Losing money on a subpar course is only one of many issues online learners face. The scariest problem is that after the course, you go into the real world unprepared. This problem has ruined many careers! If you’re trying to pick an e-learning platform based on edX vs Coursera vs Udacity, you should be careful, so you don’t ruin yours.
You see, there’s a lot of vital info people don’t know about these ed-tech services. For instance, a friend of mine never knew they could get their Master’s degree from home using Coursera or edX. Thankfully, I informed them before they spent tens of thousands of dollars getting the degree in an expensive traditional university.
To help online learners like you, I recently took courses on all three platforms. From my experience, I’ve created this honest and detailed review. With it, you’ll have all you need to choose which of the three services is best for you.
Even if you don’t have the time to read every detail, you’re fully covered. The summary section below can help you make a quick yet informed decision.
edX vs Coursera vs Udacity: Summary and Overview
| edX | Coursera | Udacity | |
| Course Categories | Architecture Art Biology Business Chemistry Communication Computer Science Data science Design Economics Education Electronics Energy & Earth Sciences Engineering Environmental Studies Ethics Food & Nutrition Health & Safety History Humanities Linguistics Law Literature Mathematics Medicine Music Philanthropy Philosophy Physics Science Social Science | Data science Computer science IT Personal development Business Linguistics Mathematics Engineering Health Social science Art | Data science Artificial Intelligence Programming Autonomous systems Cloud computing Product management Career Cybersecurity Business |
| Price Range | $49 – $4,725 | $39 – $45,000 | $399 – $2,394 |
| No. of Courses | 3,680+ | 10,800+ | 270+ |
| % Of Courses that are Free | 0% | 24% | 70% |
| Service Packages for: | Individuals, Businesses, and Universities | Individuals, Businesses, Universities, and Government Organizations | Individuals, Businesses, and Government Organizations |
| One-one-one Tutor Interaction | Limited | None | Available |
| Support Quality | Average | Very poor | Excellent |
Still can’t decide? Check the sections below for more in-depth info based on several relevant factors.
edX vs Coursera vs Udacity: Courses and Subjects
| edX | Coursera | Udacity | |
| No. of Courses | 3,680+ | 10,800+ | 270+ |
| Course Formats | Video and Text | Video and Text | Video and Text |
| Subject Categories | Architecture Art Biology Business Chemistry Communication Computer Science Data science Design Economics Education Electronics Energy & Earth Sciences Engineering Environmental Studies Ethics Food & Nutrition Health & Safety History Humanities Linguistics Law Literature Mathematics Medicine Music Philanthropy Philosophy Physics Science Social Science | Data science Computer science IT Personal development Business Linguistics Mathematics Engineering Health Social science Art | Data science Artificial Intelligence Programming Autonomous systems Cloud computing Product management Career Cybersecurity Business |
| Course Languages | 22 languages | 58 languages | 1 Language |
| Skill Levels | Beginner Intermediate Advanced | Beginner Intermediate Advanced | Beginner Intermediate Advanced |
| Degrees Available | Bachelor’s degree Master’s degree | Bachelor’s degreeMaster’s degree | Nanodegree (Non-accredited) |
| Certificates Available | Professional MicroBachelors MicroMasters Executive Education Xseries | Professional MasterTrack Diploma Graduate University | Credential of completion |
| Main Niche | General | General | Tech |
When choosing an online learning platform, its course structure and quality should be major deciding factors. Here’s how all three services stand:
edX
Volume isn’t the only indication that an ed-tech company has a higher chance of meeting your needs. You also have to consider variety. Do they offer enough subject categories in your field? Are they focused more on one niche (e.g., tech)?
edX has over 3,680 video and text-based courses in 30+ subject categories, including data science, law, and engineering. These courses also come in up to 22 different languages, including English. You can choose whichever helps you learn more effectively.
They also provide courses that cover beginner, intermediate, and advanced skill levels. To ensure you don’t enroll in a program that’s too complex or basic for you, always check its kill level.
edX partners with top universities such as MIT and Harvard university to provide accredited degree programs. You can earn a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with edX.
A certificate is different from a degree, mainly because of how long it takes to get them. With edX, you can earn the following certificates:
- Professional
- MicroBachelors
- MicroMasters
- Executive Education
- Xseries
Coursera
With more than 10,800 courses (video and text formats) in 10+ categories, Coursera has the upper hand in terms of sheer volume. These courses also come in 58 languages.
For skill level, you get content for beginners, intermediates, and advanced learners. And like edX, Coursera partners with top universities, allowing you to earn accredited Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees. I also found the following obtainable certificates:
- Professional
- MasterTrack
- Diploma
- Graduate
- University
Udacity
Although most of Udacity’s courses are tech-centered, they still offer more than 270 video and text format courses in 9 categories. The online course materials only come in the English language, but they offer online learning content for beginner, intermediate, and advanced skill levels.
Udacity doesn’t offer any accredited degree program, but you can earn their trademark Nanodegree, which is recognized by top companies such as Shell, Toyota, and even the US Air Force. You will earn a certificate of completion with each course.
Winner is: Coursera
They have the biggest course volume and the most language options.
edX vs Coursera vs Udacity: Tutors and Community
| edX | Coursera | Udacity | |
| Tutor Selection Criteria | School Business organization Non-profit organization | University instructor Industry expert Enterprise company | Industry professionals |
| One-on-one Tutor Interaction | Limited | None | Available |
| Active Community | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Community Response Time | Within a day | Within a day | Within two days |
| No. of Users | 44+ million | 87+ million | 14+ million |
People learn at different paces, but everyone learns better with some help from mentors and other subject experts. That is why I strongly believe online learning platforms should allow students to interact almost freely with their instructors and other students.
How these tutors are selected is also another important factor.
edX
The company only allows instructors who are representatives of schools, business organizations, and non-profit organizations.
edX doesn’t give direct access to tutors, but you can still communicate one-on-one via the course discussion forum. There I could ask questions about the overall course or a specific unit I had trouble understanding. I consider this a limited interaction, but it was helpful.
With over 44 million users, the edX community was pretty active, and I got responses within a day.
Coursera
This ed-tech company will accept any qualifying university instructor, industry expert, and enterprise company who can add value to their catalog.
Unfortunately, you can’t get one-on-one tutor interaction on the platform. Your best chance is to find their contact details through the organization’s website or Google search.
However, Coursera has an active community of 84+ million users, and you can get a forum response within a day.
Udacity
Udacity only allows top industry professionals to create courses for their platform. You can enjoy real one-on-one interaction with them via the technical mentor support system.
Although Udacity only has 14+ million users, its community is fairly active, and I got responses within two days.
Winner is: edX
They have the most helpful community among the three platforms.
edX vs Coursera vs Udacity: Online Software
| edX | Coursera | Udacity | |
| Compatible Platforms | Web Android iOS | Web Android iOS | Web |
| Interface | Easy to use | Easiest to use | Easy to use |
| Key Software Features | Course recommendations Inbuilt media player Progress saver Offline learning | Course recommendations Inbuilt media player Progress saver Offline learning | Course recommendations Progress saver |
| Recommendations | Average | Good | Good |
| Average Software Store Rating | 4.7 stars | 4.3 stars | – |
| Support Quality | Average | Very poor | Excellent |
Ed-tech services can be considered SaaS. Hence, their UI, UX, compatibility, functionality, and support are vital to your learning.
edX
Besides the default web app, edX also offers apps for Android and iOS. Both mobile platforms have a combined average rating of 4.7 stars from 103k reviews.
They also offer the following features and more:
- Course recommendations
- Inbuilt media player
- Progress saver
- Offline learning
For me, offline learning was most helpful. I could learn in places without Wi-Fi, which allowed me to study while commuting. Their course recommendations were pretty average, as I didn’t get enough career-advancing suggestions.
I checked 20 of edX’s latest customer support reviews on Trustpilot. 8 of them were excellent, 1 was average, and 11 were bad. It’s clear that edX has average support quality and can improve.
Coursera
This platform also has Android and iOS apps. Together, Coursera apps have an average rating of 4.3 stars from 229.4k reviews.
App features include:
- Course recommendations
- Inbuilt media player
- Progress saver
- Offline learning
Vs edX, the course recommendations were good, and the offline learning was helpful.
Unfortunately, I found 17 bad Trustpilot reviews for Coursera and only 3 excellent ones. Their support quality is clearly very poor and needs a lot of improvement.
Udacity
Udacity only has a web app and no mobile apps, which was a bummer. This limits the software’s only noteworthy features to their course recommendations (which were good) and progress saver.
On Trustpilot, I found 17 excellent Udacity support reviews and 3 bad ones. Safe to say, their support quality is excellent.
Winner is: Coursera
Although their support is poor, they have the easiest-to-use app with good course recommendations.
edX vs Coursera vs Udacity: Pricing Comparison
| edX | Coursera | Udacity | |
| Subscription Type | Individual Course enrolment: one-time Program Bundle enrolment: one-time | Single course certificate: one-time Multi-course certificate: monthly Plus (Unlimited certificates): monthly or annually MasterTrack certificate: one-time Degree: one-time | Monthly Multiple Months Access Bundle |
| Price Range | $49 – $4,725 | $39 – $45,000 | $399 – $2,394 |
| Free Trial | Most courses are trial-based | 7 to 14 day free trial | Occasional offers |
| Free Courses | None | Available | Available |
| Discounts & Aid | Financial aid Scholarships | Financial aid Scholarship | Personalized discounts Bundled payment savings Coupons Scholarships |
| Refund Policy | 2 to 14 days | 14 days (Plus and Single course only) | 2 to 14 days |
| Certification Pricing | Paid | Free | Free |
| Payment Methods | Credit cards Debit cards PayPal | Credit cards Debit cards Prepaid cards PayPal | Credit cards Debit cards PayPal |
Although the table above has all the info you need to compare the pricing on all three e-learning platforms, I decided to provide more details about their subscription plans (with price ranges below).
edX
You can pay to learn on edX in two ways:
- Individual Course enrolment: you pay for a single course that’s stand-alone or part of a program. Prices range from $49 to $300.
- Program Bundle enrolment: you pay for all of the courses (2 or more) within a program at once. Prices range from $300 to $4,725.
Coursera
There are five ways to subscribe to Coursera:
- Single Course certificate: You pay to learn one course and get a professional certificate. Pricing ranges from $39 to $99.
- Multi-course certificate: This is a certificate that requires you to complete multiple courses over several months; hence, you pay $39 monthly.
- Plus (Unlimited certificates): You pay monthly or annually to get access to an unlimited number of courses at $59/month or $399/year.
- MasterTrack certificate: This involves a one-time payment of $2,000 to$ 5,000.
- Degree: You’ll also pay for an accredited degree program. They typically cost from $9,000 to $45,000
Note that although the base fee is $39/month for many courses and they are self-paced, it may take you several months to complete each.
Udacity
Most courses on Udacity are priced the same, with differences in their average duration. This system results in two package options:
- Monthly: You pay $399 for every month you remain enrolled in a course.
- Multiple Months Access Bundle: You pay for multiple months of enrollment at once (usually with discounts). The maximum bundle price is around $2,394 for a six-month bundle.
Winner is: edX
edX has affordable and clear pricing even though they don’t offer free courses – you can still learn for free but have to pay for a certificate
edX vs Coursera vs Udacity: Pros and Cons
edX
Pros
- They offer a wide variety of subject categories.
- Many of the courses are highly affordable.
- Programs come in a variety of languages.
- They offer accredited degrees and certificates.
- There’s an active community to help you solve problems.
- The mobile app makes studying faster.
- You can get a free trial.
Cons
- No free course – you have to pay for a verified certificate.
Coursera
Pros
- You’ve got lots of courses to choose from.
- Programs come in a wide variety of languages.
- They offer accredited degrees and certificates.
- There’s an active community to help you solve problems.
- The mobile app makes studying faster.
- They offer a free trial.
Cons
- You don’t get one-on-one interactions with tutors or mentors.
- Coursera has poor support.
- You may find it difficult to determine the exact price for many of the programs.
Udacity
Pros
- Udacity provides quality tech-centered courses.
- You get one-on-one tutor interaction.
- They have excellent support.
- You can enjoy big discounts.
Cons
- You can only learn effectively if you understand English.
- Udacity doesn’t offer accredited degrees.
- There are currently no mobile apps.
FAQ
Which is better edX or Udacity?
From the number of wins in all Udacity vs Coursera rounds above, it’s clear that edX is better than Udacity when it comes to tutors, community, and pricing.
Which is more valuable edX or Coursera?
With edX, you get a lot more value for money. The platform offers accredited degrees at prices that are more affordable than Coursera’s.
Are edX courses better than Coursera?
The Coursera – edX debate shows that both course providers have similar lesson quality. However, edX has better tutor interaction and a wider course range, while Coursera provides more volume and language options.
Alternatives to edX, Coursera, and Udacity
If none of the three platforms catches your fancy, here are some alternatives:
- LinkedIn Learning
- MasterClass
- Pluralsight (Check my blog for the latest Udemy vs Pluralsight review)
- Skillshare
Which Should You Choose?
Choose edX if you…
- want the most affordable option
- need cheaper accredited degrees
- can’t find your course category on any of the other two services
Choose Coursera if you…
- don’t mind paying a high price for a quality accredited Bachelor’s or Master’s degree
- can’t find a course in your preferred language on any of the other two platforms
- spend a lot of time in places without internet connection
- are looking to get an online diploma
- need free online courses in non-tech spaces
Choose Udacity if you…
- want to learn a tech skill without accredited credentials
- find it difficult to learn without regular support from mentors
- need free courses in tech spaces
- have a large budget to learn from top tech professionals
My Final Verdict
If I were to choose an overall winner, I’d give the title to edX. edX is my pick because it has all of the advantages that Coursera and Udacity have to an impressive extent. It’s affordable, user-friendly, and supportive – just like Udacity. edX also comes with accredited degrees and certificates – just like Coursera.
You can still go for any of the other two services. The lists above should help with your pick. All three online learning platforms shine brightest in certain scenarios. What matters most are your learning needs. Good luck!
References
https://www.ringcentral.com/gb/en/blog/definitions/software-as-a-service-saas/
E-Learning Specialist in Online Programs & Courses