Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a commission from some links on this page. It never changes the price you pay or which platforms we recommend. LinkedIn Learning has no affiliate program with us, so its links are plain links.
Last updated: 24 October 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. The lynda.com redirect, LinkedIn Learning’s catalog figures and LinkedIn’s help-center rules on how individuals pay were re-checked on 24 October 2026. See our review methodology.
Quick verdict
Bottom line: there is no longer a choice to make. Lynda is LinkedIn Learning. LinkedIn bought Lynda.com in 2015, moved its library into LinkedIn Learning, and in 2021 started sending every lynda.com visitor to LinkedIn Learning. When we typed lynda.com on 24 October 2026 it landed on linkedin.com/learning with a “lynda_redirect_learning” tag in the address. So the real question is whether today’s LinkedIn Learning is right for you.
Best for: short, professionally produced business, creative and software courses, especially if you already pay for LinkedIn Premium or your library or employer gives you free access.
Look elsewhere for: deep, hands-on tech paths (Pluralsight), credentials employers recognize (Coursera), or one cheap course without a subscription (Udemy).
Compare Pluralsight for tech skills
What Happened to Lynda?
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Lynda.com was one of the original online-learning platforms, co-founded in 1995 by Lynda Weinman and Bruce Heavin. LinkedIn announced it would buy Lynda.com in 2015 in a deal valued at about $1.5 billion, and Microsoft agreed to buy LinkedIn on 13 June 2016. The Lynda library then became the core of a new product, LinkedIn Learning.
Institutional accounts moved first. Rutgers, for example, switched its students and staff over on 19 August 2019. Individual users followed, and in 2021 Class Central reported that LinkedIn had sunset Lynda.com and was redirecting its learners to LinkedIn Learning. The redirect is still in place: on 24 October 2026 lynda.com opened linkedin.com/learning with a tracking tag that names the old site.
The library did not disappear; it moved house. That is why “Lynda vs LinkedIn Learning” is no longer a real comparison. It is the same platform at two points in time, and anyone who learned on Lynda years ago will recognize many of the instructors and production standards.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1995 | Lynda Weinman and Bruce Heavin co-found Lynda.com |
| 2015 | LinkedIn agrees to buy Lynda.com for about $1.5 billion |
| 2016 | Microsoft agrees to buy LinkedIn (announced 13 June) |
| 2019 | Universities and employers move their Lynda accounts to LinkedIn Learning (Rutgers: 19 August) |
| 2021 | LinkedIn sunsets Lynda.com and redirects its users to LinkedIn Learning |
| 2026 | lynda.com still redirects to linkedin.com/learning (checked 24 October) |
Sources: LinkedIn and Microsoft press releases, Rutgers IT, Class Central; redirect checked by us.
What LinkedIn Learning Is Today
LinkedIn Learning keeps what Lynda was known for: a large, professionally produced video library covering business, creative and software skills. On 24 October 2026 the LinkedIn Learning home page listed 26,500 courses, more than 3,900 industry experts as instructors, subtitles in 20+ languages and seven native-language libraries, with “dozens added each week.” It also lists 1,300+ hand-curated learning paths and role guides for more than 35 job roles.
The big addition since the Lynda days is LinkedIn itself. Completed courses can appear on your LinkedIn profile, the platform recommends courses based on your job title and skills, and Skill Evaluations let you test where you stand before choosing what to watch.
How you pay has changed most. LinkedIn’s help center states that LinkedIn Learning does not sell individual courses or an individual LinkedIn Learning subscription. If you are paying for yourself, the route is LinkedIn Premium, which includes LinkedIn Learning; LinkedIn offers a free month to eligible members. Schools, employers and governments buy it for their people. For the full picture see our LinkedIn Learning review and our guide to what LinkedIn Learning costs.
Lynda vs LinkedIn Learning: What Actually Changed
If you used Lynda years ago and are wondering what is different now, the core library is the same, but several things changed in the move:
| Lynda.com (until 2021) | LinkedIn Learning (2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-in | Separate Lynda account | Your LinkedIn account (or your school or employer login) |
| How individuals pay | Standalone monthly or annual subscription | LinkedIn Premium, which includes Learning; no standalone plan |
| Catalog | The Lynda library | 26,500 courses including the former Lynda catalog (24 Oct 2026) |
| Recommendations | Topic browsing | Suggestions based on your role, skills and Skill Evaluations |
| Certificates | Completion certificates | Completion certificates you can add to your LinkedIn profile, plus credential prep |
| Languages | Mostly English | Subtitles in 20+ languages and 7 native-language libraries |
- Branding and login: Lynda.com is gone; you sign in through LinkedIn Learning.
- Profile integration: if you connect your LinkedIn account, completed courses can be shown on your profile. It is optional, and you can keep your learning private.
- Personalized recommendations: the platform suggests courses based on your job title, skills and connections.
- Pricing model: the standalone subscription is gone. Individuals get LinkedIn Learning as part of LinkedIn Premium; organizations buy it for their people.
- Same library, same history: the course catalog carried over, and migrated accounts kept their viewing history.
In short, you get everything Lynda offered plus tighter LinkedIn integration. The trade-off is that access is now tied to a LinkedIn account and, for individuals, to a Premium plan you may not otherwise want.
Is LinkedIn Learning Worth It?
For broad professional development (leadership, project management, design, marketing and popular office and creative software) it is a strong, polished option. It is an easy yes if you already pay for LinkedIn Premium, because Learning is included at no extra cost, and an even easier one if your library or employer gives it to you free.
It is also less credential-free than its reputation suggests. LinkedIn says more than 2,000 of its courses prepare you for over 120 off-platform credentials, including certifications, continuing education units and academic credits, and it hosts Professional Certificates from providers such as Microsoft, Zendesk, LambdaTest and BluePrism. The certificate is still issued by the provider and the exam, not by LinkedIn.
Where it is weaker is depth in any single technical track. Most courses run from under an hour to a few hours, which is ideal for getting up to speed on a topic before a meeting or an interview and thin for a career change. A developer who wants hands-on coding paths with labs will outgrow it quickly, and someone who needs a university-backed certificate will do better elsewhere.
| Your situation | Is LinkedIn Learning worth it? |
|---|---|
| You already pay for LinkedIn Premium | Yes. Learning is included; use it |
| Your library or employer offers free access | Yes. Start there before paying for anything |
| You want short refreshers on business or software topics | Yes. This is its strength |
| You are changing careers into tech | Partly. Pair it with a deeper platform such as Pluralsight or Coursera |
| You need a credential employers recognize | Only via its credential-prep courses; Coursera certificates carry more weight |
| You want one course on one topic | No. Premium is a subscription; a single Udemy course is cheaper |
Better Alternatives, by Goal
If LinkedIn Learning is not the right fit, here is where we would send you depending on what you are after:
- For tech and software depth: Pluralsight, the closest LinkedIn Learning competitor, with deeper developer, cloud and IT paths and hands-on labs on every plan. Monthly plans were $30, $35 and $55 when we checked on 24 October 2026. See our Pluralsight alternatives too.
- For recognized credentials: Coursera, with university and industry Professional Certificates from Google, IBM and Meta. Coursera Plus is $59 a month or $319.20 a year, normally $399.
- For affordable, one-off courses: Udemy: pay per course rather than a subscription, with lifetime access to what you buy. Its optional Personal Plan starts at $13.00 a month for 28,000+ courses.
For a wider set of options, see our roundup of the best online courses.
Related
Looking for the best of the former Lynda catalog today? See our best LinkedIn Learning courses, checked live in October 2026.
LinkedIn Learning Certificates: What They Are Worth
Every LinkedIn Learning course ends with a certificate of completion that you can download or add to your LinkedIn profile. It confirms you watched the course and passed any quizzes. It is not accredited, and it is not a credential in the sense an employer means when a job posting asks for one.
That does not make it worthless. Recruiters scanning a profile see that you keep your skills current, and a cluster of courses in one area tells a coherent story. Learners are realistic about it: in a January 2026 r/linkedin thread asking how people rate the courses, an HR consultant said many courses give a basic grounding but are thin on practice, and questioned whether a course completion does anything on a resume. A separate commenter who took around a dozen said they are most useful for getting condensed background on an unfamiliar topic before an interview.
The certificates that do carry weight are the ones issued by someone else. LinkedIn’s credential-prep courses lead to exams and certificates from Microsoft, Zendesk and other providers, and some courses count toward continuing-education units. If a credential is the goal, check the provider’s own page for what the exam costs and how it is verified.
| Credential type | Issued by | Employer weight |
|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn Learning certificate of completion | Low: shows initiative, not proven skill | |
| Professional Certificate on LinkedIn Learning | The provider (for example Microsoft or Zendesk) | Moderate, depends on the provider |
| Continuing education units (CEUs) via approved courses | The accrediting body | Useful where your profession requires CEUs |
| Industry certification after LinkedIn prep courses | The certifying body (exam) | High, the exam is what counts |
How to Get LinkedIn Learning Free or Cheaper
Because there is no standalone plan, the cheapest route depends on who you are. Check these before paying for Premium:
- Your public library. Many public libraries license LinkedIn Learning for cardholders. In a September 2026 r/linkedin thread, a New York resident described signing up for a free New York Public Library digital card and getting access the same day. Search your library’s e-resources page for “LinkedIn Learning”.
- Your school or employer. LinkedIn sells Learning to universities, companies and governments. If you have a student or staff login, sign in through your organization first.
- The free Premium month. LinkedIn offers a free month of Premium to eligible members, and Premium includes Learning. Set a reminder before it renews.
- Sales Navigator Core. LinkedIn’s help center says Sales Navigator Core subscribers get LinkedIn Learning; Advanced and Advanced Plus users do not.
LinkedIn shows the Premium price in your account before a trial converts. Its public Premium page would not load for us on 24 October 2026, so we do not print a figure we could not read at the source. Our LinkedIn Learning cost guide walks through the plans.
LinkedIn Learning vs Coursera, Udemy and Pluralsight
The comparisons people search for most are the three platforms below. Here is how they line up against LinkedIn Learning on the points that decide the choice:
| LinkedIn Learning | Coursera | Udemy | Pluralsight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How individuals pay | Included in LinkedIn Premium | Coursera Plus $59 a month, or per program | Per course, or Personal Plan from $13.00 a month | $30, $35 or $55 a month |
| Catalog | 26,500 courses | 10,000+ courses in Plus | 290,000+ courses | Tech, cloud and IT paths |
| Course length | Mostly under a few hours | Weeks to months | Varies by instructor | Paths of many courses |
| Credential weight | Completion certificate; credential prep | Google, IBM, Meta and university certificates | Completion certificate | Skill assessments; certification prep |
| Hands-on practice | Mostly video lessons with quizzes | Graded assignments and projects | Depends on the course | Labs on every plan |
| Best for | Quick professional refreshers | Career credentials | One skill, low cost | Deep tech skills |
Prices and catalog figures read on each platform on 24 October 2026; Coursera Plus price updates automatically.
LinkedIn Learning vs Coursera: choose Coursera if you need a certificate with weight behind it or a structured multi-month program; choose LinkedIn Learning for short courses you can finish this week. We compare them in depth in Coursera vs LinkedIn Learning.
LinkedIn Learning vs Udemy: Udemy wins when you want one specific course and to own it outright; LinkedIn Learning wins when you want a broad library and already have Premium or free access. Udemy’s quality varies by instructor, while LinkedIn Learning’s production is consistent.
LinkedIn Learning vs Pluralsight: for developers, cloud engineers and IT staff, Pluralsight goes much deeper and adds hands-on labs. LinkedIn Learning’s tech courses are better as introductions.
What Learners Say About LinkedIn Learning
We read recent learner discussions on Reddit (r/linkedin and r/womenintech) to see what people say after using it. Three themes came up repeatedly:
- Good for focused refreshers. A commenter advising a recently laid-off member in May 2026 suggested using a membership for targeted topics (a short Python-for-data course, statistics, and interview and profile help) rather than collecting certificates.
- Too basic for depth. Several people said many courses give a beginner’s overview, which helps before an interview but does not build working skill.
- Access is the real win. The most practical tip we found was to get it free through a public library rather than paying for Premium mainly for the courses.
That matches our own assessment: LinkedIn Learning is a good library to have, and rarely the platform worth paying for on its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lynda now LinkedIn Learning?
Yes. LinkedIn bought Lynda.com in 2015 and moved its library into LinkedIn Learning, then sunset the Lynda.com brand in 2021. The courses and many of the instructors live on inside LinkedIn Learning. It is the same platform, renamed and expanded.
Can I still use Lynda.com?
No. Lynda.com no longer exists as a separate site. Typing lynda.com takes you to linkedin.com/learning (checked 24 October 2026), which hosts the former Lynda catalog. Lynda accounts were migrated to LinkedIn Learning.
How much does LinkedIn Learning cost?
LinkedIn does not sell an individual LinkedIn Learning subscription or individual courses. If you are paying for yourself, access comes with LinkedIn Premium, which offers a free month to eligible members. Many public libraries, schools and employers provide it free.
Are LinkedIn Learning certificates recognized?
The certificate of completion shows you finished a course and can be added to your LinkedIn profile, but it is not accredited. Certificates issued by providers such as Microsoft through LinkedIn Learning, and industry exams you prepare for there, carry more weight with employers.
Can I get LinkedIn Learning for free?
Often, yes. Check your public library, your school or your employer first, since many license it for free. LinkedIn also offers a free Premium month to eligible members, and Premium includes LinkedIn Learning.
Is LinkedIn Learning better than Udemy?
For a broad, consistently produced library it is, if you already have Premium or free access. For a single course you want to own outright, Udemy is cheaper and you keep lifetime access to what you buy.
What was LinkedIn Learning called before?
It was built on Lynda.com, the online-learning site LinkedIn bought in 2015. LinkedIn Learning launched on the Lynda library, and Lynda.com itself was retired in 2021.
What is the best alternative to LinkedIn Learning?
For technical skills, Pluralsight is the closest and deeper competitor. For recognized credentials, Coursera is stronger. For affordable, single-topic courses without a subscription, Udemy is the better value.