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Udemy has long been a powerhouse in the online learning landscape, providing a vast array of courses across diverse subjects, taught by experts from around the world. As a leading education platform, Udemy has empowered millions to acquire new skills, pursue personal interests, and advance their professional journeys conveniently from the comfort of their homes.
Udemy has not only become the go-to platform for learners worldwide, but also one of the most popular online learning and teaching marketplaces for online instructors, educators, and content creators monetizing their knowledge through online courses.
However, the ever-expanding market of online education offers a plethora of alternatives, each with its own set of strengths and unique features. Udemy comes with many advantages too, but it carries its own set of weaknesses that are worth looking more into.
In this article, we present the 10 Best Udemy Alternatives, offering a comprehensive guide if you seek diverse and enriching educational experiences beyond the option of Udemy.
So, let’s explore all the possibilities to help you discover the eLearning platform that best suits your preferences, goals, and needs.
💡Eager to find the perfect platform for your online courses? Discover how to choose the right elearning solution in this FREE expert webinar.
Udemy Pricing and Plans
Udemy is free to use however, it comes with a revenue-sharing plan that offers instructors two earnings options and explains how charges on sales are made. When sales occur through the instructor’s promotions they get to keep 97% of the revenue.
An instructor gets only 37% of the sale while Udemy receives the remaining 63% when the course has no instructor coupon or affiliate link.
*Pricing information retrieved from Udemy, December 2023
Udemy Advantages & Disadvantages
Udemy Advantages 👍
Getting started with Udemy is easy. As an instructor, you don’t need to have any prior technical knowledge on how to set up a website or landing page. Udemy provides the space for you to promote your courses, and it’s ideal to use if you are a beginner just starting your online course business.
Teaching on Udemy follows a 3-step process – planning your curriculum, recording your videos, and launching your course. The course topics offered range from web development, design, business, and personal development.
Pros
Udemy Disadvantages 👎
Udemy can make it challenging for instructors to maintain a full-time income since there is no control over the course pricing. It has no white-label capabilities, and you have no ownership over the data on the platform.
This can work against you because when you are inviting students to check out your Udemy courses, at the same time you are encouraging them to check other courses from competitors.
Cons
Best Udemy Alternatives for Creators, Educators, Online Instructors & Businesses
1
LearnWorlds – Our Top Choice
LearnWorlds is the best all-in-one eLearning platform that helps you create, market, and sell online courses. LearnWorlds comes with the most advanced features you could ask for a premium platform that helps you monetize your skills and knowledge. It gives you all the tools you need to reach your goals and engage with your students meaningfully.
The platform features a powerful AI assistant that aids the course creation process, a robust no-code Website Builder, and a Mobile App Builder that allows you to build a fully branded mobile app to offer learning on the go.
It also comes with an Assessment Builder that makes creating quizzes and exams simple, a pop-up and form builder, an interactive video player, and many more! On top of that it is SCORM compliant, it has a built-in community and it is 100% white label.
What’s more to ask for? Before you answer, let’s go over its pros and cons.
Pros
Cons
How much does LearnWorlds cost?
LearnWorlds offers a 30-day free trial and the following pricing plans:
*Pricing information retrieved from LearnWorlds in December 2023.
LearnWorlds is a modern AI-powered online course platform that can truly make your online learning experiences stand out in the market. Try LearnWorlds with a 30-day free trial.
💁Explore LearnWorlds’ top competitors here.
2
Coursera vs Udemy – The Academic Option
Coursera is a popular online learning platform that partners with universities, institutions, and organizations globally to offer a wide range of courses, specializations, and degree programs. Built by two Stanford professors, Coursera provides learners with access to high-quality educational content in various fields, allowing them to acquire new skills and earn certificates or degrees.
With courses ranging from business and technology to humanities and health, Coursera caters to a broad audience – mostly students and lifelong learners. Instructors can benefit from the platform’s user-friendly interface, making course creation and management intuitive.
Coursera also offers a range of tools and features, including the ability to create quizzes and assignments facilitating effective assessment. Unlike Udemy, it offers accreditation and its courses follow a more formal curriculum and academic approach to learning.
Pros
Cons
How much does Coursera cost?
Coursera offers two annual subscription plans:
To join Coursera as an instructor, you need to be a professor at a reputed university or institution that offers courses on the platform.
*Pricing information retrieved from Coursera in December 2023.
3
Skillshare vs Udemy – For Creatives
Skillshare is an eLearning platform tailored for those seeking a creative and interactive approach to learning. Geared towards individuals looking to enhance their skills in various creative fields, Skillshare provides access to a diverse range of courses. What sets Skillshare apart is its emphasis on project-based learning, allowing users to apply their knowledge through hands-on projects.
This Udemy alternative offers thousands of courses in graphic design, cooking, photography, marketing, music, social media, entrepreneurship, and more.
The lessons are taught by experts, and teachers from creative fields and may take the form of video classes, student projects, one-to-one sessions, and live sessions. Skillshare fosters a vibrant community where learners can share insights, collaborate, and provide feedback.
Pros
Cons
How much does Skillshare cost?
Skillshare is free for teachers to join. However, it comes with specific guidelines on class quality and a set of teaching policies you need to follow.
The platform offers two ways to earn money. The first is earnings from your teaching. Skillshare pays instructors through the Teachers Fund, for which the earnings are calculated based on the minutes watched by students in the class and teacher engagement and interaction with students.
There is also the option to earn from your referrals, which allows you to earn additional revenue for every subscribing member you bring to Skillshare.
*Pricing information retrieved from Skillshare in December 2023.
4
Udacity vs Udemy – The Mentor Approach
Udacity stands out as a leading online learning platform, particularly focused on providing in-depth, industry-relevant courses in technology and other high-demand fields including data science.
Offering nano degree programs developed in collaboration with industry experts and leading companies like Microsoft and Google, Udacity is geared towards individuals seeking to enhance their skills and pursue careers in tech-related disciplines.
One of Udacity’s notable strengths against Udemy, lies in its practical approach, providing hands-on projects and real-world scenarios to bridge the gap between theory and application. Students can benefit from personalized mentorship, industry-recognized credentials upon completion, and career services to facilitate job placement in their chosen fields.
Pros
Cons
How much does Udacity cost?
As an instructor or course creator, teaching on Udacity doesn’t cost you anything. To be able to teach, however, you will need to show high expertise and a record of professional experience in a subject area taught in Udacity schools.
The pay varies depending on your knowledge of the subject. Most instructors on Udacity are industry leaders from Fortune 500 companies or tech business owners.
5
LinkedIn Learning vs Udemy – The Career-Focused Solution
LinkedIn Learning (formerly known as Lynda) is an expansive online learning platform that caters to professionals seeking to enhance their skills and knowledge. Offering a vast library of courses spanning various industries and disciplines, LinkedIn Learning stands out as a valuable resource for career development. Learners can access courses taught by top companies and thought leaders, covering topics ranging from technical skills to soft skills crucial for professional growth, and get their certificates.
Its seamless integration with the LinkedIn platform provides a bridge between learning and professional networking. The platform also offers personalized recommendations based on users’ career goals and interests. With it, learners have the flexibility to learn at their own pace, making it an ideal choice for busy professionals looking to upskill or explore new areas. While Udemy appeals to hobbyists mostly, LinkedIn Learning is well-suited for corporate training and employee development.
Pros
Cons
How much does LinkedIn Learning cost?
LinkedIn Learning is free to use for instructors. To teach on the platform, you will need to complete the instructor application and check out the process of creating a LinkedIn learning course here.
Once you are in, you will get your first half of royalty advance and when your course is published you will get the other half. As soon as the advance is paid off, you will start receiving monthly payments for your courses.
6
Pluralsight vs Udemy – For Tech Professionals
Pluralsight is another leading online learning platform that specializes in providing technology-focused courses for individuals and businesses. Compared to Udemy, Pluralsight has a more niche target audience as it caters to professionals in IT, software development, and creative fields, offering a vast library of expert-led courses, assessments, and learning paths.
This platform emphasizes skill development and keeps up with rapidly evolving technologies, delivering in-depth content on topics such as programming languages, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and design tools. It stands out for its hands-on approach via interactive content, allowing learners to apply their knowledge through real-world projects and assessments, ensuring a practical understanding of the subject matter.
Pros
Cons
How much does Pluralsight cost?
Pluralsight is free for instructors. If you have any knowledge or experience in the subjects available on the platform you can become a ‘Pluralsight Author’ and you will work with a team that can help you get started. This team consists of Author Community Managers who will guide you through your audition, project coordinators, content producers, and peer reviewers.
As an author, you will get paid on a quarterly basis, through video course compensation that is based on viewership within the platform.
*Pricing information retrieved from Pluralsight in December 2023.
7
Edx vs Udemy – The Open-Source Option
Edx is a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) platform, founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). As a non-profit organization that partners with top universities and institutions globally, it offers a wide range of online courses, including both free and paid options. edX stands out for its commitment to providing high-quality education from prestigious institutions.
Learners can find courses in diverse subjects, from computer science and business to humanities and social sciences. Additionally, edX offers professional certificate programs and even full master’s degrees from partner universities. The platform’s courses often include interactive elements, such as quizzes, discussions, and assignments, to enhance the learning experience.
Pros
Cons
How much does Edx cost?
It’s free for instructors to join Edx. However, there may be additional costs for procuring a server and system support which you need to think about before making a decision.
You may also need to ask for the help of Open-edX’s service providers or freelancers whose pricing can vary according to your budget and project requirements.
Go through this guide to get more information on Open-edX course creation expenses.
8
Khan Academy vs Udemy – The Non-Profit Choice
Khan Academy is a non-profit educational platform that aims to provide free, world-class education to anyone. The platform offers a diverse range of instructional videos, practice exercises, and materials covering subjects such as mathematics, science, economics, history, and more. Khan Academy’s instructional approach emphasizes mastery learning, allowing students to progress at their own pace through self-paced courses, and ensuring a solid understanding of foundational concepts before moving on to more advanced topics.
With a focus on accessibility, the platform is making high-quality education available to learners around the globe. Khan Academy’s adaptive learning model and commitment to inclusivity have positioned it as a valuable resource for students, educators, and lifelong learners seeking a comprehensive and free educational experience. In contrast to Udemy, Khan Academy does not offer formal certificates and has no individual course purchases – all content is provided for free.
Pros
Cons
How much does Khan Academy cost?
Khan Academy is free for both learners and teachers. Because it works as a non-profit organization it does not pay instructors either, and it is most suitable for teachers who are willing to offer their knowledge for free.
9
Masterclass vs Udemy – For Celebrities
Masterclass is a premium and innovative online learning platform that managed to stand out offering courses taught by world-renowned experts and celebrities across various fields. With a focus on inspiration and storytelling, MasterClass provides a unique and immersive learning experience. Each course is presented in the form of high-quality video lessons, where experts share their insights and techniques.
The platform covers a diverse range of subjects in the creative field mostly – including arts and entertainment, writing, culinary arts, sports, and more. One of MasterClass’s key strengths lies in its high production value, providing learners with a visually engaging and professionally curated educational experience. Compared to Udemy, the costs here are a lot higher, and the course content offers limited interactivity.
Pros
Cons
How much does Masterclass cost?
Masterclass offers membership plans for learners. These are annual memberships that come in three packages:
Unlike Udemy and other course platforms, Masterclass does not allow any teacher or instructor to sign up and offer their courses. Instead, it sends out invitations to celebrities and industry experts directly and only those selected individuals can teach on the platform.
*Pricing information retrieved from Masterclass in December 2023.
10
Codecademy vs Udemy – For Coding
Codecademy is a widely recognized online learning platform that focuses on teaching programming and coding skills through interactive and hands-on exercises. Founded with the mission to make coding accessible to everyone, Codecademy offers a user-friendly interface and a unique learn-by-doing approach.
The platform covers a variety of programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and more. Codecademy’s interactive coding exercises provide real-time feedback, allowing learners to practice coding directly in the browser without the need for external software installations. This Udemy-worthy opponent, caters to both beginners and advanced learners, guiding them through a structured curriculum that emphasizes project-based learning and reinforcing practical skills.
Pros
Cons
How much does Codeacademy cost?
For individual learners, Codeacademy offers three paid plans that are available via both annual and monthly subscriptions:
As an instructor, you may choose to teach subjects like mobile development, machine learning, or programming languages. You will be working as part of the in-house team – a full-time Codacademy employee or selected partner, creating content for its course catalog.
*Pricing information retrieved from Codecademy in December 2023.
11
Brighterly vs Udemy – For Math Professionals
The Brighterly math tutoring platform differs from Udemy focusing on math education. Here, students from grades 1 to 8 can get quality learning support from the top-notch educators.
Unlike many math tutoring platforms, Brighterly individually matches teachers to each learner based on the learner’s level of knowledge, grade, and goals.The platform allows educators to provide an engaging and effective learning experience for each student through interactive lessons.
Pros
Cons
How much does Brighterly cost?
Brighterly offers the first lesson to learners for free. After that, students can choose a course related to their goals. The best price is $19,5 per lesson (“Math Excellence Plan”).
Teachers can join Brighterly without charge by applying to the company’s open positions. All educational resources and teaching tools become available free of charge when educators join the team.
Looking for a Platform to Create and Sell Online Courses?
While Udemy is a strong player in the realm of online learning, this guide reveals a landscape rich with possibilities for content creators, educators, and online instructors. Each alternative brings its unique strengths and features, catering to diverse teaching styles and preferences.
As you begin your search to find the best online course platform, consider the specific needs of your audience, the level of interactivity you desire for your content, its features, functionality, and scaling potential.
If you are seeking a platform to not only share knowledge but also to monetize your expertise and sell digital products, we invite you to explore options beyond traditional learning platforms. Elevate your teaching experience and empower your learners with LearnWorlds.
Start your free 30-day trial today and turn your passion into a thriving online business!
Further reading you might find interesting:
Kyriaki is a Content Creator for the LearnWorlds team writing about marketing and e-learning, helping course creators on their journey to create, market, and sell their online courses. Equipped with a degree in Career Guidance, she has a strong background in education management and career success. In her free time, she gets crafty and musical.
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