In this post I compare two of the largest websites for online learning. This Udemy vs Coursera comparison, I am trying to give you a clear picture as to which one is the best for learners. When combined, these two online learning marketplace leaders cater to 500 Million learners. Joining any of these gives learners opportunity of their lives to learn career altering skills.
But the real question is, which one of the two is the biggest in terms of number of students, courses and instructors! Most of the readers don’t really know the answer to this question.
Through this detailed post, I have tried two draw a clear image, that will help you decide, whether you want to go ahead and Udemy or Coursera. This comparison comes from someone who has experienced both the platforms personally. Over the years, I have learned various skills from both websites. Therefore, after some research, I went ahead and put together stats that give the clear picture.
Before I get into the numbers game, please know this comparison is just to spread the information I find interesting. I personally have used both the platforms and have learned a lot. Therefore, please do not take this in a negative way. I love Udemy and Coursera both equally, their service towards online education sphere is extraordinary!
Udemy vs Coursera comparison side by side
| Udemy | Coursera |
| Founded in 2010 | Founded in 2012 |
| Has 65 Million students on the platform as of September 2023 and is only behind Coursera in terms of number of students learning | With 100 million+ students, Coursera is the number two website in terms of students enrolled in their programs |
| Hosts over 210,000 courses on 1000+ topics | Coursera hosts about 5800 courses, 100+ specializations and 15+ online degrees, Guided Projects and Certs |
| A 100% online platform | Coursera programs are also 100% online |
| Offers courses in 75+ languages | Offers content in: English, Hindi, Spanish, French, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, Portuguese, Turkish, Ukrainian, Hebrew, German, Italian |
| 75K+ instructors from 190+ countries with professional experience. Anyone can launch a course on Udemy | Instructors from top business schools, organisations and universities. |
| Udemy courses range from $10 to $200 for the most part | Courses range from $29-$99, Specializations/certificates $39-$79 per month, Degrees $15-$25,000, Guided projects from $9-10 |
| Udemy Courses can be bought for lifetime access by paying one time for each course. No recurring fee, unless you go for subscription, launched in recent years | Coursera Programs are FREE for Audit and have recurring monthly fee if you need cert after completion of each course. You can also opt for Coursera Plus monthly or annual. |
| Udemy courses are affordable for anyone as the website runs so many offers and deals throughout the year, the price of the courses often come down by 95% – View this website for udemy coupon and deals | Coursera courses, specializations and degrees may not be affordable for everyone. Though they have a financial aid programs for he deserving, you may want to check that out. |
This comparison is based on what I have researched in a short span of time. There may be many things many things about both Udemy and Coursera I may have missed, kindly excuse me for that.
Apart from this, both the website offer advanced subscriptions. While Udemy offers Udemy for business and Coursera offer Coursera Plus (View here). Both these programs are really getting popular.
Udemy and Coursera are the pioneers of online learning space
If I talk about the online learning revolution, two of the websites that always come to my mind are Udemy and Coursera. These two are the websites that revolutionized online learning space! I know some of you may argue that YouTube has also been the best for online learning. I kind of agree to that, but, if you compare, you will realize, when it comes to organized and well knitted content, YouTube comes up short.
Therefore, with all due respect to all the websites for online learning, I put Udemy and Coursera at top of the ladder. Let me know what you think, I look forward to your comments 🙂