17 Best Udemy Alternatives for Learning – Free & Paid

Did you find Udemy does not suit your learning style? No worries, plenty of Udemy alternatives are there to help you out. You will find one that suits you whether you need websites offering diverse courses or focusing on a specific field. 

Things to Consider When Choosing an Udemy Alternative

Sites similar to Udemy are abundant. However, you should know what you want to learn before choosing a website. That way you will find the best alternative to Udemy easily. Because out of the best Udemy alternatives I have chosen, some provide diverse courses similar to it. Others focus on specific or narrow fields.

Another thing to consider is the cost. How much are you willing to pay? Is it all right if the other sites like Udemy charge more for the courses offered? Moreover, think about whether you need websites that let you choose your learning pace or make you follow strict schedules.

Best Udemy Alternatives in 2024

I have chosen 17 other learning sites like Udemy for you. Check them out and you will be unable to resist picking one. Some are free, some offer limited free access, while others require payment. Choose the one that best aligns with your needs.

Coursera is a website like Udemy. It offers courses on various fields and topics. The subscription plans are reasonable compared to other websites that offer unlimited access to all their courses. However, it is pricier than Udemy, as you can purchase courses on Udemy when the prices are slashed. Coursera doesn’t provide such offers.

You can audit most courses if you don’t want a certificate. Some courses are free on Coursera similar to Udemy. However, you must purchase the course or subscribe to the website for certification. You can learn about business, data science, IT, computer science, languages, humanities, arts, and more.

Coursera is better than Udemy in one way. Trustworthy universities design Coursera’s courses; therefore, the instructors are top-notch. This is not always the case on Udemy, as anyone can become an instructor there.

edX is a phenomenal option for learning about artificial intelligence, data science, finance, cybersecurity, and more. Its courses in these fields are better than those on Udemy. It also provides boot camps for software engineers, full-stack developers, web developers, etc. It also offers guides to become cybersecurity analysts, data scientists, etc.

Harvard and MIT founded this website. So, its courses are well-designed. The instructors are experts in their fields, and the courses have a start and end date you often can’t push. You can audit the course if you don’t want certification. You must pay to access graded assignments, quizzes, and certificates.

LinkedIn Learning has over 22,700 courses. Some popular topics with good instructors on this website are data analytics, generative AI, electrical engineering, personal branding, career management, etc. Its courses have great instructors. Many satisfied students can attest to it. This website is a better option than Udemy if you want to develop business skills.

This website is the best alternative to Udemy if you want to hone your computer or programming skills. Artificial intelligence, business analytics, data science, cloud computing, cybersecurity, programming, and deep reinforcement learning are some topics for which this website has excellent courses.

The instructors know what they are teaching. The high ratings that are seldom below 4.5/5 is a testament to that. Moreover, its introductory courses on various topics claim to let you learn a new skill in 30 days. So, choose the monthly or 4-month subscription plan, pay, and start learning.

It can be challenging to find sites like Udemy. However, DataCamp is the better website when it comes to data science and AI. You can go through its catalog where courses are classified as beginner, intermediate, and advanced, select the topic, and choose a course. Its specialty courses involve data manipulation & engineering, AI & machine learning, etc.

Its real-world projects, dealings, and competitions set it apart from Udemy. You learn, practice, and apply what you learned in the courses. This website’s best instructors are from Google, Microsoft, and Databricks. So, they won’t let you down. You can test the waters with the basic limited access plan and then upgrade to the premium annual subscription plan.

This website is a suitable Udemy alternative if you are a creator or want to become one. Industry icons and professionals teach courses on drawing, painting, music, animation, freelance & entrepreneurship, graphic design, photography, etc. The Udemy website doesn’t focus on creative skills alone. Skillshare is solely for creators and better suits your needs.

A website like Udemy doesn’t offer much on personal development. Mindvalley is for those looking to develop inner peace, experience enhanced intuition, and see career growth. Those who completed the program have only positive things to say about this website. It also has an AI-guided curriculum which Udemy lacks.

You can access the materials and if unsatisfied you can request a refund if 15 days haven’t passed. Guided meditation tracks and a supportive community are a bonus. People have called subscribing to this website the best investment in their lives. So, you might want to check it out.

Top universities and specialists created the 1000+ courses available on this website. So, you don’t have to worry about instructor quality. Business & management, creative arts, literature, healthcare, law, IT & computer science, teaching, language, etc. are some subjects FutureLearn covers.

It proves to be a good alternative to Udemy due to its course content. It provides rare courses like Dyslexia and Foreign Language teaching, Understanding Autism, A beginner’s guide to film genres, etc. All the courses have high ratings and satisfied students.

One way Alison differs from Udemy is it offers diplomas, not merely courses. It has a course for almost everything; so, you will find the one you need. The instructors have realistic views. The professors who taught me Economics were brilliant and understood perfectly how not to let me sleep (my grade school teacher never accomplished that).

This website is the best Udemy alternative for learning to code. It is the best option for learning Python, JavaScript, C++, SQL, Swift, PHP, cloud computing, etc. Its basic plan is more than enough to gain strong foundational skills in coding.

This free plan makes it one of the trusty free alternatives to Udemy. The plus and pro plans are for those who need to work on personal projects and learn all the skills necessary to land a tech job.

Pluralsight is a better option for learning software development, data & machine learning, IT ops, and cybersecurity than Udemy. The instructors can teach you generative AI skills and how to apply them in cybersecurity, automate tasks, and make customers feel satisfied. Moreover, you can learn from 400+ courses and become a cloud guru. 

The website also has numerous resources. Blog articles, tech guides, reports, case studies, and webinars are all available. I liked the blog ‘The seven most dangerous new threats you need to know about’ by Adam Ipsen. The blog makes you understand how dangerous AI can be. So, knock yourself out using those resources.

The website’s tagline is ‘Learn from the best. Be the best.’. It tells you everything you need to know. It is one of the online learning sites like Udemy but focuses on creativity (music, acting, performing, art and design), athletic, and cooking skills. 

It also covers outdoor adventures and events (wilderness survival, rock climbing, and gardening), science and technology (scientific thinking, poker strategy, and space exploration), and community & government (meditation, purposeful communication, and self-expression).

Khan Academy is one of the free Udemy alternatives and is good for learning maths, science, grammar, and computer programming. You can learn at the pace you set, identify what you must focus more on, and don’t have to pay a dime. Children, parents, and teachers benefit from this website. The course content is rich, too.

This website offers open online courses from MIT. It is one of the good alternatives to Udemy as it covers several courses from various departments. You can learn for free but must pay a low fee to receive a certificate. 

Anthropology, chemical engineering, economics, and linguistics & philosophy are some departments the courses this website offers belong to. The instructors are professionals and have a lot of experience.

OpenLearn, a part of Open University, is a great Udemy free alternative. It provides more than a thousand courses for free. It has courses on money & business, education & development, health, sports & psychology, etc. It clearly shows the course titles, the hours it would take to complete a course, and who it is for (beginner or advanced learners). 

Access the lecture notes, exams, and videos from MIT on this website for free. You can learn introductory-level programming, science, and math besides entrepreneurship, environment, and sustainability. The best thing? Unlike on Udemy, you don’t have to register to access the courses. 

However, this website is only for learning and you receive no certificate. You can choose from courses with video or audio lectures. You can study from beginning to end or select specific parts to study. Peruse the syllabus and identify course goals and key topics before choosing a course.

This website is among the free sites like Udemy and you can learn new skills, finish a degree, or partner with Saylor Academy. You also get a free certificate on course completion and the course content is well worth your time and effort.

The website does not have live instructors and the courses may have video content or more text. Your assignments will be automatically graded and you have to pass the Certificate Final Exam (get 70% or more) to receive the free certificate.

Criteria for Selection

Coursera, edX, and Alison are similar sites to Udemy, and students often have heated conversations about which website is the best. And they all have good points. They are among the top 10 sites like Udemy for a reason. Each website is worth your money, as they teach you well.

DataCamp, Udacity, Pluralsight, and Codecademy are the go-to options to learn technical and programming skills. Of course, the choice depends on whether you are willing to pay and if so how much. All these websites have great courses and I won’t be surprised if you start pulling out your hair, trying to figure out which one is better for you.

Skillshare and MasterClass are the best websites for learning creative skills. You will be surprised at the in-depth knowledge you will learn about music, art & design, photography, etc. these websites provide.

FutureLearn is a unique website offering diverse and rare courses. So, it is unsurprising it ended up on my list. LinkedIn Learning is good for improving your business skills. You will learn to express yourself better and even score a win for your company with your stellar negotiation skills.

Mindvalley is the best website for personal development and unlocking your potential. I chose MITx Online and MIT OpenCourseWare because of their rich content. Moreover, MIT is a prestigious institute; it won’t provide you with subpar courses or instructors.

I picked OpenLearn and Saylor Academy because they provide good courses for free. No other website offers so many courses that help you grow in some way. Khan Academy is a great option for kids and those wanting to learn to code. 

Final Words

I know this seems like a vast list of Udemy alternatives. However, each website focuses on a particular field. Only a few offer diverse courses like Udemy. So, you can narrow down the choices once you figure out what you want to learn.

After that, check the course prices and the subscription plans. Do you need affordable courses or are you willing to spend more to gain more? Affordable does not equate to low-quality content. The websites offer more benefits and access if you subscribe to an expensive subscription plan. That is the only difference.

Personally, I think Coursera may be the best alternative to Udemy; however, I am biased. The graphic designing course I enrolled in was an eye-opener, and I fell in love with the website. I learned a lot even though I audited the course. 

On the other hand, you might find a different website that suits you better. After all, one glove doesn’t fit all. So, check out the websites and enjoy learning what you love. I hope you have a pleasant experience.