Last updated: 6 October 2026. Past sale terms are taken from Coursera’s own sale notices for 2024 and 2025; today’s prices were checked on coursera.org. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. See our review methodology.
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COURSERA BLACK FRIDAY 2026 AT A GLANCE
Bottom line: Coursera has not announced its 2026 Black Friday sale yet. In both 2024 and 2025 it took 40% off the annual Coursera Plus subscription, and in 2025 it ran that discount twice: from 7 to 23 November and again for Black Friday, 24 November to 1 December. If you plan to buy Coursera Plus this year, November is the time, and you do not need to wait for Black Friday itself.
- Last two years: 40% off Coursera Plus annual
- Price at 40% off: $239.40 for the year instead of $399
- 2025 dates: Early sale 7 to 23 Nov; Black Friday sale 24 Nov to 1 Dec
- Today (6 Oct 2026): No sale; $59 a month or $399 a year
- Refund: 14-day money-back guarantee on the annual plan
Coursera’s Black Friday sale is a discount on one product: the annual Coursera Plus subscription, which gives you a year of access to thousands of courses and many Professional Certificates from companies such as Google, IBM and Meta. If you are working toward a certificate, that is the purchase the sale is built for.
This guide sets out what Coursera actually offered in 2024 and 2025, using the sale notices Coursera sent to its affiliate partners, when the 2026 sale is likely to start, what Coursera Plus costs at the sale price, and how to tell whether buying it on Black Friday makes sense for you.
When is Coursera Black Friday 2026?
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Coursera has not published dates. The 2025 sale is the best guide to the shape of this year’s:
| Phase | What happened in 2025 | What to expect in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Early November sale | 40% off Plus annual, 7 to 23 Nov | Possible from the first week of November |
| Black Friday sale | 40% off Plus annual, 24 Nov to 1 Dec | About 23 Nov to 1 Dec (Black Friday is 27 Nov) |
| End of year | End-of-year sale from 18 Dec | A December sale is likely |
| New Year | New Year sale announced 30 Dec | A January offer is likely |
These are expectations based on Coursera’s past sales, not announced dates. The live-sale box at the top of this page switches on automatically when a Coursera sale is confirmed.
Coursera Black Friday deals we can document
| Year | Offer | Dates | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 40% off Coursera Plus annual | Black Friday sale 24 Nov to 1 Dec | Coursera affiliate notice, 24 Nov 2025 |
| 2025 | 40% off Coursera Plus annual (pre-Black Friday) | 7 to 23 Nov | Coursera affiliate notice, 7 Nov 2025 |
| 2024 | 40% off Coursera Plus annual, global promotion | From 7 Nov; Plus offers running until 27 Jan 2025 | Coursera affiliate notices, Nov 2024 and Jan 2025 |
Coursera’s own Black Friday page confirms the 2025 sale was a limited-time Coursera Plus offer that ended on 1 December 2025. Some deal sites also list a $1 first month or a 50% holiday price for Black Friday; we could not confirm those from Coursera, so we have left them out.
BLACK FRIDAY IS NOT ALWAYS COURSERA’S DEEPEST SALE
Coursera also runs first-year offers on the annual plan outside November. In June 2026 the first year of Coursera Plus annual was $199, deeper than the 40% Black Friday price of the last two years. If you see an offer at or below $239.40 at any time of year, it matches or beats what Black Friday has delivered.
What Coursera Plus costs on Black Friday
| Plan | Regular price | At 40% off (2024 and 2025 sale) | Effective monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coursera Plus annual | $399 a year | $239.40 a year | About $20 a month |
| Coursera Plus monthly | $59 a month | Not part of the 2024 or 2025 sale | $59 a month |
| Single-program subscription | $49 to $79 a month | Not part of the 2024 or 2025 sale | $49 to $79 a month |
Regular prices were read on coursera.org on 6 October 2026, when no sale was running. The sale price assumes 2026 matches the last two years; check the checkout before you pay.
THE “SAVE 40%” BADGE IS NOT THE SALE
Year-round, Coursera labels the annual plan “Save 40%” because $399 a year costs less than twelve months at $59. That is a comparison with monthly billing, not a discount. The Black Friday offer takes a further 40% off the $399 annual price.
Should you buy Coursera Plus on Black Friday?
The sale only makes sense if the subscription itself does. Coursera Plus pays for itself when you finish several courses or certificates in a year; for one short course it is usually the wrong purchase.
- Buy on Black Friday if you plan to complete two or more Professional Certificates or several courses in the next 12 months. At $239.40 the year costs about the same as four months of the monthly plan.
- Use the 7-day free trial instead if you want to test one course or check the format first. You can start the trial now and still buy the annual plan in the sale, but cancel the trial before it converts to monthly billing.
- Skip Coursera Plus if the program you want is not included in it. Degrees and some programs are sold separately; the program page shows whether it is part of Coursera Plus.
Our full analysis of whether Coursera Plus is worth it works through the break-even in more detail, and our Coursera pricing guide covers every way to pay.
Annual at 40% off vs paying monthly: the break-even
The Black Friday price is only a bargain if you would otherwise keep paying for a long time. The arithmetic:
| How long you will actively study | Monthly at $59 | Annual at Black Friday price | Cheaper option |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 months | $118 | $239.40 | Monthly |
| 3 months | $177 | $239.40 | Monthly |
| 4 months | $236 | $239.40 | About the same |
| 6 months | $354 | $239.40 | Annual sale |
| 12 months | $708 | $239.40 | Annual sale (saves $468.60) |
So the sale wins once you expect to study for more than four months, which is typical if you plan to finish two certificates or one long one alongside a job. If you can realistically finish a single certificate in two or three months of focused study, paying monthly and canceling afterwards costs less than even the Black Friday annual price.
What Coursera Plus includes
Coursera describes Coursera Plus as access to more than 10,000 courses, with unlimited certificates once the free trial ends. In practice that covers most single courses, Specializations and Professional Certificates from Coursera’s university and company partners. Degrees, and some individual programs, are sold separately, so check the program page for a “Coursera Plus” label before relying on the subscription for a specific credential.
Everything you complete while subscribed stays on your profile, but you need an active subscription to keep studying and to earn new certificates. Plan the year so the courses you care about are finished before the renewal date.
Certificates worth starting with Coursera Plus
Coursera’s own Black Friday page highlighted programs from Google, IBM, Meta, Duke, Penn and Illinois as part of the subscription. If you are buying Plus for a credential, these are well-known starting points; our reviews cover several of them:
- Google Project Management Certificate review
- IBM Data Science Professional Certificate review
- Machine Learning Specialization (Andrew Ng) review
- Are Coursera certificates worth it to employers?
Plan the year before you buy. A Professional Certificate often takes several months at a few hours a week, so pick the one or two you will actually finish and check how long each takes.
Buy now or wait?
| If you are reading this in | Our advice |
|---|---|
| January to September | Buy if you will start now, or use the 7-day trial. Coursera runs several sales a year, but months of use are worth more than waiting. |
| October | Wait if you can. In 2025 a 40% off sale started on 7 November. |
| November to 1 December | Buy during the sale if a 40% offer is live. It has been the Black Friday price two years running. |
| December and January | Watch for the end-of-year and New Year offers, which followed Black Friday in 2025 and 2024. |
How to get the Coursera Black Friday price
- Pick the annual plan. The 2024 and 2025 discounts applied to Coursera Plus annual, not to the monthly plan.
- Check the price at checkout. The 40% should show before you pay. If it does not, the sale may have ended or you may have selected monthly billing.
- Know the refund rule. Coursera offers a 14-day money-back guarantee on the annual plan; other subscriptions are not refundable after the free trial.
- Set a renewal reminder. The annual subscription renews at the regular price unless you cancel, so note the date.
How Coursera compares with other Black Friday course sales
Coursera competes with other subscriptions for the same November budget. These are the 2025 Black Friday offers we can document from the vendors’ own notices; 2026 terms are not announced yet.
| Platform | 2025 Black Friday offer | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Coursera Plus | 40% off annual ($239.40) | University and company certificates across many subjects |
| MasterClass | 50% off annual memberships | Craft and inspiration from famous practitioners |
| DataCamp | 50% off Premium ($165 instead of $330) | Hands-on data and AI practice |
| Udacity | 55% off with code BLACKFRIDAY | Career-focused tech Nanodegrees |
| Corporate Finance Institute | 40% off (code BFCM25) | Finance certifications |
If your goal is a recognized certificate across a broad range of subjects, Coursera Plus is the strongest value on this list at the sale price. For a narrow skill such as data analysis in Python, a specialist platform like DataCamp may teach it more directly. Our Coursera vs Udemy comparison covers the cheaper alternative.
Comparing platforms before you buy? Our Black Friday online course deals page lists what every platform we cover offered last Black Friday, side by side, with the sales that are live today.
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Frequently asked questions
When is the Coursera Black Friday sale in 2026?
Coursera has not announced it yet. In 2025 it ran a 40% off Coursera Plus annual sale from 7 to 23 November, then the Black Friday sale itself from 24 November to 1 December. If 2026 follows the same pattern, expect an early sale from the first week of November and the Black Friday sale from about 23 November to 1 December (Black Friday is 27 November and Cyber Monday 30 November).
How much is Coursera Plus on Black Friday?
In 2024 and 2025 Coursera took 40% off the annual Coursera Plus subscription, which brings $399 down to $239.40 for the year, about $20 a month. The monthly plan ($59) was not the discounted product.
Is the Coursera Plus “Save 40%” badge a sale?
No. Outside a sale, Coursera labels the annual plan “Save 40%” because $399 a year costs less than paying $59 a month for twelve months. The Black Friday discount is a separate 40% off the $399 annual price.
Does the Black Friday discount apply to Coursera Professional Certificates?
The 2024 and 2025 sales discounted the Coursera Plus annual subscription. Coursera Plus includes thousands of courses and many Professional Certificates (Coursera lists programs from Google, IBM, Meta and others in it), so for most certificate learners the Plus sale is the discount that matters. Check that your program shows as included in Coursera Plus before you buy.
Can I get a refund on Coursera Plus bought on Black Friday?
Coursera offers a 14-day money-back guarantee on the annual Coursera Plus plan. Its terms say subscriptions are otherwise not refundable once the free trial ends, so decide within the first two weeks.
What if I miss the Coursera Black Friday sale?
Coursera ran an end-of-year sale from 18 December 2025 and a New Year sale after it, and in 2024 Coursera Plus offers ran until 27 January 2025. Missing Black Friday has usually meant waiting a few weeks for the next sale, not a year.
Is Coursera Plus worth buying on Black Friday?
It is worth it if you will finish two or more certificates or several courses within the year. At $239.40 the annual plan costs about the same as four months of the monthly plan. If you only need one short course, the 7-day free trial or a single course may be cheaper.