Thinking about a career change or brushing up on your skills with an online course? Udemy might already be on your radar—and for good reason. With over 250,000 courses, it’s one of the largest online learning platforms in the world. From productivity tips to technical skills, Udemy offers something for everyone, whether you’re exploring new hobbies or diving into professional development.
But is it the right platform for your needs, or should you consider Udemy alternatives? From pricing to the quality of its courses, this in-depth review will help you decide if Udemy is the perfect fit for your learning journey. Let’s dive in!
To provide an insightful and useful review of Udemy, I have spent considerable time researching Udemy’s courses and learning programs, instructors, pricing model, refund policy, and analyzing feedback from Udemy users. My educational background, including a Master’s degree in Teaching and Education, together with my extensive experience in using online learning platforms, has equipped me to craft this comprehensive review.
Catherine CookeUpskillwise Advisor
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Udemy Summary
Udemy is the biggest online learning platform offering over 210k+ affordable online courses where users can learn new skills or improve existing ones. It offers a wide variety of categories and subcategories from Business, Design, Personal development and much more, leaving users with plenty of choice. Udemy’s courses are designed, created and published by independent instructors and learners can pay for each individual course with a one-off payment or subscribe to a personal subscription plan.
All courses are designed, so you can learn at your pace and fit around your schedule. Udemy’s individual courses start at $12.99 USD and its personal subscription plan costs $20 USD a month, giving you access to 11,000+ courses. When you successfully complete a course, you will receive a certificate, but this certification isn’t officially verified by any external partner. Any Udemy purchased individual course comes with lifetime access and a 30-day refund policy. If you aren’t ready to financially commit, there are also a bunch of free courses to get you started.
Udemy Pros & Cons
Pros
Affordable
Udemy courses are affordable, starting at $11.99 and go up to $199.99.
Free Courses
Udemy is offering close to 600 free courses on a selection of topics from wordpress to fitness.
30-day Refund Policy
If the course wasn’t what you expected, Udemy will give your money back no questions asked.
Lifetime Access
Udemy will grant you access to every course you’ve purchased for life.
Wide selection of courses
Offering more than 210K+ in 13 of categories and dozens of sub-categories. You really will be spoiled for choice.
Self-Paced
All of Udemy’s courses are self-paced, so learners can start and complete courses at their own pace.
Certificate at Completion
Although the courses aren’t officially accredited, you’ll be given a certificate of completion – for paid courses only.
Cons
Non-Accredited Certificates
If you are looking for an official certification Udemy isn’t for you. Alternatively, check out Coursera or edX.
Doesn't create course content
With Udemy the course instructors are responsible for creating its content which can impact the quality of the course.
Quality Control of Courses
Udemy runs a quality control of the courses, but with so many how thorough can this really be.
Limited Interaction
Although some courses do offer discussion forums, the reality is there isn’t much interaction with instructors for feedback or Q&As.
Who Is Udemy for?
You are probably asking yourself, is Udemy right for me?
If a variety of courses is something that you are looking for, then you are considering the right elearning platform. Udemy offers such diversity of courses, there really is no limit to what you could learn with categories like ¨Finance & Accounting¨ to ¨Lifestyle¨.
If you are thinking of a career change and gaining a new professional skill like coding knowledge or maybe you want to dabble in an exciting new hobby like cake decorating, then Udemy has it all.
Its courses vary from beginner to advanced levels so you will certainly find a course that is suited to your skills and ambition. The diversity of its courses really makes Udemy stand out from other competitors like Skillshare or Pluralsight. The fact is that Udemy is open to everyone, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have any prior experience.
In short, Udemy is good for:
- Professionals looking to gain skills
- People looking for a career change
- Students looking to complement their studies
- Those looking for free courses
- Individuals looking to publish their own courses
- International students looking for courses not just in the English language
Note: That Udemy certificates are not recognized by employers because it’s not an accredited (official) institution.
Udemy Personal Plan
As well as purchasing individual courses, Udemy offers a subscription plan called Udemy Personal Plan which gives you access to 11,000+ of its top-rated courses in tech, business and more.
Udemy for Business
Udemy for Business is for employees to help empower them with relevant and up-to-date knowledge with content that is taught by expert instructors. Udemy for Business offers thousands of courses from its variety of categories. It offers three different plans to choose from:
- Team plan (5-20 users)
- Enterprise plan (21 or more users)
- Leadership Development Programs (Open & Private Programs)
Team
The Team plan is designed for 5-20 users and will give the user access to 8,300+ courses. As well as that you will have features like analytics & adoption reports, custom logo & URL and mobile app access. This plan is for smaller teams and is the most affordable costing $360 per user a year.
Enterprise
The Enterprise plan is for 21+ users, which will have access to 19,000+ courses. Other features include custom logo & URL, creating learning paths, user groups, custom topics, advanced insights and analytics and much more. You can request a demo and its pricing is custom-based.
Leadership Development Programs
Finally, the Leadership Development Programs include 68+ leadership development courses, executive content curated by universities, expert faculty to guide and coach participants, live synchronous events and much more. To find out more you can contact sales for pricing.
To read a more detailed review on Udemy for Business, check out our article over on the blog.
Udemy Pricing
Udemy’s individual course prices range from $11.99 to $199.99. The price varies due to the course length, instructors reputation and what exactly you’re getting out of the course.
The great news? Every individual course is a one-time payment, and you get lifetime access—meaning you can revisit it anytime, even years later. No hidden fees, no expiry dates.
If you are looking for a more detailed overview of Udemy’s pricing, you can check read our detailed review here.
Udemy Personal Plan
Prefer the all-you-can-learn approach? Udemy’s Personal Plan subscription costs $20/month and gives you unlimited access to over 12,000 curated courses. It comes with a 7-day free trial, so you can test the waters and cancel at any time if it’s not the right fit.
It includes courses rated between 4.4 and 5 stars, featuring content from over 4,000 expert instructors, access to more than 8,000 practice exercises. It’s a great option for general upskilling or for anyone who likes to jump between topics without buying individual courses.
Career Accelerators
If you’re serious about changing careers, Udemy’s Career Accelerators are designed to help you go from beginner to job-ready. These are structured learning paths that include 20 to 80+ hours of content, and often feature tools like project work, job insights, and salary expectations.
Pricing ranges from $200 to $400, depending on the field and course package—but they’re still a much cheaper alternative to bootcamps or certificate programs.
Refund Policy
Not loving the course you picked? Udemy offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on individual course purchases. You can request a refund directly from your account, and it’s usually returned to your original payment method within 5–10 business days.
It’s a simple, hassle-free way to make sure you’re investing in the right learning experience.
Udemy Business (For Teams)
For teams of 5 or more, Udemy Business is a subscription-based model that provides access to thousands of professional courses. Pricing varies depending on team size and needs, and is typically billed annually.
It’s a solid investment for businesses looking to train employees in skills like tech, leadership, and design—without the hefty corporate training budget.
Udemy in Detail
How To Open A Udemy Account?
The registration process for Udemy is really intuitive. The design and layout of their platform is user-friendly and easy to follow. But let me show you how the registration process looks like:
- Open a browser and visit www.udemy.com
- Click Sign Up in the top right corner
- Add your Full Name, Email and Create a Password
- You’ll be sent a confirmation email
Once you are signed up you can click on Categories and begin browsing the different courses on offer.
After selecting a category you can pick one of the subcategories which will take you to all the relevant courses. You can then begin to look at each course individually and read a little more in-depth.
Udemy Customer Reviews
To give you a well-rounded Udemy review, I took a look at two major customer review sites; Trustpilot and ConsumerAffairs. This way, we get to hear from a large pool of customers and see what they have to say about the platform.
The Trustpilot reviews are contributed by 1,173 users, and the table below illustrates how they’ve rated the platform on a scale from 1 to 5 stars. Interestingly, nearly 40% have given it a 5-star rating, while an almost equal 40% have rated it with just 1 star.
| Rating | Trustpilot | ConsumerAffairs |
|---|---|---|
| 5-star | 37% | 32% |
| 4-star | 12% | 31% |
| 3-star | 6% | 16% |
| 2-star | 6% | 5% |
| 1-star | 39% | 16% |
| Overall | 2.2 out of 5 stars | 3.1 out of 5 stars |
Data gathered on 10/18/2023
Digging further into the reviews, I discovered a significant amount of the 1-star ratings revolves around issues with customer service, refund delays and technical glitches. “…they froze my account and told me they can’t issue any refunds either! The customer service was extremely rude” a one-star reviewer said.
On a positive note, those who gave a 5-star rating were delighted with how user-friendly the platform is. Plus great selection of topics and courses and great value for money. “I bought a course and I really love it. The video interface is awesome. The platform is user-friendly and easy to navigate” a happy five-star customer said.
As a whole, when we look at ConsumerAffairs, MasterClass scores a 3.1 out of 5 rating based on 129 customer reviews. It’s worth noting that this pool of customers is smaller compared to Trustpilot. Among these reviews, approximately 30% of users are handing out 5-star ratings, whilst 16% have left a 1-star rating. The complete breakdown is on the table above for you to check out.
The Most Popular Udemy Course
I checked out the most popular courses on Udemy from its 13 categories. Its popularity is based on student popularity and feedback.
Development
2021 Complete Python Bootcamp: Go from zero to hero in Python – This course is to learn Python, a popular programming language, has had over 800,000 students enrolled. It comes with 185 lectures and 24 hours of on-demand video. It’s a bestseller with a 4.5 (out of 5) rating by students with over 450,000 reviews.
Business
An Entire MBA in 1 Course: Award Winning Business School Prof – In this course you will everything you need to know about business. It has had over 400,000 students enrolled. It includes 8 hours of on-demand video, 33 articles and 31 downloadable resources. Furthermore, it’s a bestseller with a 4.4 (out of 5) rating by students.
Check out courseFinance & Accounting
The Complete Financial Analyst Course – In this course, you will learn the practical skills of Financial analysis and a successful career in Finance. It includes 18 hours of on-demand video, 11 articles and 491 downloadable resources. Plus, it’s a bestseller with a 4.6 (out of 5) rating from 81,000+ students.
Check out courseIT & Software
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate 2020 – In this course you will learn AWS (Amazon Web Services). The course is designed for absolute beginners, and it includes 18 hours of on-demand video, 17 downloadable resources and 2 practice tests. It’s a bestseller with a 4.5 (out of 5) rating by students.
Check out courseOffice Productivity
Microsoft Excel – Excel from Beginner to Advanced – In this course you will learn a combination of introduction, intermediate and advanced Microsoft Excel courses. It includes 18 hours of on-demand video and 37 downloadable resources. It’s a bestseller with a 4.6 (out of 5) rating by students.
Check out coursePersonal Development
Become a SuperLearner 2: Learn Speed Reading & Boost Memory – In this course you will learn the skills of worlds fastest readers and memory record holders. It includes 5 hours of on-demand video and 5 articles. It’s a bestseller with a 4.5 (out of 5) rating by students.
Check out courseDesign
The Ultimate Drawing Course – Beginner to Advanced – In this course you will learn how to create advanced art, the course will enhance your skills in the world of drawing. It includes 11 hours of on-demand video, 4 downloadable resources and 5 articles. It’s a bestseller with a 4.6 (out of 5) rating by students.
Check out courseMarketing
The Complete Digital Marketing Course – This course is ideal for pre-launch business owners and website owners wanting to increase their traffic. It includes 75.5 hours of on-demand video, 10 downloadable resources and 33 articles. It’s a bestseller with a 4.6 (out of 5) rating by students.
Lifestyle
Reiki Level I, II and Master/Teacher Program – In this course you will about Reiki and to take the practice to the next level. It includes 5 hours of on-demand video, 39 downloadable resources and 7 articles. It’s a bestseller with a 4.7 (out of 5) rating by students.
Check out courseUdemy Instructors
Udemy is the world’s largest online teaching and learning platform. Udemy makes it possible that anyone can become an Instructor. So if you are passionate about a topic and want to empower tens of millions of students to achieve their goals, then Udemy is for you. I wanted to share with you the teachers and the courses that Udemy learners have been enjoying so far.
Top Udemy Instructors
Alan Murray has been training businesses around the world for over 20 years. Alan is a Microsoft MVP and Excel trainer and is the founder of the Computergaga blog and author of the “Advanced Excel Success”. His classes are fun and relaxed and uses real-world practical examples from his experience of training and developing software for businesses. All of Alan’s courses have a 4.4 (and above) out 5 rating, and he has had close to 8,000 students enrol on his courses and counting.
7 Tips To Find Your Udemy Course
If you are now umming and arrrhhing about which course is right for you. I have thought about some tips which may help you to choose the perfect course.
Udemy Filters
A very useful and helpful feature to use is the filter system. Once you have an idea on the Category that you want to learn about for example Development you are then able to start browsing the courses and that’s where the filter comes in pretty handy. You can select multiple filters like the Ratings, Video Duration, Topic, Subcategory, Level, Language, Price, Features or Subtitles (see image below).
All of these filters will help to narrow down your search and find exactly what you are looking for. I found the features is pretty helpful as you can pick the options of having Quizzes or Practice Tests.
Look at the Course Content & Profile
You are able to check out the course content, see what lectures are included and how long each of the on-demand videos are. This gives you a comprehensive overview of the course and shows you how the various course modules are organized.
Read Reviews at Udemy
Every Udemy course has reviews and ratings from past students in the student feedback section that you can check out to see what others think about it. Their review system will allow you to also search for certain keywords within the Search reviews box (e.g. ‘responsive instructor’). As well as a rating option where you can select between Five and One stars.
Check Out the Instructor
An instructor bio is included in each of the courses. You can read a small blurb about him or her, their prior experience, feedback and evaluations from other students and the courses they teach.
This is an ideal way to find more about who will be teaching the course, and some are even open to letting you contact them personally to ask particular questions.
Instructors may also add teaching assistants to their courses, who can help them with their course materials and respond to students’ questions. Even though a teaching assistant profile may not appear on the course, they are also experts in the course subject.
When Was the Course Launched
Udemy courses are (should be) regularly updated and you can find when it was last updated in the header of the course (see image below). This is especially important if you are learning a new software application such as a program in the Adobe Suite as you will want to be learning the latest version of the software.
Quality of the Course Preview
Another great feature is that you can preview the course before purchasing. I think this really is one of the best ways for you to get a feel of what to expect from the course, it’s very useful being able to check the quality of the course preview to give you a taste of what is to come.
Your Budget
Due to Udemy’s pricing strategy with most of its courses heavily discounted its courses really are affordable for most. So if you are looking at it from a financial standpoint it really shouldn’t leave you out of pocket.
A good tip, if you are on a tight budget, would be for you to list the courses by price from lowest to highest price (see image above). Remember there are also a bunch of free courses.
Udemy Alternatives
If you are looking for a more detailed overview of Udemy Alternatives, then head over to our blog and check out this article.
Udemy Conclusion
Let’s break it down as to whether Udemy is worth it.
If you are wanting to learn a hobby then Udemy is definitely the right platform for you, and if you look at it from a value for money perspective then hands down YES. It’s also a good option for personal and professional development (e.g. get solid Excel knowledge).
Saying that you may still find that Udemy isn’t the platform for you. So, it may be worth checking out our overview article on Best Online Learning Platforms to compare other learning platforms. If you’re looking for a professional course or degree program, then Coursera would be a good fit or MasterClass if you’re wanting highly engaging video classes from famous instructors.
You will love Udemy because of:
- It’s affordable prices
- The diverse range of courses
- Wide range of available languages (e.g. over 65)
- It’s learning flexibility as it doesn’t have deadlines
- Its lifetime access and ease-of-use
Please leave a comment below if you have any questions, and I’ll do my best to help you out.
Udemy FAQs
A question I keep being asked is: Is Udemy legit?
That’s normal, especially when a course can cost under $20, you may be inclined to think that Udemy is a scam.
To put your mind at rest, Udemy was launched in 2010 and its headquarters are located in San Francisco with satellite offices all over the world, so its a well-established organization. It has had over 295 million course enrollments and more than 42,000 instructors and the number is still growing.
Udemy is part of the growing Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) movement that empowers everyday experts to create courses on topics they are passionate about.
Udemy’s marketplace model attracts thousands of instructors, it means that new courses are being added all the time and updated regularly.
In terms of the course quality, I think you have to really consider the purpose of pursuing a course with Udemy. If it’s for your own personal development then why not, but if you are wanting the course to prove something on a more professional level (e.g. with an official certification) it may not be for you.
Anyways to clarify, Udemy is legit and it’s safe to use, you won’t be scammed.
Udemy courses are ideal for someone wanting to learn or improve their personal development or possibly looking for a career change. It can help you with qualifying for a job if you are lacking skills or even help you to be promoted.
With all paid Udemy courses, you will receive a Certificate of Completion, which you can share with co-workers and potential employers. The certificate demonstrates your accomplishments and the skills you have learnt.
Remember though that Udemy is not an accredited institution, so if it is an employer asking for an official certificate you won’t be able to provide them with one.
Udemy believes that its learners should be satisfied with the course they purchase. In case you aren’t, the platform offers a generous 30-day refund policy. To request an Udemy refund, you just need to follow these easy steps:
- Navigate to your purchase history
- Locate the course to be refunded
- Below the course title, click Request Refund and you will be directed to the course refund page
- Select your refund method either the card you paid with or Udemy credits
As well as taking a course on the Udemy platform, it also offers anyone the opportunity to become an instructor.
Many of the Udemy instructors are professionals and experts in their field, but anyone who has an interest in a particular topic (within reason) is able to publish a course. Some of the reasons that attracts someone to teach at Udemy are that they can: Teach in own way, Inspire learners and Get rewarded.
How to get Started
The best way to get started is by following these simple steps;
- Plan your curriculum: You start with your passion and knowledge, and make sure you choose a promising topic, you can use the Marketplace insight tool to help you choose. There are also plenty of resources to help you create your first course.
- Record your video: Use basic tools like a smartphone or a DSLR camera and a good microphone. It is recommended a course of 2 hours or more for a paid course. There is a support team to help during this process.
- Launch your course: Once your course has gone through the quality review process, the Udemy team will evaluate and provide necessary feedback. Then your course will be ready to be found on the Udemy marketplace, and you can begin earning revenue.
Instructor Revenue
The amount of money an instructor makes depends on how their course is sold, which can be through a couple of ways, either with instructor promotion or a sale through non instructor promotion. As an instruction, the following gives you an idea of how much money you would make with each course sale.
Instructor Promotion: Instructors receive 97% of the revenue when the student purchases their content using an instructor’s coupon or referral link.
Non Instructor Promotion: Instructors receive 37% of the revenue for any Udemy sales where no instructor coupon or course referral link was used. This could happen when a user clicks on an Udemy ad or browses through the Udemy catalog.
Some of the pros are;
+ No set up costs for publishing your course. It really is completely free.
+ There is no maintenance cost, for keeping your course on the Udemy platform
+ Udemy has more than 50 million users, that means your course will be exposed to big community of learners.
On the other hand, the cons are;
– You cannot extract the contact details of your learners, so will be unable to build a database.
– Udemy very often discounts the price of its courses which means your course is highly likely to be discounted.
– Lack of support, if you are looking to reach out to an Udemy representative you can only go through the online forum.
To teach at UdemyLike Udemy, Coursera offers a wide variety of courses, but one of the main differences is the type of learning programs it offers. As well as individual courses, it offers specializations, professional certificates and degree programs which can range from $9.99 and go all the way up to $50,000. It’s important to consider your budget if you intend on taking one of its Degree or Master programs. Udemys courses can be created and taught be anyone, regardless of their qualifications. Whereas Coursera’s courses and learning programs are designed in partnership with leading Universities and Companies like Stanford and Google. Udemy offers a generous 30-day refund policy if you change your mind and Coursera has 14-day refund policy on individual courses and Coursera Plus. If you are still undecided and want to read in more detail about these two leading online learning platforms, then please check out our detailed Udemy Vs Coursera article.
Aiden
24 January 2025, 12:45
Udemy is affordable, but the course I took felt outdated in parts. It’s okay if you’re looking for an introduction to the topic.
Isabella
24 January 2025, 12:45
I enjoyed the cooking class, but there were a lot of errors in the subtitles, which made it hard to follow at times. The recipes were great, though!
Ethan
24 January 2025, 12:44
The programming course covered the basics well, but there wasn’t enough depth for more advanced learners. It’s fine for beginners.
Mia
24 January 2025, 12:44
I really liked the writing course I took, but some of the videos felt rushed. Overall, it was helpful and well-structured.
Noah
24 January 2025, 12:43
The course content was good, and I learned a lot, but I wish the instructor had been more engaging. Still, it was worth the price.
Olivia
24 January 2025, 12:42
I’ve completed a few courses on Udemy, and they’ve all been helpful. The instructors are knowledgeable, and the platform is easy to use.
Liam
24 January 2025, 12:41
Udemy’s marketing course helped me improve my small business. It’s great to learn at my own pace and even better that it's so affordable.
Emma
24 January 2025, 12:40
I wasn’t sure about online courses, but the photography class I took was really practical and fun.
James
24 January 2025, 12:40
The Python course I took was well-organized and easy to follow. It gave me the skills I needed to start building my own projects.
Sophia
24 January 2025, 12:39
I’ve always wanted to learn graphic design, and Udemy made it simple and affordable. I’ve already created a few designs I’m proud of!
Katie
15 May 2024, 09:39
Udemy has lots of courses, which is a plus, but the quality varies. I’ve taken some that were excellent and others that felt like a waste of time. More consistent quality would make it much better.
Spencer
15 May 2024, 09:38
Some Udemy courses are great, really detailed and helpful. Others, not so much—outdated or poorly structured. It's really a gamble each time, which is frustrating when you're trying to learn something new.
Joseph
15 May 2024, 09:37
Udemy has been fantastic for picking up new skills. Every course I've tried, from web development to creative writing, has been thorough and easy to follow. Great value for the money!
Rani
30 March 2024, 03:15
The worst website I have ever used. You won't fin any personal support although it's so important when you study a course. The course I wanted to study are done by excellent teachers BUT on such huge platform downloading even one lesson takes ages, it discourages you to study!