All you need to know about Upgrad Coursera Udemy EdX and more

Whether you’re aiming to learn some new marketable skills or just want to explore a topic for fun, online learning platforms are a great and easily accessible resource for learning on your own schedule. As an alternative to online colleges, these platforms tend to be a little more flexible and may even offer more specific or unusual classes you wouldn’t find at a traditional college, but it’s important that prospective students compare their options to find what’s best for them.

Popular online learning platforms that offer courses, certificate programs, and even master's degrees from top universities as well as well-known companies and non-profit organizations.

All have courses you can audit for free, as well as options to pay for a certificate of completion. They also have multi-course programs you can exchange for real college credits from select schools, or apply to their full master's programs.

The topics covered on each platform are incredibly diverse, covering everything from computer programming and finance to positive psychology and art history. They can be taken to advance your career or expand your knowledge in a subject for fun.

edX

Cost: Individual courses are usually free to audit for a limited amount of time; certificates and longer programs vary in price.

Pros: You can most courses for free, including ones in longer programs (great for testing out a longer certificate program before committing to it); financial assistance is available

Cons: Some courses are archived, meaning you can still access them but can't earn a certificate; Charges one lump sum for courses instead of a subscription fee

Popular online courses:

CS50's Introduction to Computer Science (Harvard)

The Science of Happiness (UC Berkeley)

Python Basics for Data Science (IBM)

Coursera

Cost: Individual courses are usually free to audit; certificates and longer programs vary in price. You can also sign up for an annual Coursera Plus subscription ($399) and get access to 90% of Coursera's offerings.

Pros: Many programs charge a monthly fee, so the faster you finish, the more money you save; financial assistance available; offers some free certification courses

Cons: No financial assistance for Coursera MasterTracks; you can only audit one-off courses (you will have to pay for ones that are part of a Specialization)

Popular courses:

Machine Learning (Stanford)

The Science of Well-Being (Yale)

Learning How to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to Help You Master Tough Subjects (Deep Learning Solutions)

FutureLearn

Cost: Individual courses are usually free to audit; certificates and longer programs vary in price. You can also subscribe to FutureLearn Unlimited for $189.99 annually to get unlimited access to courses.

Pros: UK-based, offers more international options; offers some free certification courses

Cons: Not as many course options as edX and Coursera; you can only audit one-off courses (you will have to pay for ones that are part of an ExpertTrack)

Udemy

Udemy has many courses that teach different topics. There are numerous courses for programming. There are 80,000+ courses that cover various languages in programming like C, C++, Java, C#, JavaScript, Ruby, Python, PHP; various frameworks like React, Angular, etc. It also offers courses on tools like Docker, Maven, Gradle, and the like. There are a lot of courses which can help you enhance skills.

Udemy might not be a very organized platform when it comes to learning paths. You can opt for the Udemy search option in case you wish to find any course. If you are a beginner or are just going to start your career, then you can learn some of the top skills that employers seek in the candidates.

Upgrad

UpGrad is a very unique place for learning as it offers high-quality education online. The alternate learning environment which is offered by UpGrad provides learners with a customized learning environment. The courses give a lot of flexibility to the learners wherein they can take care of the job responsibilities and also learn the course. UpGrad offers bespoke support to all its learners and offers strong handholding, committed mentorship, customized feedback along with the 360-degree assistance related to their career.

UpGrad offers users the opportunity of being mentored by top industry professionals, and this is definitely why Upgrad is the best medium of upgrading your career, education, and life. The upgrade is a great platform for those who are working and wish to upgrade their knowledge, skills, and move ahead in their career.

Skillshare

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 $32 per month, or if you pay for one year upfront, the cost is $168 (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.