Whether you’re an online learning platform like Udemy, Udacity, Coursera, Skillshare or Lynda.com, there is a role for each of you in the new world of better education. You know that your service solves a real problem that people have. And content is king: in most cases you can’t do anything about the cost of your content and you’ve already made it in an amazing way so people will come and it gets more and more transparant.
Here are the best online learning platforms like udemy.
Mindvalley
Price:
Mindvalley All Access Membership (includes unlimited access to 50+ courses) – $499/year
Mindvalley Membership Pro ( includes everything that Mindvalley Membership does plus Exclusive Peer Mastermind Groups and Monthly Group Coaching with Vishen and Special Guests) – $999/year
Mindvalley Individual Courses – $199-$499/quest
Library:
50+ courses
Accreditation:
No
Free Trial:
Yes (7–day free trial)
In my opinion, Mindvalley is one of the best personal growth and transformation platforms. Its goal is to help students succeed at work while also unlocking the full potential of their body, mind, and spirit. Mindvalley is best suitable for people who want to improve different areas of their life in a short period of time.
There are over 50 courses (or quests) in Mindvalley’s library, taught by top experts in the fields of expertise: CEOs of large companies, best-selling authors, celebrity coaches, famous therapists and entrepreneurs, and international speakers. The quests are divided into different categories: Mind, Body, Soul, Career, Entrepreneurship, Relationships, Kids, Teens and Parenting, and Performance.
Each quest lasts 30 to 50 days, and it usually takes less than 20 minutes a day to complete a video-based lesson and a practice exercise.
Mindvalley Membership costs $499 per year and includes unlimited access to all quests plus many perks like official certifications for completed quests, monthly live coaching calls with Mindvalley’s authors, and even a 22-minute assessment that will help you determine the areas in life you need to focus on. I think that the price is a steal, considering how much you are getting for your money.
Click To Read Full Mindvalley Review And Find Out Whether It Is Worth It
Brilliant.org
Price:
Brilliant Monthly Subscription (includes unlimited access to all courses) – $24,99/month
Brilliant Annual Subscription (includes unlimited access to all courses) – $149/year
Library:
60+ courses
Accreditation:
No
Free Trial:
Yes (7-day free trial)
Brilliant is an online learning platform that focuses on STEM subjects – Science, Math, and Computer Science. The courses are designed for both children (aged 10+) and adults. Their goal is to make learning fun, engaging, and interacting, and that is what makes Brilliant one of the best learning platforms, especially for young adults.
You can learn a variety of subjects on Brilliant, including Algebra, Logic, Advanced mathematics, Calculus, Geometry, Classical physics, Quantum mechanics, Foundational computer science, and others.
Brilliant offers monthly and annual subscriptions that include full access to all courses on the platform and thousands of practice quizzes across all topics.
In my opinion, Brillian is a great platform but because it only covers STEM subjects, it is mostly suitable for those who are interested in math and computer science. A 7-day trial is available for anyone who wants to try Brilliant at no cost.
Khan Academy:
Cost: Free
Main Features:
- Khan Academy offers short and specific lessons with a wide range of topics that are popular among learners these days.
- All tutorials are arranged in a user-friendly way, and you can find something unique for all age groups.
- These courses force learners to complete certain tasks during the lesson; it means you can learn by doing things practically.
Khan Academy is serving a wide range of learners with its miniature lessons that ensure more engagement for practice assignment. The professionals here keep a regular track of the performance of all learners, and the exercises are adjusted as per skill level of an individual. The great news for learners is that Khan Academy offers courses in 20 different languages and they are available free for students and teachers as well.
2. Coursera:
Cost: One-time payment between $15 to $200.
Main Features:
- Courses are available from real professors with post-secondary education quality of most top universities.
- This platform also offers certificates for paid courses.
- Learners can take several courses for free.
Coursera is considered as the best alternative for Udemy; although it has lesser number of courses comparatively, they are tough to be top university professors. You can join most courses for free to boost your learning and even if you want to receive certification for your skills, you can get it by paying a reasonable amount. You will be happy to know that Coursera even offers full-time masters and bachelor’s degrees from best institutes. You can join the classes online for technical training as well as academic programs.
Skillshare
Skillshare is probably the most similar to Udemy out of all the e learning platforms.
Skillshare offers hundreds of free courses and also a fairly low cost premium membership which opens up access to thousands more courses and video lessons.
Skillshare courses are taught by industry professionals and tend to be very practical in terms of their material.
There is a huge focus on learning by doing, instead of merely watching and absorbing theory like with some other e-learning sites.
In my opinion, Skillshare is best for creatives.
Whereas other elearning sites like LinkedIn Learning place an emphasis on business, Skillshare’s course catalog has more of a focus on the arts and creative topics.
So if you’re looking to learn about animation, music, photography, or other creative topics, then Skillshare is a great choice.
I’d recommend checking out a free course on a topic that you’re interested in.
Then you can get an idea of whether it’s worth signing up for a paid membership for you or not.
Right now, Skillshare is even offering 2 weeks free unlimited access to all their courses, so you can check the platform out in detail for nothing!
If you’re looking for an e-learning site that offers a monthly subscription giving you access to thousands of course for one price, and with less of a focus on business and marketing topics, then Skillshare is worth considering.
To understand the similarities and differences between Udemy and Skillshare in more detail, check out my article Udemy vs Skillshare.
Masterclass
Imagine getting a cooking lesson from Gordon Ramsay. A basketball lesson from Stephen Curry, or a tennis lesson from Serena Williams. Or a chance to learn creative writing directly from Margaret Atwood.
That’s the type of unique learning opportunities that Masterclass presents. It gives you a chance to learn directly from famous celebrities and industry leaders. People who are world-class at what they do.
Masterclass offers various courses for $90 each. Or you can pay $180 per year for a subscription to get access to their entire library of courses.
If you think you may be interested in more than one topic, I’d definitely recommend paying for the subscription.
Masterclass has far less courses available than what’s offered by some other platforms like Skillshare or Linkedin Learning.
But for the price, I think it offers an exceptional value.
Sure, you could learn about a topic from a professor or a random instructor.
But imagine how much more engaged and invested you would be when you’re able to learn directly from a hero or role model of yours.
It’s really an e-learning experience that you’ll have trouble finding anywhere else, and the production quality of the lessons is really special. It feel less like online learning and more like binge-watching Netflix!
LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda)
LinkedIn Learning uses a monthly subscription model.
This is unlike the other sites like Udemy that I’ve covered so far, which either offer free courses or require you to pay per course.
Premium access to the platform costs $30 per month, or you can get a discount when signing up for an annual subscription.
The downside of this model is that none of their material is available for free. But for people who love to learn, I think you’ll really get your money’s worth from their subscription model.
Your monthly fee gets you unlimited access to their extensive library of course material, so you’re free to learn as much as you like.
LinkedIn Learning is mostly aimed at working professionals, and offers video-based lectures aimed to provide you with real practical skills to improve your everyday job performance.
A lot of the topics are business-oriented lessons that you’d expect. Like mastering Microsoft Excel, employee relations, customer service, social media marketing for small businesses, and similar topics.
However, the platform also offers thousands of courses on other topics like graphic design, software development, photography, web development, and more.
While LinkedIn Learning lacks some of the more quirky personal interest topics that Udemy offers, it excels at providing you with unlimited access to material that can improve your employability and job performance.
Here you can read my comparison between Lynda vs Udemy.
Udacity:
Cost: Most courses are available for free; subscription for nano degree cost $199+ per month.
Main Features:
- The nano degrees are offered to improve knowledge of learners in a specific subject area.
- Udacity has a major focus on skill improvement and technical training.
- It has a partnership with many top-ranked institutions that offer cutting-edge course structures.
Here is a small yet useful alternative to Udemy where you can access almost 100 courses for free, but the special nano degree scheme makes it stand out among all other online learning platforms. These courses and technical training programs are provided with the assistance of some leading companies like Salesforce, Facebook, and Google. One can begin with basic courses to get an idea about technology and then switch to the advanced level to boost confidence.
Conclusion
There is a trend in this era of technology and smart devices. People want to improve their skills and become experts in their field without taking much effort. If you want to learn something, you don’t need to go to a university. Sites like udemy, skillshare, coursera, edx and many other learning sites are there for your help. These sites provide you with expert level training from professionals who designed the course. If you own a business or looking forward to running your own company, you can take the courses and improve your business skills.