However, with so many of them around, it can be tricky to find the best one for you. To ascertain which one is best for you, we’ve picked three among the most popular ones—Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning. Wondering which it will be? Let’s take a look.
Quality of Instructors
Deciding which of the three platforms has the best instructors is not entirely a black or white decision. There are a lot of gray areas in between. We’ll help you make sense of it.
Instructors on Coursera are some of the best educators you’ll find in the industry. You’ll find instructors who are Harvard, Princeton, Oxford, or MIT professors. You’ll also find instructors who are industry experts from companies like IBM, Google, and Meta. They are experienced in the teaching business, delivering traditional classroom lectures with a few remote learning modifications.
On Udemy, you won’t find a lot of Coursera’s kind of Ivy League educators. Instead, a large chunk of Udemy instructors are entrepreneur course creators. They are mostly people who are highly skilled in certain fields and are willing to share their expertise. Don’t be mistaken, this does not in any way infer that they are inferior. Their delivery is typically top-notch and very engaging, something the big names sometimes fail to get right.
LinkedIn Learning instructors, on the other hand, are like a middle ground between Udemy and Coursera instructors. In some courses, you get tutored by senior lecturers from universities, and in others, you get tutored by successful real-world professionals actively practicing in their fields. It’s a close race between the three. If you are not familiar with the LinkedIn e-learning service, here’s a good LinkedIn Learning explainer to get you started.
Winner: you’ll get the most educationally qualified instructors from Coursera, followed by LinkedIn Learning and then Udemy. However, qualification does not necessarily define quality in all circumstances.
Quality of Courses
The quality of courses offered across all three platforms varies extensively.
Of the three, Coursera has the strictest quality requirements for courses. Most of Coursera’s courses are curated and reviewed by some of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world. Their courses cover the introductory concepts of a topic, all the way to the more advanced concepts. In a lot of cases, you get the same courses being taught at partner institutions like MIT and Harvard.
Udemy takes a more liberal stance towards course quality. This is mostly because the goals of Udemy courses are fundamentally different. While Coursera courses are aimed at teaching you most of what you’d learn in a university, Udemy courses are designed to impact job-ready professional skills as soon as possible. This sometimes leaves gaps in the quality of courses, although the goal of imparting skills is achieved in most cases.
LinkedIn Learning has the second-best course quality. Just like Udemy, LinkedIn Learning tilts more towards professional skills rather than traditional classroom lectures. Unlike Udemy, anyone can not create and upload a course on LinkedIn Learning. Most of the courses are created by respected industry professionals with a track record of success in their fields.
Winner: Since Udemy is open to any interested course creator, the quality of courses is a bit watered down. LinkedIn and Coursera’s closed ecosystem ensures top quality. Overall, Coursera wins.
Enrollment Options
Coursera offers learners several enrollment options. They include:
Audit a course: Enroll in thousands of courses free of charge. You’ll get a few limitations, including an absence of certificates and graded tests. Full Course, No Certificate: Unrestricted access to courses, but no certificates. Financial aid: Apply for financial aid and, if approved, get access to premium courses plus certificates at no cost. Coursera Plus: Pay $399 yearly and get access to thousands of courses and certificates at no additional charge. Paid Courses: Pay for individual courses and programs as you go.
Udemy has three enrollment options:
Free courses: Take a free course from a list of available free courses. This comes with a range of limitations. You’ll get the tutorial videos and, in some cases, course materials, but not much else. Coupons: Use coupon codes to purchase courses for free or at heavily discounted prices. Paid courses: Pay for individual courses as you go.
LinkedIn Learning has only one recognized enrollment option—Paid courses.
You can pay for a monthly or yearly subscription that gives you access to over 14000 courses. Or, you can purchase individual courses as you go.
However, there’s a work-around to access LinkedIn Learning for free from your local library.
Winner: Coursera has undeniably the most flexible enrollment options.
Pricing Options
The prices of Coursera courses vary extensively. Individual courses are priced between $30 to $100, while some degree programs can cost as much as $20,000. Coursera also offers the Coursera Plus plan, charged at $399 for year-long access to thousands of courses.
Udemy courses hover around an average of $50 per course. However, content creators typically offer heavy discounts on their courses in an attempt to beat competitors. As a result, you can get top-notch courses at a very cheap rate.
LinkedIn Learning courses are priced at $20 to $50 for lifetime access to a single course. Or, you can use the subscription route by paying $29.99 for monthly access to thousands of courses or a yearly subscription of $239.88 priced at $19.99 per month.
Winner: Thanks partly to heavy discounts, and coupons, Udemy is the cheapest option of the three for individual courses. However, LinkedIn Learning and Coursera are cheaper if you want to purchase multiple courses.
Course Structure
Coursera’s courses are organized much like a traditional university curriculum. First, you learn the building blocks or foundational concepts of a topic. You then progress gradually into a more in-depth analysis of more advanced concepts. It’s like the Harvard/MIT experience, but behind a computer screen in your bedroom. The pace is akin to those used in those institutions as well. This is why some Coursera degree-awarding programs—which are a combination of related courses—may take more than a year to complete.
Udemy’s courses are designed as quick-impact, skills-centered, and action-oriented crash courses. You’ll notice a significant deviation from the more “academic” approach deployed by Coursera. Udemy’s courses are not designed to provide in-depth education on a topic. You could find a 12-hour video course that decomposes an entire MBA program.
LinkedIn Learning is similar to Udemy in the way courses are structured. Most of its courses are also skills-centered and action-oriented. They are mostly hours-long courses designed to teach a skill or a group of related skills aimed at immediately impacting your career.
Winner: In terms of course structure, Coursera courses are better structured, followed by LinkedIn Learning and then Udemy. Coursera wins.
When to Choose Coursera
If you need an e-learning experience that is as close as possible to what you’d get in a traditional classroom If you want to earn recognized degrees, and possibly, credits, towards completing a degree in any partner institution. If you need in-depth education on a subject If you need slow-paced but qualitative education.
When to Choose Udemy
If you need to learn many professional skills as soon as possible. If you want to learn real-world skills, you wouldn’t learn in a traditional classroom. If you need fast-paced crash courses. If you need free or cheap, but high-quality courses.
When to Choose LinkedIn Learning
If you want to learn real-world professional skills that you can apply in your career right away. If you want to learn from successful professionals who are actively practicing in their respective fields. If you want high quality, professional courses If you need courses popular among learners within your industry
It’s a Win-Win for Learners
Whether you choose to learn on Coursera, Udemy, or LinkedIn Learning, you’re not missing out on much. Also, nothing stops you from taking the best courses from all three platforms. It’s a win-win no matter the path you take, as long as you learn.
