goals, budget and time commitment. Saying that, edX does offer a wide range of courses and learning programs, so there is a big chance there is something for you.
Courses
edX offers individual courses, which cover just one topic in detail, and when you successfully complete it you’ll earn a verified certificate.
XSeries
This is normally a group of 3 or more courses that explore a certain skill or topic. The majority of these programs are offered by University partners.
Professional Certificate Program
These programs focus on career development and are corporate-sponsored, that are grouped into 3 or more courses and advance as you progress.
MicroBachelors Program
These are a series of 3 to 5 courses that are designed to help you be job ready. On top of that, after completing these courses, you can opt to earn undergraduate credit.
MicroMasters Program
A series of 3 or more graduate level courses, that are offered by top Universities and sponsored by industry partners. Some of these programs may give you the opportunity to transfer course credit to continue into an on-campus Master’s Degree program.
Online Master’s Degree
Its online master’s degrees are delivered by top Universities, hen you successfully complete one you’ll receive a diploma which is the same as on campus student would receive.
Boot Camps and Executive Education
All Boot Camps and Executive courses are delivered on its partner sites, when you successfully complete one you’ll earn a certificate from the partner, not edX.
Getting Started on edX
When you land, on edX’s homepage, you navigate to its top courses. Its main course subjects are Data Science, Computer Science, Business, Engineering, Design and much more.
edX is a platform that offers a wide variety of courses and programs, there is a high chance you’ll find something that interests you. Its important to be aware that learning with edX, is for serious learning and to be taken seriously.
In short, edX is good for:
- Professionals looking to gain skills
- Learn at your own pace
- Verified certificates to add to their academic or professional portfolios
- Gain knowledge to advance on your careers
- Individuals looking for affordable courses
Remember that edX certificates are verified and are likely to be recognized by future employers.
edX for Business
edX doesn’t only offer plans for individuals, it has plans for Businesses. edX for Business customizes plans to upskill and train your employees. As all its learning pathways are curated for each business and team, sadly it has no indication of pricing. It has worked with well recognized companies like Mercedes-Benz, Goldman Sachs and Hilton.
edX for Business offers thousands of courses from world-class content that are informed by science to motivate and engage learners to maximize learning. The administration and learner dashboards provide insight into learner progress while services are available to solve employee skill gaps.
Try edX For BusinessedX Pricing
edX offers a diverse range of courses and programs, each with pricing that matches the depth and type of learning experience. If you have a smaller budget, you can start with a verified track, which allows you to audit courses for free for as little as $50. If you’re aiming to enhance your career skills quickly and effectively, a Professional Certificate program might be the best fit, offering targeted, job-relevant courses. For more foundational learning, MicroBachelors programs are perfect for those seeking college credit or foundational skills in a specific subject, while XSeries programs and Short Courses provide more flexibility for exploring new areas of interest without a large time commitment.
If you have a larger budget and can dedicate more time, MicroMasters programs are designed to build advanced skills and may even count toward a full Master’s degree, while online Master’s Degree programs allow you to earn a respected credential entirely online, directly from top universities. Each program caters to different learning goals, making it easy to find the path that aligns with your needs and schedule.
Choose How To Enrol on an edX course
- If you choose to Audit this course, you will learn for free but won’t have access to all the course material, and won’t earn a verified certificate when you complete the course.
- Whereas, if you opt to ‘Pursue the Verified track’ you will have access to all the course material and earn your verified certificate.
For a more detailed breakdown of edX’s pricing, feel free to check out our detailed pricing guide. It covers everything you need to know!
How To Open an edX Account?
The registration process for edX is super easy. The design and layout of its platform are clean and intuitive. I will outline here the steps taken to register:
- Open a browser and visit edx.org
- Click Register for free in the top-right corner
- Or Register with Apple, Facebook, Google or Microsoft
- Add your Full name, Email, Public username, Password and Country/Region
- Click Create an account for free
Once you have created your account and all signed in you can click on Explore Courses and begin checking out what edX offers.
You can then begin to by checking out either the Courses or Programs & Degrees. There is a big pool of courses/programs to choose from it will be difficult to get bored.
If you are looking to refine your search further, you can use the filters like Subject, Partner, Program, Level, Language, Availability and Learning Type.
Most Popular edX Courses
I thought it would be helpful to highlight the popular subjects and courses that learners are enjoying to give you a taste of what is most popular on edX.
Computer Science
Introduction to Cloud Development with HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript – This course is brought to you by IBM and will take you on the first steps to become a Cloud Application Developer. You will be taken through the programming languages and tools you need to develop your own Cloud and Web Applications. This course is self-paced and 4 weeks long, working 1–2 hours per week.
Introduction to Cloud Development
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.
Programming for EverybodyBusiness
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.
Exercising LeadershipIntroduction to Project Management – This course is brought to you by the University of Adelaide where you will learn the principle of project management and apply them in your own work and life. You will learn practical ways to explore and understand your goals of your project and consider factors that may affect it. This course has a start date for you to enrol on and is 6 weeks long, working 2–3 hours a week.
Introduction to Project ManagementData Science
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.
Python Basics for Data ScienceProbability – The Science of Uncertainty and Data – This course is brought to you by MIT and helps you build foundational knowledge of data science. This course will cover the basic probability concepts and will enable you to apply tools of probability into the real-world. This course has a start date for you to enrol on and is 16 weeks long working 10–14 hours a week.
Probability – The Science of Uncertainty and DataEngineering
Embedded Systems Essentials with Arm: Get Practical with Hardware – This course is brought to you by Arm Education where you will learn practical skills and confidence to build your own embedded system using the popular and affordable ST Nucleo F401RE development board. This course has a start date for you to enrol on and is 4 weeks long, working 3–6 hours a week.
Embedded Systems EssentialsSolar 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.
Solar Energy EngineeringDesign
The Architectural Imagination – This course is brought to you by Harvard University and is designed for you to learn the fundamental principles of architecture. You will learn how to read, analyze and understand different forms of architectural representation and much more. This course has a start date for you to enrol on and is 10 weeks long, working 3–5 hours a week.
The Architectural ImaginationProduct Management Fundamentals – This course is brought to you by the 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.
Product Management FundamentalsedX Customer Reviews
To provide a comprehensive perspective in this edX review, I’ve delved into customer feedback from two review sites: Trustpilot and Sitejabber. This approach enables us to gather insights from a diverse range of users and gain a deeper understanding of their experiences with the platform.
When analyzing Trustpilot data, from 1,291 users that covers that 1-5 star ratings. We found the majority of users, 69% to be accurate awarded the platform with a 5-star rating, while only 8% opted for a 1-star rating. At Sitejabber, feedback was only taken from 6 users, so although it’s a small amount, I wanted to include it in this study, that left edX with an overall rating of 4.17 out of 5 stars.
| Rating | Trustpilot | Sitejabber |
|---|---|---|
| 5-star | 69% | 4 |
| 4-star | 16% | 1 |
| 3-star | 4% | 0 |
| 2-star | 3% | 0 |
| 1-star | 8% | 1 |
| Overall | 2.6 out of 5 stars | 4.17 out of 5 stars |
Data gathered on 11/09/2023
As I delved into the 5-star reviews, I found many customers were happy with the quality of learning, course partnerships and customer services. “I always wanted to study with Harvard and Cambridge…so it was a great opportunity to experience their teaching too…Kind and helpful customer service too” a happy five-star reviewer said.
On the downside, many of the 1-star reviews were disappointed in the teaching quality, customer service, bad user experience. “Teacher was impatient with students and unprepared to start the course” an unhappy one-star reviewer said.
7 Tips To Find The Perfect edX Course
If you are feeling a little hesitant about which course is the right one for you – Do not fear. I thought it would be helpful to put together some helpful tips to help you choose the right course.
Search and filter
A very helpful feature is the use of the filters in the search bar. If you have a topic or area you want to search for, you then have the option to narrow down your search by selecting the following filters like Subject, Partner, Program, Level, Language, Availability and Learning Type. This can save some time if you already have an idea of what you are looking for
Course syllabus
A clear breakdown of what topics to expect each week during the course. This gives you a broad overview of the course as a whole and highlights what will be covered and when.
Audit Course
When you enrol in a course on edX, you are given two learning options. One is to Pursue the Verified Track (paid option) and the other one Audit the Course. If you choose the latter you are opting to learn for free, which means you won’t have access to all the learning material and at the end of the course you will not be able to earn a verified certificate.
However, checking out the course for free may be an excellent way to decide if it’s right for you (and pay for the full access later on).
Learner testimonials
At the end of every ‘About the course’ section, you will find ‘Learner testimonials’. These testimonials give you first-hand feedback on what the experience was like for others. However, there are minimal testimonials and I have only found a maximum of 2 testimonials per course. A more extensive range of testimonials would be more insightful.
Verified Certificate
The majority of edX courses offer verified certificates for a fee (assuming you successfully complete the course), this cost varies depending on the course. Every official and verified certificate will be signed by the instructor and have the partnered institution’s logo to prove your achievement. The certificates will require you to confirm your identity before you can receive it.
Your verified certificate can be connected to your Linkedin profile and your achievement added to your CV which can help to improve your job prospects.
Meet your instructors
Included in each course description is a ‘Meet your instructors’ section which will take you to a small blurb about his or her prior experience and social links. It also highlights their areas of expertise which I think is a really nice touch and helps you get a better idea of the instructor’s specialised areas.
This is super helpful for you to know more about who will be teaching the course and gives you insight into the way the course will be taught. Check out if you like how it sounds.
Schools and Partners
edX courses are created by one of their 250+ prestigious partnered institutions. If it is important for you to study with a particular school or partner, you have the option to view all the institutions that are partnered with edX here. You can then choose your preferred institution and start to browse all the online courses that they specifically offer.
edX regularly partners with different types of organizations from all around the world from academic institutions to non-profit institutions or national governments and more. If there is a strong mission alignment with edX, they welcome you to get in touch to offer courses and programs.
edX In Detail
Will edX Help My Career?
edX courses are perfect for someone who is wanting to study a higher educational program, learn new skills and knowledge with the goal of advancing in their life. If you are looking to refresh and recharge your resumé and add a verified certificate to your LinkedIn profile, then it really is a no-brainer.
The verified certificate from edX will provide proof to a future employee, job promotion or a college application that you have successfully completed the course. The course will include your name, institution’s name and logo, edX logo, course title and professors’ signatures and names who taught the course.
Keep in mind that before receiving your edX certificate you will be required to verify your identity.
Is edX Legit?
A common theme for many when they are considering an elearning platform is: Is this elearning platform legit?
edX was founded in 2012 by professors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. It is a non-profit organization that has had so far over 34+ million global learners. edX partners with 140+ prestigious institutions from around the world.
edX also has the Open edX project that is its web based platform. It has been developed by edX and in collaboration with top universities, technology partners and research centers. It can be used on your own server to support as many number of learners as you want. It can support degree programs, online campus and instructor and self-paced courses. Open edX is for elearning on any scale, any content or any device.
To reiterate, edX is completely safe and legit, you won’t be conned.
Partnering with edX
edX partners are a variety of organizations from academic institutions, non-profit institutions, national governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multinational corporations.
If you’re seeking to partner with edX, there are a few critical points to be aware of;
- In-demand course content: Your content must be fitting with edX’s platform and of interest to its learners.
- One-time financial contribution: You will recieve the services and benefits that edX provides for your support fee.
Before deciding to partner with edX, I thought it would be helpful to point out some of the pros and cons.
Some of the pros are;
Working alongside world-famous institutions, the cream of the crop.
edX offers partners technical, marketing and educational support.
Partner with receive a percentage of the revenue generated by the course.
On the other hand, the cons are;
The one-time financial contribution may need to be rethought in the future to maintain the volume and quality of its courses.
Partners will be solely responsible for creating strategic and in-demand content.
edX Conclusion
In summary, here is why edX could be the right fit for you.
If your goal is to deepen your knowledge or enhance your skills with a course or learning program that may be recognized by future employers, then edX is a platform to consider. edX partners with globally recognized Universities and Companies to offer courses and programs.
However, if you’re looking for a more learning experience, where you don’t need a verified certificate or any formal accreditation, then it may be worth checking out MasterClass or Skillshare.
What makes edX stand out:
- Verified Certificates
- Partnerships with Prestigious Universities and Organizations
- Top-notch instructors
- Engaging and Interactive online courses
- Self-paced and instructor-paced courses
edX Alternatives
For a closer look at our favorite edX alternatives, be sure to check out our in-depth article here!
FAQs
Yes, edX is worth it. Its courses and certificates are designed in partnership with top Universities like Harvard and Berkeley, so you be reassured they are of the highest quality. In addition, you can access many of its courses for free, so it’s definitely worth giving the platform a try.
Ashley
19 May 2024, 04:40
I've had a great experience with edX! I took the Data Analysis course from Harvard and really enjoyed it. The platform is user-friendly, but I wish the mobile app were a bit more polished.
Martin
15 May 2024, 09:24
edX has a great variety of courses, but the quality isn't consistent. Some courses feel outdated and not very engaging.
Anna
15 May 2024, 09:23
I've been with edX for a few months and it's fantastic! The courses are well-structured and the flexibility lets me manage my own learning pace perfectly. Highly recommend it if you're looking to learn something new on your own terms.
Jessie
15 May 2024, 09:21
I've completed a couple of courses on edX. The material is comprehensive, but if you run into problems, the support team can be slow to respond. It's fine if you can figure things out on your own.
Louise
15 May 2024, 09:20
edX has a wide range of courses that are easy to follow and genuinely useful. I just finished a course in Project Management, and it's already making a difference at work.
John
15 May 2024, 09:19
The content on edX is good, but navigating the site can be frustrating sometimes. Some updates and a more user-friendly interface would make a big difference.