edX vs Coursera: Which is Better for Certifications?

Albert Einstein’s quote – “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death” – remains relevant today. Learning new things invigorates your mind, and a man’s mind is his most powerful tool. edX and Coursera are popular online learning platforms. However, not everyone prefers them. 

Though both platforms offer excellent courses, they have their drawbacks, too. Don’t blindly trust a website just because it is popular. The consequences can be catastrophic if you do. I am not trying to be all doom and gloom. However, the fact is that even courses with good ratings and reviews can disappoint you sometimes.

You grow to hate the skill or concept you learn if you choose the wrong learning platform. Therefore, should you pick edX or Coursera? Many learners have been wrestling with this dilemma for years. We will analyze all the components of these websites in this edX vs Coursera review to help you decide.

About edX and Coursera 

edX is an online learning platform that offers courses from over 260+ institutions. Founded by MIT and Harvard, edX has rigorous instructor-led courses with great content. edX courses on Engineering and Data Science are fantastic. They help you advance your career, as you gain practical experience when you complete the course.

Coursera is a much more popular learning platform than edX because of the broader categories its courses cover. Hey, it has several free, interesting courses on Mental Health. Awesome, right? It is also much more affordable than edX. The classes are instructor-led but are more flexible than edX courses. The end dates can be pushed.

If you are wondering ‘Can you take both edX and Coursera courses?’, the answer is yes. Coursera and edX are freemium learning websites. Therefore, you can learn from the free and paid courses on both platforms to land your dream job. 

Key Features Comparison

You will know the difference between Coursera and edX, and why they are so popular through our in-depth analysis of both platforms. We will show you their strengths and weaknesses to help you decide which platform suits you better.

Course Offerings

Coursera has a wider range of courses than edX. Its courses cover more categories and the sub-categories are numerous, too. For example, if you type ‘Neuroscience’ in the search category, you get 429 results. You can start a course on computational neuroscience, neuroimaging, neuromarketing, neuroscience of leadership, etc.

Coursera also has stellar courses in Information Technology, Personal Development, Business Strategies, Data Science, and Math & Logic. Of course, these are only the main categories. AI, accounting & finance, data engineering, cybersecurity, programming languages, and probability & statistics are some of its popular sub-categories.

edX is better known for its engineering, data science, and computer science courses. Its courses in language and humanities are quite disappointing. I was irritated when I searched for music courses and found more courses on the history of music rather than how to play an instrument or music theory & composition. Ugh!

However, the courses on artificial intelligence, finance, cybersecurity, and computer science are phenomenal. So, props for that; too bad, my interest isn’t in those courses. That is why you should be clear about what you want to learn before you start searching for a suitable learning platform. 

✅ Winner – Coursera

Content Quality

Coursera and edX courses have fantastic content, as both platforms partner with reputed institutions like Google, IBM, AWS, Arizona State University, Caltech, Boston University, Meta, and Microsoft. However, Coursera courses have slightly better quality than edX courses. edX courses vary in quality though the difference isn’t as huge in Udemy courses. 

Whereas, Coursera consistently provides courses with high-quality content. Additionally, you can earn degrees from Yale University, the University of Michigan, etc. Therefore, you never have to worry about the content quality of the programs and courses. Of course, some courses may need prior knowledge, so check out the requisites before you join a course.

✅ Winner – Coursera

Instructors Experience

Coursera and edX have expert instructors, but that doesn’t always mean you will get the best out of the course. Instructors on Coursera aren’t fun, but they don’t bore you to death either. Your experience with most classes will be similar to attending Professor McGonagall. That is, the instructors are competent people with a no-nonsense mindset.

However, you may come across some courses that are quite challenging or plain depressing. You can’t rule out that chance. I enrolled in Google’s crash course on Python, which had great reviews and required no prior experience to enroll. Unfortunately for me, the course was too hard. 

I stopped learning midway and haven’t been able to look at a line of code in Python without a black thundercloud forming over my head. It doesn’t mean the course or the instructor isn’t good. It just didn’t suit my learning style. edX, too, has similar problems. 

The instructors are competent, but you may not like their teaching style. Or, you might find the rigid schedule the instructors follow annoying. I need a flexible schedule to remain motivated to complete a course. 

So, I prefer Coursera’s instructors to edX’s. At least, you can extend the end date to suit our schedule. But, if you bring edX Coursera alternatives into the equation, Udemy’s instructors will be my choice. Frankly, they are much more fun and patient.

✅ Winner – Coursera

Learning Methods

There is no difference between Coursera and edX learning methods. Both platforms use video lectures, slides, and texts to impart lessons. Quizzes & assignments are used to test your comprehension. 

You will love both websites if you are a fan of Bootcamps, as they have some of the best online Bootcamp courses. However, Coursera has a slight edge in this round because of its ‘Guided Projects’ feature. This task-based learning approach ensures you acquire skills more quickly.

✅ Winner – Coursera

Practical Focus

Is Coursera better than edX? I would say they are equally good in this area. You have to work on projects to complete courses on both learning platforms. However, Coursera offers more specialization programs that consist of 3-5 courses. Therefore, you get to work on more projects, meaning you will have incredible portfolios to showcase your skills. 

Moreover, the guided projects with step-by-step instructions for learning Python, creating a storyboard, predictive modeling, etc. ensure you don’t panic when faced with real-world problems. 

✅ Winner – Coursera

Certification Value

The Coursera Vs edX certificate debate is never-ending, as certifications from both can aid in career growth and advancement. However, Coursera certification holds more value due to its consistent content quality. After all, it has partnerships with 325+ universities and companies.

edX, too, has collaborated with 260+ leading institutions to create excellent courses. However, it loses in this edX vs Coursera certificate round due to its slightly inconsistent content quality. Are certifications from these platforms necessary for you to get a job? In a way, yes. They prove you put in blood, sweat, and tears to earn them.

✅ Winner – Coursera

Customer Support

I just saw a meme about customer support recently. The caption read ‘I am sorry I annoyed you with my excellent customer service’. An apt description of the customer support you receive on Coursera and edX. Both websites provide horrible, nerve-wracking customer support. But they insist they provide excellent support despite the ocean of bad reviews on Trustpilot. 

Not just Coursera and edX, but sites similar to edX and Coursera provide the same unsatisfactory customer support. You would think they would care a little being the top online learning platforms, but nope. Some lucky souls get prompt responses; however, mere mortals like us aren’t so fortunate.

✅ Winner – None

Pricing And Value For Money

Coursera and edX provide an ‘audit track’ that grants free access to the lectures. However, you won’t have access to graded assignments, quizzes, and projects. You must subscribe or pay for individual courses for certification and unrestricted access.

edX courses cost $50 – $300. This is a stupendously high cost compared to the pricing plans of alternatives. edX doesn’t have subscription plans for individuals.

You can purchase individual courses on Coursera or opt for Coursera Plus. The individual courses cost $29 – $99 (much more affordable than edX). The Coursera Plus monthly subscription costs $59 per month and the annual subscription costs $399 per year.

Coursera Plus is a lifesaver if you want to enroll in multiple courses. You can use the free trial (money-back guarantee in the case of the annual subscription plan) to determine whether it is worth the cost. In my opinion, it’s absolutely worth it.

✅ Winner – Coursera (I am not paying $300 for a single course, thank you very much, edX.)

Community

You can use the discussion forums on all edX courses to connect with other learners. This is similar to Udemy’s Q&A section. On the other hand, Coursera has a lively community. So, the answer to ‘Is edX better than Coursera?’ is no, it isn’t. Coursera Community allows you to interact with all learners using the platform, not just the ones enrolled in your course.

✅ Winner – Coursera

User Interface

edX’s user interface is easy to navigate and the filter system is good. Though there is nothing wrong per se with edX’s interface, it could be improved. Coursera’s UI is much more aesthetically pleasing, and finding a course you want is smooth sailing. Submitting your assignments and grading your peer assignments is straightforward. 

✅ Winner – Coursera

User Feedback

edX should note the elephant in the room and take measures to ensure consistent content quality irrespective of course category. Coursera could provide more courses for artists. Both online learning platforms should improve their appalling customer support. Other than that, users have no complaints. After all, both are the top dogs in their field.

✅ Winner – Coursera

Who Should Use edX?

Anyone interested in engineering courses, business & management, AI, and programming languages should use edX. edX will be a good fit if your sole focus is career growth. Moreover, you will love this site if you need a fixed schedule to keep you from slacking off. Self-paced courses are available on edX but are fewer than instructor-led ones.

Who Should Use Coursera?

Coursera is for everyone. You can find suitable courses whether the goal is to build job-related skills or personal development. Did you know Coursera has courses on hypnosis and tarot card reading? I was dumbstruck when I found out. Seriously, people can find a course for almost anything these days.

Final Verdict: edX vs Coursera

If it’s not clear yet, the winner in the edX vs Coursera battle is Coursera. To put it in a nutshell, choose Coursera if you need an affordable online learning platform to enroll in multiple courses. Pick the edX audit track if you aren’t bothered about the lack of certification. If you want certification, Coursera is a better option.

Alternatives

Udemy, Codecademy, Udacity, Alison, Pluralsight, and Skillshare are popular sites like edX and Coursera. Udemy has the widest variety of courses, whereas Codecademy is a great website for learning coding. Udacity is fantastic for honing your technical skills, but its subscription plans are pricey. 

Pluralsight has awesome labs for hands-on training. You will love this site if you like learning through practice. Skillshare is a website for artists. It is the right website for you if you are disappointed with Coursera’s courses on music, photography, novel writing, etc. Alison is a great website for free online courses and diplomas (you must pay for certificates, though).