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What is Udemy? Is it worth it? A comprehensive guide

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With the influx of learning platforms filling the .com world today, online educational marketplaces have become practical, budget-friendly alternatives to traditional learning.

At this point, it’s safe to say that Udemy stands as one of the most well-known, long-standing platforms in the online education space, hosting over 180,000 courses in over 65 languages.

Since its foundation in 2009, the platform has become the most populated, go-to global classroom for students everywhere, thanks to its affordability, wide range of subject matters, and diversity of instructors — 40,000 and growing! 

So how exactly does Udemy work, and is it worth your hard-earned money? Read our guide to discover all the platform has to offer!

Affiliate disclaimer: Articles on Tiny Workshops may contain affiliate links.

Table of contents

What is Udemy?

Udemy business, udemy personal plan.

  • Is Udemy worth it?
  • How much are Udemy courses?
  • How is Udemy for teachers?

Best Udemy classes

Udemy competitors.

What is Udemy

Udemy is a popular, sought-after online learning platform for its extensive library of courses, frequent sales, and diversity of instructors. 

Despite sharing this space with top competitors such as Domestika and Skillshare , Udemy has maintained a unique position in the market because it does not target a specific niche and offers a multiplicity of subject matters that accommodates all skill sets and budgets. 

Courses on the platform are featured in the form of pre-recorded videos created by teachers and subject-matter experts. As you jump from lesson to lesson, you’ll be guided by your instructor. The great part is that you won’t be learning in real time, which allows you to learn and study at your own pace.

Besides video lessons, teachers usually provide complementary downloadable resources — these will be yours to keep forever once you’ve purchased a class! More often than not, you’ll also be encouraged to work on projects, participate in forum sections, and interact with your mentor. 

To teach on Udemy, teachers must sign up proactively but aren’t required to pay a fee. However, after signing up, instructors must build their course(s) and receive in-house approval before having their content published.

Read also: Best Udemy alternatives

Because the process is so straightforward, it does have some downsides. With no strict, in-depth oversight of content creation, quality varies wildly between one course and another.

Additionally, because each teacher has their own approach and different topics require different time investments, class duration also varies quite a bit. This means you can find classes that last 30 minutes and others that go up to 20 hours!

However, for reference, the average time of most Udemy courses is slightly over four hours long. 

In recent years, Udemy has undergone somewhat of a “facelift,” which has made its navigation experience much more intuitive, updated, and clean-cut. 

Presenting improved, easy-to-follow guidelines, designated areas for student feedback, helpful filter functionalities, and new content every day, the platform seems to be very much alive and kicking and, therefore, an irreplaceable favorite for many.

Udemy is also still ahead of the game in language options, offering a wider variety of voice-over, subtitle, and closed caption options. This is undoubtedly one of the platform’s strongest assets.

For example, while Domestika takes the lead in production quality and creativity, it’s been late to the race in this regard, and only now does it begin to have a greater global reach.

Due to these characteristics and more, Udemy has become one of the most (if not the most!) accessible and relatable online classrooms for virtual learners from all walks of life.

How does Udemy work?

How does Udemy work?

Udemy is home to a vast range of classes set at different prices, languages, durations, and teaching styles. 

You aren’t required to sign up for a subscription to take a course on the platform.

Unlike other platforms like Skillshare or Masterclass, Udemy offers various purchase options but works primarily on a pay-by-course basis instead vs ongoing monthly/yearly subscriptions.

Read also: Skillshare vs Domestika

Also, Udemy courses don’t demand completion within a specific time frame and, instead, encourage learning at your own pace. In addition, once enrolled in a class, lifetime access to video content and downloadable resources is guaranteed!

Because Udemy isn’t an accredited online school, it doesn’t provide official accreditation to students. However, once concluding a paid class, enrollees receive a certificate: a beneficial feature for those dipping their toe into the workforce or wanting to add more skills to their professional portfolio.

Besides one-off purchases, Udemy offers three subscription plans, outlined below. Note that you can only be subscribed to one plan at a time.

Udemy Business is a program that invites businesses to acquire educational packs for their employees, providing them with training materials for areas of skill improvement or personal development.

Currently, there are over 8,000 companies that use this service, inspiring workers to stay afloat with marketplace demands, push for digital innovation, and take on more leadership roles. 

This service includes  over 6,000 classes  to choose from and allows businesses to customize their course packages.

The program has also expanded its terms and now offers this service to different  business sizes and capacities  — a great way to provide ongoing education in diverse sectors and employees.

Plans start at $360 (per user/year) for small businesses, but the bulk of the benefits are for enterprise customers.

Some brands that use this program in the workplace include names such as Volkswagen, Apple, Netflix, and Eventbrite. You can check current pricing and sign up below!

Udemy free trial subscription

The platform has also developed Udemy Pro — a monthly subscription plan specifically designed to help students accomplish IT certification goals . For the time being, this type of membership is only available for this topic, and it costs $20 a month.

Once you’ve signed up, you’ll have access to a selection of specialized topic areas . If you eventually decide to cancel your subscription, you’ll lose complete access to this content.

It’s a bit confusing to sign up, but typically you do this via the checkout page of any course in the platform or via your account subscription settings in the link below. It includes a 7-day free trial.

Udemy is also test-driving another monthly subscription option called Personal Plan . This membership includes access to all course content on the platform, just like Skillshare .

Nevertheless, the yearly subscription plan is not being rolled out to all students and is currently in pilot mode. So, we strongly suggest you stay on the lookout for updates!

The monthly subscription cost varies according to the location of your account and includes access to over 5,000 courses covering over 1,700 topics. It’s fantastic for jacks-of-all-trades or curious course explorers looking to pick up new skills.

If you want to test out these subscription services without committing, you can try out the platform’s free 7-day trial. Sign up via the subscriptions page linked below.

(Note: this feature may not be available to you in your area.)

Udemy review: Is it worth it?

Is Udemy worth it

It’s hard to claim if Udemy is worth it or not since everyone has their personal demands and expectations when it comes down to online learning.

Here’s our list of pros and cons you may want to consider: 

  • Affordable prices and constant sales
  • Wide range of course content and categories
  • Certificate provided upon completion
  • 30-day refund policy
  • Lifetime access to content upon class sign-up
  • Low prices can lead to the assumption of poor content quality
  • Goes against the idea that “less is more”
  • Udemy is not an officially accredited institution
  • The refund policy does not apply to subscription plans
  • Lifetime access does not apply to memberships

Pro: Affordable prices and constant sales

One of Udemy’s most attractive features is the prices it offers. With sales all year round, it’s common to find 90% discounts for courses and constant deals: rarely will you find classes at their original cost. The affordability of the content on this platform is perfect for learners on all budgets.

Con: Low prices can lead to the assumption of poor content quality

On the other hand, the frequent price slashing and ongoing trends in sales have made many skeptical about the platform’s quality. The concept of marketing courses at such low prices may lead some to believe this reflects the overall quality of instructors, resources, and the platform.

Plus, paying full price for a course feels like a poor value, with constant sales bringing down prices. You’re always better off waiting for sales.

Pro: Wide range of course content and categories

Another Udemy highlight is the diversity of subject matters it covers. With 13 main categories, including Business, Design, Marketing, and Lifestyle, this is a convenient option for anyone who wants to focus on their professional development or pick up a new hobby!

Con: The immensity of courses can go against the idea that “less is more”

Udemy is home to a remarkably extensive library of content, which can transmit the idea of poorly curated content. While this may be the case for many courses, there is also room for top instructors and excellent classes.

Pro: Certificate provided upon completion

When you conclude a course, a digital certificate will be issued to acknowledge your commitment and achievement. This feature can be especially enticing for young entrepreneurs who want to demonstrate their proactivity in supplementary education and skill development to prospective employers and clients.

Con: Udemy is not an accredited institution

Because Udemy is not an accredited institution, the certificate provided upon course completion may seem useless, as it commonly goes unacknowledged by companies as an official learning experience. A college degree it is not.

Pro: 30-day refund policy

The platform has a 30-day refund policy for when a course experience doesn’t match expectations. This rule comforts hesitant students who know they can get their money back if dissatisfied before the established cut-off date. In such scenarios, students will lose lifetime access to course content and not receive certificates. 

Con: Refund policy does not apply to subscription plans

Contrary to individual course purchases, subscription plans and programs such as Udemy Business packages do not include this refund policy. The platform has also been reputed for lengthy waits when refunding customers.

Pro: Lifetime access to content upon class sign-up

Once you purchase a course, you’ll automatically be given lifetime access to content! This is a great benefit as you’ll be able to review class resources and information at any time: even years after course completion!

Con: Lifetime access to content does not apply to subscriptions

However, this benefit is not incorporated into subscription plans. If you decide to cancel your membership, you’ll lose access to content. As mentioned previously, this will also be the case whenever refunds are requested.

Verdict: Is Udemy worth it?

Udemy is absolutely worth it for any intrepid learner, no matter whether you want to study programming, craft skills, or anything in between. That said, purchasing courses individually is generally better than signing up for a subscription.

Sales make individual courses very affordable, and the value of subscription packages for individuals (unless you’re seeking IT certs) isn’t quite there. Plus, by buying individual courses, you aren’t as locked into the platform and can enjoy great content on other platforms like Domestika , Skillshare , Creativebug , and elsewhere!

How much are Udemy courses? 

How much do Udemy classes cost?

Undoubtedly, one of Udemy’s most attractive selling points is its prices. 

With possibilities for all pocket sizes, the platform continues to be sought-after time after time by students on the lookout for low fees and juicy sales. 

One-off courses bought individually on Udemy range between $14-200. Nevertheless, very few classes maintain their original price once you start browsing: if the platform detects buyers’ hesitancy, it starts to offer discounts.

Also, Udemy lives on seasonal sales and campaigns, so there is always an abundance of amazing prices!

Because of the regular price drops the platform is known for, with 90% discounts being applied more frequently than not, the quality of Udemy’s content and instructors has been regarded with some skepticism. At first glance, this is entirely understandable. 

However, the company’s business model is unique in the marketplace and has discovered that lower rates attract a higher number of students who remain engaged and loyal to the platform. The consistent tendency of returning enrollees proves the quality of the platform and the trend of its customer base.

Read also: Udemy vs Skillshare

Knowing you obtain lifetime access to content and resources after purchase makes these prices seem even more surreal. The trick is to continue looking into courses you’d like to take and see how much the price drops so that you can enroll when the cost matches your budget.

As mentioned previously, subscription plans and programs such as Udemy Business, Udemy Pro, and Personal Plan offer different pricing models. 

For example, in the case of the Team package on the Udemy Business program (for 5-20 users), a fee of $360 is set per person/year (+taxes). 

The Personal Plan monthly membership varies per account location, and the specialized IT certification Udemy Pro service requires a nearly $20 payment per month.  

Instructors establish the prices for their courses according to a defined tier. Since Udemy does take a percentage of sales, instructors will commonly create more classes to increase their customer base and income. 

Udemy also continues to gift learners with a collection of free courses!

Although the company has done away with many of its free classes —believed by some as a strategy to transmit quality over quantity — the platform still offers over 500 unlocked courses you can enjoy today! 

 Keep in mind that free courses have specific restrictions: 

  • Up to only 2 hours of video content
  • No Q&A section
  • No certificates 

How is Udemy for teachers? 

Udemy for Teachers

Boasting more than 40,000 instructors on its platform (and growing!), Udemy is somewhat of a paradise for all kinds of teachers, whether amateur or experienced. 

Signing up on Udemy as an instructor is as easy as can be —and totally free! Considering the vast amount of course topics it offers, it’s no surprise teachers view the platform as an appealing strategy to monetize their knowledge. 

If you’re thinking of teaching on Udemy, there are a few points to take into consideration: 

  • Choose a topic and angle that will make your classes stand out
  • Identify your target: Who are you teaching? How will your audience respond to your content? Will they purchase other courses you create?
  • What price should be set to attract students but not lose out when discounts are applied? 

How much does Udemy pay instructors?

Ultimately, instructors establish at what price they want to value their course. 

Still, some specific guidelines and rules need to be taken into account. For example, customized courses cannot go beyond $200.  

But how does one know how to set the cost of their course ? 

It’s crucial to know that when you sign up as a Premium Instructor, Udemy will present a set of terms you must follow. These will vary according to your preference to either create free content or build a course for purchase.  

Some of the main points to look into before publishing a course are: 

  • Udemy’s  Revenue Share  terms
  • Udemy’s Promotional Programs
  • Instructor Coupons and Course Referral Links
  • Payment requirements
  • Refund guidelines
  • Currency conversion rates
  • Instructor’s obligations

All of these terms are outlined on the platform and should be consulted before building your course. 

To clarify any doubts before you get started, you can also access Udemy’s  support page  to receive expert guidance beforehand! 

How do I make an Udemy class?

To sum it up, building a class on Udemy is easy-peasy!

First of all, signing up as a teacher on the platform is free. 

When signing up as a  Premium Instructor , you’ll be required to follow a set of guidelines to ensure you meet specific technical requirements and present content that will spark engagement. 

Resources will be available to help you set up videos accordingly. You’ll also have access to the platform’s Marketplace Insights tool, which will aid you in analyzing student trends and demands for specific subject matters.

This functionality will also help you shape your content to create an unwavering customer base in the long run. 

The platform also provides a  Teaching Center  that sheds light on best practices such as scripting class content (written and visually) and marketing your course effectively. 

Before publishing your class, Udemy will do a quality check to ensure you’ve ticked off all the boxes to get your content on their page. 

Steps to make a class: 

  • Sign up as a Premium Instructor
  • Navigate the Teach section in the main menu
  • Plan out your custom course against in-house  guidelines  and  restrictions
  • Create your content (videos, slides, downloadable resources, etc.)
  • Submit your custom course for review (unless you have a Udemy Business account)
  • Admin will publish your course

Here are some quick pros and cons to keep in mind before signing up as an instructor: 

Pros: 

  • No costs are required to create or publish content
  • Maintenance fees aren’t required
  • The widespread community will have access to your class

Cons: 

  • Your course will most likely need to undergo sales and discounts — understanding Udemy’s policies beforehand is essential 
  • Producing excellent course content is crucial — if not, it will eventually get lost in the sauce due to the number of classes published
  • Support for teachers is OK but not acclaimed for its speediness

Best classes on Udemy

Thanks to its infinite pool of options, selecting a class on Udemy can be challenging.

The platform hosts 13 main categories/topics and corresponding subcategories. 

Read also: 100+ creative hobbies to try and how to get started

To give you an idea of the kind of classes you can find, here’s a list of the best courses you can currently find on Udemy per category.

  • Development : Learn Javascript the Right Way
  • Business : Coaching Course: Develop Effective Selling Skills
  • Finance and Accounting : Accounting —A Brief Introduction in 60 minutes 
  • IT & Software : Learn Ethical Hacking from Scratch — For Every Internet User 
  • Office Productivity : Google Office Suite Training – Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Form
  • Personal Development : Life Coaching Certification Course (Beginner to Advanced)  
  • Design : The Ultimate Drawing Course — Beginner to Advanced
  • Marketing : The Complete Digital Marketing Course — 12 Courses in 1
  • Lifestyle : Reiki Level I, II, and Master/Teacher Program 
  • Photography & Video : Adobe Premiere Pro CC Masterclass: Video Editing in Premiere
  • Health & Fitness : Therapeutic Art Life Coach Certification (Accredited)
  • Music : Complete Guitar Lessons System — Beginner to Advanced
  • Teaching & Academics : Spanish for Beginners. The Complete Method. Level 1

As mentioned previously, Udemy has recently undergone a content clean-up and has updated its layout, visuals, and content. 

One of the improved functionalities of the platform is its browsing/filter options. An example of this is how courses have been tagged to give you additional information before you click: “Bestseller,” “Hot & new,” or “Highest rated.”

You’ll also be able to filter by ratings, video duration, topic, level, language, features, and subtitles.  

Reading student reviews and watching class trailers is also a great way to get a general feel of what you can expect before purchasing a course. 

Discovering top instructors on Udemy can take time since there are so many! Find some of the most popular teachers and courses you can find today below: 

  • John Purcell – Java 11 for Complete Beginners
  • Phil Ebiner – Photography Masterclass: Your complete guide to photography and additional
  • Dr. Angela Yu – 100 Days of Code: The Complete Python Pro Bootcamp for 2022

Since the world of online learning has boomed, Udemy has naturally had to make some wiggle room for upcoming competitors .

Read also: 10 best online course platforms for creatives

Although it continues to be a landmark in this realm, there are many other options you may want to discover for your next learning venture that may suit you more. 

Udemy vs Domestika

Domestika logo

These platforms are day and night in terms of content curation, niche, and language features. 

While Udemy boasts a never-ending range of content customized by proactive instructors, Domestika has taken another approach by having a reduced number of classes, mainly focused on creative topics taught by cherry-picked experts.

Read also: 15 best Domestika courses in English (plus 5 in Spanish)

The latter also has an in-house team that works specifically on production, giving this platform a cohesive aesthetic and tone. 

Both are not officially accredited institutions and mainly operate on individual course purchases. Although Domestika does provide affordable prices, it’s a little more “high-end” and does not have as many sales as Udemy. 

The platform also features Domestika Plus, a subscription plan that can be paid yearly or monthly. It includes one course of your choosing per month, and you get to keep it forever.

One of Domestika’s downsides is that its classes are mainly in Spanish (subtitled in multiple languages), unlike Udemy, which offers more options in this aspect. Still, it’s definitely worth checking out for just about any creative skill!

Udemy vs Skillshare

Skillshare logo

Skillshare is similar to Domestika because its content primarily targets creative/artistic learners and offers a more limited number of courses. 

The platform works solely on a subscription basis (yearly) versus Udemy, which currently offers more enrollment options (even though the platform mostly relies on one-off course purchases). 

Both platforms share similar recruitment processes for instructors: free enrollments for anyone interested in sharing their knowledge, whether experienced or amateur.

Skillshare commonly offers shorter, more “hands-on” tutorial-like classes, while Udemy presents more in-depth, lengthy courses. Also, the platform does not provide members lifetime access to purchased content like Udemy — if you cancel your subscription, you automatically lose all access.

However, it does offer a more attractive free subscription trial. Instead of seven days, you can get access for a full month — free of charge — at the link below.

Udemy vs Coursera

Coursera logo

Coursera is an accredited institution and works on a monthly subscription. 

Distinct from Udemy, Coursera does give official course certificates upon completion. Since it’s an accredited academic platform, you can expect a higher price tag on courses and a greater demand in commitment.  

Coursera instructors are qualified university and college professors, guaranteeing professional teaching experience not always found on Udemy.

This platform is best for career-building learners looking for a more traditional academic journey in areas like computer science, humanities, business, and more. 

Udemy vs LinkedIn Learning (Lynda) 

Linkedin Learning Logo

LinkedIn Learning is a popular platform for professionals and offers an all-you-can-watch subscription. 

With just $30 a month, the platform provides unlocked content for all kinds of courses. Commonly sought-after by professionals looking to improve soft/hard skills for the workplace, the platform offers high-quality classes taught by field experts. 

The general tone of LinkedIn Learning is not necessarily formal but is nowhere as relaxed as Udemy. The platform does offer a variety of digital art-related courses associated with programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator and Procreate , but it doesn’t highlight crafts of manual arts.

It’s also heavily incorporated into the social media platform LinkedIn, so you can display completed courses on your profile to attract potential employers and clients.

Udemy vs Udacity

Udacity logo

Udacity may not share Udemy’s spotlight but is a great platform to consider if you want to specialize in the area of technology.

Appreciated for its intuitive interface, specialized content, and mentor support, Udacity provides a well-rounded experience for students. It may include deadlines, assignments, in-depth resources, and a dynamic student forum. 

Classes on Udemy are shorter, less expensive, and more varied in topics when compared to Udacity, which provides technology-related, nano degree programs in partnership with leading industry partners. 

Like Udemy, Udacity also offers free courses. However, most classes on Udacity are more expensive and usually require a 1-2 month commitment for completion. That said, even free courses on Udacity tend to be more in-depth when compared with Udemy’s open classes. 

Udemy vs Masterclass

Masterclass logo

Masterclass is simply on another planet when compared to fellow learning platforms!

Starring personalities we all know and love, like Annie Leibovitz, Alicia Keys, Neil Gaiman, Simone Biles, and —wait for it — Metallica, this platform provides a one-of-a-kind experience in terms of production and expertise that is hard to beat. 

Considering its teachers, a subscription to this platform is unsurprisingly on the pricey end of the spectrum, requiring a hefty $200 yearly fee. On the other hand — how cool is it to be mentored by some of your idols?

In general, Masterclass and Udemy are worlds apart in every way and offer completely different opportunities in terms of production, content quality, pricing, and instructors. Still, it’s a fun way to (literally) learn from the pros.

Does Udemy have free courses?

It does! You can find  over 500 free classes  available on Udemy today, covering topics in every category. 

How often does Udemy offer sales?

Very often. In fact, it’s hard to find courses that aren’t on sale! These come along roughly nine times a year, especially during popular campaign seasons such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Valentine’s, and Mother’s Day.

When enrolling in a course, you’ll also get a promotional code or voucher that will knock some dollars off your next purchase. Besides specific seasonal campaigns, Udemy is constantly slashing course prices, so being on the lookout or signing up for the platform’s newsletter is a great way to stay posted on great deals. 

Is Udemy legit?

Because Udemy offers such affordable prices and a diversity of courses, questioning its credibility is common.

But here is the thing: it’s totally legit.

With almost 300 million enrollments to date and over 40,000 instructors, Udemy is a popular online space to learn from everyday experts and continues to engage students year after year. Even though Udemy doesn’t thoroughly oversee or perform detailed quality checks on submitted courses, the in-house team aims to guide instructors in creating the best content possible. 

And for teachers, payments are always made on time and in full.

How do you pronounce Udemy?

The platform’s name comes from the combination of You+Academy. The correct pronunciation would sound something like You-deh-mee .  

Is Udemy accredited? 

No, Udemy is not an accredited institution. 

Does Udemy offer certificates?

Udemy offers a certificate upon course completion for learners who have purchased paid classes. This feature is not available for free courses. Since Udemy is not an accredited institution, these certificates may not be considered by employers. However, they can be a great way to enhance your portfolio, especially if you are new to the workforce or in university. 

How do I get a refund on Udemy courses?

The platform has a 30-day refund policy. To move forward with a refund request, you must meet policy requirements . To know more about how to refund a course, click  here ! 

Can you download Udemy videos?

Udemy videos can be downloaded on the mobile app to view content offline. However, the majority of courses cannot be downloaded to a computer unless instructors enable this function. Read up on how to get the Udemy app  here  and start learning today! 

How do I gift a Udemy course? 

Udemy classes are excellent gifts for family and friends and very easy to purchase.

On the landing page, find the “Gift this course ” option — this may be placed in a different location depending on your account. 

Then all you have to do is enter the gift recipient’s name, email details, and delivery date. Lastly, you’ll be required to proceed to checkout and fill in your payment details. The process will be slightly different whenever you gift a course you’re taking, but the process is pretty much identical. 

To know more,  click here  and buy your next gift!

That’s it for this comprehensive guide to everything Udemy! Let us know if you have any more questions or comments below. Happy learning!

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Udemy Review

Is Udemy Worth it? Find Out in This Genuine Udemy Review Based on Comprehensive Expert Analysis

Author:  Aaron S. - Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: January 01, 2024

Udemy Review

There’s no denying that Udemy is one of the most popular and well-known online learning platforms in the world. But with such notoriety, people have rather conflicting opinions about the site. In this Udemy review, we are going to try to determine which of the claims are legit and which are complete nonsense .

We’ll start off by briefly talking about the platform itself - what it is, what purpose it serves, and so on. You can’t really analyze an e-learning platform without getting to know it, now can you ? Once we get that out of the way, we’ll take a look at the platform’s courses, services, and general customer feedback .

Finally, we’ll see if we can draw a clear and concise conclusion on whether Udemy is a legit platform dedicated to learning and teaching, or if there are better alternatives.

Verdict at a Glance : Udemy offers a wide range of courses across diverse subjects, providing flexible, on-demand learning. It stands out for its accessibility as well as paid and free course selection. However, its course quality can be variable, given the open instructor model, and it doesn't provide accredited certificates. Despite this, Udemy remains a popular choice for self-paced, skill-based learning.

  • A huge variety of courses
  • Easy-to-navigate interface
  • Over 600 free courses
  • Useful additional features
  • Limited interaction with instructors
  • Not all courses are of the highest quality

Table of Contents

  • 1. Udemy Review: Introduction
  • 2. Udemy Review: PROS
  • 2.1. User-Friendly Navigation
  • 2.2. Smooth Video Player, Notes, and Learning Reminders
  • 2.3. Lifetime Access and Course Gifting
  • 2.4. Over 600 Free Courses
  • 3. Udemy Review: CONS
  • 3.1. Limited Interaction With Instructors
  • 3.2. Content Quality Conundrum
  • 4. Udemy for Teachers & Businesses
  • 5. Udemy's Pricing Palette
  • 6. Final Udemy Learning Experience Verdict
  • 7. Top Udemy Course Picks
  • 8. Udemy VS Competitors
  • 8.1. Udemy VS DataCamp
  • 8.2. Udemy VS Udacity
  • 8.3. Udemy VS edX
  • 9. Conclusions

Udemy Review: Introduction

Udemy , at its very core, is an online learning platform . As many Udemy reviews state, it was developed with the intention of providing an ability to learn new things to people who would otherwise not necessarily have the means of reaching the desired education .

Founded in 2010 , it is one of the largest e-learning platforms today , with more than 62 million students ( or so they claim ) enrolled in over 210 thousand courses .

If you’re a student, you can go to Udemy , register , pick a course and start learning - all for a fee, of course . There’s a wide variety of courses to choose from, including such categories as IT, business development, design, lifestyle, art, and whatnot.

Udemy review: featured topics.

In fact, Udemy is one of the few online learning platforms that don't focus too much on one category, instead providing an actual course variety . Thus, you can learn JavaScript-based web development and some mad home bartending skills , all in one platform .

If you’re a teacher, though, you can create an instructor profile and upload your courses onto the platform. Every time a student purchases your course, you earn a portion of the revenue, which is paid out monthly via PayPal or Payoneer.

Therefore, Udemy itself doesn't create courses . It acts as a portal between students who want to learn and teachers who want to share their knowledge. You might be wondering now, " Are Udemy courses worth it, then? " Well, let's see.

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Udemy review: pros.

No matter if we take a Udemy review, or that of any other e-learning provider, it's inevitable to talk about the pros and cons of the platform if you really want to understand how good it is. That being said, let's start with the pros .

User-Friendly Navigation

There are a lot of different criteria that we could use as a starting point for my Udemy review and to find out are Udemy courses worth it. Probably the best criterion to begin with, however, is usage - or, in other words, just how easy it is to use and navigate the platform.

To answer the question, “Is Udemy good?” , we should first and foremost take a look at the landing page that you would encounter if you visit their site from a Google search or a direct URL.

Udemy review: homepage.

The page itself is pretty straightforward . You can see a promotional banner, a list of courses, and some user reviews. Besides that, you can see some of the most popular course categories and topics. Overall, the page layout is okay - it doesn’t make you feel lost or confused.

When it comes to the registration process, it is also quite self-explanatory – you just need to fill in your full name, email, and password.

Once you do that, you'll be asked to answer a few questions to personalize your account , namely, " What is your current goal? " and " What is your current profession? " Now, you don't have to do that, you can just skip this step, but I think personalization is always a nice touch.

Udemy review: questions for personalized recommendations.

After you sort the whole registration process out and you're finally inside the platform, you'll be taken to its homepage. It looks very similar to the landing page, apart from the fact that it's full of various courses grouped based on topic, your last searches ( of course, if you've used the platform before ), and popularity .

When it comes to finding a course and seeing is Udemy worth it on this point, you can either choose one from the homepage , explore the categories drop-down menu , or enter the keywords for something you want to learn into a search bar .

Udemy review: what to learn next.

If you're not exactly sure what you want, but you at least know the broad topic, I think Udemy's course categorization system is your best bet at finding the perfect course. Spanning various disciplines , from technology and business to personal development and lifestyle, it is very easy and convenient to use ( and many other Udemy reviews claim that as well ).

What I liked most about it is that once you pick the category you're interested in ( for example, personal development ), you are provided with various subcategories . But that's not all , after you choose a subcategory ( for example, creativity ), you are then provided with the most popular topics in that subcategory .

Udemy review: categories.

Besides, once you choose a topic, you'll be able to customize your search results even more by using filters for price, video duration, topic, level, ratings, and so on . I find such categorization especially useful when I want to find good quality free courses.

After finally picking a course that you’d like to start learning, you’ll notice that the designated page for that course is pretty generic and doesn’t at all stand out of the ordinary - a preview video, course requirements, a description, user reviews, etc .

Udemy review: ChatGPT Complete Guide course page.

Keep in mind, though, that this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad point for this Udemy review. A generic and familiar page can be inviting - it avoids possible confusion and gives you a feeling of familiarity.

If you picked a paid course, you'll see that the checkout process is also intuitive and familiar - you simply need to add the course to your cart, choose a payment method and, well… pay. That is if you haven't subscribed to the Personal Udemy plan , which I'll cover a bit later.

Udemy review: checkout.

All in all, Udemy offers a pretty standard experience when it comes to the actual navigation of the site , which is a good thing for sure.

Smooth Video Player, Notes, and Learning Reminders

Now, another thing I want to cover in this Udemy review is features related to the functionality of the site - video player quality, unique technical features, etc.

So, let’s see is Udemy legit when it comes to that.

The video player, user interface and downloadable content all seem to work fine . They’re quite intuitive and don’t crash or cause any bigger issues. Even though in some Udemy.com reviews, users do point out that they've experienced technical difficulties, I have encountered none of that .

Udemy review: course dashboard.

What I really like about Udemy's video player is that you can add notes at any point in the video . While it's not a feature unique to Udemy, it's definitely one that any top-notch online learning platform should have. The notes can also act like bookmarks because they are added at a specific time in the video.

Udemy review: notes.

However, a feature that is quite unique to Udemy ( at least, I haven't seen it on all online learning platforms ) is the ability to set learning reminders . You can schedule calendar events on Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook. Though, if you don't want to set a specific time, you can just set reminders on your Udemy mobile app.

Udemy review: learning reminders.

It's a great feature for you if you enjoy meticulously planning your day, down to the hour, and maintaining a detailed calendar to track all your activities. Of course, it's also a valuable feature if you occasionally forget your tasks or require a gentle nudge to stay on top of things.

Lifetime Access and Course Gifting

Now, when you purchase a course ( at least this is the case with all of the courses that I checked out ), you receive a lifetime access pass to that course, some downloadable content ( usually - this depends on the course ) and a certificate of completion .

Udemy review: what a course includes.

Udemy doesn’t really advertise the certificates all that much ( at least from what I’ve seen ), so it’s tough to say just how valuable they truly are . What I can say, though, is that they are not accredited , but they can be used to showcase your newly acquired skills nonetheless.

However, a pretty cool feature worth mentioning in this Udemy review is the possibility of gifting a course to your friends or family members . You just pick a course, fill in the recipient's name and email address, choose the time the course should be sent to them, and add some nice message.

Udemy review: gift a course.

So, next time you're struggling to come up with a perfect gift for someone, keep in mind that Udemy just might be your savior.

Over 600 Free Courses

It's worth noting that Udemy, unlike some other e-learning platforms, extends a generous offering of free courses across a diverse range of subjects . Whether you're interested in programming languages, digital marketing techniques, or personal development skills, you'll probably find a free course on that on Udemy.

Udemy review: Free courses.

This expansive array ensures that learners of all backgrounds and preferences can find something that piques their curiosity . In essence, the free courses epitomize Udemy's mission to make education inclusive and available to everyone, regardless of financial constraints.

Thus, beyond their intrinsic educational value, Udemy's free courses embody the platform's commitment to democratizing education .

Did you know?

Compare Udemy Side by Side With Others

All Online Learning Platforms may look similar to you but they're NOT all the same!

Udemy Review: CONS

Now that we've talked about all these great features, we also must address some Udemy complaints . Otherwise, this wouldn't be an honest Udemy review.

Limited Interaction With Instructors

One of the most prominent points of struggle seems to be the limitations when it comes to interaction with instructors . You see, some other online learning platforms always have a discussion / Q&A section under the video player where anyone can ask questions and communicate with the instructor ( or even one another ).

With Udemy, it's not always the case. There is a Q&A section under some videos, but the keyword here is some , because instructors can turn off this feature . Besides, it doesn't act as a discussion portal where anyone can answer your questions – only the instructors can do that, and they might not do that quickly.

Udemy review: Q&A section.

Speaking of communication, it's also worth pointing out that a few Udemy.com reviews include Udemy complaints about their support system. These reviews state that users received little to no response to certain questions or they had to wait a really long time to get a response .

Of course, it’s probably a bit unrealistic to think that the staff at Udemy could manage to answer all of the student questions very quickly, seeing that there are more than 62 million users on the platform. Nonetheless, I personally didn't encounter such problems with Udemy's support .

Content Quality Conundrum

A very important point of any Udemy review ( or other online learning platform reviews ) surely is the quality of the content . After all, it is one of the determining factors when it comes to picking an online course marketplace. However, with Udemy, this aspect is a bit complicated .

In general ( if you’d look at other user Udemy reviews online ), there’s somewhat of a mixed opinion going around . It’s true that the majority of people say that most of the courses on Udemy are truly worth it . However, there are some reviews that claim Udemy courses do not offer the best quality.

Naturally, it would be almost impossible to check all of the courses on the platform to find out is Udemy worth it or is Udemy good. However, there’s an important point to take into consideration - the courses on Udemy are (mostly) marketed by the instructors themselves .

Udemy review: a broad selection of courses.

Keeping that in mind, it's obvious that no instructor is going to talk badly about their course - everyone claims that their lessons are the best in the world . Surely, though, Udemy should have a system to check the quality of the courses , right? Well, yes and no .

The site boasts that it has more than 210 thousand courses to choose from. It’s quite frankly impossible that a company could “ quality check ” such an amount of courses. However, once you create a course, you have to submit it for review . And, guessing from the quality of the courses I've watched, it's fair to say that the company checks a lot of them.

what is udemy review

Udemy for Teachers & Businesses

What if you want to teach instead of learning ? I did tell you before that Udemy is like a portal between learners and teachers, so the possibility to teach is a big part of the platform that should be mentioned in any Udemy review. Great, so how to become a teacher?

Actually, it's pretty easy to start . You just need to go to the " Teach on Udemy " page and click " Get started ." Then, you'll be prompted to  answer a few questions to determine your experience and your current audience ( if any ).

Once you do that, you'll end up in an instructor dashboard , which will be tailored based on your answers. There, you'll be able to create a new course, watch some learning material, join various instructor challenges, and communicate with other instructors.

Udemy review: instructor dashboard.

Udemy provides its instructors with various advice about student engagement and the general quality of learning . It seems that even if the company doesn't create its own courses, it does care about what its students get and, thus, wants to improve their learning experience in any way possible.

Now, it looks like it's very easy to become an instructor on Udemy, right? This even often leads to some Udemy complaints considering the content quality . However, while anyone can create a free course ( which will be reviewed, by the way ), only premium instructors can charge for their courses ( they do have to share a portion of their revenue with Udemy, though ).

To become a premium instructor, you will have to undergo an evaluation process . While it might not be the most extensive one, it's still there.

Udemy review: how to begin for teachers.

That's pretty much all the basic information for wannabe Udemy instructors. However, there is one more big branch of Udemy, which must be discussed - Udemy for Business .

Not every Udemy review mentions it, but they should! It's a comprehensive learning platform made specifically for organizations . It provides an extensive library of online courses covering a wide spectrum of subjects, ensuring that employees have access to relevant up-to-date knowledge.

Udemy review: skill up at scale.

What sets Udemy for Business apart is its adaptability . It allows companies to customize learning paths , ensuring that employees receive targeted training that aligns with their roles, responsibilities, and career aspirations.

Additionally, the platform offers robust reporting features , allowing organizations to track the progress and measure the impact of their learning initiatives.

Beyond course access, Udemy for Business offers content curation tools . This empowers companies to select and recommend courses that are most pertinent to their industry, sector, or organizational goals. Besides, the platform easily integrates with other existing tools and systems .

Overall, Udemy for Business is a versatile solution suitable for businesses of all sizes and industries . Whether their objective is to upskill existing talent or onboard new hires, Udemy equips them with a dynamic learning platform.

Udemy's Pricing Palette

Ah, the question of pricing . This is probably the most prominent issue that a company like Udemy can face - it’s always tough to find the correlation between user satisfaction and revenue generation [1] . Let’s see if the company has this figured out.

As Udemy states on its “ Student FAQ ” page, they are not the ones who price their courses - this is the instructor’s job. This means that all of the prices that you see when you view the course list on the site are determined solemnly by the creators of those courses .

One exception to that rule is promotions - both the instructor AND Udemy can offer promotions with a discounted price tag.

The general pricing on the site seems to make sense. The prices do vary ( usually from $9.99 up to $199.99 ), and this is often the main subject that comes up when someone asks, “Are Udemy courses worth it?” . The courses with more information, tougher subjects and longer run-time seem to be more expensive than their counterparts - this makes sense .

Udemy reviews: savings.

Also, courses often get discounts , and there's a 30-day refund policy . So, if you're disappointed with a course you paid for, you can easily get your money back within 5 to 10 business days.

Now, as I've mentioned before, there are also free courses that you can take, depending on your points of interest. Let me just jump ahead of your train of thought and say - free doesn’t necessarily equal bad! A course being free can mean that it’s on a promotion , or the instructor wants to build a name for themself and is simply looking to increase their student numbers.

There are, however, user Udemy.com reviews that are very… straightforward with their opinions about the pricing and quality ratios of certain courses. That’s the thing, though - you never really know what you’re getting until you actually purchase the course and start learning.

Sure, each course offers a short video preview, but as some Udemy courses reviews point out, that’s rarely enough to get a full-circle type of understanding . However, there is another payment option, one that does not involve purchasing separate courses but rather accessing thousands of courses with one payment.

Udemy review: personal plan vs individual courses.

What I'm talking about is the Personal Plan . It basically is a subscription plan that provides users with over 10,500 most popular courses from over 3,000 top instructors . In addition to that, if you are ( or want to become ) a web developer or data scientist, the Personal Plan provides you with career guides .

It costs $16.58 per month and can be billed either monthly or annually . Besides, you get a 7-day free trial . If you plan to use Udemy a lot ( not only for some specific courses ), I'd say this is a great deal.

Udemy review: Udemy for Business pricing.

Lastly, it's worth noting that Udemy for Business has separate pricing plans. If you have a team of 5-20 people, you can choose the Team plan, which costs $360 per person per year  ( plus taxes ).

If you have a team with over 21 people, on the other hand, you should pick the Enterprise plan. It offers much more than the Team plan does. For the pricing, though, you'll need to contact Udemy.

Phew... That seems like a pretty complex pricing system, which might make you confused. Here's a short summary to make things less confusing :

Table: Udemy pricing summary

Final Udemy Learning Experience Verdict

So, what is the learning experience on Udemy like?  This is actually a really tough aspect to cover, since each person’s learning experience depends on many different factors - the actual course that they’ve chosen to learn, internet connection speed, general mood, expectation management, etc.

However, there’s always a general consensus on just how fun and worthwhile it is to learn on the platform.

Speaking of that, people seem to be satisfied with their experiences using Udemy. Sure, there are still those wondering is Udemy good and others leaving negative Udemy courses reviews, but that’s quite unavoidable - it’s frankly impossible to please everyone .

Udemy review: users' opinions.

Nevertheless, the company seems to be constantly trying to improve the learning experience for its students. And, even though there will always be Udemy complaints when it comes to this specific topic, it’s seemingly doing a good job at it.

When it comes to my personal learning experience, I've already covered most of it throughout this Udemy review. To summarize, though, I think the platform is easy to use and has an impressive variety of courses to choose from , even free ones, which is definitely appreciated.

However, if you plan to buy one, make sure to do thorough research about the course and the instructor beforehand.

Top Udemy Course Picks

Speaking of choosing courses, I know it can get a bit overwhelming with such a huge variety. Therefore, I've picked a few free and paid courses for you to try out . FYI, these are just my personal picks.

Top free Udemy picks:

  • 7 Scientifically Proven Steps to Increase Your Influence by Vanessa Van Edwards . If you want to up your persuasion game , whether it's at work or just in your everyday life, this might be a course for you. It teaches how to communicate more effectively, make better connections, and basically have people listen to what you have to say.
  • ChatGPT Quick Guide - Prompt Engineering, Plugins, and More by Jose Portilla . This course is like a little treasure trove for anyone interested in getting the most out of ChatGPT, the revolutionary chatbot [2] . It walks you through all the nifty tricks, like how to craft prompts, use plugins, and a bunch of other insider tips.

Top paid Udemy picks:

  • Master Generative AI: Automate Content Effortlessly with AI by Yash Thakker . It's a great course if you're into creating content. It dives into how AI can help you generate high-quality content efficiently and covers all sorts of cool techniques and the most popular tools.
  • Time Management Mastery: Do More, Stress Less by Alexis Haselberger . This course dishes out practical tips and techniques to help you manage your time and stress levels like a pro when you feel like you're about to lose your mind.

If these don't seem like your cup of tea, don't forget that there are thousands of other courses on Udemy , so I'm sure you'll find something of interest to you.

Udemy VS Competitors

Now, the last thing I want to cover in this Udemy review is how the platform compares to some other top online learning providers .

Udemy VS DataCamp

Udemy and DataCamp both offer excellent online learning experiences but with distinct focuses. Just to remind you, Udemy is a diverse marketplace hosting a wide array of courses across a huge variety of different subjects ( but you already know that ).

Table: The subjects of Udemy and DataCamp courses

DataCamp, on the other hand, specializes exclusively in data science and analytics , providing an immersive, hands-on curriculum. It's tailored for those specifically interested in mastering data-related skills .

So, if you're after a broad learning experience, Udemy is the pick for you, but for a deep dive into data science, DataCamp might be more suitable.

Udemy VS Udacity

Udemy and Udacity also cater to different learning preferences. You already know what Udemy offers. Udacity, however, focuses on tech-related fields like programming, AI, and data science , offering more structured, in-depth Nanodegree programs with mentorship and projects.

Table: The stats of Udemy and Udacity

It's great for those seeking a comprehensive, career-oriented track . So, if you're after specific tech skills, Udacity provides a guided path. For broader learning interests, though, Udemy's extensive catalog offers more flexibility.

Udemy VS edX

Now, while Udemy is ideal for exploring specific topics with a flexible, à la carte approach, edX partners with universities and institutions to offer more structured, accredited courses . It's well-suited for those seeking a formal education experience, often with accredited certificates or even degrees.

Table: The main information about Udemy and edX

So, for specialized skills or personal enrichment, Udemy shines, but if you're pursuing recognized credentials and a university-backed experience , edX would be a better pick.

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Conclusions

That's it! We've reached the end of my Udemy review. With technical stuff, learning experiences, Udemy courses reviews and everything in between , we’ve covered most of the common points that come into question when thinking about Udemy.

Overall, an online learning platform aimed at teaching and educating a mass of different people from all around the world is a noble cause. Whenever such sites have good intentions and are focused on their actual goals and visions, they are always welcomed by the community at large .

Udemy seems to have preserved its reputation as a company that wants to educate people. It's beloved by learners from all around the world and offers some amazing-quality courses , in addition to free learning materials , too. No matter what it is that you want to learn, Udemy should provide you with the resources to do so !

I hope this Udemy review was helpful to you and that you’ve learned something new about the platform and its functions. Good luck!

Scientific References

1. A. Edmans: 'How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit';

2. B. Gordijn, H. Have: 'ChatGPT: Evolution or Revolution?'.

Leave your honest Udemy review

Leave your genuine opinion & help thousands of people to choose the best online learning platform. All reviews, either positive or negative, are accepted as long as they’re honest. We do not publish biased reviews or spam. So if you want to share your experience, opinion or give advice - the scene is yours!

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  • + A huge variety of courses
  • + Easy-to-navigate interface
  • + Over 600 free courses
  • + Useful additional features
  • - Limited interaction with instructors
  • - Not all courses are of the highest quality

A diverse online learning platform for a broad user base.

Disclosure: To keep our site running & free of charge, we may sometimes receive a small commission if a reader decides to purchase services via some links on site, at no extra cost.

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I mean, you get good content for it, but I can go to a library and take a book for free...

Chandler says

Highly reccomended.

was surprised by how many free courses this platform offers! astonishing amount to try before you actualy spend your money. I especially like free IT&Software lessons.

great instructors

some of the instructors are somewhat shy, but overall they're all kind and helpful people 10/10 this

No idea how to check if the course you're getting is worth it or not. You can only try and wait until you suceed in buying the correct one. I failed a couple of times, but in the end it was worth it as this platform offers many great options.

Sam Wharton

of learning platforms, but Udemy has turned the tables here. A variety of courses in many different fields was surprising to find. Definitely reccomend, even if you're skeptical at first about such platforms, like I was.

Charlie Simpkins

Confusing price.

Good value for money here, but some courses are not really worth the money you're paying. Be careful when you choose it.

many options but no outcome

I feel learning platforms are not for me and this has nothing to do with udemy, there are really some great courses but I just can't focus!!

Really pleased with the variety of courses! Pricing isn't too bad either!

Emille Stark

many courses on this platform are great, but it's still possible to waste your money by getting some dodgy courses. make sure you read the description thoroughly

hernandezbevan

thanks for offering this platform, worked fine

Reccomended

great platform at home

Good comprehensive course

jacob springer

I have taken many different courses on Udemy, including marketing, accounting and finance, and not a single one dissapointed me! Really quality courses, if you ask me.

No certificate, but high quality

Bit dissapointed because no certificate here after completion. Overall, great quality and helpful service.

money well spent on design courses

Good enough platform

Very happy with this platform as I have tried many different ones, however, some courses are useless here

Charlene O'Ryan

Really amazing content.

Never been so happy with the quality of study material! Udemy always delivers the best - every course I've bought was astonishing and helped me expanding my knowledge!

Maha Archer

Udemy is great.

Been surprised how actually good this platform is. User interface is simple, customer support is very responsible, and most importantly, a huge variety of quality courses! So happy that I found this!

pricing is too confusing

price ranges are too much for me... how can one course be 20 quid, then the other 50... who decides the prices??

WOW NO ISSUES FINALLY

I tried many different learning platforms earlier, but there always were issues araising - either my payment didn't go through, the customer support wasnt helpful at all, or the quality of courses was atrocious. In Udemy I finally found what I've been looking for - nice features, simple interface, and good prices!

Which features does Udemy have?

Udemy provides its customers with a huge variety of courses and an easy-to-navigate website . It also offers such useful features as notes, learning reminders, and course gifting . Besides, the platform has a smoothly working course dashboard that rarely has any technical issues.

How much Udemy courses cost?

Individual Udemy course prices go from $0 to around $199.99 . Once you buy a course, you get lifetime access to it, which also means that your purchased course's data may be updated in the future with no additional charges. Besides that, though, there is a Personal Plan that provides access to over 10,500 courses for $16.58 per month ( paid monthly or annually ).

Is Udemy legitimate?

Udemy is legitimate, but it is mostly designed for non-professional self-improvement . Some employers might not recognize this learning platform as a legit one, as you do not get an accredited certificate after finishing your course with Udemy ( only a non-accredited one ). However, it looks good on the CV either way, and you do improve your skills, so don't think twice!

Is Udemy free?

Udemy offers a handful of free courses, so people from various financial backgrounds can have access to education . The possibility of posting a free course is also great for tutors who need to build their names or increase their student numbers in a particular course. There are more than 600 different free courses to choose from.

Is Udemy accredited?

Udemy is not an accredited institution, which means that its courses do not count as college credit or any similar education units. This also means that Udemy certificates are not accredited. Thus, Udemy is designed more for your self-improvement than gaining a university-level education .

Which courses are available on Udemy?

Udemy offers courses in Finance & Accounting, Business, IT & Software, Office Productivity, Personal Development, Design, Marketing, Lifestyle, Photography, Health & Fitness, Music, Teaching & Academics and Development .

what is udemy review

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  • Courses, Books & Certifications

what is udemy review

Udemy Review: Pros, Cons, Tips, & Alternatives [2024 Update]

In this Udemy review, we'll be going in-depth to cover everything you need to know about Udemy in 2024, including pros and cons, course costs, the types of courses available, and tips on how to find the best courses for your area of interest, including free and paid course options.

As one of the largest and most affordable online learning platforms , Udemy continues to be one of the best places to learn valuable new skills or level up your existing skillset. 

Plus, with a vast range of courses on practically any subject,  if you're looking to learn skills at your own pace, there's a strong chance you've heard about Udemy. That's why we've put together this in-depth Udemy review.

So, if you're ready, let's dive into this Udemy review!

  • Udemy Review: At A Glance

Before we dive into the nitty gritty of this Udemy review, let's take a look at some quick facts about Udemy:

  • More than 210,000 courses to choose from.
  • Certificates of completion when you complete a paid course.
  • Course prices are very affordable when compared with other platforms.
  • Thousands of free courses to choose from.
  • Regular deep-discount sales , which see discounts of 80-90%.

So, is Udemy worth it in 2024? Well, we'll be covering that question in more detail throughout this Udemy review, but based on our evaluations of various online course providers and after reviewing hackr.io community feedback, we think that Udemy provides incredible value for money.

Enroll at Udemy

If you're in a hurry, we've added our key ratings for the Udemy platform below, including our overall Udemy rating of 4.5/5 .

what is udemy review

  • What Is Udemy?

Udemy is an online learning platform primarily aimed at professional adults and students who want to learn new skills. That said, it’s an excellent resource for anyone who wants to learn something new, regardless of their background or career goals.

Launched in 2010, Udemy has become one of the largest and most popular platforms for online courses on various topics, including programming, design, business, photography, marketing, personal development, and many others.

But what makes Udemy unique? Let’s dive into the key facts about the Udemy platform.

  • User-generated Content : Unlike traditional massive open online course (MOOC) programs driven by collegiate-style coursework, Udemy courses are produced by freelance content creators, including highly experienced professionals.
  • Wide Range of Courses: There are over 210,000 courses available in various categories, ranging in quality and depth. Some courses are as short as 30 minutes, while others offer 100+ hours of in-depth training and resources.
  • Pricing: Courses on Udemy vary in price, with some as little as $3 and others costing several hundreds of dollars. That said, Udemy has regular sales where you can pick up the more expensive courses for as low as $10. 
  • Free content: You can choose from a wide range of free Udemy courses that can be ideal if you’re looking to test the waters before making a financial commitment. You should bear in mind that the content in these can sometimes be a little outdated.
  • Lifetime Access: Once you purchase a course on Udemy, you get lifetime access to it, meaning you can learn at your own pace and return to it whenever you wish. This applies even if the instructor stops making updates to the content.
  • Certificates of Completion: After finishing a course, you will receive a certificate of completion, which can be shared on job-related social networking sites like LinkedIn.
  • World-Class Instructors: One of the biggest plus points about Udemy is that it serves as a platform for instructors and experts in various fields to create courses. This democratized access to world-class instruction is one of our favorite aspects of the Udemy platform. You can even interact via the built-in Q&A feature.
  • Reviews and Ratings: Each course comes with user reviews and ratings, which are ideal for helping you decide whether the course is right for you. We highly recommend looking at this, as the quality of courses on Udemy can vary.

We also really like the team subscription for businesses, as this can be super helpful for onboarding new staff or productivity improvements. It's also a unique benefit to offer existing employees as they can learn new skills in their free time.

As we move into the final part of 2024, Udemy continues to be one of the most popular platforms for online learning in 2024. As of today, Udemy has over 210,000 courses, more than 60 million learners, and over 870 million past course enrollments — though there’s no telling what those figures will look like in a few months.

Udemy’s statistics showing impressive numbers.

Is Udemy Legit?

With more than sixty million learners, it’s fair to say that the overwhelming majority of its students think that Udemy is a legit platform for learning. 

In fact, Udemy has been nominated for and won awards in the past, It’s a trusted learning resource for educating employees at giant companies like Samsung, AT&T, Cisco, and Citibank, and it’s also consistently mentioned by well-known publications such as Forbes and Mashable.

Who Should Use Udemy?

With Udemy’s vast and diverse course library, there’s no limit to what you can learn on the platform. We also like that Udemy courses are available at varying levels of difficulty, which means that students of any skill level or experience can find a course that suits them.

So who exactly is Udemy for? Udemy is for people who want to:

  • Gain skills to find a job or further their careers
  • Change careers and branch out into a new field
  • Find free courses to kickstart their learning journey
  • Publish courses that they've created themselves (excellent if you have skills you're passionate about sharing)
  • Find classes in a huge array of fields in their native language

The TL-DR is that anyone who wants to learn a new skill can significantly benefit from the courses on offer at Udemy. And thanks to Udemy Business , Udemy also works well for SMBs and enterprises that want to invest in their employees.

Is Udemy Recognized and Accredited?

Udemy is not an accredited educational institution, mainly because courses can be produced by anyone. For this reason, Udemy certificates aren’t always recognized as official credentials by potential employers. That said, some employers tend to value skills and experience over credentials anyway. 

  • How Does Udemy Work?

If you're brand new to the idea of an online learning platform, you might be wondering how Udemy actually works. No problem, let's take a quick glance at how to get started with Udemy.

As you can probably tell from the tens of millions of students who have enrolled in a Udemy course, the process for getting started is simple and intuitive, which means that regardless of how less tech-savvy you are, you can follow along easily.

Here’s how it works: 

  • Create an account by signing up on the platform - you just need an email address to get started.
  • Check your inbox for a confirmation email to activate your Udemy account and to log in for the first time.
  • Search for a course or browse courses by category on the platform.
  • Add courses that you'd like to purchase to your cart, then follow the checkout process.
  • You now have lifetime access to your chosen courses, which you can access through Udemy’s website or mobile app - just remember to log in :)
  • Start learning by following along with the lectures and videos in your course!

It really is as simple as that!

  • Pros & Cons Of Udemy
  • How Much Are Udemy Courses?

Instructors set Udemy course prices. Generally, course prices range between free and $300. The purchase gives you permanent access, even if the instructor stops updating the course.

Courses frequently go on sale at a deep discount of 70-90% off, and both Udemy and the instructors can set these sales.

Alternatively, you can also subscribe to Udemy’s personal plan for $29.99/month for on-demand access to over 6,000 courses in web development, IT, design and illustration, data science, digital marketing, communication, leadership, and more.

This is an excellent option if you have your eye on many courses and you find yourself unsure of which to choose, or you've found yourself waiting for the next sale before pulling the trigger.

Does Udemy Offer Free Courses?

Yes! There are many free courses on Udemy . These are either on promotion or permanently available at no cost. Sometimes these are a year or two older than the latest courses on Udemy, but they can be a great starting point before making a financial commitment.

Can You Return a Udemy Course?

Yes. If you purchase a Udemy course, you have 30 days to return it if you are unsatisfied. That said, you will not be qualified for a return if you have already consumed the majority of a course’s content.

Udemy also exercises discretion if they notice serial refunders, so don’t abuse the refund system!

  • What Kinds Of Courses Are Available On Udemy?

We’re not kidding when we say that Udemy offers a vast array of courses across various categories and fields. It makes sense when you consider there are more than 210, 000 courses to choose from!

If you’re not sure where to start when looking for the best Udemy courses , here are some of the most popular categories and sub-categories for Udemy courses in 2024.  

Development:

  • Web Development (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Angular)
  • Mobile App Development (e.g., iOS, Android)
  • Programming Languages (e.g., Python, Java, C#, Ruby)
  • Database Design & Development
  • Machine Learning and AI
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Finance & Accounting
  • Project Management (e.g., PMP, Agile)
  • Communications
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Business Strategy

IT & Software:

  • IT Certification (e.g., CompTIA, Cisco)
  • Network & Security
  • Operating Systems

Office Productivity:

  • Microsoft (e.g., Excel, PowerPoint, Word)

Personal Development:

  • Leadership & Management
  • Productivity
  • Communication Skills
  • Life Coaching
  • Memory & Study Skills
  • Graphic Design (e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator)
  • User Experience (UX) Design
  • 3D & Animation
  • Interior Design
  • Architecture
  • Digital Marketing (e.g., SEO, SEM, Social Media Marketing)
  • Content Marketing
  • Video & Mobile Marketing
  • Affiliate Marketing
  • Arts & Crafts

Photography & Video:

  • Digital Photography
  • Video Design
  • Commercial Photography
  • Video Editing

Health & Fitness:

  • Mental Health
  • Self Defense
  • Instruments (e.g., Piano, Guitar)
  • Music Production
  • Music Theory

Teaching & Academics:

  • Online Education Techniques
  • Language Learning (e.g., English, Spanish, French)
  • Science & Math

This is only a snapshot of the massive range of subjects available on Udemy. Plus, the platform is continuously expanding, with instructors adding new courses regularly, so it's always a good idea to check the platform for the latest offerings in any given field.

  • How To Find The Best Courses On Udemy

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably ready to conduct your own research into Udemy classes. Let’s take a look at some helpful tips that you can use to find the very best course on Udemy for your needs.

Use Udemy’s Filters

As you browse the platform, filters will help you find the perfect course. You can use Udemy’s filters to return search results that fit your parameters. Udemy’s filters include:

  • Course Rating
  • Video material duration
  • Subcategories
  • Difficulty/Levels
  • Course language
  • Course price
  • Features included (quizzes, exercises/projects, and practice tests)

Explore Udemy Reviews

Every Udemy course has a student rating out of five stars (unless it’s brand new). 

Reviews are a great indicator of a course’s quality. For the most accurate assessment, check how many students have taken the course to get a better idea of how trustworthy a rating is. 

We’d also recommend reading some reviews to see what people have to say about the content and instructor.

Check When the Course Was Released or Updated

Many fields constantly evolve, so you might consider assessing courses for their release date or last update. This is particularly true for fields like development, so you’ll want to make sure you’re not investing time into learning an outdated approach.

Find Out More About the Instructor

Every course page on Udemy has information about the course’s instructor, and their biography also has a small blurb about them and their experience. 

Our advice? Feel free to research instructors to assess their qualifications before choosing to commit to their course. After all, it’s nice to know that the person you’re learning from knows what they’re talking about! 

Preview the Course

Each course has a preview video — this is an excellent way to gauge whether the course will teach you the knowledge and skills you seek. 

That said, some previews aren’t always complete or entirely accurate, so also take a look at the course’s table of contents for more information.

Consider Your Needs

As you look for suitable courses, consider your learning needs and goals. Consider factors such as a course’s length — is it so long that you won’t have the time to finish it?

Also, consider its features, such as whether it has assignments or quizzes, to help you apply what you’ve learned. 

Even if a course is highly rated and regarded, it’s useless to you unless you can complete it. 

Consider Your Budget

Although Udemy regularly features courses with deep discounts, it’s still a good idea to consider costs before purchasing . After all, even affordable courses add up to hundreds of dollars if you aren’t careful about what you spend.

The good news is you can always return a course within 30 days if you aren’t happy with it. 

That said, Udemy can deny refund requests at their discretion if they find you are refunding courses excessively. Additionally, you cannot refund a course if you have consumed a certain amount of its content.

  • The Best Udemy Courses

Now, this article is not supposed to be a Udemy courses review, but while we’re on the subject, let’s briefly look at some of the best courses available on the platform in a variety of fields:

2024 Complete Python Bootcamp From Zero to Hero in Python is a Python course for beginners that takes you from zero all the way to advanced knowledge in the subject. It has more than 1.5 million past enrollees and a rating of 4.6/5 .

The Web Developer Bootcamp 2024  was recently revamped, so new and former students alike can enjoy the changes! The course covers everything you need to learn about web development, including HTML, CSS, Node, JS, etc. It has over 790,000 students and a rating of 4.7/5 .

The Ultimate Drawing Course - Beginner to Advanced is a course that will teach you how to draw. As the primary building block of art, drawing is an important skill to pick up. This course shows you everything from the fundamentals to advanced techniques. Today, nearly 500,000 students have enrolled in the course, which has a rating of 4.6/5 .

Learn Ethical Hacking from Scratch is an excellent choice for those who want a career in cyber security , where you can find system vulnerabilities and patch them up. With over half a million students, this course has an excellent rating of 4.6/5 .

Microsoft Excel - Excel from Beginner to Advanced will show you everything you need to know about using Microsoft Excel. This A-Z course covers the basics and delves into more advanced concepts applicable to Microsoft Excel versions 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Microsoft 365. The course has over a million students and a stellar rating of 4.6/5 .

Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design is an excellent course that shows you how to become a designer. It teaches you the fundamentals of graphic design and even offers a primer in design thinking. You also learn how to use some of the industry-leading graphic design software. This course in particular, has had over 150,000 students and currently holds a rating of 4.6/5 .

Photography Masterclass: A Complete Guide to Photography helps break photography concepts down into bite-sized, digestible pieces. Through the years, this course has garnered nearly 300,000 students and a rating of 4.7/5 .

Complete C# Unity Game Developer 2D  is a course for students who want to develop video games using Unity. This course has 400,000+ students so far and a rating of 4.7/5 .

Complete Blender Creator: Learn 3D Modeling for Beginners is perfect for students who want to work with Blender for 3D Modeling. This beginner-level course starts with the basics and takes you through more advanced concepts to get you comfortable using Blender. Since it was published, this course has gotten over 250,000 students. It currently has a rating of 4.7/5 .

  • Our Udemy Review 2024: Detailed Breakdown

We've covered a lot go ground about Udemy, so it seems like the perfect time to break down our review into ratings for the key criteria you need to know:

User-friendliness: 5/5 - Getting started on Udemy is incredibly simple and intuitive for learners and instructors. The platform’s user interface and user experience are clean, straightforward, and easy to follow. Courses are meticulously organized and categorized, so learners like you have an easier time finding what you need.

Convenience: 5/5 - Most people choose online learning because they’re busy and need the flexibility to learn at their own pace . Udemy is ideal for this, as it allows you to take your education offline via the mobile app (or your PC if the offline option is enabled — it isn’t always).

Accessibility: 4.5/5 - Udemy is available on various platforms , and it works on any computer with a browser and an internet connection. It also runs on mobile via the iOS or Android app. Students can learn entirely through the mobile app, depending on the course’s subject and requirements. Many of the platform’s courses are available in several languages, so more people can access education. Additionally, subtitles can be available (if the instructor has made it possible). We took off half a star because not all courses are available for offline use on desktop.

Affordability: 5/5 - Aside from the many free courses available on the learning platform, paid courses are usually affordable. Courses cost anywhere from $3 to $300 when full-priced. However, frequent deep discount sales make the courses significantly more affordable.

Certification: 4/5 - Udemy provides a certificate of completion if you complete a paid course. The certificate is great for bragging rights or throwing onto your resume, but remember that it may not be an official credential since Udemy is not an accredited educational institution. Keep this in mind, as relying solely on a Udemy course certificate isn’t often enough to find employment, although some employers may accept Udemy certificates as valid.

Course Catalog: 5/5 - Udemy continues to grow as time goes on. As of September 2024, the platform has 210,000+ courses . These courses are distributed into categories and subcategories in a wide variety of subjects. Learn about everything from business to IT and even health and wellness.

Course quality: 4/5 - Each course must pass a quality check before publishing. Courses must have quality audio and high-definition video, with a minimum of five lectures and 30 minutes worth of video. That said, Udemy course quality varies because anyone can become an instructor. Best-selling courses tend to be high quality because experts in the field have created them, while some others can be mediocre. Always check the reviews before you commit!

Course curriculum & structure: 5/5 - The self-paced classes on Udemy come in different formats and structures . Notably, Udemy courses often have lectures with videos, PDFs, slides, and other resources at the instructor’s discretion. The quizzes, practice tests, and other assignments are quite helpful to students who want to absorb what they’ve learned.

User support: 4/5 - Udemy offers customer support through an incredibly detailed knowledge base for students and instructors. You can also ask direct questions to [email protected] . But while Udemy offers excellent customer support, we took off 1 star because some users have found support to be middling. Equally, as instructors handle their own FAQs and support sections, this can also vary. Generally speaking, we've found most instructors to be responsive and helpful,  but some may be too busy to respond often.

Payment and refund methods: 5/5 -  Udemy accepts various payment methods , including debit and credit cards (Mastercard, Visa, Discover, and American Express), cash payments, PayPal, payment via the Apple app stores, payment via Google Pay, and bank transfers. As an instructor, all payments for your courses go to Udemy, so you do not need your own payment processor. Udemy pays instructors monthly via Payoneer, PayPal, or direct bank deposit (for U.S.-based users only). For more information, check their support page .

  • Final Verdict and Rating

So, how good is Udemy? Based on our evaluation, it takes home a solid 4.5/5 stars .

Udemy is an excellent way to learn new things and develop skills, whether for personal growth, a hobby, or your career. The affordable prices, vast catalog, flexibility, and accessibility make for an excellent learning platform.

So, is Udemy worth it? Yes . Especially if you can purchase courses during deep discount sales.

The only real issue we’ve found with Udemy is that the certificates you earn aren’t considered “official” by many employers. If you want official credentials, try Coursera or edX , which are excellent choices all around.

Visit Udemy

  • Alternatives To Udemy

Is Udemy a good place to learn new skills? Usually, yes, but the platform might not be a great fit if you seek universally accepted credentials for your resume. If this resonates with you, we'd highly recommend considering the following alternatives: 

Coursera is one of the most reputable online learning platforms that also collaborates with universities and industry leaders to provide courses, projects, specializations, and even degrees on various topics. The platform costs $59 per month after a seven-day free trial. Alternatively, you can pay $399 yearly (with a 2-week money-back guarantee). However, if you want to enroll in some certificate or degree programs, you will have to pay a separate price. 

  • edX is another excellent online learning platform that offers interactive courses from more than 160 universities , colleges, and institutions around the world, including Ivy League. Originally founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2012, edX provides a range of courses across various disciplines, including humanities, science, business, and more.
  • Final Thoughts

You’ve now reached the end of our Udemy review.

If you’ve made it this far, you’ll see that our Udemy review dove into what Udemy is, how to use it, the pros and cons, the types of courses available, typical course costs, and we’ve also included some tips on how to find the best courses on Udemy.

If you’re looking for a single takeaway, this Udemy review has awarded the learning platform a score of 4.5/5 stars, which is pretty darn impressive!

With such a vast array of courses to choose from in so many fields, Udemy continues to provide excellent value for money across the board. And that’s not to mention the free course options that are also available.

We hope you’ve found this Udemy review helpful. Happy learning!

  • Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are Courses from Udemy Worth It?

While many students would agree that Udemy is worth it, we'd point out that this depends on the price, value, and course quality you've chosen. It’s also important to remember that although Udemy rewards certificates for completing most courses, they are not “official” credentials since Udemy is not an accredited educational institution.

2. Can Udemy Get You a Job?

Udemy likely won’t get you a job outright. What it can do is give you the skills you need to land a job or potentially earn a promotion. However, if you want to add credentials to your resume, also consider platforms like Coursera and edX.

 3. Is Udemy Accredited in the USA?

People around the world ask, “is Udemy accredited?” Unfortunately, the answer is no . Udemy is not accredited as an educational institution anywhere, so certificates earned from the platform aren’t always accepted as official credentials. However, some employers still accept these certificates if you can prove your skills.

4. Do Udemy Courses Expire?

No, Udemy courses don’t expire. If you paid the one-time fee to purchase a course outright, you get lifetime access to that course. That means no matter what happens, you can access what you’ve purchased, even if the course creator stops updating their product.

5. Can I Watch Udemy Offline?

Yes, you can watch Udemy courses offline on the iOS and Android apps. If you’re using Udemy on your computer’s browser, you can still watch offline, but with limitations. On desktop, some courses do not have the offline feature enabled.

6. Does Udemy Have a Monthly Fee?

There is no monthly fee if you only use Udemy by purchasing courses for lifetime access. However, there is a monthly fee for a Udemy plan subscription (such as the Personal Plan ). The personal plan fee is $29.99 monthly after the initial seven-day trial.

7. How Much Does Udemy Cost?

Udemy course prices vary between free and $300. Instructors set the prices for their courses. It’s not uncommon to find courses deeply discounted for as much as 80 to 90% off. Either Udemy or instructors can set these sales.

*Udemy’s personal plan costs $29.99 per month, while Udemy Business’ Team plan costs $360 per user/month for 5-20 users.

what is udemy review

Jenna Inouye currently works at Google and has been a full-stack developer for two decades, specializing in web application design and development. She is a tech expert with a B.S. in Information & Computer Science and MCITP certification. For the last eight years, she has worked as a news and feature writer focusing on technology and finance, with bylines in Udemy, SVG, The Gamer, Productivity Spot, and Spreadsheet Point.

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Udemy is a popular online learning platform with over 130,000 courses that can help you advance your career or learn a new skill

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  • With over 130,000 courses, Udemy is one of the top online learning platforms for individual classes.
  • Bestselling courses include coding bootcamps and in-depth drawing lessons .
  • Below, find answers to FAQ, including information on free Udemy courses and sales. 

Insider Today

What is Udemy?

Udemy is an online learning platform that offers over 130,000 individual online courses and can be a great option if you're interested in a one-off course in a specific subject or skill set. The platform's offerings cover categories like development; business; finance & accounting; IT & software; office productivity; personal development; design; marketing; lifestyle; photography & video; health & fitness; music, and teaching & academics. 

Udemy's best-selling courses are wide-ranging too, including everything from web development bootcamps to beginner drawing classes . You can browse more of the most popular Udemy courses here .

If you're curious about Udemy courses, you can find answers to common FAQs below, including ones on free courses, course pricing, sales, coupons, business plans, gifting courses, and more.

Are any Udemy courses free?

Yes. Udemy has a database of over 500 free online courses , in topics ranging from introductory photography and game development to quick classes in time management and public speaking . 

Browsing the free courses — which don't come with certificates of completion or direct instructor contact — can be a good way to explore new topics or decide if you like Udemy as a platform. All you need to do is sign up for free via email.

What comes with a paid Udemy course?

A typical Udemy course comes with hours of instructional video lectures (which you can view on your computer, mobile device , or TV) and lifetime access to the course.

How much do Udemy classes cost?

To access a paid Udemy course, you need to pay a one-time fee, which can cost anywhere from $19.99 to $189.99. Unlike e-learning platforms like Skillshare or LinkedIn Learning , Udemy doesn't offer free trials or subscriptions — you pay for each online course à la carte.

How often do Udemy sales happen?

If the Udemy course you're currently eyeing feels a little steep, there's some good news: Udemy holds sales fairly often (at least once a month) and the deals are usually pretty substantial, often making courses as low as $12.99 . So, pro-tip: If you're on the fence about a course, check back often — sales usually cover most of the site.

You can also use coupon codes on classes. Insider offers Udemy coupons here .

Can I give a Udemy course as a gift?

Yes. Because Udemy sells individual courses, gifting a class is especially easy. All you have to do is go to the course you're interested in and hit "Gift this course" on the top left side of the screen. You can then fill out the recipient's email and schedule the gift delivery.

Are there any plans for teams or businesses?

Yes. Udemy offers a team plan  for groups between 5-20 for $360 per person (it's also free with a 14-day trial). 

For businesses above 21 people, there's an enterprise plan which you can demo for free (pricing varies and you will have to contact Udemy for a quote).

what is udemy review

  • Main content

Udemy Review: What To Know Before Buying A Course

Udemy logo

Big selection, so-so quality

Udemy is one of the biggest online course platforms around. It’s a fantastic option for casual learners because you can find courses about a wide variety of topics. Anyone can create a course though, so quality isn’t always the greatest. Udemy also doesn’t offer recognized certificates like other education websites.

LANGOLY'S REVIEW 9

User reviews 5.5.

  • Large selection of courses
  • Easy to use and navigate
  • Read course reviews before buying
  • 30-day money-back guarantee on all courses
  • Not always good quality
  • Some courses are only an hour long
  • Prices change all the time

Related Language apps

Rocket Languages logo

Rocket Languages

Coursera logo

Innovative Languages

Table of contents, udemy overview.

Price & Subscriptions

Learning Experience

Language Courses

Alternatives

Taking online courses is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to learn new skills. There are a lot of websites and platforms where you can find courses, but they’re not all created equally. Some are really good and others are really, really bad.

That’s why I wanted to take a closer look at Udemy. It’s been around for a few years and has a good reputation around the web. I love reviewing  language apps  (that’s the  reason I started  this website), and I was pleasantly surprised to see Udemy offers language courses.

Although I’ll focus on the language courses in this Udemy review, everything you see is available for every course on Udemy. You can study everything from data science and computer engineering to mindfulness and life coaching.

Udemy has been around since 2010 and has exploded in popularity since then. It has over 44 million students and almost 200,000 courses. I’ve purchased quite a few courses on Udemy over the years and it’s my go-to option for online learning.

I’ve learned everything from digital marketing to basic website development on Udemy. Recently, I’ve discovered that it can also be a great place to find online language courses. It’s a different experience than using other language apps like Babbel or Pimsleur , but that doesn’t mean it’s bad.

Go ahead and take a look at Udemy’s courses to see what’s available. You may be surprised at what you find!

Udemy Price

Each teacher sets the price for their own Udemy courses. They usually range from around $10.00 per course to more than $200.00 per course for more specialized topics. The average price for Udemy courses tends to be around $20.00 to $30.00. There are also a variety of free courses available.

If you’re interested in taking IT courses on Udemy, you can subscribe to Udemy Pro for  $19.99 per month or $240.00 per year . This membership cost includes access to several IT certification topics like AWS, CompTIA, and Project Management Professional. Unfortunately, Udemy Pro is not available for non-IT topics.

Udemy Free Trial

Udemy doesn’t offer a free trial, but you can preview courses before you buy them. Each course offers a short video explaining what the course is. There are also details like what topics will be covered and even reviews from other people who have purchased the course.

Udemy Discount

Udemy offers several discounts and seasonal sales throughout the year on its courses. These can range from 10% to 90% off courses. Instructors can also offer discounts on their courses. The best time to find these promotions is around major holidays and at the beginning of the school year. There are currently no student or military discounts available on Udemy. 

Udemy Review: Features

It’s free to register for Udemy, but you can’t access the courses until you pay for them. And before you buy, you should know exactly what you get. Let’s look at the main features of Udemy.

You can access Udemy from your web browser, but it’s easier to use the app. The Udemy app is available for both iOS and Android devices. You can also download courses to watch them offline or use Chromecast and Airplay to watch them on a bigger screen.

The Udemy mobile app is easy to use and makes the learning experience seamless. You can navigate between courses in the app, and the videos and audio play smoothly without annoying lags. The web version of Udemy works well too, but I prefer using the app.

Udemy Courses

The main feature of Udemy is its courses. They cover over 3,400 different topics and over 60,000 teachers have created their own unique courses on the platform. Not all teachers are professionally qualified, so it’s important to check reviews and ratings before you buy anything.

Overall, I’ve had good experiences with Udemy courses. Some are more in-depth than others, but they’re generally good quality. You can also see the curriculum for each course before you buy it. This helps you understand everything that’s included.

Udemy Feedback

Student feedback is one of the most important features of Udemy. This lets you know whether or not a course is worth buying. When you visit a course’s homepage, you can see how many students are enrolled, how many have rated the course, and what that rating is.

In the early years of the platform, Udemy had bit of a quality problem. Lots of people created low-quality courses and tried to sell them for a quick buck. Currently, selling courses on Udemy is a lot more competitive. Most of the courses available now are better, but it’s still important to read through the feedback before buying.

Udemy Certificate Review

When you complete a course on Udemy, you’ll receive a certificate showing your accomplishment. It’s a nice reward to show off your achievement to friends and family, but it doesn’t have much value in the academic or professional world.

Since Udemy teachers don’t have to be professionals or qualified in any way, there’s no way for future employers or schools to verify the quality of the courses you’ve taken. If you’re looking for an accredited and professional certificate, Coursera is a much better option. For languages, you can check out Busuu because it offers certifications.

Udemy Review: Overall Learning Experience

I enjoy using Udemy to learn about a lot of different topics. It’s easy to explore the different courses and most of them don’t have any prerequisites. Even though the quality of the courses varies, you always know what you’re getting before you buy.

This is the best aspect of Udemy, in my opinion. You can see the full course syllabus, see how many hours of lessons each course has, and read reviews from past students. Because there are so many courses available on Udemy, there are usually a few options for the same subjects. You just need to do a little research to find the best one.

Udemy also tracks your progress so you can see how much of the course you’ve taken. It’s easy to start exactly from where you left off in a course. Some language apps like  Mondly  do this, too. I find it convenient and it makes the most of my study time.

Udemy Review: Areas of Improvement

There aren’t many areas of improvement when it comes to Udemy, as long as you know what you’re getting into. It’s just important to realize upfront that the course quality varies a lot.

Udemy Language Courses Review

A lot of people use Udemy to find courses about digital marketing, computer programming, and online business, but there are also tons of language courses available. You can find courses in a lot of different languages like Arabic , Hindi , German , and even Russian or Urdu . Here’s a quick overview and what you can find for some of the most popular languages.

Udemy Spanish Courses

There are over 330 Spanish courses available on Udemy. Not too surprising since it’s one of the most popular languages in the world. The Udemy Spanish courses cover everything from Spanish for Beginners to conversational and advanced Spanish. There are also over 50 free Spanish courses that teach topics like Spanish verbs and tenses and travel vocabulary. If you study these courses and use a Spanish app , you’ll be speaking in no time.

The most popular course is Spanish for Beginners and it has around 20,000 positive student reviews. Out of all of the Spanish courses, you’re sure to find at least one that can help take your skills to the next level. You can also check out an app like MosaLingua for additional learning tools.

Udemy French Courses

Right now, there are over 290 French courses available on Udemy. You can learn French as a complete beginner ( A1 level ), take a pronunciation course, or study a more intermediate course. There are also quite a few regular courses offered in the French language. Some examples include Digital Marketing, Social Media, and Project Management. 

There are also 60+ free French courses if you want to pick up some new vocabulary and grammar quickly. The free courses are usually quite a bit shorter than the paid ones, but they can still teach you some useful info. All in all, Udemy can be a great place to start learning French. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive option, a French app may be a better option. I recommend Drops for vocabulary.

Udemy Korean Courses

Udemy currently has over 130 Korean courses available and almost 30 of them are completely free. You can learn a lot of important topics like basic Korean vocabulary, how to read the Korean alphabet, and Korean for travel.

The courses are more for beginners than advanced students. If you already know some of the Korean language and want to improve your skills, Udemy may not be the best option. Using other Korean apps will be a better use of your time.

Udemy Alternatives & Competitors

The online education industry is huge, and there are a lot of websites and apps similar to Udemy. The most popular Udemy alternative is Coursera . Coursera offers courses from accredited universities like Harvard and Yale, as well as successful businesses like Facebook and Google. Other Udemy alternatives include Skillshare, EdX, and Domestika. In terms of language learning, the best Udemy alternatives are Baselang and Lingoda .

Udemy vs Coursera

The main difference between Udemy and Coursera is the quality of classes. Coursera has very strict requirements and only partners with recognized universities and businesses around the world. This gives it a more academic feel. Anyone can create a course on Udemy, which makes it a better option for casual learners. In terms of price, Udemy is a slightly cheaper than Coursera, but the quality of courses is a little lower.

Both Udemy and Coursera offer different types of certificates for students. Coursera certificates are more respected because they come directly from the university that created the course. Udemy offers course completion certificates, which really don’t have much value. However, you can pursue IT certifications like PMP and CompTIA with Udemy Pro. These are recognized qualifications.

Try Coursera by clicking the link below, or you can read this Coursera review to learn more.

Udemy vs Baselang

If you’re learning Spanish, you may look into online courses with Udemy or  Baselang . Udemy offers recorded Spanish lessons for a low price. Baselang offers unlimited private Spanish lessons with a live teacher for $149.00 per month . If your goal is to become fluent in Spanish, Baselang is the better option. You’ll become fluent more quickly and learn much more than a single Udemy course can teach you.

Try a class on Baselang by clicking the link below, or you can read this Baselang review to learn more.

Udemy vs Lingoda

Lingoda is an online language school accredited by the German government, It offers courses in English, French, German, and Spanish. You can also find courses for these languages on Udemy , but Lingoda’s quality is much higher. Lingoda classes are group classes with a certified teacher. You’ll learn a lot more with Lingoda and also receive immediate feedback from a teacher. This is something Udemy doesn’t offer.

Try it for free by clicking the link below, or you can read this Lingoda review to learn more.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re a casual learner and just want to explore new topics and courses, it’s worth paying for Udemy. If you’re looking for professional certifications or more academic classes, it’s better to use Coursera.

Udemy certificates are not valid because anyone who completes a course receives one. Udemy is not an accredited institution and it does not partner with universities or other entities that offer accredited certifications.

While you can put Udemy on your resume to share your knowledge with future employers, but your certifications don’t actually mean that much. Everyone gets a completion certificate from Udemy when they finish a course. They aren’t usually recognized by most employers or universities as a legitimate certificate though.

Udemy is not accredited. The Udemy website confirms this. However, some courses can count for continuing education credits or professional certifications outside of Udemy. You will need to request a formal accreditation from the third-party course provider if this is your case.

About this Udemy review

I’ve taken over 20 different courses on the platform and spent over 50 hours taking classes before writing this Udemy review. I’ve also read about other users’ experiences with Udemy in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. This is an independent Udemy review and all of the opinions are my own. Udemy did not sponsor this review and I am not an employee of Udemy.

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Tran Phuong Lien says:

A very absurd act of Udemy! I’m Vietnamese in Russia, I’ve been buying and studying udemy’s courses all year. I paid all for a course and it is Udemy’s obligation to deliver the course according to my bill, but now why won’t udemy let me continue my studies just because I’m in Russia? This action is a blatant act of stealing and appropriating property in a blatant manner. Udemy is in serious violation of consumer protection laws or frankly a SCAM (because Udemy collected my money but did NOT provide a commensurate service). A place related to education but blatantly cheating and appropriating users’ assets, how does Udemy claim to be an educational tool – a civilized tool? You are behaving like a prehistoric and uncultured person. Such a tool is not qualified to teach other people how to be human. I give up Udemy forever because you are not fit for the role of imparting knowledge. PS: Who are we? We are just consumers, how can we influence the political situation of the “big guys”? What an insult.

DECEPTIVE AD. NOT 30 days money back. I live in USA! One star company

I followed your advise and signed up for a course to “TRY FOR FREE”. They seem like a respectful company giving 30 days free trial. I did not like the Photoshop course I signed up for and canceled it in 1 day. It was NOT FREE. They refused to give me back my $105 for the course but instead decided to give me CREDIT instead. I am in dispute with them who have refused to acknowledge that I have canceled the course even though I have THEIR email of cancellation giving me credit. I think this is a deceptive company.

This is their refund policy that is NOT advertised.

Udemy’s Refund Policy We want you to be satisfied, so all eligible courses purchased on Udemy can be refunded within 30 days, provided the request meets the guidelines in our refund policy.

Certain restrictions may apply and some purchases may only be eligible for credit refunds. For more information regarding our refund policy, please see below.

How to submit a refund request

Learn how to submit a refund request.

Refund status

For answers to commonly asked questions we receive regarding a refund’s status, please review our refund status FAQ.

Our 30-day policy

While our 30-day refund policy is to allow students to learn risk free, we must also protect our instructors from fraud and provide them a reasonable payment schedule. Payments are sent to instructors after 30 days, so we will not process refund requests received after the refund window.

Additional reasons for denied refunds

We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to limit or deny refund requests in cases where we believe there is refund abuse, including but not limited to the following:

A significant portion of the course has been consumed or downloaded by a student before the refund was requested. Multiple refunds have been requested by a student for the same course. Excessive refunds have been requested by a student. Users who have their account reported, banned or course access disabled due to a violation of our Terms or Trust & Safety Guidelines. We do not grant refunds for any subscription services unless otherwise required by applicable law (please see below for more information). These refund restrictions will be enforced to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Credit only refunds

In cases where a transaction is not eligible for a cash refund, the refund will be granted using Udemy credits, provided it otherwise meets our 30-day refund policy.

If your course purchase is only eligible for a credit refund, this will be indicated on the refund page.

In my case, Udemy decided alone that they would give credit. Cancel in one day and it is only eligible for credit? Why is this not stated up front??

Chad Emery says:

Hi Sara, sorry to hear you had a bad experience with Udemy. However, I have to disagree. Their refund policy is clear and has a list of reasons why they might reject a refund (you pasted the list in your comment). I’ve requested a refund for a course before and received it. Either way, I understand it’s frustrating. Coursera is another course platform that has a lot of classes. You can give that a try!

Chris says:

I have purchased several of these Udemy courses and I will never buy another one because they are very poorly designed I watched some of the videos and the rest of them I get a error message. I’m done with udemy

Hi Chris, thanks for sharing your opinion! Unfortunately, the quality of courses on Udemy ranges from absolutely amazing to really, really bad. In general, I’ve had really good experiences with Udemy courses. I always recommend checking out the past student reviews before buying any courses!

Lewis Graham says:

While some of the courses are good, the offline feature in the App just doesn’t work (for me; Android phone and Android tablet). Looking at past complaints, this has obviously gone on for years, and Udemy simply hasn’t addressed this. Like many people, I would like to use my commute time to study and be productive, and Udemy could be a good resource in principle, in practice it’s not, so I’ve gone to other resources and only look to Udemy as a 2nd, and 3rd choice. A shame; for me, for others studying and for the better content providers, some of which are excellent.

Monica says:

I have taken several courses through Udemy and found that they have some very good courses. What I do not like is the fact that they do not have any customer service phone/chat support. This is particularly upsetting when you have a question about a refund that they automatically tag as a udemy credit instead of a bank refund. I am very disappointed that I am not able to speak with someone about my refund especially when I just made the request and saw the error. To me customer service is EVERYTHING so even if the courses are a 10 without customer service that is comprehensive I can’t give a rating above 5.

what is udemy review

Udemy learning platform review

Sharing knowledge with the world.

Udemy Review Hero

TechRadar Verdict

Udemy is a business oriented video streaming education platform, with thousands of videos for professional development. While the content is expansive, the purchasing process can be frustrating, and many courses need to be purchased individually.

Large course catalog

Well organized content

Smartphone apps

Generally favorable reviews

Limited support options

Pricing less than transparent

Short trial

Frustrating plans

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Unlike some of the smaller online learning companies, Udemy is a major player in this space. It claims that as of May 2021, a staggering 155k courses are taught by 56k instructors in over 65 languages. Enjoying this over 115 million minutes of video, are 40 millions learners enrolled in 480 million courses.

  • Interested in Udemy? Check out the website here

Pushing this company to the top no doubt are the over 7,000 enterprise customers as well, with household names of Netflix, Apple , Volkswagen and Kaiser Permanente counted among the customers.

  • Also check out our roundup of the best online courses

Udemy has a large and expansive course catalog, which is clearly one of its strengths. Content is focused in the business realm, with courses on Web Development, Amazon Web Services, Management and JavaScript abounding. Those looking for more casual content may be disappointed, as we did not find courses such as a cooking class, art appreciation or other more entertaining type of lectures.

Content is also neatly organized into logical categories that includes Development, Business and Finance & Accounting among the thirteen choices, and then each one branches into various subcategories. For example, in the Photography & Video category, there are subcategories for Digital Photography, Portrait Photography, and Video Design. In the Digital Photography subsection, we found varied content, such as “Beginner Nikon Digital SLR (DSLR) Photography,” “Digital Photography for Beginners with DSLR cameras,” and the “Photography Composition & Portrait Photography Masterclass.”

Each class has a short video preview of the class, similar to a movie trailer. We found this useful to assess the class’ content, and to decide if it suited our needs prior to a purchase. Also stated is the last time the course was updated, and while many are recently done in the last year or two, we easily found that not all are, such as one from almost a decade back from 2013 so caveat emptor .

Courses

Courses get a numerical ranking by the students, along with comments. Also, the courses have additional content beyond the video streaming, such as articles and downloadable resources. There is also a certificate of completion available to add credibility to taking the course.

The length of courses we looked at varied. Some are as short as an hour like at a traditional college, while others are a more comprehensive treatment of the subject at over eleven hours. Udemy indicates that new content is added monthly, keeping things fresh.

Instructor

For those frustrated professors out there, Udemy also offers the opportunity to share knowledge, and become a lecturer. The stated benefits include to be able to lecture in the method that you prefer, to be able to share your acquired knowledge, an additional opportunity for professional networking, and to earn money on each enrollment. It is not indicated how the pricing is set, nor what the split of the enrollment fees are.

Pricing

The pricing for Udemy is confusing, and less than upfront. We searched the Udemy website to get a price, and without an account came up empty handed (we did proceed to create an account).

Basically, the pricing fits into three categories. Some courses are purchased on an individual basis. This can be an attractive option if you only need a single course, and lifetime access is granted to the course content as long as Udemy still has access to the course. The courses we looked at are between $10 to $20. There is a 30-day money back guarantee.

Then there are two plans. The first is the Udemy Personal Plan , which offers access content in over 1,700 content areas, across 5,000 courses. The problem is that even with an account, the pricing on this is hard to find, and we could not find it to purchase.

Then there is the Udemy Pro Plan , which offers a free trial of 7 days. After that, the cost is $19.99 monthly. This is designed for IT certification, as it offers 23 IT courses, and 98 practice exams. The topics are taught by expert instructors with real world experience, and the topics cover Microsoft Azure with a six course sequence, and Amazon Web Services with a 20+ hour course on “AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional.”

Support

Support for Udemy is limited with only a few options to get some help. The most common method is an extensive FAQ, with many links to additional information. While this works for some, unfortunately when the answer is not in the predone content, it can be a challenge to directly interact. Topics include “How to solve payment issues,” “How to change or reset your password,” and “Disable push notifications on iOS” among the extensive list.

The only method we could find for a more direct interaction is the chat box. A shortcoming is that we could not find a direct phone number, a contact portal, a direct email, a fax, nor a postal address.

App

User reviews

Udemy has a favorable rating for its smartphone apps. This includes the Udemy Online Video Course app on the Apple store which gets 4.8/5 stars. While that score is quite high, some user comments indicate issues with the offline video and downloads, along with some bugs, and a lack of an option to turn the auto play feature for videos off.

At the Google Play Store, the Udemy app has a slightly lower rating of 4.4/5. Some users report issues with video playback, including getting videos to play and with casting a video to a TV.

Final verdict

Udemy is a larger player in the online video education market. We like the available smartphone apps, the expansive catalog, the support materials for the course to complement the video, and the transparent student reviews. Alternatively, we would prefer to see less business only content, less buggy apps, and a better subscription as for example the only plan we could find to purchase would not include the majority of the catalog. All in all, for those looking for business development content, the Udemy catalog is well worth going over.

  • We've also featured the best online learning platforms

Jonas P. DeMuro

Jonas P. DeMuro is a freelance reviewer covering wireless networking hardware.

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HomeWorkingClub.com

Udemy Review: Is Udemy Worth It?

With bargain-prices, seemingly endless sales, and a mind boggling range of over 150,000 online courses, Udemy is a popular destination for people keen to learn new skills.

But is Udemy worth it, or is it a waste of your time? In this Udemy review, you can find out.

Let’s begin by answering an important question:

Why Listen to Us?

Is udemy legit, is udemy a scam, is udemy accredited, why is udemy bad why the negative press, pro tip: using udemy to help you decide what to study, free udemy courses, udemy subscriptions – udemy business, udemy gift courses, how do i request a refund from udemy.

  • Features and Functionality
  • Is Udemy Worth it Since it Provides No Sense of Community?

Example Udemy Courses

  • Find Udemy Here.

Writing Tools and Hacks

Udemy course review: copywriting – become a freelance copywriter.

  • Is Udemy Worth it for Selling Courses?

Is Udemy Worth it as a Place to Learn?

How will udemy courses help your career.

  • The Pros of Udemy
  • The Cons of Udemy
  • Who is Udemy Ideal For?

Alternatives to Udemy

Other popular content.

The HomeWorkingClub team has had years of experience with Udemy. As well as reviewing it, we’ve taken several courses ourselves. We discuss those experiences later in this review.

We’ve reviewed a huge range of different e-learning sites on HomeWorkingClub, and frequently suggest low-cost Udemy courses to people who want to learn new skills.

Thanks to the company’s almost-permanent sales, you can often pick up courses for little more than 10 bucks each – a very small investment in your professional development.

But the site isn’t perfect, so it’s important that we cover the downsides too. At HomeWorkingClub, we have a reputation for always sharing the bad as well as the good.

We shall start at the beginning:

What is Udemy?

Udemy is an online learning platform offering over 150,000 different courses in a vast range of subjects. Over 44 Million people have taken courses via the site.

Udemy review - home page

Udemy courses are delivered by “expert instructors,” but the definition of “expert” is very broad – and can include self proclaimed experts.

Unlike some other online course providers like edX and Coursera , Udemy doesn’t market courses created by universities and educational institutions. In fact, anyone can create and sell a course on Udemy – and that includes you!

This means that there are actually two important questions to answer:

  • Is Udemy worth it if you want to learn new skills?
  • Is Udemy good as a place to create and sell courses of your own?

In this Udemy review, we look at both angles.

Udemy is completely legit. Millions of people use the online course platform for personal development, and to learn new professional skills. It’s also a platform that household-name companies use to train their staff.

Udemy has had accolades from the likes of Forbes and Mashable , and is used by Fortune 500 companies like Apple and Volkswagen.

Companies Using Udemy

Udemy is not a scam. It’s a household name in online courses, and has been in operation since 2010.

Udemy is NOT accredited or partnered with any educational institutions.

Some other online course providers such as as edX and Coursera are, so if you’re keen to add a prestigious accreditation to your resum?, you may wish to consider one of those sites as an alternative.

We can’t write an honest review of Udemy without acknowledging that there are plenty of people out there with negative things to say about the platform. Udemy TrustPilot reviews, for example, have a distinctly average score overall.

Udemy TrustPilot Scores

There is, of course, the fact that any online learning platform the size of Udemy is going to attract some negative feedback. But there’s one main reason for this:

The fact that anyone can create Udemy courses is a double-edged sword. It means that the quality of courses can vary considerably .

It’s crucial to read individual course reviews in detail, and with a critical eye. You can also look for round-ups of the best Udemy courses, such as our own list of suggestions.

Some popular courses on Udemy are created by true gurus in their field – there’s no doubting that they are good courses.

But as it’s possible for anybody to set up shop on the platform, course quality is sometimes less than good. They may be delivered by instructors without a flair for teaching, or could perhaps lack the solid production values that are a given on an accredited course platform.

So – to wrap up this section – Udemy IS completely legit. Those who are negative about the platform are likely to have chosen a poor-quality course – and it’s impossible to deny that those exist.

What Kind of Courses are on Udemy?

You can learn just about anything on Udemy, from mindfulness to music, or design to dog training. It?s fantastic for learning a new hobby or updating skills.

Udemy course categories

Some of the different categories on Udemy include:

  • IT and Software Courses
  • Personal Development
  • Graphic Design
  • Project Management
  • Digital Marketing
  • Social Media Management

If there’s something you want or need to learn, it’s almost certain you’ll find a suitable course on the Udemy website.

For example, one of the team needed to know how to use GarageBand on an iPad before using it with young students. A quick search for “GarageBand for iPad” found three possible courses, and the particular course chosen walked through every required step.

In cases like this when all you want is knowledge, Udemy is ideal. However, if you need a certificate of completion, or an industry-recognised qualification, then Udemy is not the platform to choose.

If you know that you want to learn something new, but you’re undecided what to focus on, looking at the bestselling courses on Udemy can be a good way to come up with inspiration.

The fact that these are the things people are focussing on gives some indication that they are the skills in most demand from employers and clients.

Bestselling courses on Udemy

It’s interesting to see Microsoft Excel in this list! Demand for skills in that software never goes away – it’s something well worth learning about.

Udemy Review: Pricing

The price of courses on Udemy can vary wildly due to the fact that prices are set by the individual instructors. To add to the fun, there are almost constant sales . In general, it is possible to find a wide variety of individual courses priced or on sale for under $20 .

It’s not worth paying a huge amount of attention to the “full” price of any course on Udemy, because it’s rare that you will end up paying that price.

A typical Udemy discount

There are some free courses available too (just over 500 at the time of writing).

They are generally fairly short introductory courses, but they do give you chance to do some learning without handing over any money. You can also see it as a kind of “free trial” for using the Udemy platform itself.

Free options available include a course on Photography Fundamentals, a short course discussing Best Practices for Working Remotely (a good fit for readers of this site!), and a beginner’s course on Excel pivot tables.

Udemy doesn’t offer a subscription plan for individuals – if you’re looking for an “all you can eat” course subscription, we’d suggest taking a look at Coursera Plus .

However, the company does offer a corporate subscription called Udemy Business .

Udemy Business page

Costing $360 per year per user before taxes, Udemy Business is intended for companies who want to give staff access to an extensive library of courses. It provides access to over 6,000 of the platform’s top-rated courses, and is used by over 8,000 global companies, such as ABN Amro and Apple.

While the Udemy Business subscription is a compelling thing to offer employees, it is worth considering the true value when individual courses are so often heavily discounted. It depends very much on just how much training you expect each employee to complete.

Udemy offers you the option of gifting any of its courses to friends or family members – courses make good gifts ! You can find out about gifting courses here.

Udemy Money Back Guarantee

Udemy promises a 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. But do they deliver on that promise?

Pleasingly, the answer is yes. This is good to see, as some course platforms have a bad reputation for customer support.

If you can’t cope with the instructor’s accent, change your mind or find a course didn’t live up to your expectations, you should get your money back on your credit card with no issues. Just follow the refund guidelines.

The Udemy refund rules are – in fact – so broad that some course instructors complain that people can complete an entire course and still ask for the money back within 30 days. They feel ripped off, and legitimately so.

Fortunately, most buyers are honest and use the money-back option for genuine reasons. Most instructors believe that the 30-day guarantee attracts more honest clients than dishonest ones.

In short, you really needn’t worry about getting your money back if you’re dissatisfied with Udemy.

You simply need to log in, go to the course in question and select “Request a Refund” from the drop-down menu in the top right corner. But you must do so within 30 days of purchasing the course.

If you try to apply for a refund at a later date you will no longer be offered the link to request a refund, as shown in the image below:

Udemy refunds

Taking Courses on Udemy: Features and Functionality

In this next part of our Udemy review, you will learn what taking courses on the platform is actually like. We will then discuss a couple of specific courses we’ve taken ourselves.

The Udemy user interface is exactly what you’d expect if you’ve ever studied online before. Courses are arranged into a series of modules and lessons, and these can include video lectures, text notes and assessment tests.

Videos are particularly popular, and the key part of most of the courses we’ve tried.

Example Udemy Courses

Udemy’s video player has all the usual features, such as closed captioning, a written transcript, and the ability to speed up or slow down playback. This can have an amusing effect on an instructors voice, but playing at 1.25x speed is sometimes feasible if you’re trying to zoom through the content.

There’s also an inbuilt facility to make notes as you pass through a course.

As a general rule, you can’t download courses for offline viewing for piracy reasons (some course creators allow this by exception) However, an interesting alternative is the Udemy app. The mobile app DOES allow you to study offline, by downloading all or part of the course content.

You can also use a podcast-style mode to listen to lectures on the move, which is a great feature.

You can also view Udemy courses via Apple TV and Google Chromecast. All in all, this adds up to a decent number of study options, especially considering that some course sites don’t even have a mobile app.

Specific Courses We’ve Taken on Udemy: Our Experiences

In this section, Lyn discusses specific experiences with a couple of courses she has taken on Udemy.

It took me a while between buying this course and beginning to study it – but you get lifetime access on Udemy, so it was still available to me.

What’s more, I could see that the course receives regular updates, which gave me confidence that the content was still relevant. (The content has subsequently been updated again since Lyn completed the course).

Writing Tools Udemy Course

Writing Tools and Hacks delivered what it promised, introducing many online tools, explaining how to use them and describing why they are useful.

Each section starts with a helpful “hack.” e.g. the Tools for Brainstorming Killer Content Ideas hack explores the how, what and why of brainstorming before you dive into learning about the online tools. All the videos are screen shares so Tyler can demonstrate exactly how to use each website.

One critic of this course complained that he could find the information on the internet for free. And it’s true.

But that can be said of many courses. What you’re paying for is information that is new to you and the convenience of having it right at your fingertips. Really, you’re trading money for saving time.

This was the first course I took on Udemy when I discovered the platform back in 2018. I was brand new to writing, and the course information was a revelation to me at the time.

Copywriting Course

However, the course content hasn’t been updated since that time. Some of the advice seems dated now. This serves as a good example of why it’s important to have a really good look at the course page before buying something on Udemy. Checking the last update date of a course is good practice, as is diving into the rating system.

It’s also a good idea to watch at least one preview video when you’re choosing a course – because the delivery can make or break the experience for you.

In this case, Len Smith is an older man, with a “fireside chat” style which might not be to everyone’s taste. The course offers four preview videos from various sections and shows the titles of every lecture. It’s enough info to gauge whether this is a course you’d enjoy.

Another oft-heard criticism of Udemy courses is that sometimes the videos stick. In “Become a Freelance Copywriter,” much of the information is downloadable as PDFs which helps to get around that problem.

Udemy Tips: How To Choose the Best Courses for You

Browsing a list of over 150,000 courses can be rather overwhelming. Obviously it helps if you know which specific skills you’re looking to work on, and you can also follow other people’s recommendations to find a great course.

Here are some tips to help you decide what to study:

  • Read plenty of reviews: It’s hotly debated whether Udemy fake reviews are a problem, so it’s definitely worthwhile to read several for courses you’re interested in, to ensure you get a good overview.
  • Remember that most people take Udemy courses when they are on sale: This means that students are more likely to leave a positive review since their expectations are not as high. It is probably best to consider every course as having achieved their star rating at a price of around $20.
  • Research the instructor: As stated above, some Udemy instructors are big names in their fields – but some are little more than hobbyists. Find out about your instructor’s credentials before signing up.
  • Check when the course was last updated: Good instructors will ensure that their courses are up-to-date. Even on topics that aren’t subject to much material change, good instructors tend to review student comments and make periodic improvements to their courses.
  • Try a sample: Most courses offer some preview content, so you can get a good idea of what’s in store, and of the teaching style, before you hand over any cash.

While we put together this Udemy review, we found some great examples of courses on subjects we’re asked about all the time: 

Blogging for a Living has over 12 hours of training content, and covers everything from setting up a blog from scratch to establishing streams of income with affiliate marketing. It’s a “top-rated” course on Udemy, with a 4.6 star rating from over 22,000 students.

It’s also really reassuring to see frequent updates to this course – the last one taking place in September 2021.

Work from Home as a Virtual Assistant includes 56 lectures, adding up to around five hours of study material. It was created by a successful VA who’s been in the game for over a decade. There’s a tremendous amount of content here for a course that costs around just $20 when there’s a Udemy sale on (i.e. most of the time!)

Udemy VA course

Kickstart a Freelance Editor & Proofreader Career is one of the platform’s most highly-rated courses. It’s created by a Canadian university lecturer with over 12 years of experience. The course covers everything from “editing philosophies” to how to bid for proofreading work. It is kept constantly updated, and has an average 4.5 star rating.

Selling Courses on Udemy

Would you rather be the teacher than the student? Udemy is well worth a look for that too.

Anybody can sign up to Udemy as an instructor, and use the platform to host both paid and free courses.

The general rule is that Udemy splits the money earned on courses around 50/50 with the course creators, although there are various factors that determine the exact percentage. Instructors can also use a Udemy coupon system and keep almost all the revenue from their training materials when they send the students to the platform.

There are people making six-figure incomes from selling courses on Udemy . You only need to do some quick sums on some of the courses mentioned above to work out that these courses can prove rather lucrative.

Get yourself 5000 students for a course selling at just $15 and you’ll make around $37,500 on that course alone at a 50% commission rate. It’s reasonably passive income too, once the course is created.

Of course, nobody’s saying it’s easy to do it. With over 100,000 courses, yours needs to be one of the very best to rise to the top.

You can be sure there are plenty of people on the platform who’ve created rubbish courses and are – unsurprisingly – earning rubbish money. However, Udemy is a genuine meritocracy.

If you can create better than what’s out there, then you have a very real chance of making a living from selling your own courses.

Selling courses on Udemy

Before you jump in with both feet, it’s wise to consider alternatives. We’d suggest looking at Teachable , a platform that gives you much more control over your courses, and the potential to make them far more lucrative. That said, if you don’t already have a following, Teachable doesn’t give you the same opportunity for people to randomly discover your course, as they may on Udemy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely yes. Given that Udemy courses are almost always on some kind of sale , Udemy is a very low-cost place to learn. There’s rarely any need to spend more than $20 on a course. If you choose one of the good ones, you can absorb a huge amount of information and genuinely learn brand new skills from scratch.

But are Udemy certificates valid qualifications? Well, no, not really. You can’t spend $20 or less on an online course and expect it to be a match for a university degree, or a vendor certification from Microsoft or Apple!

However, that doesn’t mean that learning new things on Udemy can’t massively help you advance your career. Much of the time it’s about what you know, not where you learned it .

While landing a job or getting a promotion might be influenced by the certificates you can list on your resume, what will ultimately affect the path of your career is the quality of your work.

Learning valuable skills at your own pace, in the comfort of your own home and for relatively little investment really is a bit of a no-brainer. The hard part is more likely to be focusing and finding the specific courses which will benefit you. You do not want to fall into the trap of constantly learning and never applying your newfound knowledge.

If you are a freelancer, qualifications can mean even less . All a client really wants to know is that you are capable of doing their job well.

Can I Put Udemy on My Resume?

You certainly can list completed Udemy courses on your resume. However, it’s important not to expect employers to be as impressed by a low-cost online course as by a recognised qualification, such as a degree.

A good middle ground is something like a professional certificate from Google .

Other Udemy Reviews

As part of almost every review we publish, we have a look at what other online feedback we can find.

Other Udemy reviews are mixed – broadly illustrating our point about the variability of quality between courses.

At the time of writing, the Udemy TrustPilot rating is an average 2.7 stars. SiteJabber has a distinctly more positive 4.2 star average. Going back the the negative, the company has a 2.13 star Better Business Bureau rating and is not BBB accredited. It’s perhaps only fair to point out that consumers don’t tend to go to the BBB to leave good feedback! Anecdotally, we’ve largely heard good things from those who have taken Udemy courses to learn specific skills. For example Vatsal from TheFoodXP took a Udemy SEO course in this early days of his SEO career and was very positive about his experiences.

Udemy Pros and Cons

There are plenty of things to love about this platform, but here are some of our favourites:

  • Udemy has over 150,000 courses available. It is undoubtedly the biggest platform out there.
  • There is still room for new topics . As crazy as this might seem, it is true. And we are not just talking about strange or off-the-wall topics. Llama breeders take note – there are no Llama courses on Udemy as yet!
  • You can gain information and skills for a small price. While you could possibly obtain similar information to what is contained in most courses by watching a series of good YouTube videos, Udemy packages everything up in a nicely structured format. As a bonus, you also tend to get fairly significant access to the course creators.
  • The Udemy platform is easy to use. Some people might criticise the fact that the search engine and course pages are fairly standard, but having a platform that feels familiar plays a big part in avoiding the sense of overwhelm that having such a large number of courses could create.
  • It’s highly visual and mainly video-based with some downloads . Most courses are highly engaging thanks to the emphasis on video. If having text is important for you to process or search for the information you can always access transcripts of the videos.
  • Udemy is available on all devices through a web browser or app. The Udemy app is a great bonus as it does allow you to download at least part of the course content so that you can continue learning while offline.

Udemy app

  • Courses are frequently discounted to less than $20. Sales are so frequent that there really is no need to pay more.
  • Anyone can create a course on Udemy. If you have some particular knowledge, you can get paid to share it without needing a teaching or college degree. All you need is time, careful planning and some half-decent equipment for recording your videos.
  • As an instructor, you can earn a relatively passive income. If your course is genuinely useful, you could make some not-too-shabby returns on your initial investment of time and effort to create the course. Just remember that top instructors get to that position by interacting with their students, keeping their courses up-to-date, and through marketing.
  • Reviewers report problems with some videos. Since the individual instructors create their own videos you can come across some courses with poor video and audio.
  • Course pricing can be misleading. Instructors are free to price their courses however they like, so high prices do not necessarily mean excellent quality. It is especially important to remember that reviews of high-priced courses may not have been provided by people that paid full price .
  • No qualifications are required in order to create a course. Obviously, this is a positive thing if you want to create a course but not so much if you are taking one. Since anyone can create a course on Udemy you can, unfortunately, find some instructors who are not prepared or who even teach outdated or inaccurate information.
  • There’s no guarantee of quality. Thankfully, if the money-back guarantee works as it should, you’ll get your money back. Furthermore, a really bad course will get so many negative reviews that it will eventually sink to the bottom.

Like so many places online, Udemy gives back in proportion to what you put in.

If you choose a poor quality course to study and don’t look at reviews, you’ll probably be dissatisfied – even if you? have? only spent 20 bucks!

And even if you do pay out for a highly-rated course, you’ll still struggle to get much out of it unless you dedicate time to it and actually act on the things the course tells you to do.

But if you choose a recommended course and take your studying seriously, there’s no reason why a Udemy course won’t enhance your career. It may even set you off on a completely new and rewarding path.

It’s the same with creating courses; If you cynically throw something together in the hope of making a quick buck, every review for that course will suck and you won’t make any money.

But if you set out to make your course the best and the most up-to-date out there, then there’s no reason why you can’t set your sights on being the next “six-figure” Udemy instructor.

Is Udemy worth it? It absolutely is if yo make it worth it.

There are lots of alternatives to Udemy out there, several of which provide cheap (or even FREE) training options.

Take a look at:

  • Freelance Kickstarter – our very own freelancing course, designed to take you all the way to a lucrative freelance career.
  • Coursera – a top e-learning platform with courses from major universities and professional certificates from the likes of Google. Read our review here .
  • LinkedIn Learning – more of an “all you can eat” platform, where you get unlimited access to courses for a monthly subscription.
  • edX – another big training platform, with courses from the likes of Berkeley and Harvard, and lots of free options. Read our review here.
  • Compare Coursera vs Udemy
  • Fancy running a blog of your own? Read this article .
  • Looking for a reliable source of remote jobs? Check out our FlexJobs review .

Udemy: Lots of affordable courses to choose from

  • Course Quality
  • Browse Udemy's Courses Here

Ben Taylor

Founder of HomeWorkingClub.com – Ben has worked freelance for nearly 20 years. As well as being a freelance writer and blogger, he is also a technical consultant with Microsoft and Apple certifications. He loves supporting new home workers but is prone to outbursts of bluntness and realism.

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Udemy review

The udemy online tuition platform says that its mission is to “improve lives through learning”. but could it improve yours.

Udemy Review 2022

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

Who said learning was boring? Udemy is packed to the rafters with fun, approachable and very useful courses, many of which are discounted or cost nothing. Sure, YouTube offers a wealth of entirely-free alternatives, but having so many related options together on an easily manageable platform is a real boon.

Incredible range of courses

Plenty of free and discounted tuition

Can be accessed on various devices

Much of the content is not downloadable

Why you can trust Top Ten Reviews Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

  • How it works
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  • User reviews
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Udemy Review 2021

1. Most courses priced $18 - $20

2. Over 155,000 courses available

3. Broad range of subjects

The World Wide Web gets a bad rap at times, but one very obvious benefit of the internet is that it's made it incredibly easy to learn new things. Want to master the piano? Hone your cookery skills? Discover how to code ? With just a few clicks of your mouse, or taps of your smart device, you can find online lessons and courses that'll fulfill all of those ambitions and thousands more. 

Most people would probably head to YouTube as a first port of call, but if you're looking for a more structured approach you might be better off using one of the dedicated online learning platforms. 

One such platform is Udemy (pronounced you-de-mee). Launched in California in 2010, the 'Academy of You' – as it was originally known – is now the world's largest online learning organisation, with more than 155,000 courses on its database. These cover everything from business studies to breakdancing, personal development to pottery, and span over 65 different languages. It's no wonder, then, that the platform now has around 35 million users from more than 180 countries.

When we tried it, we were impressed with the range of classes available, which are very reasonably priced. It came out top in our round-up of the best online learning platforms and it ranks highly in out guide to the best coding courses online . There's not much of an interactive element to classes – but while high school students might need the guidance of the best online tutors to really improve in a subject, we think that everyday learners will be quite content learning via pre-recorded videos.

Udemy review: How does it work?

Udemy is a platform for both people who want to learn ('students') and people who want to teach ('instructors'). Anybody can become an instructor and share their knowledge – there are currently more than 7,000 instructors on the site, who upload their courses or lessons in the form of videos, PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, audio files and more. 

Udemy review: Screenshot of video interface

If an instructor wants to charge people for their expertise, they must become a 'premium instructor', which is free but requires them to fill out an application form and provide identification details. Even though premium instructors are obliged to give a percentage of their profits to Udemy, the income potential can be huge – in 2015, the top 10 Udemy instructors made more than $17million in total revenue.

Once a student has chosen their preferred course (creating an account is compulsory whether the course is paid-for or not), they can take it completely in their own time as there are no deadlines to meet. Conveniently, courses can be accessed via a desktop computer , laptop or smartphone , enabling you to dip in and out of your tuition no matter where you are (you're likely to need a Wi-Fi or network signal, though, as most courses are not downloadable for offline access). Previews are available for most courses, but if you feel dissatisfied with your choice, you can claim a refund within 30 days of purchase. 

If you are a company or organisation, you might be interested in something called Udemy for Business, a subscription-based service that enables teams to access a suite of more than 5,500 top-rated courses to help them develop workplace skills.  

Udemy review: How easy is Udemy to navigate?

As previously mentioned, Udemy offers a vast array of courses – but that's not immediately obvious when you arrive on the site. The 'featured' categories are all very tech and business-focused, covering areas such as Python, JavaScript, Web Development and AWS Certification. If those are the most popular/lucrative categories then you can't blame Udemy for pushing them into the spotlight, but if you're looking for art lessons, it could be a little off-putting.

In all honesty, though, it's not too hard to find what you're looking for. A 'categories' heading at the top of the page lets you browse by topics such as Photography & Video, Heath & Fitness or Music, with horizontal dropdown menus enabling you to optimise your search to finer areas of interest. 

Udemy review: Screenshot of search categories

And there's also a search bar, which allows you to whittle down your options by skill level, language, price, whether or not they have subtitles, etc. When you click on a course you like the look of, you'll be directed to its dedicated web page, where you'll find details of what the course entails, any requirements to complete the sessions and, in some cases, previews of what you can expect. As with YouTube, eBay, etc, you'll also be given a list of other options that you might like, based on your initial choice. 

When it comes to paid-for courses, Udemy is much like any other e-commerce site in that you choose what you want and then either add it to your cart or 'buy now'.  

Udemy review: How good are the courses on Udemy?

With more than 155,000 courses on the Udemy platform, there's inevitably going to be some inconsistencies in quality. But, like we said before, you can preview each course before you start, so if it looks like the tuition might be badly presented or the audio a little incomprehensible, you can always go elsewhere.

As part of our review, we tested two different coding courses – Coding for Beginners 1: You Can Learn To Code and 100 Days Of Code: The Complete Python Pro Bootcamp For 2021 . Both were very approachable, having been broken down into bite-sized video clips fronted by instructors who spoke clearly and with authority. In terms of scale, the former included eight hours of on-demand video, while the latter was a marathon offering at 63.5 hours. This was largely to do with the differences in complexity between the two subject matters, with the latter set of classes being more complicated than the former.

Udemy review course example

We also tried out a hip-hop dancing course, but, while the presenter was very likeable and explained the moves in a way that was simple to follow, the audio was a little echoey and out of sync, meaning it was sometimes hard to hear what she was saying.  

Were the courses we tested better than what you could find on YouTube? It varied, though it was nice being able to find such an extensive range of focused tuition options in the same place.

Note that the courses offered on Udemy are not accredited and are therefore unlikely to be recognised by a university or college. You will, however, receive a certificate upon completion of a paid-for endeavour – and, of course, the skills you learn could still help you to progress in your chosen field or occupation.  

Udemy review: User reviews

Udemy has a really straightforward reviews system, which can help you decide whether or not a course is worth your time. Students leave a rating out of five on courses they've completed. Often, pupils leave comments too, outlining how they found the course.

It's a system that works a lot better than LinkedIn Learning , where courses are only given 'likes' by students. In our experience, Udemy course reviews tend to be unanimously good or bad, too, so you can clearly see which lessons are a hit with students. 

Udemy review: Cost

The Udemy pricing system will seem quite strange when you first visit the platform – you'll notice that almost every course has had its price slashed significantly. To give you an example, a course that might originally have been marked as costing $80 dollars will now be priced at just $18. This can be a little disconcerting to newcomers, as you're left wondering if there's something wrong with the content for it to be given the bargain-bin treatment. There's really not, though – our guess is that it's a marketing strategy to make people think they're getting a good deal.

In our opinion, $18-25 is a perfectly reasonable price to pay for tuition that's clearly taken a great deal of time and effort to put together. But with so much online content available for free these days, we wouldn't blame people for hunting down even more wallet-friendly alternatives. There are, of course, a fair few free courses on Udemy, though these are in the minority.

Udemy review: Should I pay for a course?

Udemy is undoubtedly one of the best online learning platforms in the world. Trawling through the vast number of courses can be quite addictive, and before you know it, you've signed up to learn about half a dozen new skills (we'll get round to completing that belly dancing course one day). And in our experience, the quality of the courses easily matches the quantity, with a great deal of care and attention having been taken to help you learn your chosen craft. It's probably true that most people could achieve a similar degree of mastery on YouTube, but the convenience of having everything on one, easily navigable platform cannot be underestimated. 

Paul Dimery

Though Paul has been a freelance writer on Top Ten Reviews for just a short time, he’s racked up plenty of articles on some of Future’s most prestigious brands, including MusicRadar and T3. Paul began his career writing for magazines over 20 years ago, but has since transitioned to the world of online journalism. He has a broad range of interests, but is particularly experienced at writing about personal health and grooming tech, plus home appliances. 

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MoneyCheck

Udemy Review: An Excellent Platform for Online Learning

Nicholas Say

There are a lot of options for people that want to learn more skills or increase their educational base using online learning material.

Udemy is one such platform, which offers anyone a chance to learn and make a change for the better. It also allows people who have skills to teach, and make some money from their talents and knowledge.

They have a huge range of online courses and are well regarded in the online learning industry, read on for our review of the platform.

Visit Udemy

What is Udemy?

Table of Contents

Udemy is an online academy for students and instructors with over 100,000 courses that are updated every month. Started in 2010 by Eden Bali, the world’s largest tutorial platform now has more than 50 million students and 57,000 instructors teaching courses in over 65 languages.

This website covers almost every subject from business to dance or design to IT and software development. You can even find a professional massage training course on Udemy. With some research and clicks, you’ll get an expert-led course in any subject, and you can start to learn anywhere and anytime.

Udemy Homepage

One special thing about Udemy is that all of its courses are not necessarily instructed by experts. Anyone who has confidence and passion, along with deep knowledge on any aspect, can begin setting up their own course on the site.

Moreover, once you buy a course, you can have lifetime access to it.

The Udemy online learning platform is suitable for everyone. Whether you’re an employee who wants to upgrade your working skills, a student who wants to sharpen your knowledge of a major, someone who wants to start a new career or learn new skills, as long as you’re studious and interested you can start learning online.

This website offers courses with a wide range of fees: from $0 to under $100 USD. Most of the courses range from $18.99 to $24.99 USD, therefore, it is quite affordable for the benefits it brings to learners. It also has an optional package for companies that want to train their employees using Udemy’s courses.

Udemy Key Features

Udemy offers access to a variety of useful courses . You can get started wherever you are and whenever you want to.

Unlike traditional teaching platforms, global access allows not only students, but also teachers, trainers, and instructors to plan courses and get in touch with different key features. Additionally, courses, or any portion of a course, can be replicated or revised an infinite number of times at no extra cost.

Each course comprises video lectures varying from 5 minutes to 15 minutes in length. Students can stop and replay all or part of the videos as many times as they wish when watching the lectures. In general, lectures include a series of interim quizzes so students can gauge their understanding of the content.

A course detail page

Lifetime access ensures learners have every chance to master the material irrespective of their personal schedules or disruptions.

Students should have no difficulty navigating through the courses. Udemy makes it as clear as possible for anyone to understand how to use its service. You will find various subjects on top of the homepage or you can also research your preferred topics.

Huge Number of Courses

There’s almost nothing you can’t find on Udemy. Each of the 15 categories of courses comes with different topics. If you start with the ‘marketing’ subcategory, you will discover a number of interesting topics like event planning, business branding, lead generation or E-Commerce.

Delivering a growing repository of online courses, Udemy enables tech-savvy learners to speed ahead in their learning. This platform is particularly suited for those who wish to gain knowledge at their own pace to supplement their existing specialized knowledge.

Some of the Web Development Courses on offer

Students can also explore and gain deep insights on various topics like: Business, Finance, Information Technology, Design, Marketing, Music, Photography, etc.

People from different age groups, different careers, with different interests can possibly find suitable courses there. If you want to learn, Udemy is probably a great place to start.

Udemy for Business

Designed to support employees with daily tasks and to help a business stay at the cutting edge of innovation, the Udemy for Business plan gives you the ability to be trained in a range of relevant topics for your employees.

Udemy for Businesses

The plan is fully versatile, as businesses can follow their existing structure to create their own unique content. The Udemy for Business solution peruses the latest, first-class course content taught by leading experts around the world.

If you’re looking for a wonderful tool to encourage professional growth, this plan is where you should start.

Udemy for Business is an ideal program with lots of courses related to pretty much any sector, such as software development, training, and project management. There are thousands of courses where professionals can go to upgrade their skills.

Preview, Review, and Feedback

For any online learning platform that allows a wide range of teachers to contribute content, it’s unavoidable that some scammy or low quality will exist.

The feedback feature was created for you to take time and study the reviews before investing your time and money into a course. Once you’re enrolled in a course, Udemy gives you access to reviews and ratings of previous students.

Potential learners of any course can also read past student reviews and ratings easily for a potentially unbiased assessment of its value.

Compared to other sites that offer tutorials and lessons, the great thing about Udemy is the ability to stop and start again. Most Udemy tutorials do a brilliant job of recognizing that there’s limited time for some people to follow the course.

Usually, extended modules are much shorter than YouTube videos, but they do offer much more information. This is probably the area where Udemy appears to be the most adept.

In addition to the features listed above, the ability to preview a course is another incredible feature Udemy delivers. Students can get a basic idea of the instructor’s teaching technique, and whether or not the course fits them before they commit to participation.

Udemy For Students

When it comes to online learning platforms, instructor quality matters. As an open marketplace for anyone who loves instructing and inspiring people around, it can be fairly confusing to evaluate the quality of each course and teacher.

Since Udemy doesn’t really require instructors to submit any teaching certificate, quality issues are one of the biggest concerns for users. We can’t expect 100% perfection from online teaching spaces. Even there are certainly some improvable points, most users’ reviews seem positive with the learning experience they’ve got from Udemy.

The Courses

It is no exaggeration to say that the quality of Udemy’s courses are very good and the team has improved courses a lot over time.

Each course, whether for beginners or advanced learners, is easy to hear and understand thanks to good video and sound quality. The courses are also arranged with a reasonable amount of time and divided into small digestible sections.

A huge range of subjects

Udemy has a number of free courses or preview/demo classes, you can test anytime before getting started. The remainder is estimated between $29 and $99 USD, depending on the length and the content of each course. You can also find some rare courses priced near to $1000 USD, which are probably created for advanced learners to master their skills.

One big plus of Udemy is that you can potentially discover discount coupons every time you log in to the site. It’s easy to recognize if these recommended courses are what you’re interested in or could be helpful to you. With discount coupons and special promotions, you’re able to enroll in your favorite courses at a cheaper price, or even for free.

Refund Policy

There may come a time when you feel unsatisfied with your purchase or simply have no time to follow the course after paying for it. No matter what your reason is, Udemy always has your back. You are eligible to request a refund as long as your request is no longer than 30 days after you bought it.

  • Lack of Academic Credit

One of the biggest problems of Udemy for students is that their certificates are not recognized by employers or the institutional system. This comes as a result of the questionable ability and experience of instructors.

Udemy courses are not typically planned for academic credit but for the transition of practical knowledge from experienced instructors to students. Students should be aware that they are responsible for perfecting a subject.

However, a certificate doesn’t mean much in many sectors. If you’re qualified enough, you should absolutely get a promotion or a better job.

Unverified Knowledge or Experience of Instructors

Being an open forum for information is not a good deal sometimes. Especially when it comes to online learning space, where the quality of instructors really matters. The business model of Udemy infers that each person can be a specialist in some subject or field and that others would like to benefit from this knowledge.

Instead of censoring or assessing the credibility of course creators or the quality of their guidance, Udemy counts on the open market to determine the best, the good and the worst. This open-door, non-discriminatory is not new. In fact, several ebook publishers use this way to approach to guarantee a lively flow of new offerings.

With the hopes of following the same structure, there’s a lot of things Udemy needs to do to ensure the quality of instructors meets users’ expectations.

Udemy For Instructors & Course Creators

Udemy offers potential instructors a guideline to plan, create, publish and promote their course offerings.

No matter what the subject is, Udemy has a video series including step-by-step instructions for creating a course. A complete library of informative articles and examples is offered with 24/7 availability. All the Udemy services are provided to potential instructors free of charge.

Course creators have the right to set the market price for the courses they offer. The price of $10-$30 USD per hour in content is suggested by Udemy. For example, in this formula, a four-hour course will range from $40 to $120 USD.

Udemy for Teachers

Udemy offers special promotional services that are intended to help instructors win new customers. The instructor decides which offers to participate in, and isn’t forced to give discounts. Experts may use their Udemy courses to facilitate the sale of services or products, thus creating brand value.

The price for each course is under the instructor’s control. Typically, instructors’ income comes from 2 sources: if the instructor gets a new Udemy student, he/she earns 100% of the tuition fee, if the instructor makes sales using current Udemy user base, he/she earns 50% of the tuition fee. This is a considerable sales commission and a huge advantage to using their platform.

Profitable Marketplace

Teaching online on Udemy is a profitable market where everyone can create their own courses and get paid for their knowledge. As technology and social networking grows, teaching online becomes popular whether as a long-term career or a side job. Although you can make money with online teaching platforms, it is a competitive marketplace.

New instructors on Udemy will be put into competition with other instructors who were on the site before them. Moreover, with the appearance of new faces in online learning like Lynda, Skilljar, SchoolKeep, instructors are pushed to an even more competitive race for students. This may make sense for some instructors, but it isn’t an easy market by any means.

The refund policy is a double-edged sword. While it is beneficial to learners, it can be difficult for instructors. In terms of the policy, students are eligible to make a refund request within 30 days of purchase. Consequently, course instructors may bear the risk that a student would finish the course within 30 days, yet still request a refund.

Lack of Marketing Assistance

Udemy provides special promotional programs to draw the attention of new customers and long-term users. The programs are supposed to support instructors’ income. Unfortunately, the fact is that these programs aren’t enough and the price can be expensive for many students.

With limited marketing assistance from Udemy, instructors mostly rely on personal marketing efforts to expand their brands. We all know teaching and marketing aren’t close in terms of skill sets, so not all those who teach can be in the business of teaching.

Udemy Alternatives

Creativelive.

Founded in 2010, CreativeLive is one of the world’s largest education platforms for anyone who is seeking online courses in creative areas. It has over 1,500 classes which are taught by more than 650 industry-leading experts.

CreativeLive Review

If you are looking for a way to improve your creative skills and make yourself a more talented artist, CreativeLive could be a good place to be.

The classes that CreativeLive offers focus on five categories: photography and video, art and design, music and audio, craft and maker, or money and life.

Read our CreativeLive review here .

Visit CreativeLive

The way that Skillshare works is different when compared to other online learning services. Unlike the majority of online learning platforms, it is more like a community or a social network than an academy. Users can create a class themselves and classify it, depending on their preference.

In general, Skillshare helps connect people with similar ideas even though they are from different countries. If you are a professor or fairly good at teaching something, you can create your own online classes and earn some real cash.

The Skillshare platform

The amount you get paid within this program is based on 2 things: the amount of time someone watches your videos and the total amount of premium students there are inside the Skillshare network at the month that the money is being paid out.

When it comes to topics, Skillshare willingly shows you a wide range of options, from art to business, from politics to economy.

This program is completely a legitimate platform, which has about three million users because of its attractive policies, flexible ways to create and useful courses. People who are considering going for Skillshare can sign up for free.

However, you may not make money if your topic is not popular or it is unable to meet students’ needs. Try to upgrade your lessons and learn more about marketing so as to draw student’s attention to your courses.

In terms of price, Skillshare has some free classes that are always available. Besides, with a Skillshare premium membership that costs $15/month, students can access more than 25,000 courses on an unlimited basis.

Considered as one of the best Udemy alternatives, Coursera offers a variety of options for learners to gain and upgrade their skills. Its courses focus on Computer Science and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs with more than 2,700 courses in almost any domain.

Whether your goal is to master your existing skills or seek for new interesting learning hobby, you surely receive what you are expected on Coursera. The platform has a wide range of courses with connections to several universities and institutions across the globe such as Havard, Stanford, and MIT.

Coursera

Once you have finished the course, Coursera hands out certificates or qualifications. These certificates are personalized with your name and can be accredited by a university. In other words, you take a course from Harvard, you may get a certificate from Harvard.

As for each course, the platform provides video subtitles with more than 30 languages including English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Turkish and more. The concern of a language barrier is overcome by using a global approach to teaching.

Courses on Coursera aren’t on the cheap side of the market, and this may be a drawback for some students. Single course payments vary around the $50 USD mark. Classes can be both cheaper and more expensive, depending on the subject, duration, and intensity of the course.

Specializations cost a few hundred USD dollars, although are also very variable-dependent when it comes to pricing. However, if you want to get a degree, the rates could go into the tens of thousands of US dollars. A subscription is priced at around $40 USD with $80-$90 USD for monthly access.

How To Choose The Best Courses On Udemy

It’s difficult to determine whether a course on Udemy is good or not due to questionable experience and knowledge of course creators.

However, there are still several tips to find the ideal Udemy courses on any subject.

  • Browsing: As mentioned, you can browse into different categories and subcategories once you enter Udemy Homepage. For a tiny subcategory, it’s quite easy to figure out and choose the best courses. All the listings (free & paid) are available on a single page. You can select options on the left-hand side to further shortlist the courses. For a larger subcategory, you can find a list of “Featured” and “All Courses” once you click on it. The next step is to shortlist a couple of good ones for final review from this list.
  • Searching: The topic of your preference could sometimes be very unique and you’re unable to find it in the sub-category. In this case, it’s recommended to search the platform for your chosen topic. As before, the next step is to shortlist a few courses, based on good ratings and the number of students rating those courses.
  • Reviewing: Now that you have several good courses in your shortlist, the final step is to open them in separate windows. You should review each of them critically to determine the best courses available on Udemy. That will only take a couple of minutes to do. Have a deep look over the rating, the number of students who enrolled and rated, the instructor’s bio and evaluate the quality of sample videos. You can also check written reviews to get more details about the courses. But keep in mind those reviews are only for references, each student has their own suitable teaching method. It’s better to go straight to sample videos for review.

Is Udemy Worth It?

Absolutely!

Udemy plays an important role as a dedicated instructor/mentor due to its relatively low cost and unlimited access to classes. The lessons that are given are transparent and will be helpful to anyone who wants to learn. The instructors explain their subjects carefully and have lessons illustrated as well so that learners are able to see what is being taught.

Even if one fails to catch up with the lessons, Udemy enables learners to rewind or stop at any point. It’s an ideal classroom for online learners, as it will likely benefit you in the long run. The time and money spent on these courses are probably well worth the prices being charged.

Udemy courses are indeed helpful, especially when it comes to academic and expert knowledge for your profession. There are also many courses to choose from, delivering very detailed information for maximum learning. The instructors are generally qualified and knowledgeable. The courses themselves are comprehensible, and the objectives are explained in multiple different ways.

Despite its amazing quality, Udemy gives students access to a valuable service with no fee charged (for some classes). Overall, it is a great learning platform with an easy interface and a reasonable fee structure that is likely worth your investment!

Ease of Use

Customer support.

  • Huge Range of Courses
  • Great Platform
  • Fair Pricing
  • Constant Offers
  • Some Courses Very Short
  • Inconsistent Pricing

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Nicholas is an experienced Finance Journalist who has written for a number of prominent online publications. He grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan with a father that would read him the Wall St. Journal along side of other bed-time fare. He has traveled extensively, and been lucky enough to study a changing global economy in person. Nicholas spent many years in the Southern Cone of South America, sometimes in the middle of the countryside where livestock starts its journey to all points of the globe. Today he is thoroughly bemused with the stance that Central Banks have taken in the wake of the 2008 meltdown. There is no telling what will come out of the global financial system next, but he is glad that he lives somewhere that gold can be bought and sold readily! [email protected]

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There’s Nothing You Can’t Learn on Udemy—But There’s a Catch

We tested udemy’s learning platform and learning tools. the takeaway choose your class wisely..

By Evelyn Auer | Updated Dec 2, 2022 2:28 PM

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.

Udemy review

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These days, there is a class for just about anything online. Whether seeking a software tutorial or instructions on starting a new craft, students likely won’t need to look further than the nearest computer or smartphone. Udemy is one of dozens of platforms available offering virtual classes to lifelong learners. With a library of thousands of courses ranging in topic from graphic design to magic tricks, Udemy has proven itself to be an increasingly popular choice since its launch in 2010. It operates on a unique model where any subject matter expert can record their own course and share it on the site’s marketplace.

To review Udemy, I used the platform exclusively as a student (logistically, reviewing it as a teacher wasn’t possible—I had no class to offer). With so many sites to choose from, potential students may reasonably be wondering, “Is Udemy legit?” when deciding which one is right for them. The answer is that it depends strictly on one’s needs. Ultimately, hobby students looking for in-depth knowledge on just about anything can benefit in some way. Read on for a full Udemy.com review.

Love UDemy? See more of the best online interior design courses , best online plumbing courses , and the best online floral design classes.

At A Glance

what is udemy review

Our Verdict: Udemy describes itself as a “global destination for online learning,” and with relatively affordable content in dozens of languages, it is widely accessible. Students will find courses to match just about any budget, schedule, and level of expertise. While Udemy is not accredited by any universities, and classes will not count toward a degree, the courses may help hobby students gain a better understanding of topics in a professional or academic setting.

  • Pricing: Free, $19.99 to $199.99 per course, or $20 per month for Udemy Personal
  • Skill levels: All levels
  • Class length: 0 to 17+ hours
  • Accreditation: No
  • Money-back guarantee: 30 days for single-class purchases
  • Students can tailor learning to their needs and interests
  • Udemy Personal subscription provides access to all courses at no additional cost
  • Reviews and ratings for each course are displayed on the course page
  • Lack of consistency in class quality
  • Money-back guarantee not included with Udemy Personal subscription
  • No guidance or feedback from tutors or instructors
  • No accreditation or certification for students

Udemy Review: Claims

Before using or hiring any service, it’s important to be sure that it lives up to its claims. Taking an online class is no different, so it’s worth asking, “Is Udemy good?” Udemy’s stated purpose is to help students all over the world take their learning into their own hands by providing an affordable, easy-to-use virtual learning platform. But how does it actually stack up when put to the test?

Course Selection

Udemy boasts one of the largest marketplaces of its kind with over 185,000 courses in 75 languages. It has achieved this massive database by allowing experts and instructors all over the world to publish their own courses on the site. The result is a diverse and wide-ranging collection of content that covers all manner of interests. While the home page mostly promotes courses on professional skills such as web development or leadership, clicking into any of the “Top Categories” reveals the full extent of Udemy’s library. Within broad categories like Business and Lifestyle are hundreds of titles that get as specific as “Cat Behavior” or “How to Sell Real Estate on Instagram.” Potential students can refine their search by ratings, duration, topic, subcategory, language, price, features, and subtitles, and the most popular classes are promoted front and center. Most of the content offered by Udemy tends to be geared toward learners without prior experience in the subject, although some topics have a handful of intermediate or expert-level selections.

Pricing and Money-Back Guarantee

Individual course prices on Udemy range from $19.99 at the lowest up to $199.99 for the most expensive, with a few being offered for free (although users are encouraged to note that prices change all the time). The site runs promotions and discounts frequently, and instructors often have limited-time offers on their individual courses. An important factor to keep in mind is that while Udemy makes recommendations to its instructors on fair pricing, ultimately each course instructor sets his or her own price. If a course does not live up to a student’s expectations for any reason, Udemy offers a money-back guarantee that is good for 30 days after purchase (otherwise it may issue the refund in Udemy credit).

Students taking more than one course on Udemy may want to opt for the $20 monthly subscription, or “Personal Plan.” The Personal Plan doesn’t include the site’s full content library, but with thousands of courses, there is still a substantial selection to choose from. Subscriptions are exempt from the money-back guarantee but begin with a 7-day free trial for customers to decide if they like the service; if not, they can cancel it for free.

Course Length and Structure

Perhaps excluding those with the busiest of schedules, most users will find that Udemy has a course that matches their availability and commitment level. Some courses will take less than 45 minutes to complete, while the longest courses provide up to 17 hours of instruction. Courses take the form of video segments and may include lectures, demonstrations, or slideshows, depending on the subject matter. As is the case with pricing, course features and structures are completely up to individual instructors. While some instructors may provide quizzes and other supplementals, others might focus their energy on responding to questions in the Q&A section. This information will usually be included in the course description, so students will know what to expect before they buy. It is also possible to sort by length and features while looking through the course options.

Students can take courses at their own pace, so there is no need to complete lectures or assignments within a certain time frame. Progress is saved and tracked, so it’s possible to break up the work into manageable chunks if needed.

Content Access and Features

Udemy provides lifetime access to purchased courses, which makes it possible to refer back to the content indefinitely. All past and current courses are listed under “my learning” along with any archived or wish-listed courses. There is also an option to schedule “learning time” by inputting an intended time and date to work on a class. Udemy then keeps students accountable by adding the class to their calendar and notifying them when it’s time to learn.

For those who purchase a subscription, Udemy offers even more. The Personal Plan provides access to thousands of courses for a monthly fee. Udemy Pro is an IT-specific program that is meant to “help students accomplish their IT certification goals.” For businesses looking to train groups of employees, Udemy Business is a more dynamic and customizable option. Unlike with individual courses, access to classes students have taken only lasts as long as their subscription (regardless of the type of subscription they opt for) is active, and one account is only allowed one subscription at a time.

The Udemy app is also accessible both to subscribers and one-time users. Just as on the site, users can browse all the available classes and watch lectures, plus download classes to learn offline.

Certifications and Accreditation

Udemy is not an accredited institution, and most of its content will not qualify students for college credit or certification unless a program has specified otherwise. With thousands of instructors, it’s impossible for Udemy to verify the credibility of each course. As is true with most online resources, students will need to use their best judgment in deciding whether an instructor meets their requirements and can speak reliably to the topic at hand. For most Udemy courses, the instructors’ bios and credentials will be listed in the course description for reference. It’s also worth it to consider when the course was published and if any of the information could have become outdated since then. Most courses will offer a certificate of completion.

Putting Udemy to the Test

I first turned to Udemy in search of a general class on gardening or caring for plants. Since I am an apartment dweller, all my plants are potted and, admittedly, a little worse for wear. Udemy’s intuitive site made it easy to find the perfect course on the basics of caring specifically for houseplants and to get started learning. The process of assessing my class options, checking out, and using the service was smooth, and after finishing my first course I felt inspired to try many more in the future.

Choosing a Course

Before logging on to Udemy for the first time I had not grasped the sheer volume of course options that the site houses. Searching for “gardening” alone yields over 400 results. At first I was overwhelmed, imagining myself spending an hour combing through courses. However, the filter proved itself useful and I refined my search by rating (at least 4.5 stars), the time I was willing to spend (no more than 3 hours), and level (beginner). Other filters include subcategory, language, price, features, and subtitles. I wish that the “price” filter would have let me sort by either “price low to high” or choose from a few price ranges, but it only gave me the option to choose between paid and free classes.

From there I had a manageable set of results. I opened some potential options in new tabs to assess one by one. Had I already created an account at this point, I could have also saved my top options to my “wish list” for later. If you’ve browsed Udemy’s course catalog and wondered, “Are Udemy courses legit?” the honest answer is that it depends. With so many courses, quality varies somewhat drastically. I found that being able to view several sample videos, a course description, class ratings, an instructor bio, and a breakdown of the course content paints a fairly comprehensive picture of the overall course quality.

I finally settled on Houseplants 101: A Beginners Guide to Indoor Gardening, a 1-hour course taught by Tyler Welsh of Dublin Indoor Gardeners. The relatively high rating of 4.4 stars and “bestseller” label convinced me that I had picked a quality class. It was made up of nine short lectures, all less than 10 minutes long, getting straight down to the basics of plant care (plants, light, water, soil, bugs, care). I noted that the class had subtitles—other courses offered a variety of languages, though this one only included English. There was no mention of learning materials like quizzes or practice tests, but I hadn’t expected them based on the subject matter. What’s more, the class was discounted to $13.99 from its full price of $34.99.

Udemy Review

Photo: udemy.com / Evelyn Auer

Checking Out

After choosing my class, I was able to check out easily by clicking “Buy Now.” If you have a promo code or want to use Afterpay or Klarna (services that allow users to pay for their purchase in installments), you’d need to navigate to your cart here instead. Some of the more advanced classes on Udemy run pricey, so having the option to break up payments could help mitigate that cost at the time of purchase.

My class was on sale for over half off for just 1 more day, which initially made me feel like I had stumbled on a rare bargain. But after returning to Udemy a few times, I realized that sitewide promotions are pretty much a weekly occurrence. After I was prompted to create an account, the payment process was breezy: I was given the option to pay with a card or with PayPal, and after giving my payment details and clicking “Complete Payment,” I was ready to begin my course.

I was curious about the subscription plans that are offered and found it surprisingly difficult to get information about them. Before creating my account, I saw plenty of links to learn more about Udemy Business or teaching on Udemy. But I did not see any mention of the Personal Plan ($20/month) until viewing my account information and seeing it listed as a subscription option. The elusive “Udemy Pro” plan was not listed with it and is apparently not always open for enrollment.

Udemy Review

Taking the Course

To get started, I found my course in the “My Learning” tab in the top-right corner of the site. This is where you can view all courses you have purchased and schedule times when you intend to take them. I imagine this feature is especially helpful if you are taking more than one course at a time. It’s also where you can find classes you’ve added to your wish list.

Udemy Review

I clicked on my class and the first lecture began playing. I could track which lesson I was watching and which ones I had left off to the right. Some helpful features underneath the video included a class Q&A, a place to take notes, announcements, reviews, and learning tools. I liked that I could tether my notes to the time stamp of where I was in the lecture and use them later to jump to that part of the video. Under the “reviews” tab I also read what past students had to say about the class (mostly positive, though some wanted more in-depth material). I was able to read these before I purchased the class, but it was interesting to refer back to them once I had experienced it for myself.

The other features were unfortunately irrelevant to my particular class. I had considered dropping a question or two in the Q&A section, but I was disappointed to see that my instructor hadn’t responded to any questions in over a year. This is one issue with Udemy’s open framework—instructors are not required to update their material and could potentially upload a course and never return to it again. This class also did not provide extra tools like quizzes, which would have broken up the lectures nicely and made me feel more like an active participant. Unless the user hits pause, the lectures will play automatically one after the other. I ended up completing my 1-hour course in one sitting since the material blended together so seamlessly.

Otherwise, the lectures were as expected based on the previews. They outlined some basics of plant care, such as optimizing light, water, and soil based on plant types. As a “project,” my instructor demonstrated how to repot plants that are rootbound or have outgrown their current vessels. My plants haven’t yet reached this point, but I fully intend on referring back to this section when the time comes since I have botched this procedure in the past (Fred the Fiddle-Leaf Fig met a premature demise). Lastly, he reiterated the most important points and summed up what we had learned in a recap video. After finishing all the lectures, I received my certificate of completion! I may not get much use out of the certificate out in the real world, but it did make me feel like I’d accomplished something.

Out of curiosity, I also downloaded the app to see if I might prefer the mobile experience. In some ways, it distills the site features more effectively than on the web because the interface is less cluttered. The icons at the bottom of the app allow you to browse featured classes, search the site (with the same filters you get on the web), view “my learning” and your wish list, and view your account info. You can also quickly download courses for watching offline on the app, so you could watch while traveling with no internet service.

Udemy Review

Overall, I found using Udemy to be easy, enjoyable, and most importantly, informative. I envision myself both referring back to this course as a refresher and trying out new ones in the future. While I knew what I was looking for this time in terms of classes, I like the opportunity for serendipity you get from simply browsing the catalog. I had never considered learning the art of bonsai before, but after coming across the course on Udemy I’m interested!

UDemy Reviews by Customers

Thousands of students have given Udemy a whirl, and searching for “Udemy courses review” will return a wide spectrum of feedback. Because there are so many courses and instructors to choose from, two users’ experiences on the site can be very different from one another. Users cite the course variety, easy-to-navigate website, and affordable prices as points in Udemy’s favor. Most reviewers who were pleased with the site mention that they’ve already taken multiple courses and intend to take more in the future.

While most Udemy.com reviews seem to be positive, a few common consumer complaints are worth noting. Some ConsumerAffairs reviews have reported that their refund requests were ignored or rejected by Udemy despite the 30-day money-back guarantee. Representatives were either too slow to respond to the requests or were unhelpful in some cases. A common observation among Trustpilot reviews is how much the quality tends to vary across courses. As mentioned, it is impossible for a site like Udemy to thoroughly vet each and every course, so some variation in quality is to be expected. Individual Udemy course reviews pertaining to specific classes might provide some insight in these cases. Keep others’ Udemy classes reviews in mind, but also take them with a grain of salt since people are more likely to report a negative experience than a positive one.

How Udemy Stacks Up to the Competition

While looking for Udemy course reviews, it is inevitable to come across some of its competitors. Similar sites like Coursera, Skillshare, and MasterClass offer versions of the same service with a few key differences. Udemy stands out for having the largest database compared to its competitors, which comes with pros and cons. MasterClass, for example, might not have the niche subject matter Udemy has, but it does have a lot more control over the quality of its classes and is able to be more curated. Here are a few details on Udemy’s biggest competitors.

Udemy vs. Skillshare

Skillshare is probably the closest relative to Udemy, and both learning communities operate on a similar open framework model where instructors choose to upload courses on their own. Skillshare’s subject matter is more limited to creative skills like design, and its library is smaller. However, classes tend to be more consistent in price and quality and include some higher-profile instructors.

Udemy vs. Coursera

As mentioned above, Udemy is not accredited by any universities. For those continuing a college education or needing a formal certification, Coursera would be the alternative to try. It is partnered with over 170 universities, and students can even earn a degree through its site. However, with that comes a slightly higher price tag, and with Coursera’s main application being for college or career advancement, it isn’t really designed for hobbyists.

Udemy vs. MasterClass

MasterClass is best known for its “celebrity” instructors, highly curated video lectures, and 30-day in-depth “Sessions” on select topics. MasterClass’s prices are actually comparable to others in this list, and what they lack in quantity they make up for in spades with quality. They tend to lean more toward soft skills with classes like “Modern Italian Cooking” with Massimo Bottura or “Self-Expression and Authenticity” with RuPaul. Students certainly won’t wonder about their instructor’s qualifications on MasterClass, but they may miss the scope and variety of courses available on Udemy.

Should you use Udemy?

If you are still wondering, “Is Udemy worth it?” it is important to consider your particular goals and what you want to get out of the site. Those looking to tackle a subject at an entry level or merely out of curiosity will probably find that Udemy satisfies their needs. There is plenty of course content for beginners in most categories, and you can be flexible with how much and how often you want to engage with the material.

However, for those looking for more in-depth instruction or needing a certification, Udemy might not be the first choice. Though there are exceptions, most instructors are not available to address questions or concerns from students, and expert-level content is limited. Many classes do provide a certificate of completion at the end, but depending on your goals this may or may not be a useful credential. It certainly couldn’t hurt to include it on a resume or portfolio to show your initiative.

With that being said, Udemy’s relatively low prices and money-back guarantee make it a low-risk investment to try. Even if you ultimately need additional resources later, Udemy could be a good place to begin your foray into learning a new skill.

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Udemy

Udemy Reviews

Our promise. We provide a buying advantage with verified reviews and unbiased editorial research.

About Udemy

Udemy is an online learning platform with more than 100,000 video courses. Some courses are free, but all are relatively inexpensive. Students receive guidance from an experienced instructor and have lifetime access to any course. Courses are available in 65 languages. Topics include business, finance, development, information technology, design, music and fitness.

Pros & Cons

  • Course variety
  • Lifetime access
  • Pay-per-course
  • No academic credit
  • Can be pricey

Featured Reviews

Many of my coworkers choose to use Udemy for continuing education. I feel it has the best selection, training and curriculum vs others I have tried. Yes, the courses may be longer...

I'm in the middle of taking two different Udemy courses ... and both are excellent (IMHO). I know that some people have had bad experiences with Udemy courses ... So some are good...

What is Udemy?

Udemy is an online learning platform for students and professionals. Udemy has more than 50 million students and 57,000 instructors who teach courses in over 65 languages. The company has more than 100,000 online courses available on desktops, laptops and mobile devices through its Android and iOS apps. Users can study any topic at any time, and every course purchase includes lifetime access to the classes.

Popular course categories on Udemy include:

  • Development
  • IT and software
  • Personal development
  • Photography

You can answer a few quick questions, including what topics you’re curious about and how familiar you are with specific subjects, to receive personalized course recommendations.

Udemy courses are taught by video, audio or text. Course features vary by platform but can include quizzes, closed captions, bookmarks, reviews and instructor announcements.

When you complete a paid Udemy course, you receive a certificate of completion. Because Udemy is not an accredited institution, the certificate only demonstrates your skills and achievements to employers, family members or friends.

Udemy for Business is a popular option for employee learning. All Udemy for Business clients receive unlimited access to the 4,000 most popular courses and fresh content from more than 1,500 experts and real-world practitioners.

Udemy prices

Some popular online learning platforms feature a membership system, but Udemy is a pay-per-course service. Courses on Udemy range from $9 to $300, and the company frequently hosts sales.

Udemy accepts international debit and credit cards, PayPal and bank transfers. The company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Udemy is not an accredited institution. Each completed Udemy course includes a certificate, but the certificate can’t be used to seek formal accreditation.

Udemy is a legitimate company. Courses are designed to help you learn or enhance a particular skill. Every student who completes a course receives a certification of completion, though it cannot be used to receive formal accreditation for continuing education units or coursework.

Udemy courses are priced based on the market, though the company does host sales and sometimes an instructor offers discounts to increase sale volume.

Every course has a specific duration associated with it. Once the course is purchased, the consumer has lifetime access to their selected courses.

Do we recommend Udemy?

Udemy offers free and paid always-accessible instructional courses on a variety of topics for professionals and students. If you want to learn a new skill or develop a current one, Udemy is a great option for learning. Though some of its programs can be pricey, the site offers several economical and free instructional courses. We recommend Udemy for its varied assortment of coursework, simple payment structure and lifetime access.

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Reviewed March 28, 2024

I took the Home Health Aide course under Udemy. The instructor was Dr. Udochi **. I paid for and completed the course only to find out when I went to the agency the certification was not accepted. They informed me I was to be put on the NYS Registry. I emailed the Dr. (Only way of contacting someone at this company unless you pay for someone to call you back. Poor Customer Service) to find out about being put on the NYS Registry. She informed me that NYS requires 16 hr of in class participation and CPR AED (which I also took online with course). I emailed her shouldn't this information be provided to the student before I paid my money and wasted my time taking the course. I requested my money back via email only to get ghosted. Tried finding a number online to no avail. Udemy will only communicate via email unless you pay for someone to contact you via phone. Oh here's the kicker just received an email to take another course.

Reviewed Feb. 28, 2024

Udemy claims they refunded me money for two courses I purchased but never gave me my refund and their support team refuses to cooperate. Here are the details: I purchased two courses from Udemy and then they immediately suspended my account. This was my first purchase with Udemy. The support team informed me that my account was suspended because of suspicious activity. I am not sure what is suspicious about me buying courses from them, but they claim it was suspicious and froze my account. I was never sent an email to inform me that my account was frozen. I was never sent an email informing me I would be receiving a refund. I was never sent an actual refund.

On the Udemy website, under the "Refunds" tab, they claim that a refund was issued the same day that I bought my two courses. I was never notified of this nor sent a refund. The support team was difficult to contact, as the "contact us" button on the Udemy help center does not work. There is no phone number to contact support. It does not seem like Udemy wants to address customer issues. Once I was able to find and submit a ticket to the support team, they were extremely unhelpful. Udemy stole my money and scammed me out of valuable courses. I do not have the funds to pay for these courses a second time. Please be careful when doing "business" with Udemy.

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Reviewed Feb. 18, 2024

Recently I purchased a series of highly-rated courses by the same instructor through the Udemy mobile app. I made it through the first course, very disappointed with presentation of the material, hoping the next course would be better. It wasn't, so I cancelled the other six classes in the series and requested a refund. Udemy only gives credits (at least on the app). Today I found an in-app course and went to the page showing my credits. To use them, I have to have a "credit code," but there isn't one connected to any of the classes. When I went to the FAQs, I learned that credits can't be used for in-app purchases - only for purchases made at Udemy.com. BUT...

e. Read the course syllabus: How long are the videos? Are there course materials you can download? Is there enough course there for the money?

Hope this helps!!!

Reviewed Jan. 11, 2024

I purchased 4 courses and then one day went to study them and they were gone! I have spent hours trying to reach someone. Finally was able to "create a ticket" and gave them screen shot which proved I had paid 158.00 plus gave them the date of the purchase and other information they asked for and then got an email that because I did not respond, the issue is considered resolved. I actually repurchased the course I was halfway into when it went missing. Absolutely no satisfaction and yes, terrible customer service!

Reviewed Nov. 15, 2023

I've been using Udemy almost daily since the start of 2023, learning programming and cloud full-time. For most of this year it was great, but it seems like lately they have been skimping on server costs or something, as there are so many issues that plague the experience. In the last 3 months I've had two separate days where the site was completely down (very frustrating when those are my two best days of the week to study each time), and then today the keyboard shortcuts to handle videos all stopped working, which makes programming while learning ten times harder, not worth doing and just programming without a video or using YouTube would be a better usage of my time.

I've spent over $300 on courses on the site, all on sale, but I will not be purchasing any more based on the recent decline in quality and usability for the site. I'm still going to try and finish these as quickly as possible before the site disintegrates, hopefully I have enough time. Why I gave 2 stars instead of 1: The actual course content and teachers on Udemy are 10/10 and NOT the problem. It's the site itself, and what seems to me to clearly be management deciding to cut costs and reduce the availability of the website.

Reviewed Nov. 9, 2023

A student of mine suggested I upload my course to Udemy, to try and increase reach. It seemed ok, I looked around, and it seemed I should expect 50-60% of the fee. Fine, they do marketting, I do teaching, I like that. Or so I thought. I set up the program, looked all around, including promotions and discounts, everything looked good, put my standard $200 price tag on it. I've been building this course and running it for 7 years. $200 is what students pay, so it wasn't like I was charging more or less. Same price. I got notified a few days later I had 4 students!! Awesome! I login, and see they are giving me $14. Total. Not per student. 4 students in a $200 class, and they want to pay me $14. That is less than 2% of what I set my price at.

After reaching out, initially they tried to explain "they have promotions, they sell from 10-200 unless we opt out". As I said, I looked through promotions. That isn't where THAT promotion is. They have to explain to you how to opt-out, as they automatically opt you in. I still am waiting to hear back on how even 4x10 gets me only $14. They claimed they would look into it, but after a week of "we are busy, please wait", I explained either pay me the 50% of my full price, or remove my materials. "we are busy, please be patient". So I then just deleted them. Next day they claim I am violating their student gaurantees for pulling my material down. They still never got back to me about how 4 sales of my $200 class, only get me $14. I did message every student who signed up, explaining how Udemy was trying to rip me off. I didn't want the students to be hurt, but I have a feeling Udemy blocked that message to the students.

DO NOT BUY COURSES FROM THEM!! They rip off the creators, giving them peanuts, and expecting us to be happy with it. DO NOT CREATE COURSES ON THEM!! There are many other sites it seems, that do not have this reputation and history, or at least make it so you have to opt-in to these deals. UDEMY IS A SCAM!!

Reviewed Oct. 21, 2023

I was 4 days past the refund window but explained that the course title said “master” but it turned out to be another beginner course. I just finished the 2 beginner courses I had bought from them. Which took the 30 days only to find out this was master course was redundant and not an advanced course. So frustrating dealing with another greedy corporate monster. Nothing like their lovely mission statement at all. Don’t be fooled.

Reviewed Oct. 10, 2023

Have used Udemy to learn trading on the stock market with “Trading Made Simple” from Roel **. Absolutely amazing course that has taught me to make a living out of day trading. It basically made me rich haha.

Reviewed July 26, 2023

Beware using free 7-day trial if in USA. If you don't cancel before it ends, it converts to annual subscription which can't be canceled vs. a monthly subscription that could be canceled. You will be immediately charged the annual subscription fee. No flexibility or adjustments from Udemy customer service!!

Reviewed June 12, 2023

I should have read these reviews first. They truly do not care about learners and have a very crappy customer service. READ THE FINE PRINT HIDDEN AWAY BENEATH LAYERS OF WEB PAGES DEEP DOWN IN THEIR WEBSITE, THIS COMPANY IS A SCAM! You will find that it says that you cannot get a refund for a subscription, but on the website and the way that they try to sell the product is by telling you that if you don't like it you can get a refund but that is not true.

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Udemy Review

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With Udemy, you can study from the comfort of your home and do as many courses as you like.

In this Udemy Review you’ll find out why it is one of the top rated online learning platforms.

VISIT UDEMY

  • What is Udemy?

Udemy is an online course provider that is targeted for professional adults to learn from. It has a record of being a well-known provider for all kinds of educational courses.

udemy review

It is also a very affordable option when it comes to education online. As they have created a much more affordable system in the last few years. Standing out from the crowd of more expensive learning platforms.

Udemy even offers a selection of free courses that students can take. These can be taken if the student needs them or as a way to decide whether or not to buy an Udemy course.

Compared to other online educational platforms, Udemy has some of the lowest prices around. While still providing educational-level courses that are useful and enlightening. However if you are only interested in learning languages, then we recommend Babbel (here is more about the Babbel family plan ).

Udemy has millions of users, and the number is still growing. Check out the Udemy user statistics here .

  • What is Udemy Used for?

Udemy is often used by students looking to add more experience to their expertise. But many others use Udemy as well to broaden their knowledge and learn about the subjects that they are interested in.

Most Udemy courses are very simple to join and start, making it an attractive option for quickly getting courses done.

Most Udemy courses last anywhere from 30 minutes to 60 hours. Making them much more simple to complete than many other college-level courses.

Once you have paid for a course, you also have unlimited access to it. So, you do not have to finish it in a certain time. Once you paid for it, you can take as long as you need to in order to complete the course.

udemy platform

Udemy is sometimes even used by high school students looking to prepare for college. Or adults looking to brush up on old skills.

  • How Do You Use Udemy?

To begin using Udemy, you will need to follow these steps:

  • Start by creating an account here . This is very easy and quick and works much like any other website.
  • Don’t forget to validate your email address.
  • Once you have added the necessary information to create an Udemy account, you can then look at the courses.

Right after signing up, Udemy will ask you about your career goals.

udemy career goals

Start by going to your newly made account and clicking on the My Learning tab. This tab will take you to all of the courses available on Udemy. Click on the courses that you want to take or specifically look them up.

By doing this, you can look up specific subjects or for free courses to take. Once you find a course that you want to buy, click Buy Now on the course landing page.

This will then take you to a different page to checkout, where you will add in the necessary payment information. Make sure to apply any coupons that you have before checking out completely. Or you will miss out on savings.

If it is a free course, you can simply start the course then and there with no delays.

Once you have bought the courses that you want to take, you can use them as often as you like. They are yours to keep for as long as your account is open.

There are also no time restrictions, you can work as slow or as fast as you want to. The courses will also stop where you left them so that you do not lose your place.

  • Is Udemy Legit?

With so many scams going on online, it can be scary to trust a new website. But Udemy is a well-established and trustworthy learning platform.

Here is are some reviews from people on Twitter:

@_killer_shell Thank you so much for your Udemy #CKS course. It was top-notch and got even better with access to the new KilllerKoda practice sessions! It made passing the exam a breeze! — Ryan Brainard (@ryanbrainard) February 10, 2022
Thank you for sharing! It’s a great course! — Buncee (@Buncee) February 7, 2022

It is completely legitimate and has been selling courses for a long time. When you use Udemy, you can know that they are not trying to scam you or steal your information. They are purely an educational website built to offer courses to students.

You can safely create login information and add your payment information without fear of it being stolen. Udemy is widely trusted and used by people from all over the world.

  • Is Udemy Safe to Use?

Because Udemy will ask for a certain amount of personal and private information, including credit card information. It can be a bit scary to trust Udemy with so many scam websites across the internet.

New year, new skills with incredible prices @udemy 😍 Thank you Udemy for making my life easier 🙏🏻 my absolute favorite “Learning platform”🔥.. — Basel (@Basel86_) December 29, 2021

The good thing is that Udemy is completely legitimate and will not scam you. They are a real earning platform and only need that information to help you get their courses.

All of your private and sensitive information will be carefully stored in their database away from prying eyes. They will not take your information and scam you or use it against you.

Your account will be protected, and only you will be able to access it. Though it may not seem as secure as other websites, students normally have no security issues and can safely continue to buy courses.

  • Are Udemy Certificates Valid?

Udemy does offer certificates when you complete a course. These are a great incentive and help you to feel as though you have just accomplished something.

The downside to this is that Udemy certificates do not have much real-world value. They may make you feel good, but they cannot be used in the real world to show experience.

This is where Udemy starts to look a bit sketchy as they gladly show that they offer certificates. This often tricks students into thinking that these are useful certificates and can be used like college degrees.

By offering certificates after each course, students automatically assume that these are useful. When in reality, they are nothing more than a certificate of completion to give you a pat on the back.

This is one of the major reasons why people can often be against Udemy. Especially if they went into it and paid for courses under the idea that these certificates could be useful.

Many educational platforms make it seem as though their courses can be useful in the real world when they cannot. This often makes taking the courses unrealistic as they will not be useful in the working world.

  • Can You Put Udemy Certificates on Your Resume?

Because Udemy certificates have no real-world value , they will not be very useful on your resume. You can add them to it, but they won’t count for much or look very impressive.

Adding Udemy to your resume might actually hurt your chances of landing a job. As it can give off the appearance of looking unprofessional.

Unlike other educational platforms, Udemy doesn’t have the highest quality of courses. They may seem in-depth and well put together, but there are few requirements for Udemy courses.

There is really no knowing who created the course or what their expertise was. This is why Udemy certificates cannot actually add any value. Because professionals are oftentimes not the ones leading the course.

Putting Udemy on your resume would be much like adding Skillshare or Coursera to it or some Youtube tutorials that you took. It doesn’t look professional and does not show any real education.

If you do take Udemy courses, it is best to do so for the sake of learning in and of itself. Don’t plan on adding it to your resume, or you might actually make yourself look worse to employers.

  • Is Udemy Worth It?

Whether or not Udemy is worth your time and money are going to greatly depend on why you are using it. It has a lot of pros and cons depending on why you want to take Udemy courses.

If you simply want to brush up on some old skills and information, Ufemy is a great place to do this. Their free courses are a great option, but even their paid courses are very affordable.

udemy courses

If you enjoy learning and want to continue to enjoy educational content, Udemy is still a great option. Their affordable courses make continual learning possible without breaking your bank account.

You can enjoy the free or cheap courses as well as follow sales and get coupons to use on the more expensive courses.

If you are looking to bulk up your resume or academic experience, however, Udemy is not worth it. This is because, Udemy certificates are not widely recognized, so all of that hard work won’t mean much.

Udemy is not meant to be used to show your experience or education. It seems as though it would be since they give out certificates, but those certificates hold little value.

If you actually want to further your career through additional education, you would be better off finding other courses. Udemy is a great place to learn, but it is not recognized by employers, colleges, or universities.

If you planned on using your certificates, Udemy would simply be a waste of your time. There are many other course platforms that actually offer valuable certificates that will be useful to you.

  • Is Udemy Good for College Students?

If you are a college student, Udemy might be a good option for you to learn more about your courses. It is very affordable and easy to use, with no stressful deadlines or requirements.

It is also a pay-per-course system, so you do not have to pay any monthly subscriptions or fees. This leaves you to use Udemy as you need to, whether that be every month or every few months.

The one reason why Udemy might not be good for college students is that you cannot actually use the certificates. They are more like a reward for completing your course work, they don’t hold real value.

This means that these cannot be applied to your college work or added to your resume. Academically and career-wise, Udemy certificates are worthless and a waste of your time and money.

If you want to bulk up your resume and academic achievements, Udemy is not the way to go about doing this. If you simply wish to learn a bit more about certain topics, it is great.

Udemy is great for learning more about certain subjects without having to buy expensive courses. It is also very time efficient and lets you work when you want to.

This is what makes Udemy great for students simply looking to brush up on their knowledge. It is great for learning more but don’t expect colleges or employers to recognize it as an achievement.

  • Is Udemy Free?

Udemy is not entirely free, but it does offer some access to free courses.When browsing their site, I found 561 free courses.

These courses are often simplified and have limited features, but they can still prove to be useful.

Manu instructors in Udemy also offer limited-time offers on their courses where they will be free for a time. This is a great way to take advantage of a paid course without actually having to pay anything.

Free Udemy Courses

Udemy also has a coupon system where you can apply these coupons to your courses.

Taking a percentage off of them to make them more affordable. These are usually offered by instructors and can be more easily found in Facebook groups.

Even though Udemy is not entirely free, they still have a lot of free options to choose from.

If you are looking for a very basic course with no bells or frills, a free course might be perfect for you.

Overall, even the paid courses on Udemy are still reasonably priced. Priced much lower than many other educational platforms that sell courses.

Once you have used coupons and taken advantage of its sales, you are very rarely ever paying full price. Most of the time courses, end up being well under $100.

  • How Much Are Udemy Courses?

Udemy courses are some of the cheapest educational courses that you will find on the internet. This is often because they are not quite in-depth or expertly led by other platforms.

The most expensive courses on Udemy are $199.99 currently, but that price is often not what you pay. As Udemy is known for its many course sales that can lower the price by up to 90%.

Udemy also has many ways of getting coupons which can further lower the asking price. Making these courses much more affordable than you would first think.

The lowest courses that most beginners start with are around $10. Making it easy for you to test the waters to see if you would want to purchase a higher costing course from Udemy.

Between sales, coupons, and free courses, Udemy is a very affordable educational platform. They offer a huge variety of courses on all kinds of topics, making it easy to find what you are interested in.

Udemy Review – Our Verdict

Udemy is an educational platform that offers an amazing selection of courses for students to choose from. Their system is simple and fast, allowing students to work quickly and efficiently.

It is ideal for anyone looking to take courses from the comfort of their own home. It is also one of the most affordable options out there.

Udemy prices are already pretty low when it comes to courses, all being under $200. But they also host many course sales and offer a variety of coupons. Some take as much as 90% off of the original price.

Udemy also offers a selection of free courses that you can take at no extra charge. They are simpler and don’t have as many features, but they are still a great option.

All of these perks make Udemy a very cost-effective way of being able to take courses online.

  • Downsides of Udemy

The biggest downside to Udemy as well as the most common complaint, is that their certificates aren’t useful.

Udemy offers certificates for every course that you complete, which often leads people to assume that they are valuable.

Unfortunately, Udemy certificates are just a kind of pat on the back for completing your course work. They are not recognized by employers, colleges, or universities in the slightest.

You cannot put Udemy certificates on your resume to show your expertise either. This is mostly because just about anyone can create a Udemy course, it isn’t limited to professionals or experts.

This makes these courses much less respected, which is why they cannot be used to show your achievements.

As long as you do not plan to use Udemy as a way to show your skills academically or work-wise. Udemy is a great option for learning more and broadening your expertise on particular topics.

  • Udemy Review - Our Verdict

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Breaking Consumer Law Useless Customer…

Breaking Consumer Law Useless Customer Service I requested a refund 13 days after purchase (which is an available option up to 30 days after purchase) this was confirmed via email within a few days as I was told my refund was being process. Udemy then credited the amount to my account and are currently refusing to amend their mistake. They are currently using the fact that the purchase is now well beyond 30 days (because they are impossible to get hold of) as their reason for holding on to my money, and say they cannot rectify THEIR mistake. Trying to explain to their customer service is like talking to a brick wall and they are well aware of how to play this game. Very poor service, would not recommend. They were incredibly difficult to get hold of and when I finally did they ignored me as long as possible. When they did reply the persisted to ignore their error and did nothing to rectify or appease my complaint and refused to escalate the issue.

Date of experience : March 22, 2024

You just will not be able to log in anymore and they have made the way to find out their contact as hard as possible, tells enough how long it would take them to answer if one even digs the way to con

Out of blue, I could not log in today. Their machine reported 'wrong password', which I found a bit surprising, but nevermind, possibly my password manager which had worked fine on an earlier occasion now failed. On I went to change password, but, surprise, surprise, no email has landed to my inbox, I then read their notification that spam folder should be checked, well-well, what if one does not have such a folder at all? Naturally, I tried to reach them through their customer support. After reading the instruction from their page (it does not display any email address) how one could reach them, after the most illogical steps to be taken first, I am beginning to have a migraine.

Date of experience : March 18, 2024

Fix your videoplayer

Streaming these lessons is a disaster... It's very hard to watch a video that streams for 2 seconds and then pauzes to buffer for 5. This only happens on udemy and it's causing a TERRIBLE user experience. Content was good.

Date of experience : March 16, 2024

The class was decent, but prices went up after the first one, so no longer worth it.

I finished my first Udemy class, and I thought it was worth it for the $15 I paid. It was essentially something I could find on YouTube for free, but I still thought it was worth paying for. I was impressed that the 2 times I posted questions in the discussion below, that someone (a "TA") actually responded. I would give them 4 or even 5 stars, but once I completed my first class, the price for all subsequent classes went to about $100 each. At this price, I don't see them really worth the money, since there are just as good classes for free elsewhere. However, I would still pay $15 each for reasonably well vetted and curated classes, which Udemy does seem to offer.

Date of experience : March 08, 2024

The classes are outdated

The classes are old, the classes for social media are outdated. They recommend companies/services that have gone out of business many years ago. Impossible to get a refund!

Date of experience : March 11, 2024

I am very disappointed with Udemy's…

I am very disappointed with Udemy's support. I work for a software company and we have several of our employees on this platform. If nothing goes wrong, it's fine. But! If you need assistance, they will only email or have you use the chat bot. Response times can be days and they are super unhelpful. As soon as I can find a comparable option, I will be moving my team elsewhere.

Date of experience : March 06, 2024

Offering "Reiki certifications" without any inch of proper training involved (which is always in-person and in length) is a very dangerous practice from your part! And that's just one of the things one can notice on your platform.

Date of experience : March 07, 2024

A positive experience

Contrary to some others negative experiences, I don’t have any. Signed up for a few courses and having no problems at all! I like the fact that there’s more videos in it compared to Centre of Excellence courses and very good value

Date of experience : February 16, 2024

Buyer beware

Buyer beware! I purchased a course on coaching. 11 days into the course, I watched 82 short videos out of 228 available, which is 36%. Several of those videos were "bonus material" dealing with third-party apps that had nothing to do with the course. I asked for a refund, which they denied because they said I watched too much of the course. Look at their refund policy. It says they retain the right to refuse refunds, and one of those items listed is watching too much of the course. BUT, they never say anywhere what is too much. Is it 5%-10% it doesn't matter. You cannot appeal their decision because there is NO WAY to contact a human. NO phone number, and no email address. Just an endless circle. I wouldn't recommend this company to anyone because you can't trust their guarantee. It's totally arbitrary.

Date of experience : February 22, 2024

Don't Use the Udemy Mobile App

Udemy has a mobile app, which makes it very convenient, HOWEVER, if you purchase a course on the app and it isn't well done (which is what I experienced), don't be misled that you can use the credits issued in lieu of a refund to purchase another course on the app. Credits can only be used if a course is purchased at udemy.com, so in this regard, the app is a scam - it appears to be a separate system from udemy.com.

Date of experience : February 18, 2024

Terrible attitude and customer service

Contacted them to discuss UDEMY Business, and asked for rough costings on behalf of the company I work for. Long story short, they won't tell you prices unless you meet with them several times (and they certainly won't put anything in writing). Terrible attitude and a terrible company. Do not recommend using them for corporate training courses.

Date of experience : February 14, 2024

Reasonable value but poor delivery

For what it provides at the price point it provides it is good value. But I have found the videos don't stream well with lots of little stops as they stream which makes it extremely irritating to use. I have investigated whether it is from my connection but everything else streams well (youtube, music, netflix) and the poor streaming only occurs on their platform. So they need to invest in more servers or something. Also the course content quality is entirely dependent upon the creator so some of it is total crap.

Date of experience : December 31, 2023

Killed by DRM and no support contact

Bought a lot of courses here but they recently introduced DRM so I can no longer make screenshots of the course content. So I now have 100 hours of technical videos with no ability to take slide screenshots for my notes. At that point I realised its basically impossible to contact udemy support. They were the best on this area but with the new DRM changes I'm hoping they have competitors asap.

Date of experience : November 06, 2023

Highly recommend!

I have purchased a couple of the courses from Udemy during this last year and have had no issue’s at all. The course’s has been easily accessed and the content excellent. I can highly recommend this company to meet your needs and I shall continue to use them! I honestly have no idea why there are so many negative comments.

Date of experience : November 01, 2023

I've had such a positive experience so…

I've had such a positive experience so far. I've completed 3 courses. For the price and convenience it's been excellent! No regrets or complaints!

Date of experience : February 02, 2024

Stay away from Udemy!!

Issues with Udemy started on and off in August of 2023. I was not able to access my paid courses. I tried different browsers, cleaned my memory, cache etc. I contacted Support on 12/18/2023. Instead of the customary 24 hour response, I waited 4 days. Response was standard - we are looking into the issue. On December 31st 2023 I heard back from them that issue had been resolved. It's February 5th, 2024, issue has not been resolved. I have called their listed number and the mailbox is full!! I have launched a complaint with BBB for a full refund and close my account.

Date of experience : February 04, 2024

Horrible subscription payment\refund…

Horrible subscription payment\refund model. Buyer beware if you are 5 minutes late to cancel your 'free' trial period you will be charged $200 (or whatever the full subscription fee is) without any option to contest or any number to call to change your learning approach. When attempting to contact support you're only option is a chatbot that tells you there's no refund. Period. There are plenty of other training options with far greater payment flexibility options. Once this subscription ends I will never use Udemy again and will warn others of the rigid payment policies of Udemy.

Date of experience : January 21, 2024

UDEMY "A WEB LEARNING BOOK" a sincere thanks to this learning site... from a free learning session to , with certificates . listening, reading and understanding will never be boring.. with Udemy, you can choose several courses to learn with. i highly recommend these topics *energy protection and boundaries> *effective approaches for self guided learning> *how to speak to anyone and be fearless>.I took up these courses and its for free .

Date of experience : July 10, 2023

Photography Masterclass

Photography Masterclass - all Assigment Photos I uploaded disappeared and ALL completed Assignments show as not completed. Upon contacting customer service I received the standard answer (like hundreds of other customers) that completion of assignments is not necessary to get a certificate, which I don't care about. My uploaded pics are gone! Now the course stops working half way through. What a scam!

Stole my money

Udemy claims they refunded me money for two courses I purchased but never gave me my refund and their support team refuses to cooperate. Here are the details: I purchased two courses from Udemy and then they immediately suspended my account. This was my first purchase with Udemy. The support team informed me that my account was suspended because of suspicious activity. I am not sure what is suspicious about me buying courses from them, but they claim it was suspicious and froze my account. I was never sent an email to inform me that my account was frozen. I was never sent an email informing me I would be receiving a refund. I was never sent an actual refund. On the Udemy website, under the "Refunds" tab, they claim that a refund was issued the same day that I bought my two courses. I was never notified of this nor sent a refund. The support team was difficult to contact, as the "Contact Us" button on the Udemy help center does not work. There is no phone number to contact support. It does not seem like Udemy wants to address customer issues. Once I was able to find and submit a ticket to the support team, they were extremely unhelpful. Udemy stole my money and scammed me out of valuable courses. I do not have the funds to pay for these courses a second time. Please be careful when doing "business" with Udemy.

Date of experience : February 28, 2024

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Q&A: Udemy online education exec on tech layoffs and skills needs

Online education sites are scrambling to create and link to courses in generative ai technology to meet an insatiable demand for skilled workers. udemy's scott rogers details what's going on..

Senior Reporter, Computerworld |

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With companies shifting gears when it comes to the skills they want in new hires and current employees, online education providers are quickly compiling lists of generative AI (genAI) courses to meet demand.

While there are still more tech job openings than tech workers available to fill them, job-seeking technologists need to tweak their industry knowledge to get hired. Internally, enterprises are upskilling and reskilling workforces to address a flurry of genAI projects, even as most are still pilots. Not surprisingly, creating, training and securing genAI is becoming a top skill to possess .

AI and machine learning engineers, AI research assistants, data scientists, prompt engineers, are all positions key to genAI rollouts. Beyond that, skills related to organizing, cleaning, and classifying data to ensure AI models are ready for learning continue to be an important skill set in 2024.

Freelance employment platform Upwork recently released a  study of freelance worker earnings for all of 2023  and found genAI and data science and analytics skills are seeing “unprecedented” growth in importance.

Along with colleges and universities, online education providers such as Coursera , edX and Udemy have been rolling out new programs to meet employer needs.

Scott Rogers, senior vice president of Instructor and Content Strategy at Udemy, said his company’s online learning platform has seen an explosion of enrollments in genAI courses. This year, Udemy had more than three million genAI-related course enrollments, higher than any other curriculum.

That’s with good reason. Up to 30% of working hours in the US can be automated by 2030 with employees across various professional fields using genAI tools to complete repetitive tasks and redirect their efforts toward more strategic initiatives, according to Rogers.

The company’s  2024 Global Learning and Skills Trends Report  revealed that ChatGPT was the most consumed skill on a global scale.

Udemy just launched a  GenAI Skills Pack  aimed at providing professionals across software engineering, data science, sales, marketing, finance, and HR with dedicated learning paths so they can upskill on genAI content specific to their job duties for immediate impact.

Computerworld spoke with Rogers about why tech layoffs have been increasing while job openings remain high and what employers are seeking in new hires. The following are excerpts from that interview:

Scott Rogers, senior vice president of Instructor & Content Strategy at Udemy

A lot of tech workers laid off over the past six months have struggled to find work, regardless of what unemployment figures lead us to believe. Why is that happening? “The job market has become increasingly competitive as  companies like Apple, Google, and IBM , which place an emphasis on technical skills and experience, are vying for talent that has kept up with the pace of industry change. The  decreasing shelf life of technical skills and emergence of genAI has resulted in many technology professionals who are currently navigating the job market needing to further invest in continuous upskilling — not only to land their next role, but to remain competitive in the years to come. 

“Additionally, the onset of genAI is changing existing job roles and responsibilities. Up to 30% of working hours in the U.S. can be  automated by 2030  with employees across various professional fields using genAI to complete repetitive tasks and redirect their efforts toward more strategic initiatives. Professionals, regardless of role, need to navigate which tasks to automate, what new skills to cultivate, and how to enhance existing skills.” 

Overall, we’ve seen a dramatic shift over the past few months with professionals and organizations transitioning from learning about what GenAI is to how they can effectively use it within their particular job function or industry.

What skills are employers seeking for genAI enablement? “Since ChatGPT launched in 2022, we’ve seen  massive demand for genAI content  across the Udemy platform. The first ChatGPT course was published on Udemy just 11 days after the technology launched. In 2023, we had more than 3.2 million learners enrolled across 1,700 genAI courses on the Udemy platform. Interest has grown 60% year-over-year with  ChatGPT ,  Midjourney , and  Prompt Engineering  among the most popular genAI training content.

“Overall, we’ve seen a dramatic shift over the past few months with professionals and organizations transitioning from learning about what genAI is to how they can effectively use it within their particular job function or industry."

What roles are you seeing as the most needed? “While highly technical roles like data scientists, machine learning engineers, AI researchers, and product managers were the first area of investment for many companies — given the deep understanding they’ll require for AI algorithms, data analysis, and model development — genAI skills are becoming a critical focus for all companies across all job functions.

"For example, we’re seeing financial services professionals focused on course content around genAI for financial modeling and analysis, while HR leaders are exploring how to leverage this technology to create better job descriptions.

“To help address this growing need, our new  GenAI Skills Pack  provides professionals across software engineering, data science, sales, marketing, finance, and HR with dedicated learning paths so they can easily skill up on genAI content specific to their job functions for immediate impact."

How has the tech employment industry shifted from requiring computer science degrees to taking more of a skills-based approach to hiring and why? “Companies have long regarded practical skills, experience, and industry certifications as key factors in hiring decisions. With the rise of the skills-based organization focus, more companies are putting greater emphasis on skills development and validation, being more flexible with formal degree requirements. In short, skills remain the currency in today’s workforce.

“In fact, Udemy has seen 10 million IT certification enrollments across our platform in the past 12 months, across both business and individual learners. Many of these certifications and badges validate emerging skills in the tech space such as DevOps, cloud, modern programming, and cybersecurity."

A focus on skills is more important than ever given the widening skills gaps in many organizations.

How important are skills compared to degrees? “A focus on skills is more important than ever, given the widening skills gaps in many organizations. An astonishing  87% of executives  say they are already facing, or expect to face, critical skills gaps within their organization by 2025. At the same time, the pace of innovation –– with the rise of genAI and other technologies –– has caused the skills required for all jobs to  increase by 10% annually , meaning that constant upskilling is required to keep up with the pace of change. 

“In the last year alone, our enterprise customer segment  grew by 27%  as we continue to help more than 15,700 global organizations — including more than 50% of the Fortune 100 — make the transition to skills-based organizations, keeping pace with change and remaining ahead of their competition.”

While genAI is expected by many to create more net new jobs than it eliminates, what kinds of jobs do you see AI creating? “We totally agree –– genAI is transforming how we work and redefining the skills professionals and organizations need to succeed. And we firmly believe that AI can serve as a powerful tool to help increase productivity, close widening skills gaps, and create new job opportunities for workers.

“New technologies can be disruptive. For instance,  3.5 million jobs  are estimated to have been lost due to the Internet and PC revolution, but none of us would want to go back to the pre-internet days. The  World Economic Forum  estimates that while 85 million jobs will be displaced by AI, 97 million new, higher-earning jobs will be created in its place. We’ll see if this is how it plays out, or if AI simply changes that many roles, and individuals who embrace AI skills can thrive in them.

“In many ways, genAI comes as a solution to the widening skills gap, which is projected to cost businesses a whopping  $8.5 trillion over the next six years  if a course correction is not made. While it’s too soon to tell what specific jobs will be created in the wake of this new technology, it is already providing organizations with a solution that can enable employees to free up  60-70% of their time , allowing them to refocus away from mundane tasks toward more strategic, innovative work –– elevating themselves and their organizations to the tune of  $2.6 to $4.4 trillion  in annual economic gains.”

What kinds of enrollment rates are you seeing for genAI courses, and how has that grown over the past two years? “At Udemy, we’ve seen an explosion of enrollments in genAI courses. In fact, in our 2024 Global Learning & Skills Trends Report, it was revealed that ChatGPT was the most consumed skill on a global scale. In 2023, Udemy had more than 3.2 million enrollments — which means 6 learners are enrolling in genAI courses on Udemy every single minute. We’ve seen more than 79 million minutes of genAI course consumption.

"Increasingly, companies and individuals are embracing the fact that genAI will be a disruptive technology — and are upskilling to ensure that this disruption is a positive in their careers.”

  • Generative AI
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Emerging Technology

Senior Reporter Lucas Mearian covers AI in the enterprise, Future of Work issues, healthcare IT and FinTech.

Copyright © 2024 IDG Communications, Inc.

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Udemy vs Coursera: Platforms for Selling Career Skills Courses

udemy vs coursera

Selling online courses has become an increasingly popular way of making passive income. Many experts in business, trading, SaaS, and more have realized that there’s a market for sharing their own knowledge and experience through online learning material.  

Udemy and Coursera are two major platforms that creators can use to craft and share online courses. Both offer all kinds of courses but have a focus on subject areas relating to work and careers. So, which one would be most powerful for you as a creator? 

Read on as we weigh up the strengths and drawbacks of both platforms for entrepreneurs looking to craft and sell their own courses. 

What is Udemy? 📚  

A person in a white sweater

Udemy is a platform allowing educators and experts from around the globe to sell video courses, which can include written and visual learning material and learning activities for students. Its courses are divided into topic areas including business, marketing, IT, and visual design. 

Who Can Use Udemy? 💻 

Udemy specifically describes itself as wanting to “ make quality education accessible to all .”  Therefore, it makes sense that Udemy also takes an egalitarian approach to selling courses . There aren’t any obstacles to becoming an instructor on this platform. You just need to sign up and record your video. Udemy also offers resources to guide you as you craft your course. 

We’ve previously discussed alternatives to Udemy for course creation and how Udemy compares to another course creation platform, Thinkific . 

How Does Udemy Work? 💭 

With Udemy, you can create either free or paid courses. If you’re selling paid courses , Udemy will keep a percentage of the revenue you earn. However, there’s no fee just for creating a paid course. 

What kind of content can you make? The main course content will be videos, but you can also make quizzes, activities, or even practice tests. 

Now, let’s talk about how you can get started selling courses on Udemy. 

Selling a Course on Udemy 🎥 

A screenshot of a computerDescription

To sign up for Udemy an instructor, all you need to provide is a name and email address, then answer a few simple questions about yourself.  

Course Customization 

A screenshot of a survey

Then you’ll use Udemy’s interface that guides instructors through the process of getting started with making a course. It will ask you a few simple questions, like the title of your course and what topic category it falls into.

Once you’ve created your course, you’ll click “edit course” to add more details and content to it. 

A screenshot of a course

 You have lots of options for how you’d like to shape your course. For example, you can identify your target market as learners who are new to your subject. 

You can also shape your curriculum into sections or units however you like. In each section, you can create video lectures or other learning activities. 

There are some length requirements for the video content you create. All courses need to be at least 30 minutes long, but free courses must be less than 2 hours in length. The practice test functionality also isn’t available on a free course. 

Udemy requires all courses to pass a simple quality check. This includes aspects like having sufficiently high-quality video, an image for promoting the course and fully filled-out course and instructor details. 

Engagement Tools 

Udemy offers several ways in which instructors can engage with students. You can offer a “Q&A” section of your paid courses to answer questions from your students and discuss topics. You can also send messages, such as welcome and congratulations messages. 

Support 

Udemy’s Teaching Center offers a wealth of guidance on a range of topics related to teaching and course instruction, ranging from creating a course to monitoring its success. Their Help Center also offers help with issues, and you can contact Udemy’s chatbot through Help Center pages if you need more assistance. 

How Much Does Udemy Cost? 

If you want to make a free course, you don’t have to pay anything to use Udemy.  

You also don’t have to pay a fee just for creating a paid course. However, Udemy will keep a percentage of any revenue you get - explained in more detail below..

How Much Does Udemy Pay? 

It is important to note that the percentage of earnings kept by Udemy is different depending on how your learners reached your course. If learners come to you via your own promotion, via a link provided by you, you’ll get 97% of what they pay for your course. However, if you gain learners through Udemy’s search or advertisements, you’ll keep only 37% of what they pay. 

To sell a paid course, you’ll also have to become what Udemy calls a 'premium instructor'. That just requires filling in some more details in your profile and then giving your financial information for receiving payments.  

What is Coursera? 📓 

coursera

Coursera is an online platform offering free learning courses, paid certificate courses and even online degrees.  

As you’d expect, this instructional content ranges widely in length and scope. A free course might last less than two hours. Certificate courses are described as having lengths of three to nine months. And a degree course such as a bachelor’s or master’s degree might last as long as it would through a traditional university. 

As with Udemy, topics are wide-ranging but often career focused. However, Coursera seems to have a slightly heavier science focus, given that numerous areas of science are included in its top-level list of topic areas. These topics include data science, health, IT, physical science, language learning, and more. 

Who Can Use Coursera? 🎓 

It’s key to note that Coursera says it partners with institutions to create its courses. In other words, you can’t sign up to be an instructor on Coursera. However, if you are a small business owner or entrepreneur, your business could become a Coursera partner.    

How does Coursera work? ✏️ 

A screenshot of a computer

As with Udemy, Coursera offers learners the opportunity to take a single course by itself. However, Coursera also offers what they call “specializations,” or course bundles. Learners can pay for access to the course or an entire specialization. 

Therefore, Coursera partners also have the option to create single courses or specializations. Coursera partners can also create professional certificates. 

Like Udemy, Coursera does also offer free courses as well as paid ones. However, these are still offered by Coursera partners rather than individuals. 

Selling a course on Coursera 

Coursera is unlike Udemy in that creating a course isn’t open to anyone who signs up. You’ll need to reach out to Coursera to express interest in becoming their partner, and Coursera will review your application and let you know if you’re in. 

However, Coursera doesn’t restrict its industry partners to businesses from one particular realm. Anyone can apply. And there are also no size restrictions, so a small startup or a company of just one is as eligible as a large business. 

Course customization 

When it comes to course tools, Coursera doesn’t offer public resources about the options on its backend. However, it’s clear that Coursera’s platform allows for a wide range of functionalities, given that it offers everything from short courses to full online degrees. Students can even do peer-graded assignments and coding projects as well as tests and quizzes. 

Engagement tools 

Coursera allows its creators to interact with students in discussion forums. Students can also interact with one another there to build conversations. 

While Coursera does offer public course creator resources, these are generally on high-level topics such as approaches to education. Coursera does say it offers its partners help with course development and content too. However, overall, it seems the expectation with Coursera is more that partners will come to the table already possessing some knowledge about how to create great courses. It certainly isn’t the best platform for first-time course creators. 

How much does Coursera cost? 

When it comes to fees for becoming a partner, Coursera says there aren’t any.  

How much does Coursera pay? 

Coursera doesn’t publicly discuss how much its partners make, although many reports say it uses a revenue sharing model, as you would expect. Coursera does, however, discuss that it pays for affiliate marketing – and its affiliates could earn commissions between from 15% to 45% of what the users they attract pay.  

Udemy vs Coursera: Which is Better? ⚖️

Udemy and Coursera have quite a few similarities. They both offer courses that are often aimed at career or job skills, and both platforms emphasize their usefulness to employers and large organizations as a training resource. Udemy and Coursera both have divisions especially for businesses – called Udemy Business and Coursera for Business, respectively. 

However, these platforms are actually very different from the creator’s perspective. Udemy is designed for individual instructors, and it might be better for course sellers who are looking to create a small passive income as a side business. The barriers to creating a course are so minimal that it seems easy to get started very quickly. 

In contrast, Coursera would be better for small business owners looking to make a significant commitment to creating courses. The upside of Coursera’s less breezy course creation process is greater status once your course is hosted there. 

Benefits of Udemy 

  • Quick and friction-free signup 
  • Easy tool for course creation 
  • Guides for ensuring quality content 
  • Easier for beginning instructors 
  • Higher percentage of earnings availiable if you can promote your course yourself 

Drawbacks of Udemy 

  • Significant portion of earnings lost to Udemy if you can’t self-promote 
  • Limited types of learning content creatable 

Benefits of Coursera 

  • Have your course hosted among those from famous, high-status institutions like IBM 
  • Make your business’s name known as an authority on a subject 

Drawbacks of Coursera 

  • No possibility of being an individual instructor apart from your business 
  • No automatic acceptance for creating courses 

An Alternative to Udemy and Coursera: Whop🏆 

On one hand, you have Coursera, which provides fairly formalized education. That’s great for businesses looking to offer official certificates or training for other businesses. 

On the other, we have Udemy, which generally offers video-based courses. That’s more easily accessible for individuals looking to get started with a simple course creation process. 

But, while selling course content like video and lectures can be immensely valuable, it can provide an even richer experience with more elements that aren’t covered here. For example, students might want to be a part of a learning community outside of the course, like a Discord server where they can chat and share information. The platforms we’ve listed don’t offer that as an option. 

Online learners might also want to pay for downloadable educational files without signing for a course. High-quality templates can be immensely helpful to learners all on their own. 

An alternative course platform that offers these functionalities is Whop . 

Whop is a digital marketplace that allows you to sell a wide range of digital products, including courses and related learning materials such as downloadable files, paid community memberships, live coaching sessions, software, and more.

whop sell your course

 If you’re an individual instructor, selling your course through Whop also offers you many more options than Udemy. You’re not just making videos – Whop allows you to provide live instruction via a stream as well as the downloads and other forms of educational content we’ve already mentioned. In short, Whop lets you provide a bigger picture of learning.  

With Whop, you can even imitate Google or IBM’s approach on Coursera and provide training for your own Whop software product. And you can bundle your course together with whatever else you’re selling on the marketplace, too, including your software. 

Whop’s course creation interface is powerfully simple, leading you clearly through all the steps you need to get started selling your course. 

A screenshot of a computer

 Best of all, Whop charges no monthly membership fees to its sellers , and there’s a transaction fee of only three percent. In other words, if your course doesn’t work out on the first try, there’s no harm done.

Since signing up as a seller on Whop takes less than ten minutes, it’s quick, easy, and won't cost you a cent to get started.

💡Long story short – when you’re looking to share your knowledge and expertise by selling a course, Whop’s easy-to-use course creator and busy marketplace have everything you’ll need.   

Frequently Asked Questions 

What are the bestselling topic areas on udemy .

Udemy says that its top five bestselling topics are, in order, Python, Excel, Web Development, Data Science, and PMI Project Management. 

What are Coursera’s top short courses for beginners? 

Coursera’s list of its most popular short introductory courses includes courses on AI, data science, health, and Python. 

How do Udemy instructors earn money from students learning through Udemy Business? 

In total, 20% of payments made by business customers to Udemy Business goes to instructors. The proportion of that amount going to an individual instructor depends on what percentage of time Udemy Business users spent on your courses. 

Can you sell educational templates on Whop? 

Yes! You can sell many kinds of downloadable files as products on Whop. To sell a template, you just need to create a new product, mark it as a template and name its price. Your template can be a link or in jpg, mov, mp3, mp4, or zip format.  

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Breaking Consumer Law Useless Customer…

Breaking Consumer Law Useless Customer Service I requested a refund 13 days after purchase (which is an available option up to 30 days after purchase) this was confirmed via email within a few days as I was told my refund was being process. Udemy then credited the amount to my account and are currently refusing to amend their mistake. They are currently using the fact that the purchase is now well beyond 30 days (because they are impossible to get hold of) as their reason for holding on to my money, and say they cannot rectify THEIR mistake. Trying to explain to their customer service is like talking to a brick wall and they are well aware of how to play this game. Very poor service, would not recommend. They were incredibly difficult to get hold of and when I finally did they ignored me as long as possible. When they did reply the persisted to ignore their error and did nothing to rectify or appease my complaint and refused to escalate the issue.

Date of experience : 22 March 2024

You just will not be able to log in anymore and they have made the way to find out their contact as hard as possible, tells enough how long it would take them to answer if one even digs the way to con

Out of blue, I could not log in today. Their machine reported 'wrong password', which I found a bit surprising, but nevermind, possibly my password manager which had worked fine on an earlier occasion now failed. On I went to change password, but, surprise, surprise, no email has landed to my inbox, I then read their notification that spam folder should be checked, well-well, what if one does not have such a folder at all? Naturally, I tried to reach them through their customer support. After reading the instruction from their page (it does not display any email address) how one could reach them, after the most illogical steps to be taken first, I am beginning to have a migraine.

Date of experience : 18 March 2024

Fix your videoplayer

Streaming these lessons is a disaster... It's very hard to watch a video that streams for 2 seconds and then pauzes to buffer for 5. This only happens on udemy and it's causing a TERRIBLE user experience. Content was good.

Date of experience : 16 March 2024

The class was decent, but prices went up after the first one, so no longer worth it.

I finished my first Udemy class, and I thought it was worth it for the $15 I paid. It was essentially something I could find on YouTube for free, but I still thought it was worth paying for. I was impressed that the 2 times I posted questions in the discussion below, that someone (a "TA") actually responded. I would give them 4 or even 5 stars, but once I completed my first class, the price for all subsequent classes went to about $100 each. At this price, I don't see them really worth the money, since there are just as good classes for free elsewhere. However, I would still pay $15 each for reasonably well vetted and curated classes, which Udemy does seem to offer.

Date of experience : 08 March 2024

The classes are outdated

The classes are old, the classes for social media are outdated. They recommend companies/services that have gone out of business many years ago. Impossible to get a refund!

Date of experience : 11 March 2024

I am very disappointed with Udemy's…

I am very disappointed with Udemy's support. I work for a software company and we have several of our employees on this platform. If nothing goes wrong, it's fine. But! If you need assistance, they will only email or have you use the chat bot. Response times can be days and they are super unhelpful. As soon as I can find a comparable option, I will be moving my team elsewhere.

Date of experience : 06 March 2024

Offering "Reiki certifications" without any inch of proper training involved (which is always in-person and in length) is a very dangerous practice from your part! And that's just one of the things one can notice on your platform.

Date of experience : 07 March 2024

A positive experience

Contrary to some others negative experiences, I don’t have any. Signed up for a few courses and having no problems at all! I like the fact that there’s more videos in it compared to Centre of Excellence courses and very good value

Date of experience : 16 February 2024

Buyer beware

Buyer beware! I purchased a course on coaching. 11 days into the course, I watched 82 short videos out of 228 available, which is 36%. Several of those videos were "bonus material" dealing with third-party apps that had nothing to do with the course. I asked for a refund, which they denied because they said I watched too much of the course. Look at their refund policy. It says they retain the right to refuse refunds, and one of those items listed is watching too much of the course. BUT, they never say anywhere what is too much. Is it 5%-10% it doesn't matter. You cannot appeal their decision because there is NO WAY to contact a human. NO phone number, and no email address. Just an endless circle. I wouldn't recommend this company to anyone because you can't trust their guarantee. It's totally arbitrary.

Date of experience : 22 February 2024

Don't Use the Udemy Mobile App

Udemy has a mobile app, which makes it very convenient, HOWEVER, if you purchase a course on the app and it isn't well done (which is what I experienced), don't be misled that you can use the credits issued in lieu of a refund to purchase another course on the app. Credits can only be used if a course is purchased at udemy.com, so in this regard, the app is a scam - it appears to be a separate system from udemy.com.

Date of experience : 18 February 2024

Terrible attitude and customer service

Contacted them to discuss UDEMY Business, and asked for rough costings on behalf of the company I work for. Long story short, they won't tell you prices unless you meet with them several times (and they certainly won't put anything in writing). Terrible attitude and a terrible company. Do not recommend using them for corporate training courses.

Date of experience : 14 February 2024

Reasonable value but poor delivery

For what it provides at the price point it provides it is good value. But I have found the videos don't stream well with lots of little stops as they stream which makes it extremely irritating to use. I have investigated whether it is from my connection but everything else streams well (youtube, music, netflix) and the poor streaming only occurs on their platform. So they need to invest in more servers or something. Also the course content quality is entirely dependent upon the creator so some of it is total crap.

Date of experience : 31 December 2023

Killed by DRM and no support contact

Bought a lot of courses here but they recently introduced DRM so I can no longer make screenshots of the course content. So I now have 100 hours of technical videos with no ability to take slide screenshots for my notes. At that point I realised its basically impossible to contact udemy support. They were the best on this area but with the new DRM changes I'm hoping they have competitors asap.

Date of experience : 06 November 2023

Highly recommend!

I have purchased a couple of the courses from Udemy during this last year and have had no issue’s at all. The course’s has been easily accessed and the content excellent. I can highly recommend this company to meet your needs and I shall continue to use them! I honestly have no idea why there are so many negative comments.

Date of experience : 01 November 2023

I've had such a positive experience so…

I've had such a positive experience so far. I've completed 3 courses. For the price and convenience it's been excellent! No regrets or complaints!

Date of experience : 02 February 2024

Stay away from Udemy!!

Issues with Udemy started on and off in August of 2023. I was not able to access my paid courses. I tried different browsers, cleaned my memory, cache etc. I contacted Support on 12/18/2023. Instead of the customary 24 hour response, I waited 4 days. Response was standard - we are looking into the issue. On December 31st 2023 I heard back from them that issue had been resolved. It's February 5th, 2024, issue has not been resolved. I have called their listed number and the mailbox is full!! I have launched a complaint with BBB for a full refund and close my account.

Date of experience : 04 February 2024

Horrible subscription payment\refund…

Horrible subscription payment\refund model. Buyer beware if you are 5 minutes late to cancel your 'free' trial period you will be charged $200 (or whatever the full subscription fee is) without any option to contest or any number to call to change your learning approach. When attempting to contact support you're only option is a chatbot that tells you there's no refund. Period. There are plenty of other training options with far greater payment flexibility options. Once this subscription ends I will never use Udemy again and will warn others of the rigid payment policies of Udemy.

Date of experience : 21 January 2024

UDEMY "A WEB LEARNING BOOK" a sincere thanks to this learning site... from a free learning session to , with certificates . listening, reading and understanding will never be boring.. with Udemy, you can choose several courses to learn with. i highly recommend these topics *energy protection and boundaries> *effective approaches for self guided learning> *how to speak to anyone and be fearless>.I took up these courses and its for free .

Date of experience : 10 July 2023

Photography Masterclass

Photography Masterclass - all Assigment Photos I uploaded disappeared and ALL completed Assignments show as not completed. Upon contacting customer service I received the standard answer (like hundreds of other customers) that completion of assignments is not necessary to get a certificate, which I don't care about. My uploaded pics are gone! Now the course stops working half way through. What a scam!

Stole my money

Udemy claims they refunded me money for two courses I purchased but never gave me my refund and their support team refuses to cooperate. Here are the details: I purchased two courses from Udemy and then they immediately suspended my account. This was my first purchase with Udemy. The support team informed me that my account was suspended because of suspicious activity. I am not sure what is suspicious about me buying courses from them, but they claim it was suspicious and froze my account. I was never sent an email to inform me that my account was frozen. I was never sent an email informing me I would be receiving a refund. I was never sent an actual refund. On the Udemy website, under the "Refunds" tab, they claim that a refund was issued the same day that I bought my two courses. I was never notified of this nor sent a refund. The support team was difficult to contact, as the "Contact Us" button on the Udemy help center does not work. There is no phone number to contact support. It does not seem like Udemy wants to address customer issues. Once I was able to find and submit a ticket to the support team, they were extremely unhelpful. Udemy stole my money and scammed me out of valuable courses. I do not have the funds to pay for these courses a second time. Please be careful when doing "business" with Udemy.

Date of experience : 28 February 2024

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