Last updated: September 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. Every price and policy below was read on Coursera’s own pages, help centre and Terms of Use on 16 September 2026. See our review methodology.
Affiliate Disclosure: Links to Coursera are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It does not change which plan we tell you to buy, and for many readers that is not Coursera Plus.
Active promo, dated
Coursera Plus Monthly is $35 a month for your first 3 months (regularly $59) if you subscribe by 23 September 2026. It is for new Plus subscribers only, one per person, not available in India, and it renews at $59 a month. The annual plan is unchanged at $399 a year. Coursera for Teams has a matching offer: $279 per user per year instead of $399, also until 23 September.
- Coursera Plus: $59 a month or $399 a year; includes Specializations and most Professional Certificates
- One course or certificate: $49–$79 a month by subscription, or a one-time payment for a single course
- Free: a preview of the first module on most courses; financial aid on most courses
- Degrees: priced per program by the university, from a few thousand dollars to over $27,000
Coursera’s pricing is confusing because it sells five different things at once: free previews, single courses, subscriptions to individual programs, an all-access subscription called Coursera Plus, and university degrees. The right answer to “how much does Coursera cost?” depends on which of those you need. This guide lays out every price, what each plan includes, Coursera’s refund and financial-aid rules, and which option is cheapest for your situation.
See the current Coursera Plus offer →
How much does Coursera cost? Every option in 2026
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| Option | Price (US, 16 Sept 2026) | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free preview | $0 | The first module of most courses, graded work included; no certificate | Trying a course before paying |
| Single course | One-time payment set per course | Full access for 180 days and a course certificate | One course you will finish |
| Specialization or Professional Certificate | $49–$79 a month | Monthly subscription to that program; most start with a free trial | One credential, finished quickly |
| Coursera Plus Monthly | $59 a month ($35 for 3 months to 23 Sept) | 10,000+ courses, Guided Projects, Specializations and most Professional Certificates | One to six months of study |
| Coursera Plus Annual | $399 a year | Same catalog, billed yearly, 14-day refund period | Studying for most of a year |
| Coursera for Teams | $399 per user per year ($279 to 23 Sept) | Catalog access plus admin tools for a team | Companies training small teams |
| MasterTrack | $2,384 (the one English program) | Credit toward a university master’s | Testing a degree path |
| Online degree | Set per program by the university | A bachelor’s or master’s degree | Degree seekers |
Outside the United States, Coursera says local currency and pricing are shown at checkout, so the numbers you see may differ from these US prices.
Coursera Plus price: monthly vs annual
Coursera Plus is the all-access subscription. Coursera’s Plus page lists it at $59 a month or $399 a year. According to Coursera’s help centre, the monthly plan “starts with a 7-day free trial” and the annual plan “comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee.” Learners in India can currently buy only the monthly plan.
The current promotion
On 16 September 2026 the Plus page offered the monthly plan at $35 a month for three consecutive months, then $59 a month. The terms say you must claim it by 23 September 2026 at 11:59 p.m. UTC, that it is for new Plus subscribers only, limited to one per person, cannot be combined with other offers, and is not available to residents of India. Coursera runs Plus promotions often, so if you missed this one, check our Coursera discount guide for what is running now.
When the annual plan wins
At list price, seven months of the monthly plan cost $413, which is more than a year of the annual plan at $399. So if you expect to study for seven months or more, annual is cheaper. With the $35 promotion, the monthly plan costs $105 for the first three months and $59 a month after that, so it only passes $399 in the eighth month. Either way, the rule is the same: under about seven months of study, pay monthly; beyond that, pay annually. Two cautions apply to the annual plan: its refund window is 14 days, and Coursera’s terms say renewal charges on annual plans are not refunded, so set a reminder before it renews.
| Months of study | Monthly at $59 | Monthly with $35 promo | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $59 | $35 | $399 |
| 3 | $177 | $105 | $399 |
| 6 | $354 | $282 | $399 |
| 7 | $413 | $341 | $399 |
| 8 | $472 | $400 | $399 |
| 12 | $708 | $636 | $399 |
What Coursera Plus includes, and what it doesn’t
This is where most pricing guides, including an earlier version of this one, get it wrong. Coursera’s help centre says Plus “includes unlimited access to 10,000+ courses, Guided Projects, Specializations, and Professional Certificates” and covers “over 90% of the Coursera catalogue,” with no limit on the number of certificates you can earn. Professional Certificates from Google, IBM and Meta are generally included. The Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate, for example, is featured on the Plus page itself.
What may not be included, in Coursera’s words, is “for-credit content – such Degree program courses and certain Professional Certificates.” Online degrees and MasterTrack programs are separate purchases. Before you subscribe for one specific program, look for the Coursera Plus badge on its page; that is how Coursera marks what is included.
- Included: most courses, Guided Projects, Specializations, most Professional Certificates, and a certificate for each one you complete.
- Possibly excluded: certain Professional Certificates, especially those that carry academic credit.
- Excluded: online degree programs and MasterTrack certificates, which are priced by the university.
For context on catalog size, Coursera’s FY2025 Form 10-K reports “over 13,500 courses, Guided Projects, Specializations, and Professional Certificates” across the whole platform as of 31 December 2025; Plus covers the 10,000+ that its page advertises.
How much is a Coursera certificate?
There is no single certificate price, because the cost depends on how you pay and how fast you finish.
- Course certificate: buy the single course outright (Coursera gives 180 days of full access) or take it through a subscription. Coursera’s plans page puts individual courses and programs at $49–$79 a month, and the one-time price for a single course is shown on that course’s page.
- Professional Certificate: a monthly subscription while you study. Google’s own certificate page says its programs cost “$49 USD per month after an initial 7-day free trial” and that most learners can finish “for less than $300” at about ten hours a week. Finish faster and you pay less.
- Specialization certificate: the same monthly model, typically $49–$79 a month, for a series of courses on one topic.
- Through Coursera Plus: every certificate earned on included content comes at no extra cost, which is why Plus pays off once you plan more than two or three programs in a year.
One rule catches people out: Coursera’s terms say “certificates cannot be earned during the free trial.” To get the certificate you either let the trial convert to a paid subscription or end the trial early and pay. Our guide to whether Coursera certificates are worth it covers which ones employers actually value.
Browse Coursera certificates and courses →
What you can do on Coursera for free
Coursera no longer offers the old “audit” option on most courses. Its enrollment options article describes two free choices:
- Preview, “available for most courses”: full access to the first module, including its graded assessments. Later modules are locked and there is no certificate.
- Full Course, No Certificate, “only available for select courses”: all course materials and graded work, without a certificate.
The course page shows which option applies. For a certificate at no cost, the route is financial aid, which Coursera offers on most courses.
Coursera financial aid
Coursera’s financial aid article sets out how it works:
- You apply per course from the course page, with a written application of at least 150 words about your background, goals and finances.
- Coursera says to wait up to 16 days for a decision, and that starting a free trial while you wait cancels the application.
- There is no financial aid for a whole Specialization. You apply for each course in turn, applying for the next one after you finish the last.
- Approval gives you a discount off the course; Coursera says the amount can depend on your application and where you live. You then have 180 days to complete the course.
Coursera does not publish a separate student discount for individuals. Students usually get free or discounted access only when their university has a Coursera for Campus agreement, so ask your school before you pay.
Coursera refund and cancellation policy
Coursera’s Terms of Use (effective January 1, 2026) are stricter than many learners expect:
| What you bought | Refund rule |
|---|---|
| Single course (one-time payment) | Full refund within 7 days of payment or before you earn a certificate, whichever comes first |
| Specialization (one-time or subscription) | Full refund within 7 days or before you earn a certificate in it, whichever comes first |
| Coursera Plus Annual | 14-day refund period; no refunds on renewal charges |
| Monthly subscriptions | No refunds except where required by law or in limited stated cases; cancel before a free trial ends to avoid the first charge |
| Guided Projects | No refunds |
| Degrees and MasterTrack | Set by the university |
Cancelling stops future billing but does not issue a refund automatically; Coursera says refunds must be requested separately. Coursera also reserves the right to refuse a refund where a significant part of the content was already used.
Coursera for Teams and business pricing
For companies, Coursera for Teams is priced per person. On 16 September 2026 the Teams page listed $399 per user per year, discounted to $279 per user per year for new Teams subscribers until 23 September, for up to 125 licenses at that rate, with a 14-day refund guarantee and payment by card, PayPal or invoice. Larger organisations buy Coursera for Business (Enterprise) through sales, and universities buy Coursera for Campus plans, which are also quote-based.
For a small team, compare that $399 a seat with individual Plus subscriptions at $399 a year: the price per person is the same, so Teams is worth it for the admin tools, learning paths and reporting rather than for a lower price.
How much do Coursera degrees and MasterTrack cost?
Degrees are priced per program by the university, not by Coursera. Examples we read on Coursera’s degree pages on 11 September 2026: BITS Pilani’s online BSc in Computer Science at $4,400–$6,600, the University of North Texas BS in General Business at about $19,800, Northeastern’s MS in Data Analytics Engineering at $24,600, and the University of Illinois iMBA at $27,288. Our Coursera vs edX comparison has the full list.
MasterTrack, which gave university credit toward a master’s, has almost disappeared. When we counted on 8 September 2026 there was one English-language program left, Illinois Instructional Design, at $2,384 for two courses.
What do Guided Projects cost?
Guided Projects are short, hands-on exercises, usually an hour or two in a split-screen workspace. They are included in Coursera Plus, and outside Plus each project shows its own price on its page. Two rules are worth knowing before you buy one on its own: Coursera’s terms say it “does not offer refunds for Guided Projects or any other projects,” and a project is rarely worth buying separately if you already plan to subscribe to Plus, where it costs nothing extra.
Seven ways to pay less for Coursera
- Start with the free preview. The first module of most courses is free, graded work included, so you can judge the teaching before paying anything.
- Time Plus around a promotion. Coursera discounts Plus regularly; in September 2026 it was $35 a month for three months. Our Coursera discount guide tracks what is live.
- Finish subscriptions fast. A $49 a month certificate costs $147 if you finish in three months and $294 if you take six. Block study time before you start the clock.
- Buy a single course outright when one course is all you need. The one-time payment gives 180 days of access and avoids a subscription you might forget to cancel.
- Apply for financial aid course by course if cost is the barrier; do not start a free trial while an application is pending, because that cancels it.
- Ask your employer. Coursera’s Plus page includes a question on whether your employer can reimburse the subscription. If your company has a learning or tuition budget, ask whether it covers Coursera before you pay for it yourself.
- Use the refund windows deliberately. Seven days on a single course or Specialization, fourteen on Plus Annual. If a program is wrong for you, cancel inside the window and request the refund, since cancelling alone does not trigger one.
Which Coursera option is cheapest for you?
| Your situation | Cheapest route |
|---|---|
| You want to learn, not certify | Free preview; apply for financial aid if the course is worth finishing |
| You need one course certificate | Buy that single course outright (180 days of access) |
| You need one Professional Certificate | Subscribe to that program and finish fast, or use the Plus promo if one is running |
| Two or three programs this year | Coursera Plus Monthly while you study |
| Studying most of the year | Coursera Plus Annual at $399 |
| Training a team | Coursera for Teams, especially during a promotion |
Still unsure whether Plus is right for you? Our Is Coursera Plus worth it? guide works through the break-even in more detail.
Start Coursera Plus with a free trial →
Coursera pricing compared with the alternatives
| Platform | Price | What you get | Better than Coursera when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coursera Plus | $59/month or $399/year | 10,000+ programs with certificates | — |
| edX | Priced per course or program (Harvard’s CS50 certificates $518–$668) | University courses with a free audit track | You want a whole course free, or one elite university credential |
| DataCamp Premium | About $336/year list, often about $168 on promotion | Interactive data courses | You only want data skills with in-browser coding |
| Udemy | Courses about $10–$20 on sale; Personal Plan from $13/month billed annually | One course for life, or a curated subscription | You want one narrow, practical skill |
| LinkedIn Learning | Included with LinkedIn Premium; no standalone subscription | Business and software skills | You already pay for LinkedIn Premium |
| MasterClass | $120, $180 or $240 a year, annual only | Celebrity-taught classes, no certificates | You want inspiration rather than job skills |
Platform-by-platform pricing: DataCamp pricing, Udemy pricing, LinkedIn Learning cost and MasterClass pricing. For head-to-heads, see DataCamp vs Coursera, Coursera vs Udacity and our Coursera review.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Coursera cost per month?
Coursera Plus costs $59 a month, or $399 a year on the annual plan. Individual Specializations and Professional Certificates cost $49 to $79 a month while you study. Until 23 September 2026, new Plus subscribers can pay $35 a month for the first three months.
Is Coursera free?
Partly. Most courses offer a free preview of the first module, including its graded work, and select courses offer the full course without a certificate. Certificates cost money unless you are approved for financial aid, which Coursera offers on most courses.
Does Coursera Plus include Professional Certificates?
Yes, for most of them. Coursera says Plus includes 10,000+ courses, Guided Projects, Specializations and Professional Certificates, though for-credit content such as degree courses and certain Professional Certificates may not be included. Check for the Coursera Plus badge on the program page.
How much is a Coursera certificate?
It depends on how you pay. A Professional Certificate is typically a $49 a month subscription; Google says most learners finish its certificates for less than $300. A single course can be bought outright for a one-time price with 180 days of access, and certificates are included in Coursera Plus.
Does Coursera have a free trial?
Yes. Coursera Plus Monthly starts with a 7-day free trial, and most subscriptions to Specializations and Professional Certificates also start with one. Coursera’s terms say certificates cannot be earned during a free trial.
What is Coursera’s refund policy?
A single course or Specialization bought outright can be refunded within 7 days of payment or before you earn a certificate, whichever comes first. Coursera Plus Annual has a 14-day refund period. Monthly subscriptions and Guided Projects are generally not refundable.
Does Coursera offer financial aid or a student discount?
Coursera offers financial aid on most courses: you apply per course, and approval gives a discount that can depend on your circumstances and location. There is no financial aid for a whole Specialization and no published student discount for individuals; students often get access through a Coursera for Campus agreement at their university.
How much does Coursera for Teams cost?
Coursera for Teams lists at $399 per user per year. Until 23 September 2026 new Teams subscribers could pay $279 per user per year for up to 125 licenses, with a 14-day refund guarantee. Larger organisations buy Coursera for Business through sales.
How much do Coursera degrees cost?
Degrees are priced by each university. Examples read in September 2026 range from $4,400 to $6,600 for BITS Pilani’s online BSc in Computer Science to $27,288 for the University of Illinois iMBA.