Best Online Learning Platforms of 2024 (2024)

Best Online Learning Platforms

Best Online Learning Platforms

• Courses: 5,800+
• Price: Guided projects start at $10 per course, professional certificate courses start at $39 a month, and higher university-issued certificates begin at $2,000 per course
• Certificate: Yes
• Accredited Institution: Coursera is not accredited, but partners with accredited institutions

Coursera has partnered with over 300 leading universities and companies to create courses to supplement your education and set you ahead in your career.

Coursera isn’t just a place to take classes that are like college courses—it actually offers real academic courses from real professors and universities at a fraction of the cost of getting an online degree.

The platform partners with over 300 universities and companies to provide real learning experiences that can connect to real-world benefits. In some cases, you can even earn certifications or degrees entirely through Coursera, which can then potentially lead to professional benefits like raises, promotions, and more. Even if you’re not looking for professional development, Coursera offers challenging and interesting classes on plenty of topics, so you can explore all kinds of interests.

The platform allows for multimedia courses, so professors can construct classes, upload videos, assign and grade quizzes and homework assignments, and other elements that would be present in a “real” online college class.

Each course is individually priced (the cheapest start around $30 to $40 and increase from there), although there are some instances where you can purchase a bundle of courses at once (and sometimes at a discount) as a “track” or certification/degree program. You can also get unlimited access to over 7,000 courses with Coursera Plus for $399 a year. It’s pretty much the closest you’ll get to the online college experience without enrolling in college.

• Courses: 210,000+
• Price: $15 to $200 or more per course
• Certificate: For some courses
• Accredited Institution: No

Udemy has by far the most courses available compared to other online learning platforms: Over 210,000 classes. With over 70,000 instructors, you'll find an expert teaching a course in every niche.

If you want to learn something, you probably can on Udemy. The site is less of a unified platform and more of a portal or repository where students can access well over 213,000 courses on every topic imaginable.

Language, arts, music, and fitness courses can be found alongside lessons on programming and IT, business skills, teaching, productivity, and much more. There are even categories for personal development and lifestyle, which cover life skills and other topics that you wouldn't necessarily get in an academic setting.

There’s not one standard format for a Udemy course—the platform allows instructors to design multimedia lectures with audio, video, and text elements, plus readings, quizzes, and other activities. Udemy allows students to preview classes they’re interested in and does offer a 30-day refund if you’re dissatisfied.

Because each class is created and taught individually, they’re also priced separately: Lifetime access to a single course can range from inexpensive ($15) to pricey (roughly $200 or more).

• Courses: 35,000+
• Price: $14 per month ($159 per year)
• Certificate: Yes
• Accredited Institution: No

Skillshare is a subscription-based online learning platform that offers classes in 13 different creative topics, including creative writing, graphic design, and photography.

While many online platforms basically provide college-style classes, Skillshare is less formal and aimed more at improving creative skills.

There are business and marketing classes on the platform, but the majority are courses in creative fields, taught by practicing experts in those fields: photography, film, animation, visual arts, writing, interior design, and more. The focus is on teaching practical skills that students can then use to create their own projects. Most courses involve a series of video lessons, combined with assignments for students to practice their skills.

Skillshare has a subscription model, rather than a per-course payment plan, so students who sign up can take as many or as few courses as they want while they’re subscribed. The current pricing is $159 per year (which works out to around $14 per month).

That being said, the platform does offer a set of free classes as well, from short, 20-minute videos to longer tutorials of an hour or more.They’re not as in-depth, but they’re a good way to try out potentially interesting topics.

• Courses: 180+
• Price: $15 to $23 per month
• Certificate: No
• Accredited Institution: No

MasterClass courses tap into celebrities' expertise and experience, like Gordon Ramsay’s cooking talents and Anna Wintour’s leadership skills, to provide in-depth courses on a wide variety of topics.

Although MasterClass offers more than just creative courses, its marquee offerings put A-list actors, writers, artists, musicians, and more in the teacher’s seat.

And, these aren’t just one-off lecture-style classes: Most courses have around 20 lessons, so you get to really dive deep into your topic of choice. If you want to learn about these often-opaque professions, there’s no better way than to hear about it straight from the people who have been successful in them already.

These courses are video-based, with practical advice and demonstrations mixed in with straightforward lectures, workbooks, and class discussions. You can get TV writing advice from Shonda Rhimes, learn to cook from Gordon Ramsay, take a film class from Martin Scorsese, or explore creative leadership with Anna Wintour.

Since MasterClass is a subscription-based platform, you can take as many sessions as you want while your subscription is active. The price is about $15 per month for unlimited access, but you must commit to a year-long subscription.

• Courses: 3,500+
• Price: Begins at $50 to receive a verified official certificate
• Certificate: Yes
• Accredited Institution: Yes

With partners like Harvard, MIT, and UC Berkeley, this online learning platform has over 15,000 instructors who teach education-oriented courses across several different categories. Plus it offers programs and degrees to advance your career from home.

EdX has a high-end pedigree—it was founded by Harvard and MIT—but an accessible system.

Real college courses, created and taught by real college instructors, are available in a huge array of fields and topics. They do lean slightly toward STEM fields, but there are plenty of languages, humanities, and arts topics, too. In partnership with several universities, EdX offers professional degree certificates, plus “micro” degree programs at the bachelor’s and master’s levels, largely as a tool for professional development.

Through a partnership with Arizona State University, EdX also offers a “Global Freshman Academy” where you can earn transferrable undergrad credits for select courses. Classes are similar to real online courses: Lectures, reading material, assignments, discussions, and quizzes are just some of the elements you may encounter.

The big selling point for EdX is that the majority of its courses are free—but there’s a catch. If you’re just taking the class for your own learning experience, the free version will probably work. But if you want to have formal verification for professional reasons, the “verified certificate” option costs about $49 per class.

Each course does have an official start date, cycling over and over again, but once the session begins, students can proceed at their own pace.

• Courses: 200+
• Price: Starts at $399 a month
• Certificate: Yes
• Accredited Institution: No

Udacity offers courses that the company calls “nanodegrees” which take, on average, four months to complete. Enrollment in these programs gives you full access to real advisors who work with you on building out your resume and work samples.

Tech skills are among the most marketable classes you can take online, and Udacity has courses in all of the most in-demand fields.

The platform is a variation of the “coding bootcamp” style of learning, with programs focused on web development, programming, cloud computing, and data science. Whether you’re a total newbie trying to develop a new skillset or you’re looking to expand your knowledge of a certain topic, there’s probably a course at the right level for you.

Each program includes hands-on practice, real-world applications and examples, individual code reviews, and real instructors and career coaches who can address your individual needs.

Udacity’s platform is a little different than some of the others on the market. Rather than focusing on individual classes, its primary offering is a “nanodegree”—an intensive program which includes multiple lessons, projects, personalized reviews, class discussions, and one-on-one technical mentoring by experts. Most programs require one to five months of part-time study, depending on the subject.

All these features do come with a price tag, though: It's about $399 monthly, or = $1017 for students who buy three month access.

• Courses: 7,000+
• Price: $229 to $500 per year
• Certificate: Yes
• Accredited Institution: No

Pluralsight is designed for working professionals looking to expand their data knowledge. The company offers mini degree programs for both individuals and teams.

Designed with working professionals in mind, Pluralsight offers courses in subjects like software development, data science, information and cybersecurity, and more.

Students can take individual courses, but Pluralsight strongly encourages you to follow one of its “paths.” These programs are like mini-degrees: a series of connected courses in a specific area of expertise, such as individual programming languages, security certifications, creative skills in particular software, and so on. These preset paths take the guesswork out of learning—plus, you can do a quick pretest to set your skill level, which adds more customization.

The course library includes more than 7,000 individual classes across hundreds of paths, and if you’re not ready to tackle a full-length path, you can dip your toe in with individual courses that are only a couple hours long.

Regardless of how few or how many classes (or paths) you want to pursue, the price is the same: About $29 per month for a personal plan (or roughly $299 for a complete year at a slight discount). There’s a premium option, too, for around $500 per year. It includes all the regular features and courses, plus additional interactive courses and industry-standard practice exams for several professional certifications.

Article Sources

1. Brandon-Hall. Stunning statistics that prove the power of eLearning.