12 Best Online Education Platforms Similar to Coursera for 2024

The e-learning industry has expanded at a rate of 900% in the last two decades. Thanks to the evolution of technology, students get easy access to a digital toolbox that includes a wide range of study sources and materials, from online courses to e-textbooks, from educational websites to videos, games, and even Artificial Intelligence (AI), which helps enhance their learning process. It has also become common for educational institutions in various countries including the USA, China, and India to depend on educational technology (edtech) to monitor student activity, report grades, facilitate course management, and enhance communication among students, educators, and their families.

Online learning platforms offer more than just providing for school and college students with valuable information. Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have made it easy and feasible for everyone to enroll in and earn credit for courses taught by renowned professors at top institutions across the globe. The market of global mobile learning is expected to witness a CAGR of 30.12% during 2022-2026, leading to a market value of around $156 billion by the end of 2026. Growth in the demand for digital education is driving for growth of the mobile learning market.

Talking about the stats, let’s take a look at the revenue generated by the Online Learning Platforms market is projected to reach US$58.45bn by the end of this year and it is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2024-2029) of 5.26% resulting in a projected market volume of US$75.52bn by 2029.

Among all these amazing online educational platforms, Coursera stands out the most, firmly establishing itself as a pinnacle of the online learning revolution. However, the rapid growth and expansion of the e-learning landscape demands that This article looks at the 12 best platforms competing with Coursera’s offering and analyzes their unique strengths, specializations, and why you need them in 2024 and the upcoming years.

What is Coursera and What does it entail?

Founded in 2012 by Stanford University professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, Coursera provides access to high-quality educational content from top universities and industry leaders. The platform offers various learning formats, including short courses, specializations, professional certificates, and full online degrees. Coursera hosts over 6,700 courses across various subjects, including technology, business, arts, and humanities.

This extensive catalog allows learners to explore different fields and acquire new skills it includes flexible learning options that enable learners to learn and develop skills at their own pace, with many available for free audit. This flexibility accommodates different schedules and learning preferences. Its partnerships with top institutions and companies make it a valuable resource for anyone looking to enhance their skills or pursue new career paths.

Top Websites like Coursera for Online Education

If you are searching for the best Coursera alternatives, then you’ve arrived at the right place. We present you with 12 of the most popular alternatives for Coursera, each offering diverse learning opportunities.

1. American Management Association (AMA)

AMA is an international, nonprofit, membership-based association founded in 1923 in New York City. Since its establishment, it’s been leading the Department of Professional Development, advancing the skills of individuals and organizations to drive business success. It includes 160+ online courses in over 20 cities, and it has helped around 10M students in the past decade.

AMA has given wings to the goals of millions of individuals and organizations through a wide range of services and products. These include virtual classrooms, webcasts, conferences, podcasts, corporate and government solutions, online assessments, and learning journeys.

Many Fortune 500 and 92% of Fortune 1000 companies choose AMA as their go-to source for training solutions. Not only that, AMA offers instructor-led, hands-on training methods specifically designed for effective knowledge transfer and practical application in the workplace. Due to their commitment to excellence and proven results, it has created a global impact.

AMA is a non-profit organization trusted by millions from around the globe because of its vast spectrum of award-winning learning resources, and global capabilities. It helps individuals to advance their strategic business goals. The platform specializes in Professional Development, Training, Seminars, Management, Webcasts, Leadership, Webinars, Articles, and Women’s Leadership

Key Insights:

• Hands-on Learning: Allow participants to practice their skills that apply directly to their unique platform goals.
• Customizable Solutions: Each learning solution is designed to accommodate organizational, business, and individual demands.
• Flexible Formats: To provide participants with the most flexibility possible, learning can be done virtually or in an actual classroom.
• Facilitation in Practice: Our teachers infuse each session with practical, real-world insights.
• Personalized Guidance: One-on-one mentorship throughout our seminars guarantees a learning experience that is significant, distinct, and customized to each professional’s path.

2. Udemy: Online Learning Platform

Udemy is an education technology company, founded in May 2010. The company has headquarters in San Francisco, California, United States, with branches and hubs in Denver, Colorado; Dublin, Ireland; Austin, Texas; Melbourne, Australia; İstanbul, Turkey, and Gurgaon, India. The platform provides learners with an endless opportunity to explore courses taught by leading experts from various fields. With the help of their global catalog connecting with the latest topics and skills, people and organizations everywhere can adapt to change and thrive.

As of September 30, 2024, the platform claimed that they have around 75 million learners with over 1 billion individuals enrolling in those courses. The platform is a hub of more than 250,000 courses and more than 75,000 qualified instructors teaching in 75 languages. The platform also claims that it has Udamy Business customers and more than 50% of the fortunate 100 are Udamy Business customers.

Key Insights:

• Hands-on training: Sharpen your skills with AI-powered coding exercises, quizzes, and practice tests.
• Certification prep: it prepares students for industry-recognized certifications by going through and solving real-world challenges and earning badges along the way.
• Insights and analytics: Fast-track goals with advanced insights plus a dedicated customer success team to help drive effective learning.
• Customizable content: Create personalized learning paths for teams and organization goals, and also host your resources and content.

3. Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a popular name among learners. It is one of the best Coursera alternatives. Created in 2006, by Sal Khan, this American non-profit educational organization has produced over 10,000 video lessons for Class 1-12 students with videos, exercises, and tests. They teach a wide spectrum of academic subjects, sciences, mathematics, literature, history, and computer science along with the CBSE and NCERT syllabus, and are available in English, Hindi, and many more regional languages.

All resources are available for free to users of the website and application. It helps both adults and kids with its instructional videos, personalized learning dashboard, and practice exercises are equally accessible. Using the AI model liberates Khan Academy’s users to study at their own pace since the education is presented in a user-friendly and supportive manner around the world. The platform has around 8.39 million subscribers and 2.13 billion total users.

Key Insights:

• Mission statement: Their goal is to provide millions of students in India and around the world with free, top-notch education.
• Fundings and support: In India, Khan Academy is a nonprofit organization with Section 8 registration that receives funding from CSF and Tata Trusts.
• Large student base: More than 120 million students in more than 190 countries use Khan Academy now.
• Resources offered: 50,000+ exercises and 10,000+ videos covering math, biology, chemistry, physics, history, economics, finance, grammar, preschool education, and other subjects that are in line with the NCERT and CBSE curricula are among their resources.

4. Duolingo

Duolingo is one of the leading alternatives for Coursera. It came into existence in 2011, and ever since then, it has been providing language certification courses. This American educational technology company utilizes a combination of research-backed teaching methods and delightful content to create courses that effectively teach reading, listening, writing, and speaking skills.

This platform offers courses in 44 languages including English, French, Hindi, Spanish, Japanese, and Korean, as well as less commonly studied languages like Irish, Welish, and Navajo, and even some fictional languages like Klingon.

Besides this, Duolingo also offers courses on music and math. The learning methods incorporate gamification to motivate users with points and rewards and interactive lessons featuring spaced repetition. The app promotes short, daily lessons for consistent-phased practice.

Key Insights:

• Gamified Learning: Engaging lessons using games, streaks, and rewards to boost motivation.
• Short Sessions: Bite-sized lessons fit into any schedule, promoting consistent learning.
• Diverse Practice Modes: Covers reading, writing, speaking, and listening for well-rounded language skills.
• AI-Powered Personalization: Lessons adapt to user progress, focusing on areas needing improvement.
• Community Support: Join forums and interact with millions of global learners.

5. Google Classroom

Google Classroom was initially released on August 12 by Google and is one of the Coursera alternatives. This free learning platform helps educators create engaging learning experiences for students so that they can personalize, manage, and measure. Being part of the Google Workforce for education empowers tutors and professors to enhance their impact and prepare students for the future.

This blended learning platform aims to streamline the creation, distribution, and grading of assignments. The primary purpose of Google Classroom is to streamline the process of sharing files between teachers and students. As of 2021, the app has almost 150 million Google Classroom users.

Key Insights:

• Easy Setup: Teachers can add students directly or give their class a code to join, making it simple to set up. The setup takes only a few minutes.
• Saves time: Teachers can rapidly generate, evaluate, and mark assignments in one location with the help of the straightforward, paperless assignment workflow.
• Enhances organization: all class resources (such as papers, images, and videos) are automatically arranged into Google Drive folders, and students may view all of their assignments on an assignments page.
• Improves communication: Teachers can rapidly initiate class discussions and send out notifications in the classroom. On the stream, students can answer questions or exchange resources.
• Safe: Classroom never utilizes your content or student information for advertising, just like the rest of Google Workspace for Education services.

6. edX

edX is one of the best alternatives to Coursera. It was launched in 2012 by Harvard University and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). It is one of the foremost MOOCs (Massive Online Open Course). This world-leading digital education company is an initiative to make the world’s best education available to everyone. It allows access to thousands of courses in various languages online, including courses like business, computer science, and the humanities, which are the intellectual results from the best universities and institutions around the world.

Over 86 million individuals worldwide are currently connected to edX through online learning that offers genuine professional advancement in almost every field of work, from public health and sustainability to artificial intelligence and robotics. It boasts 4600+ online programs and 86M+ learner networks. Due to the ease of registration, students can enroll in individual courses or pursue certifications or MicroMasters programs to hone their abilities and accomplish their professional goals.

Key Insights:

• Numerous Courses: Provides thousands of courses in a variety of subjects, including business, technology, and the humanities.
• World-Class Institutions: Associated with esteemed academic institutions such as Stanford, MIT, and Harvard.
• Flexible Learning: Choose between instructor-led or self-paced courses to learn at your speed.
• Affordable Education: A lot of courses can be audited for free, and certificates can be purchased for a small portion of the cost of regular tuition.
• Micro-Credentials: To improve employment possibilities, obtain professional credentials, MicroMasters, and recognized certifications.

7. MasterClass

MasterClass was launched in October 2014, and it is one of the best streaming platforms that makes it possible for learners to watch or listen to hundreds of video lessons taught by 200+ of the world’s best. The platform initially started with $4.5 million in initial funding and two seed-funding rounds totaling $1.9 million. With one million downloads, the software has proven to be widely used and popular. Numerous courses offered by top teachers and tutors are available on the app, including ones in photography, leadership, writing, food, sports, music, acting, and more.

Regardless of the subject matter—business and leadership, photography, cuisine, writing, acting, music, sports, or more—MasterClass offers top-notch online education. Your computer, Apple TV, FireTV streaming media players, and smartphone may all access video classes at any time and from any location.

Key Insights:

• Learn From The Best: Become a great chef, write a book, sell a television program, manage a business, and more. Get advice and insights from well-known legends, artists, and icons.
• 200+ Instructors: You may learn programs on writing, business, arts & entertainment, food, home & lifestyle, sports & gaming, music, and more from the brightest minds of today.
• Thousands of Lessons: You can watch at your own pace or binge-watch all of the classes at once because each session is divided into manageable chunks.
• Available Anywhere: Watch on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV remotely or at home. Download a few classes to see offline or listen to the audio version.

8. LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning, originally known as Lynda.com, is a premier online learning platform offering a vast array of courses designed to enhance business, technology, and creative skills. Launched in 1995 and acquired by LinkedIn in 2015, the platform seamlessly integrates education with professional growth, making it a go-to resource for individuals aiming to excel in their careers.

The platform features short video tutorials and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) led by industry experts and thought leaders. With topics ranging from project management and software development to graphic design and marketing strategies, LinkedIn Learning caters to diverse professional needs. Subscribers gain unlimited access to a rich library of first-rate educational materials that are constantly updated to match current trends and demands.

Key Insights:

• Vast Course Library: Provides thousands of courses across business, technology, and creative disciplines.
• Expert Instructors: Courses are taught by industry professionals and subject matter experts.
• Personalized Recommendations: AI-driven suggestions based on career goals, skills, and learning history.
• Integration with LinkedIn Profiles: Allows users to showcase completed courses and certifications to boost visibility.
• Certificates of Completion: Earn certificates that validate your skills and enhance your resume.

9. Udacity

Udacity is a digital learning platform, which started operating in 2011 and focused on technical subjects. It provides courses, short degree programs, or executive programs in cooperation with industry leaders and is focused on practical, diligent training that leads to quality jobs. Their mission is to help every learner, organization, and nation prepare well and solidify the digital workforce of the next generation. With the help of their team of skilled professional tutors, they are continuously succeeding in providing an engaging and safe environment for learners to progress towards their career goals.

As a skill-centered and project-based education approach, Udacity mainly deals with subjects such as the man-machine interface, data science, programming, and self-driving vehicles. Folks learn through tailored guidance and mentorships among tech products and get the opportunity to boost their careers in tech fields which are highly demanded. They specialize in technology and career development, providing a wide spectrum of courses and nano degree programs. Currently, the platform has 16.9M+ registered users in more than 240 countries, 2.6M+ project submissions, and many other achievements.

Key Insights:

• Wide Course Selection: Over 500 courses in cutting-edge fields like AI, web development, machine learning, and digital marketing.
• Flexible Learning Options: Learn at your own pace with online accessibility for seamless integration into any schedule.
• Hands-On Projects: Build a professional portfolio by working on real-world projects designed to mirror industry scenarios.
• Industry-Aligned Curriculum: Courses developed in collaboration with top tech companies like Google, Amazon, and IBM.
• Personalized Feedback: Expert feedback on projects ensures a deeper understanding and skill refinement.

10. Quizlet

Quizlet is one of the popular learning platforms and alternatives to Coursera. It was created by Andrew Sutherland in 2005 and released to the public in January 2007. And now, more than a decade later it has been a pinnacle of e-learning providers, offering more than 60 million students and learners a medium to fulfill their goals.

Quizlet has everything from math tests to medical exams to, well, French vocabulary quizzes. The platform provides services in various countries including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, South Korea, India, and more.

Key Insights:

• Smart Learning Algorithms: Adapts to the user’s progress, focusing on areas that need improvement.
• Mobile and Desktop Access: Available on multiple platforms for studying anytime, anywhere.
• Gamified Learning: Features like “Match” games make studying fun and interactive.
• Interactive Study Tools: Offers flashcards, quizzes, and games for engaging and effective learning.
• Wide Range of Subjects: Covers a variety of topics, from language learning to advanced science and history.

11. Skillshare

Skillshare is an online learning platform that was released in November 2010 and has a community of thousands of creative and practical courses taught by professionals in the relevant fields. Skillshare organizes courses in advertising, business, design, fashion and style, film and video, food and drink, music, photography, gaming, technology, and writing and publishing.

Skillshare is designed to help people unlock their creativity, master new skills, and pursue their dreams interactively and engagingly. Integrating relevant feedback and teamwork creates a well-rounded learning experience that goes beyond passive video tutorials. Whether someone is seeking personal development or professional growth, Skillshare offers a platform to explore, experiment, and excel.

Key Insights:

• Diverse Course Library: Offers thousands of classes in categories like design, photography, writing, business, and technology.
• Project-Based Learning: Encourages hands-on learning through creative projects that help solidify skills.
• Community-Driven Platform: Connect with fellow learners, teachers, and professionals for collaboration and inspiration.
• Expert Instructors: Classes taught by industry professionals and creative leaders.
• Affordable Subscription: Access all courses with a single monthly or yearly fee.

12. FutureLearn

The FutureLearn global online learning platform was established in 2012 and allows users to take an array of courses from leading universities and cultural institutions across the globe. The platform was built with the mission of transforming and streamlining access to education by offering top online courses from around the world’s leading universities and brands. As of December 2023, there were over 33,000 enrolments on the scheme from learners in Afghanistan, 14,000 of which came from learners who had previously never accessed the platform.

Among the many different topics offered, they range from healthcare, business, humanities, and so on. FutureLearn offers both free and paid options giving the students no spatial and financial limits to learn and the possibility to choose the best studying mode for themselves. The courses allow learners to unlock highly skilled new career paths, and empower themselves to change the world. Therefore, learning becomes understandable and interesting for everyone.

Key Insights:

• Short Courses: Ideal for skill development or exploring new topics in a matter of weeks.
• Micro-Credentials: Accredited certifications that provide industry-recognized skills in a specialized field.
• Online Degrees: Comprehensive programs offered in partnership with universities, allowing students to earn bachelor’s or master’s degrees entirely online.

How do you make money from apps like Coursera?

Apps like Coursera employ various monetization strategies to generate revenue:

1. Course Fees: Sell the users for visiting the special lessons, learning, certification, or certain files, s/he interested in. By only paying a specific amount for individual courses, this course-based payment system provides great convenience and savings for students.
2. Subscription Plans: Giving choices where users subscribe on a monthly or yearly basis and they get the privilege of accessing all the available course plans. Subscriptions usually foster the extras like reading offline, certificates, and additional content.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Building partnerships with businesses for corporate training, content licensing agreements, or enterprise systems created as per the organization’s learning needs.
4. Advertising: Being able to feature ads on the platform either on the banner (display ads), native ads, or on the targeted content, to make revenue from the advertisers.
5. Affiliate Marketing: Collaborating with companies or resources and gaining a reward for sending customers who make purchases and subscribe for classes via the means of affiliate links.

How To Build An eLearning Platform Like Coursera?

Creating an eLearning platform like Coursera involves several strategic steps to ensure a successful launch and ongoing operation. Below is a comprehensive guide based on the essential steps involved in building such a platform.

Market Research

Conduct thorough market research to understand the online education landscape. This includes:

• Identifying Target Audience: Define who your learners are (e.g., students, professionals) and their specific needs.
• Analyzing Competitors: Study existing platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and others to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
• Understanding Demand: Assess the subjects and skills that are in high demand to tailor your offerings accordingly.

Define Features

Establish the core features that your platform will offer. Key functionalities may include:

• Course Catalog: A searchable database of available courses.
• User Registration and Profiles: This allows users to create accounts, track progress, and manage their learning paths.
• Video Streaming: Implement live and recorded video lectures.
• Discussion Forums: Facilitate interaction among students and instructors.
• Progress Tracking: Enable users to monitor their learning progress through dashboards.
• Certification Issuance: Provide certificates upon course completion to enhance credibility.

Choose Technology Stack

Select the appropriate technology stack for both frontend and backend development:

• Frontend Development: Consider frameworks like React or Vue.js for a responsive user interface.
• Backend Development: Use robust frameworks such as Node.js or Django for server-side operations.
• Database Management: Choose scalable databases like PostgreSQL or MongoDB to handle user data efficiently.

Design UI/UX

Focus on creating an intuitive user interface (UI) and user experience (UX):

• User-Centric Design: Ensure that navigation is logical and user-friendly.
• Responsive Design: Optimize for various devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
• Accessibility Features: Incorporate features that make the platform usable for individuals with disabilities.

Develop Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Create an MVP that includes only the essential features needed to launch:

• Testing Concept Validity: Use the MVP to gather user feedback and validate market demand before full-scale development.
• Iterative Development: Incorporate feedback into subsequent versions of the product.

Launch and Market

Prepare for a successful launch:

• Marketing Strategies: Utilize social media, content marketing, and partnerships with educational institutions to attract users.
• Community Engagement: Build a community around your platform through forums, webinars, and events to foster user loyalty.

Ongoing Maintenance

Post-launch, focus on maintaining the platform:

• Technical Support: Provide reliable customer support to address user queries and issues.
• Regular Updates: Keep the content fresh by regularly updating courses and adding new ones based on industry trends.

By following these steps meticulously, you can establish a solid foundation for an eLearning platform that competes effectively in the growing online education market.

What is the cost of making a Custom eLearning App like Coursera?

In developing an app like Coursera, several factors differentiate costs. Development costs can vary from feature to feature, complexity, platform, and design requirements. The basic functions such as user authentication, course search, and video playback are the core of the application. Sophisticated functions including gamification, live streaming, and AI-based recommendations are some of the reasons for the growing complexity and costs.

On top of that, backend development, which covers course administration, user data, and analytics, can be costly too. Design costs include UI/UX and branding. Implementing payment gateways and security compliance factors to costs as well. Developing an eLearning course can cost anywhere from $5,000 to USD 150,000, depending on its length, complexity, and the extent of its outsourcing. To determine the total cost of your course, you must evaluate its specifics.

A basic e-learning app might cost around $40,000 to $80,000, whereas the more comprehensive platforms similar to Coursera could range from $100,000 to $300,000 or even more, contingent upon the amount of customization and the additional features. Acting upon the experience of seasoned developers would help to get a more exact estimate tuned to your project specifics.

Cost to Develop an App Like Coursera in 2024:

How Helpful Insight can help you to develop Coursera Alternatives?

Helpful Insight, as a web app development company, can significantly help in the creation of Coursera alternatives. With their expertise, they streamline the development process, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness.

1. Market Analysis: Helpful Insight resorts to extensive market research to discover the market loopholes and ​​opportunities in the online education industry. Develop a value proposition that can compete well with Coursera based on this analysis.
2. Customized Solutions: We provide customized services that are aligned with the unique brand’s requirements. From creating distinct features to enhancing the user experience to attending to niche markets, Helpful Insight’s engineers guarantee the presence of the app matches the client’s goals.
3. Scalability: The two main considerations for scalability of the platforms by business owners are the large user base and the growing demands. The platform structure makes adjustments on the fly as the company goes, allowing for more and more traffic as well as engagement.
4. Technology Expertise: Being at the top of technology development and using the latest frameworks Helpful Insight creates a secured and scalable app infrastructure. Whether frontend development using modern tools like React or backend development with Node.js, they are always staying on top of the latest tools to build high-quality solutions.
5. Continuous Support: Even after launching, we remain committed to offering ongoing support and maintenance for feature efficiency. They make necessary fixes immediately and add bugs’ ironing and security features.

By partnering with Helpful Insight, businesses can confidently navigate the development process, resulting in a competitive Coursera alternative that meets market demands and exceeds user expectations.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the best Coursera alternative depends on your specific learning goals, preferences, and budget. By exploring the features and offerings of each platform, you can find the right fit to embark on your educational journey with confidence and convenience. Whether you’re a student, professional, or lifelong learner, these alternatives empower you to acquire new skills, advance your career, and pursue your passions in a dynamic digital landscape.

FAQ’s on Custom eLearning App

Which is better EdX or Coursera?

It may be difficult to say either edX or Coursera is better, each of them addresses different priorities and goals. EdX, the online learning platform that was launched by Harvard and MIT, has courses from well-respected universities along with its prominently distinguished academic standards. It is designed for candidates who want to take professional courses and study at the top level. Coursera for instance provides several topics. That includes professional certificates and specializations. Moreover, if you have difficulties with the user interface, there is always an option to choose a flexible learning form. It also is suitable for those who look for practical skills and towering heights at work. Finally, both tools are similar in that they deliver an enormous range of knowledge benefiting the selection procedure by taking into account curriculum content, teaching methods, and personal tastes.

Is Coursera or Udemy the best?

Whether Coursera or Udemy is better is determined by specific needs and personal inclinations. Coursera, attached to top official institutions, has a deep focus and provides courses that are appropriate for both formal education and skills development. It is especially good for students who like structured programs, accreditation, and academic challenge. Nevertheless, Udemy stands out by providing a collection of courses led by field professionals, which are beneficial for practical skills and flexibility. It is successfully designed for those who plan to study themselves at their own pace and on the topics that attract them most. Finally, the choice between Coursera or Udemy depends on the factors related to course content, accreditation, teaching style, and one’s personal preference for learning mode.

Is there a free version of Coursera?

Coursera presents a variety of courses that can be audited for free and provides learning materials like video lectures and quizzes to the same effect without payment. Nevertheless, the free edition is not equipped with functions such as assigning grades, issuing completion certificates, and accessing a whole course resource. In this regard, students choosing the free version could lack interactivity features, as well as the formal acceptance of their learning. Coursera also has financial aid for eligible learners, and for those who qualify, it is free of charge. You can access paid courses at no cost. On Coursera, a lot of subjects are available for free. Beyond this, access to all of the resources only comes with enrollment in paid classes or subscriptions.

Ritesh Jain

My name is Ritesh Jain. I am the Director and Co-founder at HeIpful Insight, I provide strategic leadership & direction to guide the company's growth. My responsibilities encompass overall business development, fostering client relationships, and ensuring the alignment of our services with industry trends. I actively contribute to decision-making, drive innovation, and work closely with our talented teams to uphold our commitment to delivering high-quality Mobile and Web Development Solutions.