Last updated on February 6th, 2023 at 01:53 pm.
Coursera vs. Udemy for Learners
With the launch of “MOOC” or “Massive Open Online Courses,” online education and learning platforms like Coursera and Udemy have stolen the limelight from offline education centers and started the march to become the leading e-learning platforms in the world.
If you’re a student or a beginner looking for the best online education and learning solution, the world of massive open online courses can be overwhelming for you. If you haven’t thoroughly researched, you may not know which platform will work wonders for you.
In this, we will help you delve deep into top 2 MOOC providers – Coursera and Udemy. You will learn what each of them has to offer and their characteristics which will help you pick the best one for yourself.
Coursera – An overview
University partners- 149
Learners- 25 million
Courses- 2000
Specializations- 160+
Degrees- 2
Coursera was launched in 2012 by two computer science professors from Stanford University. It now proudly features partnerships with the best educational institutions and universities across the globe. Princeton University, Stanford University, University of Sydney and University of Manchester are some organizations that have teamed with Coursera to provide high-quality learning to audiences all over the world. Every course is taught by highly-skilled and highly-qualified instructors in a format that comprises of video tutorials, video lectures, grade-based assignments, discussion sessions, and quizzes.
About Coursera Courses
Coursera courses are generally 4-6 weeks long. All the courses are online and can be purchased by anyone. There is no specific criteria or requirement for purchasing a course from Coursera.
The fee ranges from free to $99.
What are Coursera specializations?
Coursera also offers in-depth courses called Specializations which are 4 to 6 months long and cost between $39 to $79 per month.
Online degrees
Coursera also offers numerous online degrees in computer science, business, and data science. The admission to these courses costs between $15 to $25000.
Pros
– Coursera offers courses from across the globe taught in different languages like Chinese, Spanish, English, Russian, French, Turkish, etc.
– Transcriptions for a wide range of languages are provided
– The number of courses provided is over 1500
– Many courses at Coursera are taught by highly-experienced professors from top universities like Princeton and Stanford
– The material taught is used from the actual course material of the university
– There is an option to grab a verified certified which is a proof of your completion of the course from Coursera
– You can audit courses for no cost
Cons
– Courses are not available always
– They are conducted on specific dates and times
– While some courses allow you to access the course material even when the course is not live, the other courses only allow you to access the course material when the course in running
– The option to take a course for free and earn an accomplishment is no longer available
– Free courses are available without certificates
Udemy- An overview
Learners- 10 million+
Courses- 55000+
Udemy is the world biggest online learning marketplace with over 10 million users taking courses in different topics ranging from blogging to yoga to coding and much more. There are over 55000+ courses which are conducted by highly-experienced instructors. Users can learn on their own pace, at any time and on any device.
About Udemy Courses
Udemy courses are on-demand courses which implies that you can enroll yourself in the courses you like and learn at your own speed. Once you purchase a course from Udemy, you can access it whenever you want. Validity of the course is lifetime and there are no time limits to complete the courses. On completing the course, you will get Udemy Certification of Completion.
If you are not satisfied with the quality of a course, you can request a full-refund within 30 days from the date of purchase.
The course fee ranges from free to $200.
Pros
– Udemy offers several courses for learners of different levels ranging from beginner to intermediate and advanced
– If one course does not fulfill your requirement, there are hundreds of other courses that you can choose from
– Some courses are free
– Udemy aims to connect people who can help each other and create a community on both, social media and their own website
– Udemy courses are available in more than 80 languages
Cons
– While Udemy offers some free courses, majority of the courses cost more than $100
– Quality auditing of the content is limited
– Many instructors selling their courses on Udemy lack the necessary skills, formal teaching experience and knowledge
– Since anyone can become a teach on Udemy, quality of the courses varies
Coursera vs. Udemy- a clear comparison
| Coursera | Udemy | |
| Launched in | 2012 | 2010 |
| Beginner courses | Limited | Available |
| Intermediate courses | Available | Available |
| Advanced courses | Available | Available |
| Course content owners | Professors from best colleges and universities across the globe | Entrepreneurs, public-speakers, teachers, students, authors, industry experts, subject matter experts |
| Subjects | Mostly academic subjects- business, computer science, humanities and arts, life sciences, data sciences, etc. | Everything from yoga, photography, entrepreneurship, digital marketing, health, fitness, technology, etc. |
| Number of courses | 1500+ | 55000+ |
| Users | 20 million+ | 10 million+ |
| Live classes | Yes | No |
| Refund Policy | 2 weeks from the date of purchase | 30 days from the date of purchase |
| Certification | Available for paid courses | Available for all courses |
| Quality audit | Yes | Limited |
| Platforms | Desktop and Cloud | Desktop and Cloud |
| Offers and Discounts | Limited. If available, only for specializations
|
Coupons can be used to get discounts as high as 40%
Coursera or Udemy- Which is the best option for me?
If you are looking for courses on topics of interest like photography, yoga, dog care etc., then Udemy is the best option for you. You can choose from over 55000+ courses which can be completed anytime you want, at your own pace. However, if you are looking for courses that are more academic in nature and university oriented, then Coursera will be the best bet for you.
