Udemy vs Coursera: Which is Better?

What is Coursera?

Coursera website offers MOOCs courses from well-known universities. All Coursera courses contain pre-recorded video lectures that you can watch when it is convenient for you. The full form of MOOCs is Massive Open Online Courses.

What is Udemy?

Udemy online teaching platform helps you to create courses on numerous categories like development, business, design, marketing, etc. Courses which are available in Udemy are taught by expert instructions. Students can also develop new skills and achieving their goals by learning from the extensive library of various courses.

Coursera vs. Udemy (Key Differences)

Parameters	Coursera	Udemy
Price:	Coursera is less expensive. Certification cost is $49	Udemy is very expensive. Courses range from $50 to $200. But it is very easy to get deals that discount the rates to $12.99
Who can become an instructor?	Coursera courses can be taught by only educators, experts, and professional instructors.	In Udemy, almost anyone can become an instructor.
Community forum support	Coursera offers community forum support.	In Udemy, there is no community forum support.
Instructor’s assistance	The instructor’s assistance is only for Degree courses and MasterTrack.	The instructor’s assistance is limited, only from course instructors.
Learning path	There are a learning path and playlists through course specializations.	There is no learning paths or playlists in Udemy courses.
Pros:	Coursera offers programs from accredited institutions. Courses of Coursera are more structured. Coursera is very well organized. They are partnered with educational institutions around the world. Coursera certifications are given by the name of a professional institution. You can choose between single courses, specializations, and degree programs. Coursera has programs together with universities that allow you to get a master degree or specializations. You can explore various college courses without any hassle. Quality courses are designed by leading universities. It gives you a global experience and also helps you with global exposure. Coursera enables you to access from mobile phones. Videos can be downloaded Coursera mainly provides courses in more than 9 major languages. You can get feedback from a worldwide community of learners.	This site enables you to plan your lectures in software like Microsoft Excel or Google Docs. In Udemy, you can easily track your progress. As soon as you upload the video to Udemy, it will be reviewed by the expert team. You can buy all the courses individually Courses are offered in many different languages. Select from more than 100,000 online video courses published every month. Easy to enroll in career-oriented courses Once your course is completed, you will receive certificates. Availability of intermediate and advanced courses Friendly community You can audit courses for free It offers courses with transcriptions. Courses are viewable on all devices connected to the internet. Students can get instant access to the courses they have chosen. You can easily read past student reviews and ratings. You do not require any prequalification to take any course.
Cons	Courses offered by Coursera are not flexible. There is an issue of forum moderation with Coursera. Some Coursera courses are only accessible on a specific date. Once you complete the course, you cannot go back and access the material submitted by you. Learning on Coursera requires you to read articles or prescribed books to understand the subject in a better way. You cannot enroll in these courses at any random time. You will need to wait until the course starts. You will not receive any certification for free courses.	Udemy is not an accredited institution. Most of the courses of Udemy are expensive Difficult to take more than one course at the same time. There are chances that required courses may not available. All courses are run on set dates, so you can’t change it. You cannot take the complete courses for free. You can access business-relevant content with ease. Content customization is possible. You can track leaning patterns and user behaviour. It is also sometimes difficult to stay engaged with the courses. The difficulty of grouping of categories refined.
Best for:	You can go for Coursera if you are looking for some serious courses from well-known universities. You can prefer Coursera if you like more traditional courses and timelines. Coursera is suited if you are seeking to get a certificate from an accredited institution.	Use Udemy if you want more of a budget option that helps you to learn new skills in your own time Udemy can be better for someone with easy and relaxed learning. Udemy is suited for those people who like a personalized course recommendation depend on their current job.

Also read difference between Udemy and Udacity: Click here

Subjects and Topics Taught

You can find Udemy courses on almost anything you like to learn. These courses include:

Coursera focuses more on academic subjects and courses. Some of the courses include:

Coursera Course Example.

Following are some specific examples that differentiate Coursera and Udemy in a better way:

Courses	University
Cloud Computing	University of Illinois
Data Structures and Algorithms	California University, San Diego
Graphic Design	California Institute of the Arts
English for Career Development	University of Pennsylvania
Optical Engineering	University of Colorado Boulder
Epidemiology for Public Health	Imperial College London
The Science of Well-being	Yale University
Organizational Design and Management	HEC Paris
Buddhism and Modern Psychology	Princeton University

Udemy Course Examples

Who Are the Instructors?

Some Udemy courses are taken by experts.
There is lots of variation in course quality.
You may also need research in order to ensure that you are signing for the reportable course.
If you have to create a Udemy course, you simply need to create an account and watch orientation videos on basic course guidelines.
Coursera works with universities and colleges.
Their courses are thoroughly evaluated and taught by people who have experienced in teaching.
If you choose the instructor randomly in Udemy or Coursera, then the Coursera will give more authority.
In case if you are looking to learn the English language, you may not go for the qualification of any instructor.
Instructors can easily provide the information that you are looking for.

Udemy vs. Coursera Time Commitment

Udemy courses come with lifetime access to course material. Therefore, you can work it at your own speed.
Some Udemy courses are more in-depth, whereas some only have a few hours of video lectures and reading materials.
Coursera courses are like online classes that you can take from any formal institution university.
Courses in Coursera start and finish on a specific date. It has a timeline that you have to follow. There is a discussion forum that helps you to speak with your professor.

Udemy and Coursera Alternatives

Following are some good Coursera and Udemy Alternatives

1) Codecademy

Codecademy is an online platform that provides free coding classes in different programming languages like Java, Python, Ruby, SQL, etc. This website makes code learning and designing web applications simple and easy.

Visit Codecademy >>

2) edX

edX is an online learning website that enables you to learn software, technology, business, and creative skills. Every course available in this website is broken down into chapters and videos. Once you subscribe to courses, you will easily get their access.

Visit edX >>

3) Udacity

Udacity is a place where you can learn cutting edge skills. You can use it to create HD instructor video content. This platform enables you to customize the learning path according to your organization’s needs.

Visit Udacity >>

Which to Choose?

The first step is to determine whether your subject of choice is available on Udemy as well as Coursera. Many courses are niche and are available only on one of the platforms.

The next step is to compare the instructors, course outline, check few preview videos and determine the better course.

In general, Udemy is the go to choice if you want to quickly upskill yourself while you select Coursera if you want to embellish your resume with certificates from Top tier universities.

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