Online courses have been a game changer for me since my University days. In this day and age, we have the advantage of numerous platforms to choose from, and Udemy is one of them. Udemy is one of the best online learning platform that offers various courses to develop new skills or enhance existing ones. Udemy’s founder Eren Bali grew up in a small village in Turkey with little opportunity to learn. In his quest to find learning opportunities online and make knowledge accessible to all, Udemy was founded.
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To put it in a simple way, imagine Udemy as a virtual school where instructors from around the world create and offer video lessons, quizzes, and assignments. You can choose topics from its vast course catalog ranging from programming and business to photography and personal development. And to top it all off, you can learn at your own pace, anytime and anywhere. We’ve also tested the best online courses and online class sites.
Udemy: Plans and pricing
Udemy offers three distinct plans to cater to various needs. If you’re looking to develop a new hobby, learn a new skill, or simply want to try something new, then the Personal plan is an ideal choice. The Personal plan is $19 per month and you gain access to over 11,000 courses across a wide range of topics.
Next up is the Team plan which is designed for groups of 5 to 20 people and costs $360 per user annually. This plan is ideal for organizations aiming to enhance team skills and efficiency through structured learning and development. While it includes the same course access as the Personal plan, it also offers additional features such as analytics and adoption reports. However, the price difference between these two options is quite big so if you’re not looking for analytical reports, you are better off with the Personal plan since both these options provide the same number of courses. Both plans offer a 7-day free trial.
The third plan is targeted towards smaller organizations. This plan grants access to over 25,000 top-rated courses and includes dedicated customer support, customizable content, and hands-on tech training as add-ons. It encompasses all the features of the Personal and Team plans but adds more tailored support and resources to meet the needs of a larger workforce. The pricing for this plan is not available on the website so you will have to enquire with the sales team.
Even though Udemy offers well-structured plans, if you’re hesitant about long-term commitment Udemy also allows you to purchase individual courses with lifetime access. This option lets you explore specific subjects at your own pace and you can decide if the platform suits your learning needs.
Udemy: Features
Creating an account on Udemy is straightforward and free. Once your account is all setup you answer a few questions to receive personalized course recommendations based on your interests, desired skills, and preferred certificates. When I specified my job as a writer the dashboard promptly suggested popular writing courses tailored to my profession.
For Learners
Once you find a course of interest, you have the option to either purchase it individually or you can opt for a monthly subscription. The only difference between these options is that the subscription would give you access to multiple courses without the need to pay for each one separately. Each course listing includes a ‘what you’ll learn’ section and a detailed breakdown of the content. A notable feature here is the ability to preview some video lectures before purchasing, so you can assess if the course is a right fit for you. All the courses are also accessible via the mobile app and can be downloaded for offline viewing. Learners have a personal dashboard where they can manage courses, add items to their wishlist, and even set reminders for their learning goals.
For Instructors
Now let's take a look at Udemy from an instructor’s perspective. As an instructor, you can utilize resources provided by Udemy to design engaging courses. And to top it all off, Udemy has introduced a new instructor challenge. This initiative incentivizes timely course publication by promoting your course on Udemy’s social media if published within 45 days. Instructors also benefit from being part of an instructor community where they can network, share insights, and learn from peers. Marketing insights are available to help instructors choose relevant topics for their courses.
Even though we found the course catalog to be diverse, it is worth noting that anyone can become an instructor on Udemy so the quality of courses varies significantly. Some courses may lack depth or professional quality. Upon completion of the course, the learner receives a certificate of completion. Unlike some other platforms like Coursera, Udemy’s certificates are not accredited by universities or institutions, which might reduce their value for some learners seeking formal recognition. This also means that Udemy does not offer any structured degree programs.
Udemy’s content is meticulously organized into categories. Each course is categorized by subject such as business, technology, arts, and more. Within these broad categories, there are sub-categories and specific topics. Each course features user reviews and ratings so learners can access the relevance of the courses. The course length is also varied. Some courses we looked at were 3 hours long, while others were more comprehensive lasting 11 hours. Overall, we found the interface easy to navigate, allowing seamless switching between learner and instructor dashboards.
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Udemy: Support
Udemy’s support options are quite limited. They don’t offer email or phone support, instead, users have to rely on the Help Center. The Help Center is accessible to both learners and instructors. While there is a chatbot option, it is somewhat hidden. You need to click on a few links to access it. Despite these limitations, we found the Help Center to be quite useful for immediate support. The FAQ section is quite comprehensive and there is a separate section for searchable topics like account profiles, refunds, and more, providing users with detailed information and assistance.
Udemy: Final verdict
As someone who enjoys enrolling in online courses, I found Udemy to be an accessible learning platform. The extensive course catalog can be overwhelming with so many options to choose from. But if you’re looking for a very specific type of course, rest assured you will find it on Udemy. Pro tip: once you have decided on the topic, check out the popular courses for that category. For those seeking formal academic recognition or degree programs, alternatives like Coursera may be more suitable.
