Udemy vs Coursera - Which Learning App is Better?

Learning apps have taken the world by storm for the last few years. While every kind of software is getting more accessible by joining smartphone platforms, numerous apps for education have come into existence. Among top learning apps, Udemy and Coursera are leading the market. But while picking one of them- it would be hard to decide.

So, to solve that confusion, we are answering, is Coursera better than Udemy? If you are thinking about picking one educational app from Udemy vs Coursera, you should read this blog until the end.

Which is better: Udemy or Coursera?

To figure out which is better between Udemy vs Coursera, we will have to go through their elements- price, features, user experience, and more. Thus, without further ado, let’s begin the comparison and figure out the difference between Coursera and Udemy.

Udemy vs Coursera: History and Introduction

Udemy is an open online course that originated from the USA in May 2010. Eran Bali, Gagan Biyani, and Oktay Caglar co-founded the platform. Eran Bali and Oktay Caglar had built a virtual classroom software in Turkey in 2007. By April of 2021, Udemy has established a user network of 40 million learners. Moreover, it has 155,000 courses and 70,000 instructors from all over the world. The Udemy platform is capable of offering its services in 65 national and international languages. The coverage market of Udemy expanded to 180+ countries and is still growing.

Coursera, one of the best educational apps, was co-founded by Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller in 2012. Andrew and Daphne were science professors at Stanford University when it was founded. Coursera has a database of 4,000 courses affiliated with different universities. As per CNBC, Coursera has tied up with more than 150 universities.

Both Coursera and Udemy saw rapid growth during Covid in July 2020. However, Udemy kept leading the genre in terms of popularity. By the time the situation again started getting normal and schools and colleges reopened, the trends of Udemy vs Coursera saw a downfall as well.

1. Udemy or Coursera: Features

As mentioned above, Udemy has a database of 155,000 courses and 70,000+ instructors, the Udemy app is giving a tough competition to Coursera. Currently, Coursera is known to have 4,000+ courses. It has tied up with reputed organizations such as Google, IBM, and the University of Pennsylvania among others to provide free and paid skill-based and learning courses. Udemy has courses segregated category-wise. These categories are based on the nature of the course or the type of the skill. For instance- in Udemy you will find courses for the IT sector, GK, History, and more.

Winner: Well, as Udemy has more courses to offer, thus it is more useful for almost everyone. In this case, Udemy is a clear winner.

2. Udemy or Coursera: Pricing

Coursera has multiple types of packages to subscribe to. Moreover, you can also pay for the particular certification that you want to pursue. There are around 1600+ courses that you can pursue free on Coursera. Usually, courses range from $29 to $100 per course or month. Moreover, almost all courses, if paid, come with a 7-day-free-trial.

Coursera Plus Costs $399 per year. It will let you pursue multiple courses. For each course that you complete in the duration, you get certification for each. This package also comes with a refund policy, if you request it within 14 days.

Coursera Degrees are original courses affiliated with prestigious universities. These courses might cost you between $15,000 to $40,000. The fee is almost the same as on-campus courses.

Udemy has courses on a pay-per-course basis. The cost of courses ranges from $9.99 to $199.99. Udemy also has free to pursue courses apart from courses available on sale as well. You can pick courses such as Mobile App Development Courses, Python Programming Language, and more within your budget.

Winner: In terms of pricing, Udemy is a cheaper option and it has more free courses as well compared to Coursera. Now, you are wondering, is Coursera better than Udemy in terms of prices? Well, no, Udemy is a clear winner as it is cheaper.

3. Udemy vs Coursera: Course reviews and information

Udemy and Coursera both have almost similar User Interfaces. You can filter courses, read their reviews, check ratings, and explore other information. From the listing page of Udemy or Coursera, course ratings are visible. Moreover, after clicking on these courses, you can read reviews and see ratings.

Winner: Well, both apps show ratings and reviews in almost the same way. Thus, it is better to call it a draw.

4. Udemy vs Coursera: Languages of Courses and UI

Udemy app offers courses in 65 languages. You will find courses for users from 180+ countries. Some main languages this app covers are- English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Japanese among others. Udemy can also be categorized as one of the best language learning apps for enthusiasts.

On the other hand, Coursera also offers courses in languages such as Russian, Portuguese, Korean, and more. However, compared to Udemy, the Coursera app lacks many languages. 

Winner: The answer to the question- is Coursera better than Udemy in terms of language? No, the Udemy app clearly is a winner due to its variety of languages of courses.

5. Udemy or Coursera: Impact on Industries

Coursera has a dedicated package for enterprises- Coursera for Businesses. According to Coursera Report 2020, It has served 2,300 enterprises globally along with 550,000 enterprise learners. Around 110,000 enterprise learners gained new advanced skills which ultimately resulted in their growth. Around 91% of enterprise learners have accepted that they had a positive career impact from Coursera Courses.

Udemy courses have claimed in their 2020 report that Udemy courses have contributed to enhancing the skills of 62% of users. Moreover, organizations have also secured more growth compared to the period when they did not use Udemy courses. These skills included common industry skills such as Cybersecurity, Cloud computing, and more.

Winner: In this case, reports show a huge difference between Coursera and Udemy and their impact on industries. Clearly, Coursera is leading this part and giving Udemy a tough competition.

6. Udemy or Coursera: App ratings

On the Google Play Store, the Udemy app has a 4.4 rating given by 300,000+ users. On the other hand, its iOS app has a 4.8 rating with 72,000+ users. The Coursera Android app has 4.3 stars rating given by 120,000+ users and the iOS app has 4.8 stars given by 91,000+ users.

Winner: Apart from any other difference between Coursera and Udemy, ratings given by users vary drastically. However, Udemy has a large number of user networks that have rated these apps. Thus, Udemy is a clear winner in this section as well.

Conclusion: Udemy vs Coursera which is best?

To conclude, the factors that we took into consideration above, Udemy clearly leads the market at the moment. However, Coursera has so much potential. The only difference is the size of the market that gives Udemy an advantage. In the future, it will be interesting to follow the journey of these top app development companies.

By Manish

Content Strategist at MobileAppDaily

With a mixture of literature, cinema, and photography, Manish is mostly traveling. When he is not, he is probably writing another tech news for you!