Last Updated on May, 2025
The e-learning world is a treasure trove of online courses for online learners.
Among many, Udacity and Coursera are both well-known and highly reputed e-learning platforms with massive audiences exceeding millions.
But how exactly does one determine which online learning platform is best?
Addressing that question calls for a head-to-head comparison of Udacity and Coursera.
So, in this article, I will lay out an extensive “Udacity Vs. Coursera” comparison, including all the nitty-gritty details one would want to know to decide which platform is better.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Quick Summary
To make the best decision between Udacity and Coursera, it is essential to consider personal learning goals, the experience and teaching style of the instructor, the quality of the course content, and one’s own preferred learning style.
Udacity offers monthly and annual subscription plans, as well as individual course purchases, while Coursera offers a monthly subscription and the option to purchase individual courses.
Coursera offers a wider range of courses and programs, partnered with reputable universities and institutions, while Udacity’s courses are curated by industry leaders and professionals and cater to a tech-focused audience.
Contents
- Udacity vs Coursera: A Sneak Peak Into Which is Better?
- About Udacity and Coursera
- Udacity Vs. Coursera: Key Features
- Udacity Vs. Coursera: Courses
- Udacity Vs. Coursera: Teachers & Community
- Udacity Vs. Coursera: Audience
- Udacity Vs. Coursera: Access & Navigation
- Udacity Vs. Coursera: Membership Cost & Refund Policy
- Udacity Vs. Coursera: Value Of Certification
- Udacity Vs. Coursera: Customer Support
- Udacity Vs. Coursera: Which One is Better for Business?
- Udacity Vs. Coursera: Customer Testimonials
- Udacity Vs. Coursera: Pros and Cons
- Udacity Vs. Coursera: Alternatives
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Wrap-Up: Udacity Vs. Coursera–Which is Better?
Udacity vs Coursera: A Sneak Peak Into Which is Better?
| Online Learning Platform | Udacity | Coursera |
| Overall Rating | 4.5 | 3.2 |
| User Base | 16.9+ million | 92+ million |
| Courses | 300+ across 10 categories | 7000+ across 11 categories |
| Specialization | In-demand Digi-tech and business topics | University quality online education |
| Teachers | Experienced industry professionals | Experienced university lecturers and professionals with a reputed background |
| Pricing | Monthly Subscription- $249 4 Month Subscription- $846 | Coursera Plus Monthly- $59 Coursera Plus Annually- $399 |
| Free Content | 200+ courses | 2500+ learning programs |
| Accredited Certificate | No | Yes |
| Best For | Anyone looking to upskill in the tech and business industry for career growth or knowledge | Anyone looking to upskill with a recognized university certification |
| For More information | Visit Udacity | Visit Coursera |
About Udacity and Coursera
About Udacity
Udacity is an online learning platform with a specific skills-based approachfocused on tech. Udacity offers online courses referred to as Nanodegrees.
The course categories cover technology and business-related areas like Artificial Intelligence, data science, cloud computing, digital marketing, business analytics, and more.
Nanodegrees are high-quality courses co-created with business and tech market leaders like Google, Facebook, Mailchimp, Appen, MOZ, etc. Nanodegrees benefit people who want to develop tech skills and people who are “in tech.”
It provides learners with the knowledge and relevant digital skill sets required for a job role or a career path.
Udacity offers two subscription plans: a monthly plan at $249 and an annual plan at $2988. Both plans give complete access to the platform and its e-learning content. It also offers individual course purchases.
On top of it, Udacity has subscription plans for teams and businesses as well. A 7-day full refund from the date of purchase backs all Udacity purchases.
About Coursera
Coursera is a highly sorted online learning platform for e-learning. But unlike Udacity, Coursera covers a wide range of subject categories like social science, arts and humanities, personal development, health, engineering, and much more.
There are over 7000+ courses on the e-learning platform. All these online courses are offered in association with globally recognized, prestigious universities and institutions. So it’s known for its high quality and course excellence.
What’s interesting about Coursera is that it offers six different learning types or products, unlike the typical courses offered by many online learning platforms.
These are individual courses, guided projects, specializations, MasterTtrack certificates, professional certificates, and degree programs.
Coursera offers a monthly subscription at $59 and an annual payment plan at $399. Plus, there is the option of individual course purchases. However, the prices vary widely based on the learning type. Prices start from as low as $9.99 and go up to $50,000.
Learn more about Coursera platform here.
Udacity Vs. Coursera: Key Features
Udacity and Coursera online learning platforms offer exciting, beneficial features and functionalities that elevate the learning quality and experience. Below is a list of these key features that stand out.
Udacity Key Features
Key features of Udacity include:
Coursera Key Features
Apart from career service, Coursera offers all of the above-listed features and functionalities, just like Udacity.
Additionally, you can also find the features listed below:
Udacity Vs. Coursera: Courses
Here’s a brief outline of the course coverage by Udacity and Coursera;
| Udacity | Coursera | |
| Number of courses | 300+ | 7,000+ |
| Number of course categories | 10 | 11 |
| Course Categories | Artificial Intelligence Autonomous System Business Career Resources Cloud Computing Cyber Security Data Science Executive Leadership Programming Product management | Business Data Science Computer Science Information Technology Personal Development Language & Learning Health Math & Logic Social Sciences Physical Science & Engineering Arts & Humanities |
| Course types | Nanodegrees | 10 learning types/ products; Courses Guided Projects Projects Specializations Professional certificates Degrees MasterTrack Certificates Postgraduate diploma Graduate certificates University certificates |
| Number of courses for free | 200+ | 2500+ |
Udacity Courses
Udacity offers over 300 courses across10 subject areas. These categories cover specialized tech fields and business-related topics.
Although Udacity’s nanodegree course catalog is not extensive, Udacity offers a comprehensive filter system.
The filter system can be accessed via the program catalog, and it allows the application of several variables like type, field, price, difficulty level, skill, and duration.
All of Udacity’s nanodegree programs are structured with the following components:
Considering a wider learner attraction, Udacity’s courses enable the option of subtitles in a few languages like Portuguese and Chinese. Unfortunately, this is not consistent throughout all the courses.
So, the audience should be an English-fluent crowd to get the ultimate learning experience through Udacity.
Udacity Popular Courses
There are many popular Udacity courses. But to keep things brief, below is a list of Udacity courses under each category that is the most popular based on the number of reviews and student enrolments.
Udacity Free Courses
Udacity offers around 200 free courses. All are top-quality courses anywhere, from a few hours long to a maximum of a week.
The straightforward Udacity filter system makes it convenient to filter out the free courses using the price criteria. The courses cover machine learning, data visualization, app marketing, artificial intelligence for robotics, data science courses, and more.
Compared to Coursera, Udacity offers a lesser number of free courses. However, this is expected because all the learning programs are specialized in tech-related topics. Check out Udacity’s free courses here.
Coursera Courses
Contrary to Udacity, Coursera has over 7,000+ courses across 11 categories. These domains cover a broader area, from tech to social science to health.
These online courses are designed differently and focus on different learning outcomes. There are 10 “learning products” that Coursera offers.
Based on the type, the duration can vary anywhere from hours to a couple of months to complete. The tables below summarize the products;
| Learning Product | Description | Duration |
| Guided projects | Learn a job relevant skills with hands-on tutorials | Less than 2 hours |
| Courses | Learn with graded assignments, quizzes, videos and discussion forums | 1-3 months |
| Projects | Learn a new skill or tool with hands-on practice in an interactive setting | Less than 2 hours |
| Specializations | Gain in-depth knowledge in a subject area. Combined with projects and course series | 1-3 months or 3-6 months |
| Professional certificates | Career credentials from industry leaders to show expertise | 3-6 months |
| Degrees | Online degrees– Bachelors or Masters at affordable rates compared to in-person learning. | 1-4 years |
| MasterTrack Certificates | Credentials while following courses for a Masters Degree | 4-7 months |
| Postgraduate Diploma | Graduate level with a full degree | 6-12 months |
| Graduate certificates | University issued career credential in an interactive setting | 6-12 months |
| University certificates | Graduate level learning with credentials | 6-12 months |
Since the course catalog is massive, the platform has an extensive filter system in place with additional filter search criteria compared to Udacity. The filter components are type, skills, level, learning product, creator/educator, language, and subtitles.
On the course page of all Coursera courses, you can find the following:
Most Coursera courses are typically structured as follows:
Coursera subjects all new programs to beta testing to ensure high-quality program content standards. So beta testers who are experts and enthusiasts in the field will test the program contents for quality.
The program will only be made available to the learners based on positive feedback and reviews.
Unlike Udacity, Coursera has courses in various languages, including Arabic, Chinese, German, Polish, Japanese, Italian, Korean, Thai, Russian, and more. So, the learning products reach a wider audience worldwide.
Coursera Popular Courses
The Coursera course catalog is comprehensive. Picking the best and most popular courses of Coursera can be challenging because each domain covers many subdomains. But to keep things easy, below is a list of the highest-rated courses from each Coursera course category.
Note: The list includes each subject area’s highest-rated and reviewed learning products.
Coursera Free Courses
Unlike Udacity, since the Coursera course catalog is massive, the free courses are equally generous. This makes up to over 2000 learning programs inclusive of all learning products.
Coursera keeps the free course browsing pretty simple to make things easier for learners. The “Explore” option on the homepage tab allows choosing ‘take a free course’ under goals.
Coursera offers an interesting option where learners can access paid courses for free. The audit-for-free option allows learners to access course content without certification or accreditation.
This is a great opportunity for learners focused on high-quality content to acquire skills learning from the best in the industry without the need for recognition.
In terms of course offerings, Coursera is leading Udacity. Although Udacity and Coursera offer top-quality content partnered with industry experts, Coursera’s course domain covers a wide range of topics.
It is created with reputed academic institutions and universities that offer recognition when learning through Coursera.
Udacity Vs. Coursera: Teachers & Community
Teachers and quality content determine the excellence of an online learning platform. A teacher with a good track record, expertise in the field, and a passion for teaching will know how to approach students.
They will know the best concepts and techniques to keep the learning journey interactive and help students reach their full potential.
Udacity Teachers & Community
Udacity’s instructors are all professionals with a proven track record of experience and expertise in their field. The potential teacher undergoes an informal interview and must submit a teaching sample for approval.
Some of the esteemed and professional expert teachers of the Udacity instructor panel include:
Besides, all Udacity courses are curated with the best companies in the industry– Google, Amazon, and GitHub. So rest assured, you are learning from the best and with the best guidance materials.
Additionally, Udacity has an active community, allowing learners to connect and interact with other learners and course mentors. This will help learners clarify doubts and gain different perspectives, tips, and advice from others.
Coursera Teachers & Community
Coursera offers courses and many other learning products in partnership with over 250 world-class universities and institutions. These include Stanford, Princeton, Yale, IBM, and Google.
So, all Coursera instructors are also professionals with a reputed background.
Among them are instructors who are:
Like Udacity, Coursera also has an interactive community space for learners. Learners can network with other learners with similar skills and engage in questions and answers to clarify any doubts in lessons.
Udacity and Coursera ensure premium quality courses and competent instructors to deliver the lessons.
Udacity Vs. Coursera: Audience
Udacity Audience
People who would benefit from or enjoy Udacity’s courses include:
Coursera Audience
People who would benefit or enjoy the Coursera platform include:
Accessing Udacity and Coursera is straightforward.
Udacity provides easy access on a web browser via a laptop or desktop. You can access the platform through https://www.udacity.com/. As I have already discussed, there are many free courses on Udacity, so Udacity allows learners to explore the platform for free.
You can simply click the ‘Join for Free’ option on the homepage.
Include relevant details like name, email, or sign up through Google or Facebook. Then, you can explore the platform for free.
Once you are in, you will see that the Udacity platform user interface is straightforward. The dashboard gives direct access to the categories, and the search bar is helpful when looking for a specific course.
Also, the ‘My Classroom’ option lists the learner’s past and present, paid and free courses. So, navigation is pretty direct. Unfortunately, Udacity does not currently have an app, although it was available previously.
Similar to Udacity, Coursera is also accessible on a web browser. It also has an app for both Android and iOS. So, accessing and learning through Coursera is convenient. You can access the website through https://www.coursera.org/.
Coursera also offers the ‘Join for Free’ option, and the registration process is similar to Udacity.
After you get access to the site as a learner, you’ll see the layout is simple and direct, like Udacity.
But Coursera offers an ‘Explore’ option under which you can pick a goal.
The goals include:
Coursera also offers an infusion of personal touch to make course exploration easier. Coursera allows users to set up a basic learning profile, including details like current profession, skill level, interests, goals, etc.
AI uses this to recurrently recommend tailored course suggestions as learners make progress and acquire more skills.
Extending this approach, Coursera offers dedicated sections where ongoing and completed programs are listed separately to provide a structured and organized learning environment.
Udacity and Coursera ensure easy access and seamless navigation featuring an interactive UI.
Sadly, Udacity does not have an app that would have otherwise made access convenient on the go. So that’s a downer. Whereas Coursera has an app. and provides a personalized experience, giving it the upper hand over Udacity.
Udacity Vs. Coursera: Membership Cost & Refund Policy
The table below summarizes the costs and refund policies offered by the two platforms;
| Udacity | Coursera | |
| Number of Courses | 97 Nanodegrees | 7000+ Coursera specializations, degrees, projects, etc.. |
| Number of Free Courses | 200+ | 2500+ |
| Platform availability | Desktop | Desktop, iOS and Android |
| Per course | N/A | Courses: from $49 Guided projects: from $9.99 Specialisations & Professional Certificates: from $39.99 pm Degrees: from $9,000 |
| Subscription Cost | $249 monthly $846 for 4 months | Coursera PLUS at $59 or $399 annually |
| Trial | 7-day trial after subscription purchase | 7-day free trial |
| Refund Policy | 7-day refund | 14-day money-back guarantee on annual subscription |
Now, let me discuss this in detail.
Udacity Membership Cost & Refund Policy
Udacity offers a monthly subscription plan at $249. Udacity also offers a 4-month subscription for $846 at 15% off for a more cost-effective option.
The subscription includes:
Regarding refund policy, Udacity provides a 7-day refund policy for all purchases. So you can explore the platform within 7 days and claim your refund within the first 7 days, too.
Note: A 4-month subscription option is given because most Udacity individual courses take 4 months to complete
Coursera Membership Cost & Refund Policy
Coursera is available for free but has limited access to content materials. But the platform offers a paid upgrade, which is Coursera Plus. Coursera Plus is priced at $59 monthly or $399 yearly.
Coursera offers a 7-day free trial and a 14-day money-back guarantee for their purchases.
Coursera Plus allows access only to 90% of the content. Online degrees and MasterTrack learning programs are priced differently because of their association with reputed universities and institutions.
Subscription-wise, Udacity is expensive compared to Coursera. But Coursera also has more expensive learning products not included in the subscription. So, judging from subscriptions, Coursera scores a point in this round.
Udacity Vs. Coursera: Value Of Certification
Udacity Value of Certification
Udacity is a private online learning platform. It is not an accredited institution, so it does not confer any degrees.
However, upon completing Udacity’s nanodegree, executive program, or single-paid course, learners will receive a completion credential for the respective course.
These certificates are not recognized as formal accreditation. But can be downloaded as JPEG or PDF files and shared on social media.
Coursera Value of Certification
Coursera offers an official Coursera-accredited certificate/credential confirming the completion of a learning program. As explored above, Coursera is partnered with top universities and institutions to offer multiple learning products.
Based on the learning product, learners will receive a credential or university-issued certificate with good recognition among recruiters.
Coursera is the way to go if a recognized certificate is important. However, that does not mean Udacity certification has no value. The platform’s reputation, the esteemed instructor panel, and quality content hold merit to the knowledge learners acquire.
Udacity Vs. Coursera: Customer Support
Udacity Customer Support
Udacity offers an extensive and well-organized support system. There is an array of frequently asked questions categorized under several areas.
All questions are laid out meticulously, from information about programs and subscriptions to payments and billing to career services.
There are also articles that learners can refer to if they don’t find what they want in the questions section.
And for further support, Udacity has a chatbot where users can connect with a human support agent to get any questions answered. The chat support is available to all learners and website explorers.
Coursera Customer Support
Coursera also has a learner support system similar to Udacity, with all classified FAQs and popular articles. Coursera also offers live chat support, but it is limited only to learners.
Although both Udacity and Coursera offer a thorough help system, Udacity takes the win here because the chat support is readily available for all, unlike Coursera’s chatbot, which is only for learners and can take time to receive a response.
Udacity Vs. Coursera: Which One is Better for Business?
Many businesses, companies, and organizations are into keeping their employees in a constant environment of learning and improving. Catering to this, many online education platforms, including Udacity and Coursera, also cater to this demand.
Udacity for Business creates an environment for employees to unleash and improve their digital skills. Udacity provides Team and Team Pro at $249 and $4,788 per month, respectively.
Meanwhile, enterprises with 50+ employees must request a custom consultation to discuss and implement the employer’s needs on a larger scale. Similarly, Coursera also offers plans for businesses.
Since Coursera categories are more widespread than Udacity, employees can benefit by strengthening their skills in areas including tech, data, leadership, and more.
Coursera offers an annual team plan at $399 per learner and an Enterprise option at a custom rate.
So, in this comparison round, both platforms get a point each because of the transparency in pricing. But addressing the question of which platform is better for Business depends on the field/ industry of the Business.
Udacity Vs. Coursera: Customer Testimonials
Customer ratings and testimonials play a significant role in helping other potential customers trust the product/ service and gauge their experience using it.
It provides online visibility and creates a loyal customer base that stands for the product or service’s reputation.
So, in this Udacity Vs. Coursera contest, the user testimonials of the respective online learning platforms will shed more light on the quality and reliability from a wider perspective of real-world customers.
Udacity Customer Testimonials
The below table summarizes user review ratings from two review sites: G2 and Trustpilot;
| G2 | Trustpilot | |
| Total Reviews | 707 | 2622 |
| 5 stars | 75% | 86% |
| 4 stars | 21% | 10% |
| 3 stars | 1.5% | <1% |
| 2 stars | 0.4% | <1% |
| 1 star | 2.1% | 3% |
| Overall Rating out of 5 stars | 4.5 | 4.6 |
As you can see, there are many reviews on both sites, and most of the reviews are 5 stars. On G2, Udacity boasts 75%, and Trustpilot has a rating of over 85%, 5-star.
The positive reviews praise various aspects of the platform, including the self-paced lesson organization, the grading/ feedback system, engaging and quality content, and course variety, allowing the learners to truly experience comprehensive learning.
The course report also has over 600 user testimonials of various courses and nanodegrees by Udacity.
Coursera Customer Testimonials
Below is a table summarizing the ratings and reviews of Coursera from two sites;
| G2 | Trustpilot | |
| Total Reviews | 345 | 472 |
| 5 stars | 79% | 14% |
| 4 stars | 16.5% | 5% |
| 3 stars | 2% | 4% |
| 2 stars | 0.6% | 8% |
| 1 star | 1.9% | 69% |
| Overall Rating out of 5 stars | 4.5 | 1.9 |
Comparing this table to the above table of Udacity reviews shows a significant difference in user experience.
According to Trustpilot, which holds over 65% of 1-star reviews, the users were mostly disappointed in poor customer service, compromised grading system, and inconsistent and constantly crashing interface.
So this round goes to Udacity because clearly, more users enjoyed Udacity better than Coursera, making Udacity’s lower ratings negligible.
Udacity Vs. Coursera: Pros and Cons
Udacity Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Coursera Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Udacity Vs. Coursera: Alternatives
If you realize that Coursera and Udacity are not your cup of tea, I suggest checking out the alternatives below.
Masterclass
Masterclass is an interesting alternative to both Coursera and Udacity. The platform takes an edutainment approach to its online courses.
Even more fascinating is the influential celebrity and VIP instructor panel that includes personnel like Gordon Ramsay, Christina Aguilera, and Stephen Curry.
The platform has diverse niches, from food to science and tech to sports and gaming.
It offers an annual membership plan starting from $120, backed by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
Datacamp
Datacamp, as the name implies, is for all those looking to develop data skills for future growth and career progress.
The platform covers various domains, from data science to machine learning to non-coding essentials.
Data camp is accessible for $39 per month or $149 annually.
There is also a free plan with limited access to give a taste of the platform.
Skillshare is an affordable option for both Coursera and Udacity.
The platform offers over 35,000 online courses covering niches focused on creatives and entrepreneurs.
Although Skillshare does not offer certifications, some of the courses featured are developed by industry leaders like Moz, Mailchimp, and Google.
Skillshare is accessible through an annual plan at $168.
Other comparisons you might want to read:
Frequently Asked Questions
Wrap-Up: Udacity Vs. Coursera–Which is Better?
Which platform is better?
Well, it all comes down to what YOU are looking for.
Suppose you want to learn online degree programs, gain skills through hands-on learning and real-world practice, and have all your learnings certified by accredited institutions and universities. In that case, Coursera is the way to go.
However, if you are solely focused on upskilling and skill refining to stay up-to-date with the moving digi-tech advancements, then Udacity nanodegree programs are a worthy investment.
Coupled with their career services, you can navigate yourself better within the industry.
I hope this thorough Udacity Vs. Coursera comparison shed light on and filled in the gaps in the differences between Coursera and Udacity, hopefully helping you decide which platform will best fit you.
But, if you are still on the fence, explore the free courses on both platforms by joining for free. And exploit the FREE TRIAL to determine which platform is for you before committing financially.
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