Udemy vs Udacity: A Complete Comparison Guide

Staying on top of things can be challenging. It often feels like when you learn a new skill, you forget several others (or is it just me?).

Fortunately, online courses are entertaining enough to keep our attention and informative enough to help us learn something new. 

You may be reading this Udemy vs Udacity article out of curiosity or genuine interest in choosing one platform to develop a new skill.  Whatever the reason, you will know whether Udemy or Udacity will help achieve your goal once you finish reading this article. Finding the right platform to learn is crucial irrespective of the motive for learning.

Our analysis of what Udemy and Udacity offer will help you understand the websites better. Of course, your choice between the two sites depends on why you are learning a particular skill, whether you need a flexible or structured curriculum, and how much you can afford to pay.

About Udemy and Udacity

Udemy is people’s default choice when they want to learn new skills for an affordable price. Its phenomenal course collection (200,000+ courses) is its greatest strength and the main reason for its popularity. Udemy is a fantastic choice for learning any skill. More importantly, Udemy has a course for you regardless of whether you are a newbie or an expert.

The difference between Udemy and Udacity is that the latter only has courses for improving your technical and business skills. Udacity’s narrow focus helps it maintain the course quality, making it a popular choice for those wanting to advance in their career. Udacity is well-known for its Nanodegrees (series of paid courses) which claim to make you job-ready.

Key Features Comparison

Let’s compare Udemy and Udacity courses to determine which platform is the right fit for you. Udacity may not be as popular as Udemy, but one can’t deny using it has some perks. So, read on to find out which website you are destined to use.

Course Offerings

Let’s kick-start the Udacity versus Udemy battle by analyzing the various courses they provide. Udemy is the King of course collection. Hail to the King, baby (that’s right, it’s Lucifer’s famous quote from Supernatural). It has 13 categories ranging from Business to Music with multiple sub-categories. 

It will take hours if we analyze how good the courses are in each category. So, let’s confine our analysis to the course categories Udacity and Udemy have in common – business and technology.

First up, is the ‘machine learning Udemy vs Udacity’ debate. Udacity has 64 courses on machine learning. But, only a few courses among them are popular. On the other hand, you get 773 results (most of which have good reviews) if you search for machine learning courses on Udemy. Lazy Programmer Inc. and Jones Granatyr’s courses are popular in this field. It’s obvious that Udemy has more courses with great content.

Next, let’s discuss the ‘learning Python Udemy vs Udacity’ debate. Which website do you think has the best courses? Again, Udacity has only a few courses on Python (most of which are for beginners). Udemy has 3,000+ courses on Python and you can easily find hundreds to thousands of courses suitable for your level (beginner, intermediate, expert).

Udemy stuns once more with its excellent course collection. The final discussion is about the ‘Udemy vs Udacity digital marketing’ debate. Udacity has a pitiful collection of 11 courses as opposed to Udemy’s 2,800+ courses. 

Even in the business category, Udemy easily casts aside Udacity with its 10,000 courses. Udacity’s Nanodegree programs are good but not all are as great as they are hyped up to be. Therefore, Udemy usually wins no matter what category you pick.

✅ Winner – Udemy

Content Quality

What is the difference between Udemy and Udacity if both websites offer relevant courses to hone your technical and business skills? It is no secret that the content quality of Udemy’s courses varies significantly. 

You will find courses that have top-notch content that help you advance in your career. However, some courses are so frustrating that they leave you wondering how bad Udemy’s quality control measures are. That’s why everyone knows by now to follow the implied rule of checking the ratings and reviews before purchasing a course.

On the other hand, Udacity courses have consistent quality content. That doesn’t mean you can blindly trust Udacit and enroll in any course it provides. You still have to check what each course offers and the reviews. However, Udacity wins this round in the Udacity vs Udemy debate due to its overall better quality content.

✅ Winner – Udacity

Instructors Experience

While it’s true that almost anyone can upload a course on Udemy, several experts and veterans have uploaded their courses enabling millions of students to develop new skills. Udemy helpfully displays the popular instructors, the domain they excel in, and the number of courses they have created for any category or subcategory you choose.

Industry experts teach Udacity courses, but that’s not always something good. I enrolled in a free Python course on Udacity and the instructor seemed nice. However, after an explanation about the operators (which was quite good), I was asked to code a small script. 

It was a basic block of code, but I wouldn’t have known what to do if I hadn’t learned more about the operators in Google’s Python crash course. See? Learning from an expert doesn’t always work out the way we want. They expect us to make mental leaps that seem trivial to them. Of course, this was just my experience with one course.

The other courses may have savvy instructors who explain everything step-by-step. However, if you ask me whether I prefer Udacity or Udemy, I would choose the former. I like Udemy instructors (with good ratings) better because they explain everything clearly and know how to keep it fun. 

✅ Winner – Udemy

Learning Methods

Video lectures are the main resource through which you learn on Udacity and Udemy. Both platforms have quizzes; however, they aren’t as good as Coursera’s graded quizzes. Assignments, practice tests, and projects are optional for uploading a course on Udemy. Therefore, most instructors don’t bother to include them in their courses.

However, they provide downloadable resources that you can use to gain more knowledge about the topic. Downloadable resources are especially helpful when learning to code. Udacity provides some projects to work on to enable hands-on learning. Therefore, both websites are neck-to-neck in this round.

✅ Winner – Both

Practical Focus

Udacity focuses more on helping you gain practical knowledge than Udemy. You will receive timely feedback on projects, valuable insights, and tips to improve your work-related skills on Udacity. 

So, if you are wondering ‘Which is better Udacity or Udemy?’, the former is better because of its focus on projects. I have nothing against Udemy; it’s my favorite learning platform. It expects you to apply whatever skill you learn and work on projects of your own without prompting you. 

You mostly end up applying your skills when the instructors coach you through the necessary steps during the courses. If you need more experience, start thinking about the different ways in which your new-found skills can be used. Be creative and express yourself.

✅ Winner – Udacity

Certification Value

Udemy certifications don’t have much value due to the lamentable fact that the course quality varies on Udemy. Udacity certifications are only slightly more valuable, as they are not accredited. Some courses are developed in collaboration with Amazon, Google, etc., and the certificates of completion for those courses hold some value.

Therefore, Udacity wins the ‘Udacity vs Udemy for employment’ debate. However, Coursera certifications are a much better option if you want certifications that help you get more job opportunities. Even the capstone projects are better on Coursera. 

✅ Winner – Udacity

Customer Support

Let’s face it; we become easily frustrated when we don’t receive prompt responses when facing any issue. So, inevitably you will wonder ‘What is better Udemy or Udacity when it comes to providing customer support?’. Udacity fares better than Udemy in this round. 

It is one of the few websites that doesn’t have hundreds of users yelling and ranting about how hard it is to get a refund or cancel a subscription. The Udacity chat assistant ‘Seb’ is helpful and the help articles are good enough to answer most of the common issues you may face.

Udemy, too, has excellent help articles, and I like chatting with ‘Alex’ (the virtual assistant responds fast!). Alex even helps you submit email tickets to Udemy support if it can’t solve the problem you are facing. However, some people have trouble getting a refund from Udemy. Therefore, it loses this round with grace.

✅ Winner – Udacity

Pricing and Value for Money

We all want to learn new skills for fun or professional development without spending a small fortune. At the same time, we want to ensure that we get the best for what we pay. Therefore, we shall make it our mission to determine ‘Which is best Udemy or Udacity?’ in this round. After all, nothing is worse than regretting paying money on a sub-par course. 

Udemy is a budget-friendly online learning platform. You can purchase individual courses to access their content. Yes, Udemy has some bad courses, but why on Earth would you pay for it after reading the reviews? Udemy has a ‘Personal Plan’ to which you can subscribe if you wish to access multiple courses without purchasing them.

You can access 11,000+ top courses and receive goal-focused recommendations. AI coding exercises are also available to personal plan subscribers. The subscription costs $35/month and will be billed monthly or annually; it’s your choice. You can cancel the subscription anytime if you are unsatisfied with it.

Udacity offers a monthly subscription costing $249 and a four-month subscription that costs $846. Firstly, that’s a whooping lot of money to pay for a website that doesn’t even have a thousand courses. Secondly, the website focuses only on business and technical skills. Lastly, the Nanodegress can’t replace a degree from an accredited institution.

So, is it worth paying so much money to learn on Udacity? I don’t think so; I prefer Coursera’s subscription plans and purchasing individual courses on Udemy (lifetime access is awesome!). That’s how I roll. However, some may find subscribing to Udacity is worth it because of the structured content and helpful projects.

✅ Winner – Udemy

Community

The question ‘Which is good Udemy or Udacity?’ is bound to pop into your head as soon as you read the word ‘Community’. Unfortunately, though Udemy has an excellent instructors’ community, it doesn’t have community forums for learners to bond.

Udacity has an active community consisting of learners, instructors, and professionals. You can pose questions, share your journey, and rely on fellow learners to help you through the course. Sadly, you can’t access the community forums if you enrolled in a free course (not fair!). You must enroll in a paid course or the Nanodegree programs to be granted access.

✅ Winner – Udacity

User Interface

I have checked out many websites’ user interfaces, and Udemy’s UI is my favorite so far (though Coursera is a close second). I love how all courses are neatly organized into several categories and sub-categories, making it easy to find the right topics. The search filters are great, too. 

You can easily filter the results based on topic, ratings, level, price (free or paid), features (subtitles, quizzes, coding exercises, and practice tests), and video duration. Now that I have raved about Udemy, let’s find out ‘What is better Udacity or Udemy’ for a good user experience. Udacity’s interface isn’t that great, but it’s functional.

Perhaps Udacity was aiming for a futuristic-looking UI, but it fell flat. The search filters are basic but effective, as Udacity only has limited courses. Fortunately, moving between lessons is easy just like in Udemy. 

✅ Winner – Udemy

User Feedback

Udemy should include more courses in its ‘Personal Plan’. Although access to 11,000+ courses is amazing, it’s like a speck of dust in the galaxy of 200,000+ courses. And, Udemy’s popularity would skyrocket, and it would be untouchable if it enforced better quality control measures.

Udacity should reduce the price of its subscription plans. I am still having heart palpitations after viewing the prices. Moreover, it should improve its UI so that people like me, for whom ease of use is a major factor in choosing learning websites, will flock to it.

✅ Winner – Udemy

Who Should Use Udemy?

I will always maintain that Udemy is for everyone. Its affordability, mindblowing course collection, and aesthetically pleasing UI make it one of the most popular learning platforms. People lash out at Udemy because of the few courses with less-than-ideal quality content but think about it; how can it go through all the published courses with a fine-tooth-comb?

It isn’t Superman or Homelander to power through all the courses uploaded daily to determine which courses should be weeded. But, I agree it could have better quality checks. Nevertheless, we can at least read the reviews and what the course offers, and preview the course to determine whether it is worth our money, right?

Who Should Use Udacity?

Anyone looking to bring their A-Game to advance in their career should use Udacity. Remember, Udacity only has courses in AI, data science, cloud computing, etc. It doesn’t have creative courses. Creative artists and freelancers will be better off with Udemy, MasterClass, or Skillshare.

Moreover, you will like this website if you love working on projects and getting constructive feedback. Udacity is a great choice if you require mentor support throughout the course. Udacity also has several free career resource programs that help you prepare for interviews, polish your resume, etc. So, opt for Udacity if that’s something you are interested in.

Alternatives

Coursera is the best alternative to Udemy and Udacity. Accredited certifications, capstone projects, and the availability of peer grading make it the most popular website for developing diverse skills. Its course library is rivaled only by Udemy’s. 

MasterClass is a wonderful alternative for creative-minded people. Pluralsight, Codecademy, DataCamp, and Cloud Academy are other alternatives you can trust to help develop relevant skills.

Final Thoughts: Udemy vs Udacity

It’s time for some final words; in my opinion, Udemy wins the Udemy vs Udacity battle. However, Udacity does have some great features. So, pick whichever website you think will help you best. 

Generally speaking though, Udemy is the best choice if you are a curious explorer like me (never mind that I stopped learning midway several times, that’s just me). Udacity is a good choice if you need something concrete to show you mastered a skill to aid your career growth.