Pluralsight vs Udacity: Which Should You Choose?
Spending money on the wrong online learning platform will hurt not only your wallet but also your career. If you’re struggling to choose between Pluralsight vs Udacity, you’ll need to be careful. Making the right choice could ensure success in your field.
Unfortunately, browsing the web pages of these ed-tech companies isn’t enough to help you make an informed decision. There’s a lot you can’t find without actually using one of their packages. For example, I see lots of people complaining because they can only find a few hundred courses in Pluralsight’s library. They don’t know that having an active account on Pluralsight will reveal up to 7,000+ courses in the library. Thankfully, I’m here to save you all the stress that comes with researching Udacity and Pluralsight.
I recently paid for both services. From my experience, I created what I call the “king of all reviews” on the subject.
Can’t find time to read it all? The overview section below has the core info – enough to allow you to make a quick decision.
Pluralsight vs Udacity: Summary and Overview
| Pluralsight | Udacity | |
| Course Categories | ● Architecture & Construction ● Business ● Creative ● Data ● IT ● Manufacturing & design ● Information & cyber security ● Software development ● Web development | ● Data science ● Artificial Intelligence ● Programming ● Autonomous systems ● Cloud computing ● Product management ● Career ● Cybersecurity ● Business |
| Price Range | $19 – $29 | $399 – $2,394 |
| No. of Courses | 7,000+ | 270+ |
| % Of Courses that are Free | Less than 1% | 70% |
| Service Packages for: | Individuals, Businesses, and Government Organizations | Individuals, Businesses, and Government Organizations |
| One-one-one Tutor Interaction | Limited | Available |
| Support Quality | Very poor | Excellent |
Pluralsight is an e-learning service provider with thousands of tech-focused and self-paced courses in its library. They don’t offer degrees, but you can download and use their top-quality software on any device, irrespective of its platform. The courses on Pluralsight are also highly affordable.
Udacity is an online learning platform with hundreds of tech courses. The company prioritizes mentor-learner interactions. You may pay for individuals or organizations and get degrees and certificates. However, these are non-accredited.
Still unsure of which to choose? Next are some key differences between the two online learning platforms.
Pluralsight vs Udacity: Key Differences
| Pluralsight | Udacity | |
| Mobile App | Yes | No |
| Smart TV App | Yes | No |
| Degree Program | None | Available |
Pluralsight vs Udacity: Courses and Subjects
| Pluralsight | Udacity | |
| No. of Courses | 7000+ | 270+ |
| Course Formats | Video and Text | Video and Text |
| Subject Categories | ● Architecture & Construction ● Business ● Creative ● Data ● IT ● Manufacturing & design ● Information & cyber security ● Software development ● Web development | ● Data science ● Artificial Intelligence ● Programming ● Autonomous systems ● Cloud computing ● Product management ● Career ● Cybersecurity ● Business |
| Course Languages | 1 Language | 1 Language |
| Skill Levels | ● Beginner ● Intermediate ● Advanced | ● Beginner ● Intermediate ● Advanced |
| Degrees Available | None | Nanodegree (Non-accredited) |
| Certificates Available | Certificate of completion | Credential of completion |
| Main Niche | Tech | Tech |
Course structure and quality should come first in the pecking order of factors to consider when picking an ed-tech service. Here’s how both companies stand with regard to that aspect.
Pluralsight
Courses Overview
Pluralsight has two libraries – Core (2,500+ courses) and Extended (7,000+ courses). You only get to see them with an active account.
These courses provide lessons in video and text formats covering the following categories:
● Architecture & construction
● Business
● Creative
● Data
● IT
● Manufacturing & design
● Information & cyber security
● Software development
● Web development
I believe everyone should be able to gain from such valuable online courses irrespective of their languages. That’s why some course providers offer lessons in multiple languages.
Unfortunately, if you don’t understand English, you may struggle as a Pluralsight student because courses only come in one language – English.
Skill Levels
We enroll in courses to take our skills from one level to another. If a course is too advanced, you end up getting confused, and if it’s too basic, you don’t gain any value. Either way, you don’t learn a thing.
Pluralsight has courses for beginner, intermediate, and advanced level students.
Degrees Available
It’s nice if you can get a degree after successfully completing a course. And it’s even better if the degree is accredited (recognized by top universities and professional bodies).
Unfortunately, Pluralsight does not offer degrees.
Certificates Available
Certificates don’t take as long to get as degrees. Some are professional and highly recognized, while others are purely decorative.
The only one you can get on Pluralsight is a certificate of completion. This is just to show you finished the video course, an achievement some employers might appreciate. A few of these certificates can serve as extra credits for professional education, such as PMI and CompTIA programs.
Main Niche
Some online learning platforms offer higher quality materials, more courses, or better instructors in certain subjects than in others. I call this their main niche.
Most of Pluralsight’s courses are tech-centric.
Udacity
Courses Overview
Udacity offers over 270 courses (video and text formats) that cover the following categories:
● Data science
● Artificial Intelligence
● Programming
● Autonomous systems
● Cloud computing
● Product management
● Career
● Cybersecurity
● Business
Like Pluralsight, Udacity only has courses in the English language.
Skill Levels
In terms of skills, the lessons cover beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.
Degrees Available
I was happy to find that you can get a degree with Udacity. However, it’s non-accredited. Udacity’s Nanodegree is their trademarked credential that you might find very useful.
It’s approved by their industry partners, including Shell, Toyota, and the US Air Force.
Certificates Available
You can only get a certificate of completion with Udacity.
Main Niche
Udacity courses are mostly about tech-related subjects and skills.
Winner is: Udacity
Udacity’s Nanodegree programs are fantastic not just because of their top quality but also their value in the tech job market.
Pluralsight vs Udacity: Tutors and Community
| Pluralsight | Udacity | |
| Tutor Selection Criteria | Industry experts | Industry professionals |
| One-on-one Tutor Interaction | Limited | Available |
| Active Community | Yes | Yes |
| Community Response Time | Within three days | Within two days |
| No. of Users | 1+ million | 14+ million |
Now that we’ve covered the courses and their facilities, it’s time for me to talk about the tutors at Udacity and Pluralsight. I’ll also be discussing the effectiveness of their learner communities.
Pluralsight
Tutor Selection Criteria
How an online learning platform vets instructors can determine how well their lessons turn out. You don’t want them letting just about anybody create a course on the platform.
From my experience with ed-tech, the stricter the tutor selection criteria, the higher the lesson quality.
I did some digging into Pluralsight’s criteria and discovered that they only accept what they term “industry experts.”
This implies that one doesn’t need to have accredited certification to post courses on Pluralsight. However, the company tries to ensure you have the knowledge, experience, and teaching skills to create valuable courses.
One-on-one Tutor Interaction
I believe effective education should involve some back-and-forth between the student and their instructor. It helps you ask questions and grasp concepts much faster.
Having a channel for one-on-one communication is better than group discussions because you get the mentor or tutor’s full attention.
Unfortunately, you can’t interact one-on-one with your course tutor on Pluralsight. However, you can still talk to them by asking your questions on the course-wide discussion forum. The instructors and other students will see it and respond when they can.
Community
A learner and tutor community is a great place to ask questions and open subject-relevant discussions. With over one million users, Pluralsight has an active community.
I posted a question on one of the discussion forums and got a response within three days. It took too long, in my opinion.
Udacity
Tutor Selection Criteria
Udacity only accepts industry professionals as tutors. This means that they have both the skills and credentials to teach their respective subjects.
From my experience with the course I took, these tutors knew what they were saying. Terrific content!
One-on-one Tutor Interaction
You can get a semblance of one-on-one tutor interaction on Udacity, thanks to the technical mentor support option. Here, the course leads and mentors will answer your questions and provide clarification where needed.
Community
Over 14 million users on Udacity form an active community of learners. I posted on one of the discussion forums and got a useful response within two days
Winner is: Udacity
They have better tutor-student interaction and a more active community.
Pluralsight vs Udacity: Online Software
| Pluralsight | Udacity | |
| Compatible Platforms | ● Web ● macOS ● Windows ● Android ● iOS ● Smart TV ● Chrome browser extension | Web |
| Interface | Easy to use | Easier to use |
| Key Software Features | ● Offline learning ● Course recommendation ● VS code content recommendation ● Mobile in-app game ● Simultaneous TV streaming | ● Course recommendations ● Progress saver |
| Recommendations | Good | Good |
| Average Software Store Rating | 4.7 stars | – |
| Support Quality | Very poor | Excellent |
Both Udacity and Pluralsight are SaaS products, which means they also have to get it right on the technical side. Next, I’ll discuss their UI, UX, and other software-related factors to consider.
Pluralsight
Compatible Platforms
Imagine not being confined to learning only with one device. You can learn during your lunch break at work, and you don’t lose your momentum when one of your devices is unavailable. That’s what cross-platform compatibility brings to the table.
Pluralsight has software for the following platforms:
● Web
● macOS
● Windows
● Android
● iOS
● Smart TV (Apple, Android, and Fire TVs)
● Chrome browser extension
In case you don’t know, this is a lot of coverage! Very few ed-tech companies have such compatibility.
Interface
You also want software that allows you to find specific courses, settings, and payment methods with ease.
Pluralsight’s software is easy to use.
Key Software Features
Together, the Pluralsight apps offer the following features:
● Offline learning
● Course recommendation
● VS code content recommendation
● Mobile in-app game
● Simultaneous TV streaming
I thought Stack up, the in-app game for mobile, was quite fun. I competed with other students by trying to answer the most questions in a row.
Recommendations
If you’re on a career path, course recommendations help you maintain your momentum. They give you suggestions on the next program to enroll in.
Pluralsight gives some good recommendations.
Average Software Store Rating
Yes, the apps were nice, but that’s my opinion, and not everyone would share it. So, I checked their ratings and reviews on the various stores to see what other users thought. Here’s what I found:
App Store: 4.7 stars from 349 reviews
Google Play Store: 4.7 stars from 18.2k reviews
Amazon: 4.3 stars from 1.078k reviews
Average Rating: 4.7 stars
Those are excellent ratings, in comparison with other ed-tech companies.
Support Quality
When you use any online product for a few weeks, chances are you’ll need tech support at one point. With online learning, you need to have access to effective support, so problems don’t affect your progress.
I reached out to Pluralsight’s support team with a problem I was having and got a response back within 24 hours. They were helpful.
Once again, I cannot decide their quality based on my personal experience. I needed more opinions. So, I checked 20 of Pluralsight’s latest Trustpilot customer support reviews. Of the 20, 16 were bad and 4 were excellent. It’s clear that Pluralsight has very poor support quality.
Udacity
Compatible Platforms
Udacity only has the web version. There are no apps for mobile, PC, or TV.
Interface
Their interface is easy to use.
Key Software Features
The website offers the following features:
● Course recommendations
● Progress saver
This isn’t even close to what Pluralsight offers.
Recommendations
Udacity’s course recommendations were just as good.
Support Quality
When I used Udacity’s support team, I got a helpful response within 24 hours. Of their 20 latest Trustpilot reviews, 17 were excellent and 3 were bad.
So, it’s safe to say they provide excellent support.
Winner is: Pluralsight
It’s a clear win for Pluralsight, despite their poor support.
Pluralsight vs Udacity: Pricing
| Pluralsight | Udacity | |
| Subscription Type | ● Standard (partial library) ● Premium (full library) | ● Monthly ● Multiple Months Access Bundle |
| Price Range | $19 – $29 | $399 – $2,394 |
| Free Trial | 10 days | Occasional |
| Free Courses | Available | Available |
| Discounts & Aid | ● Discount offers | ● Personalized discounts ● Bundle payment savings ● Coupons ● Scholarships |
| Refund Policy | None | 2 to 14 days |
| Certification Pricing | Free | Free |
| Payment Methods | ● Credit cards ● Debit cards ● PayPal | ● Credit cards ● Debit cards ● PayPal |
Pluralsight
Subscription Pricing
As an individual, you can subscribe to Pluralsight using any of two packages:
● Standard (partial library): For $19/month, you get access to the core course library of 2,500+ courses
● Premium (full library): For $29/month, you get access to the core course library of 7,000+ courses
Free Trial
You can get a 10-day free trial of any of Pluralsight’s packages.
Free Courses
Every month, Pluralsight offers 5 free courses for that period only. You can access them without paying a dime while the offer lasts. All 5 courses are related to a specific subject, such as UX design, JavaScript, Kubernetes, etc.
Discounts & Aid
You can save money with some of Pluralsight’s discount offers. I got 33% off my first subscription.
Refund Policy
They have no refund policy.
Certification Pricing
You don’t have to pay extra money to get your certificate.
Payment Methods
You may make payments using any of the following methods:
● Credit cards
● Debit cards
● PayPal
Udacity
Subscription Pricing
You may subscribe to one of two Udacity plans:
● 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.
Free Trial
Although I didn’t get a free trial, I found that the company occasionally offers a 30-day free trial to some users.
Free Courses
From my research, about 70% of all courses on Udacity are free. That’s an awesome opportunity for free education and upskilling.
Discounts & Aid
To save money on Udacity plans, you can use any of the following options:
● Personalized discounts
● Bundled payment savings
● Coupons
● Scholarships
Refund Policy
The typical Udacity refund period is 2 days after purchase. However, if you’re in the EU, it’s 14 days.
Certification Pricing
All completion certificates are free.
Payment Methods
You may pay with any of the following methods:
● Credit cards
● Debit cards
● PayPal
Winner is: Pluralsight
This was close, but in the end, Pluralsight’s affordable pricing and free trial gave them the edge.
Udacity vs Pluralsight: Pros and Cons
Pluralsight
Pros
● You can use Pluralsight on a wide variety of device platforms.
● The software has main cool features such as offline learning and in-app games.
● Pluralsight course subscription plans are highly affordable.
● You can get a free trial.
● The course pricing system is easy to understand.
Cons
● You can’t earn a degree (accredited or not)
● The Pluralsight community is sparsely populated.
● The company has very poor customer support quality.
● They have no refund policy.
Udacity
Pros
● Udacity provides some of the best tech-focused programs (machine learning, cybersecurity, programming, etc.) on the internet.
● You can interact with mentors and tutors one-on-one.
● They have excellent support.
● You can get the Nanodegree.
● The service offers lots of discounts and coupons to help you save.
Cons
● You can only learn effectively if you understand English.
● Udacity doesn’t offer accredited degrees.
● There are currently no mobile apps.
FAQ
Is Pluralsight better than Udemy?
Pluralsight won two of our four rounds in this article, so you can tell the company is impressive. They offer higher quality tech courses than Udemy.
Which is better Udemy or Udacity?
Udemy has more range when it comes to choosing a subject to learn. However, Udacity offers better tech-related courses and more valuable degree programs.
Which is best Coursera or Udacity?
From my recent Coursera vs Udacity review, I matched up both online learning platforms. In the end, Coursera came out as the better service because it offers a more affordable starting price, more course options, and accreditation.
Alternatives to Udacity and Pluralsight
Coursera
Coursera has over 10,000 courses in several fields. What makes it a great alternative to Udacity and Pluralsight is that, unlike those two, it offers accredited degrees and certificates.
Udemy
This e-learning platform is king when it comes to course volume. With 80,000+ courses, you can choose from a wide variety of subjects. Regularly, the company also offers courses for free by providing 100% off coupons.
edX
With 3,680+ for you to choose from, edX is another viable option if you’re seeking accredited credentials. Course prices are also affordable.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Pluralsight if you…
● prioritize learning convenience
● have a budget of around a few hundred dollars or less
● want to try out the course before paying
● love to learn on a fun and innovative software platform
Choose Udacity if you…
● want to learn a tech skill and get a degree
● find it difficult to learn without regular support from mentors
● need a highly-active community of learners to regularly interact with
● have a large budget to learn from top tech professionals
My Final Verdict
If I were to choose a winner between Pluralsight vs Udacity, I’d say Pluralsight is the better online learning platform. The company is a bit of an all-rounder as I rarely found it lacking in any aspect. Udacity, while it has its strengths (course resources and interactions), falls short in some key aspects, especially when it comes to the technical part of its software.
You can see that both course providers are great options. You just have to choose which is right for you based on the tips above. Good luck!
References
https://learn.org/articles/What_is_an_Accredited_Degree.html
