Udemy vs Coursera: Who Comes Out On Top?

Finding the perfect e-learning platform to boost your skills can be exciting but tricky. With Udemy’s flexibility and free courses and Coursera’s career-focused programs like Coursera Plus, which one truly fits your goals?

In this comparison, I’ll guide you through the key differences to help you choose the best platform—or even explore an alternative—for your learning and professional growth. Let’s dive in!

Take Our Quiz: Coursera Or Udemy?

Udemy Vs 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 ?

 

Coursera BBC MaestroSkillshareTreehouseCreativeLiveBrilliantLinkedIn LearningUdacityMasterClassMindvalleyCodecademyPluralsightDataCampedX

4.8

Accredited Certificates

$9.99 USD

5

i

4

i

5

i

4

i

4

i

5

i

5

i

5

i

4

i

4

i

4

i

5

i

4

i

Read review Visit Coursera

Udemy BBC MaestroSkillshareTreehouseCreativeLiveBrilliantLinkedIn LearningUdacityMasterClassMindvalleyCodecademyPluralsightDataCampedX

4.3

Variety of Courses

$12.99 USD

5

i

4

i

5

i

4

i

3

i

3

i

5

i

3

i

3

i

4

i

3

i

5

i

4

i

Read review Visit Udemy

BBC Maestro SkillshareTreehouseCreativeLiveBrilliantLinkedIn LearningUdacityMasterClassMindvalleyCodecademyPluralsightDataCampedX

4.3

Celebrity Instructors

£79 ($89)

4.5

i

4.5

i

4.3

i

4.5

i

2

i

4.3

i

4

i

5

i

4

i

4

i

3

i

4

i

3

i

Read review Visit BBC Maestro

Skillshare BBC MaestroTreehouseCreativeLiveBrilliantLinkedIn LearningUdacityMasterClassMindvalleyCodecademyPluralsightDataCampedX

4.5

Best For Creative Courses

$29 USD a month

4

i

5

i

5

i

3.5

i

4

i

4

i

4

i

5

i

3.5

i

3

i

3

i

4

i

3

i

Read review Visit Skillshare

Treehouse BBC MaestroSkillshareCreativeLiveBrilliantLinkedIn LearningUdacityMasterClassMindvalleyCodecademyPluralsightDataCampedX

3

Best For Free Trial

$25 USD a month

3

i

4

i

2

i

3

i

3

i

4

i

1

i

4

i

3

i

3

i

4

i

2

i

3

i

Read review

CreativeLive BBC MaestroSkillshareTreehouseBrilliantLinkedIn LearningUdacityMasterClassMindvalleyCodecademyPluralsightDataCampedX

4

Best For Live Classes

$29 USD a month

5

i

4

i

4

i

4

i

3

i

4

i

1

i

3

i

4

i

4

i

1

i

4

i

3

i

Read review Visit CreativeLive

Brilliant BBC MaestroSkillshareTreehouseCreativeLiveLinkedIn LearningUdacityMasterClassMindvalleyCodecademyPluralsightDataCampedX

3.5

Best for STEM topics

$24.99 USD a month

4

i

4

i

4

i

2

i

2

i

2

i

1

i

2

i

3

i

3

i

2

i

3.5

i

2

i

Read review

LinkedIn Learning BBC MaestroSkillshareTreehouseCreativeLiveBrilliantUdacityMasterClassMindvalleyCodecademyPluralsightDataCampedX

3.8

Self Paced Learning

$39.99 USD a month

4.5

i

4

i

5

i

3

i

4

i

4

i

4

i

4

i

3

i

4

i

3

i

4

i

4

i

Read review

Udacity BBC MaestroSkillshareTreehouseCreativeLiveBrilliantLinkedIn LearningMasterClassMindvalleyCodecademyPluralsightDataCampedX

4.6

Best For Career Services

$249 USD a month

5

i

3

i

2

i

3.5

i

4

i

5

i

3

i

4

i

5

i

4

i

5

i

4

i

4

i

Read review Visit Udacity

MasterClass BBC MaestroSkillshareTreehouseCreativeLiveBrilliantLinkedIn LearningUdacityMindvalleyCodecademyPluralsightDataCampedX

4.7

Learn From VIP Instructors

$10 USD a month (billed annually)

4

i

4

i

5

i

3

i

2

i

4

i

2

i

4

i

5

i

3

i

4

i

5

i

4

i

Read review Visit MasterClass

Mindvalley BBC MaestroSkillshareTreehouseCreativeLiveBrilliantLinkedIn LearningUdacityMasterClassCodecademyPluralsightDataCampedX

4.6

Best for Personal Growth

$49 USD a month

4

i

3

i

5

i

3

i

3

i

4

i

5

i

5

i

4

i

5

i

4

i

5

i

4.5

i

Read review Visit Mindvalley

Codecademy BBC MaestroSkillshareTreehouseCreativeLiveBrilliantLinkedIn LearningUdacityMasterClassMindvalleyPluralsightDataCampedX

4

Best For Coding Courses

$29.99 USD a month

4

i

3

i

5

i

3

i

4

i

4

i

2

i

3

i

3

i

4

i

2

i

1

i

3

i

Read review Visit Codecademy

Pluralsight BBC MaestroSkillshareTreehouseCreativeLiveBrilliantLinkedIn LearningUdacityMasterClassMindvalleyCodecademyDataCampedX

4.2

Best For Tech Skills

$29 USD a month

4

i

4

i

5

i

3

i

3

i

4

i

2

i

5

i

4

i

3

i

2

i

3

i

4

i

Read review Visit Pluralsight

DataCamp BBC MaestroSkillshareTreehouseCreativeLiveBrilliantLinkedIn LearningUdacityMasterClassMindvalleyCodecademyPluralsightedX

4.5

Best For Data Skills

$39 USD a month

5

i

4

i

5

i

3

i

3

i

4

i

3

i

4

i

4

i

4

i

2

i

4

i

3

i

Read review Visit DataCamp

edX BBC MaestroSkillshareTreehouseCreativeLiveBrilliantLinkedIn LearningUdacityMasterClassMindvalleyCodecademyPluralsightDataCamp

4.2

Best for Verified Certificates

$50 USD

4

i

4

i

5

i

4

i

5

i

3

i

3

i

4

i

4

i

4

i

4

i

4

i

4

i

Read review Visit edX

Round 1: Which One Is More Popular?

Popularity shouldn’t be the only reason we choose one provider over the other, as sometimes popular products or services aren’t always the better choice. Who remembers Blockbuster? I remember going every Friday night with friends to rent out our favorite movie. The culture and popularity of renting out a movie is definitely now a thing of the past.

Saying that, comparing which platform is more popular than the other is a good way to assess the market and see which online learning platform users are searching for.

As you can see in the graph above, Udemy takes the lead in popularity over Coursera.

Udemy was founded in 2010, and possibly, it’s the most popular elearning community worldwide. So far more than 740+ million students have joined the platform, it’s available in 75 languages, and it’s home to more than 204,000+ courses. If you want to read a more comprehensive review on Udemy then just click here.

Coursera was also founded in 2012 by two Stanford professors and is partnered with 200+ Universities and Companies. It is an elearning platform that focuses on offering high-quality courses and learning programs. It has had well over 107+ million learners and currently offers 7,000+ courses, specializations and degrees. If you want to read a more detailed review on Coursera then please check it out here.

Round 2: 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 Udemy is dead simple, add your email, password and name, and you are good to go – you’ll have to check (and confirm) the email confirmation Udemy will send you.

The registration process at Coursera is similar, but you’ll only need to add your name, email address and create 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 Udemy and browse around its platform, you’ll notice that the interface is easy to navigate around. You can search for courses by checking out Categories and then Subcategories and Popular Topics.

A nice feature you can find on the homepage is Top Categories (see image above) which may help you with a place to start as Udemy’s big pool of courses can feel a little overwhelming for some. As well as that you can also find other subheadings like Students are viewing.

Coursera has an equally intuitive platform to navigate around. When you land on the homepage you are greeted with the 325+ partners they collaborate with and the sense of global community that they have.

You can browse the different partners and read a little about them and the courses and specializations that they offer.

Coursera does have an easy design and interface, but at times can feel a little overwhelming with information. Whereas Udemy has a slighter cleaner design making it easier to find what you are looking for. So, the first point goes to Udemy.

Round 3: Udemy vs Coursera Courses

It’s difficult to say who’s got the best courses but let’s try to answer a couple of questions so you know whether to choose Udemy 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.

Udemy has a vast collection of courses, and it does a good job of categorizing them into 13 main sections (and dozens of subsections). Udemy has one of the most advanced filtering systems I’ve seen. You can filter out courses by level, language, duration, students’ feedback or price.

It’s also very straightforward to read reviews from previous course students, the classic star system grading courses from 0 to 5. Each course has a video introduction that will let you know more about the course structure and the instructor.

Coursera offers more than 7,000 courses along with specializations and degrees. It has 11 categories and dozens of subcategories. Once you have selected your subject you can then use its helpful filtering system to get really specific on 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 really easy to navigate around and with a helpful set of filters like Reviews (see image below) which will take you directly to that part on the page. The Reviews are nicely displayed with a 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.

It’s a hard one, as Udemy offers more courses on a variety of subjects, but Coursera’s course quality is much higher and the range of learning programs and courses is the most I have seen on any online learning platform.

Popular Udemy and Coursera Courses

Round 4: Free Courses At Udemy & Coursera

If you are asking yourself: Where can I find the best free courses? Then you are not the only one.

The right answer to this question really depends on what you are looking for. Udemy used to be the platform that offered the biggest pool of free courses, but as of the beginning of 2020 they made a change to its free courses to help learners distinguish the value of both free and paid courses.

Currently, Udemy offers just under 500 free courses that have a simplified learning experience compared to the paid courses. For example, free courses do not offer a certificate of completion or course features like the Q&A.

A free course is still a great way to try out the Udemy platform and the instructor teaching the course and whether you want to invest more time and money into the course, instructor and Udemy.

When you click on ‘Explore’ on the homepage, you can easily find Free Courses, there are currently 7,600+ available (see image below). Coursera not only offers high-quality courses, but they are transparent about it and make it easy for you to find them. This definitely isn’t the case with all Online Learning Platforms.

Coursera has the option to Audit the course, which means you will study for free but won’t receive a certificate on completion. If your main goal is to study a high-quality course without the acknowledged accreditation, then Coursera’s free courses are for you.

Since, Coursera’s courses are high-quality and the fact they are partnered with top Universities and Companies. The point has to go to Coursera.

Round 5: Available Languages at Udemy & Coursera

This will be a short round, I promise.

Udemy supports many languages (75 to be exact) and as you can see in the image below it even has a filer to let you find courses by language. Among others, you’ll find content in English, Portuguese, Spanish or German.

Coursera also offers 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 can then view what languages are available using its filter system.

Round 6: Udemy Vs Coursera Certificates

If you are considering Udemy or Coursera for its completion certificates, then you are considering the right types of elearning platforms.

With Udemy, you’ll be able to earn a completion certificate once you’ve completed a course. However, it isn’t a formal validated certificate.

All verified certificates will cost a fee. If you originally choose the free option you can still upgrade to a verified certificate.

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. Coursera is partnered with top institutions like Duke and Imperial College, which are recognized by future employees.

Round 7: 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 Udemy its courses are taught by experienced instructors and some of its courses have teaching assistants.

You can read a small blurb about his or her prior experience and many instructors are open to you to connect via social media and ask any particular questions.

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.

Round 8: Is Udemy or Coursera’s Support Better

Udemy has a good support system, you can get help with anything. Plus they have the FAQ which many of the times will answer your questions.

They have a support chat where you can add your name, email and leave a message and then someone will get in contact with you.

Coursera offers a similar support system to Udemy where you can search for a specific topic or you can check out directly look up 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.

Round 9: 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. Udemy and Coursera aren’t an exception.

Udemy for Business offers the Enterprise, Team plan and Leadership Development Programs. The Team plan is for 5-20 users and costs $360 per user a year. The Enterprise plan is for 21 or more users, and you will need to contact sales for pricing. Both of these plans give you access to 14,000+ courses. The Leadership Development Program needs you to contact sales, where you can also request a demo.

Coursera for business 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 per user annually for a team or small organization (5-125 users) who will get access to 5,000+ courses. The second option is the Custom Pricing that is larger organizations.

Round 10: Udemy vs Coursera Pricing & Refunds

The price of a course or learning program is the final deciding factor, right? The table below gives an overview of Udemy and Coursera’s costs, so you can decide which one fits your budget.

Coursera Plus is another payment method which lets you pay a monthly or annual subscription to access 7,000+ world-class curses, hands-on projects and job-ready certificates. There is no limit to the number of courses you enroll in, and you will earn a Course Certificate for every course you complete. Be mindful that the Coursera Plus doesn’t include Degrees or Mastertrack certificates.

Udemy offers a 30-day refund policy if you aren’t happy with your purchased course, which is pretty generous as refunds go, this isn’t the case with all online learning platforms. Coursera equally has a decent refund policy, in most cases you can request a refund within 14 days of payment. It only doesn’t have a money-back guarantee on Guided Projects and if you enrol on a Degree program and change your mind, you’ll have to speak to the partnered University or Organization as they set the refund policy.

Round 11: Udemy vs Coursera Customer Reviews

For a comprehensive perspective in this Udemy vs Coursera comparison, I’ve taken the time to examine customer feedback from Trustpilot, a popular customer review site. This approach provides insights from a wide range of users about their experiences with these two online learning platforms.

The Udemy review compiles insights from 1,179 users, while the Coursera review is based on the input of 444 customers. Udemy stands out with 40% of its users granting it a 5-star rating, whilst Coursera has only 14% awarding it 5-stars.

I was curious to delve into some of the customer reviews further, I found many of the Udemy 5-star ratings complimented ease of use, good selection of topics, value for money. “Easy to use, great courses…I found quite a few really useful for my work” a delighted 5-star customer said.

I was eager to delve into the specific issues that Coursera was having, given that nearly 70% of them had left a 1-star review. Many of their complaints were related to poor customer support, concerns regarding course quality, difficulty with peer grading. “Worst customer service. They don’t have any way to move from a monthly plan to an annual one”. an unhappy 1-star customer said.

Bonus Round: Udemy & Coursera Alternatives

After reading this comparison article, you may have come to the conclusion that neither Udemy nor Coursera meet your needs, it could be for the fact neither offer the categories you are looking for or don’t they don’t have the career support you’re after. Never fear, as I’ve compiled a list of alternative platforms for you to consider.

Masterclass

Masterclass is an online learning platform that provides courses in various categories such as Food, Design & Style, Business, Home & Lifestyle and more. Its classes are led by famous instructors like Anna Wintour, Chris Voss and Gordon Ramsay. It offers 3 different subscription plans, starting with the Individual plan for $120 annually (working out at $10 a month). All plans give you full access to the platform and its classes.

All Masterclass subscription plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, meaning if you aren’t happy with your chosen plan, you can request a refund within the first 30 days of purchasing.

Read Masterclass review

Datacamp

If neither Udemy nor Coursera offer the data and AI skills that you are looking for, then Datacamp may be your answer. It’s a platform that focuses on helping individuals and teams develop data skills. Its wide range of categories from non-coding essentials to learning python and ChatGPT.

It offers individuals a Basic (free) plan which gives you access to a very limited number of courses or the Premium paid plan for $39 a month or $300 when billed annually. There are also plans for teams of 2 and up for $25 per user a month and an Enterprise plan for bigger businesses that is custom priced.

Skillshare

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 offers both monthly and annual subscription models, with the monthly subscription costing $29 USD and the annual subscription offered at $99 USD. If you decide with the trial period that Skillshare isn’t for you, you’ll need to cancel in the first 14 days.

edX

Like Coursera, edX offers courses organized by world-class universities like MIT, Berkeley or Harvard. And since it’s an accredited organization, you’ll be able to earn official degrees from edX.

You’ll find many free courses on its platform. However, you’ll need to pay for the course (between $50 to $300) to be able to earn an edX completion certificate.

Final thoughts: Udemy vs Coursera

After a comprehensive comparison of Udemy and Coursera, it’s clear that both platforms offer unique advantages and have certain limitations. To help you make an informed decision, let’s summarize and expand on the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Udemy Pros

Udemy Cons

Coursera Pros

Coursera Cons

Try Coursera for free

In the end, Coursera seems to take the crown in this comparison due to its prestigious partnerships, accreditation, and structured learning paths, making it a preferred choice for those looking to gain formal education and recognized qualifications online. However, your personal learning goals, budget, and preferences should ultimately guide your decision.

Udemy Vs Coursera: FAQ