In a rapidly changing and growing world, keeping up with all the skills you require to work efficiently sometimes gets difficult. There is no age when it comes to learning. Whether you are a student with a curious mind, a graduate exploring progressive technical fields, or an experienced employee hoping to learn a few new skills to get a promotion, you can always choose to keep educating yourself.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” -Nelson Mandela
Online learning makes knowledge accessible to all, regardless of age or location. With online learning, you can choose the subjects you like and learn at your convenience. There is no set time or deadline; you can do it on the go. You can also not forget that online education is much cheaper than in-person education. You get courses curated by expert instructors from prestigious organizations at your fingertips. What’s not to love?
Selecting the right online learning platform gets a little tricky because there are many options to choose from. So, how will you decide which platform is right for you?
How will you decide which platform is the right one for you?
Fear not, as in this review, I have compiled a list of the best online learning platforms and everything you need to know about each one of them.
Quick Overview of Best Online Learning Platforms
But if you are short on time, here’s a quick overview.
| Online Learning Platform | Unique Feature | Target Audience | Price | Overall Rating |
| MasterClass | Amazing production quality and popular instructors | All ages (teens and onwards) | $120 annually (standard plan) | 4.2/5 |
| Skillshare | Share your skills from anywhere in the world | 16+ years | $168 annually (on avg) | 3.5/5 |
| Coursera | Access to university-level degrees | Meant for higher education (13+ years) | Starts from $399 per user, annually | 4.5/5 |
| Pluralsight | Certified technical courses meant for professionals | 20+ years (recommended for people in the IT industry) | $29 monthly | 4.6/5 |
| LinkedIn Learning | Learning paths and self-assessment | 13+ years | $239 per user, annually | 4.4/5 |
| Simplilearn | Focused on providing the best digital and technical skills | 18+ years | Starts from $600 up to $800 (for specific hours of learning with lifetime access) | 4.3/5 |
| edX | Interactive and innovative learning programs | 13+ years | Starts from $50 up to $300 (per course) | 4.5/5 |
| Udacity | 24/7 learning assistance and personalized project review | 16+ years | $2390 per user, annually | 4.4/5 |
| Udemy | Wide range of courses to choose from | 13+ years | Starts from $10 up to $200 (per course) | 4.5/5 |
| Open Learning | Flexible schedule and accredited certificates | No minimum age | Starts from $150 up to $500 (depending on the course) | 4.6/5 |
| Khan Academy | Practice exercises and customized dashboard for each user | No minimum age (12 years or younger need parental approval) | Free (non-profit) | 4.5/5 |
My Top Picks
Though there are many online learning platforms, and I will discuss a few in detail, my favorites would be MasterClass (for best-quality videos and learning material), Skillshare (for lessons that are creative and fun), and Coursera (for making degree courses accessible)
What is an Online Learning Platform?
An online platform is a network of knowledge that provides an opportunity for learners from all over the world to learn whenever and however they want. They can also evaluate their progress and test their skills by themselves. These courses use various learning mediums, like visuals. Aural and verbal. Due to this, online learning platforms cater to a wide range of people who want to develop their skills.
The courses available on these platforms are often interactive and entertaining, and they come with puzzles and quizzes to keep you engaged. You also get to choose from a massive selection of courses that are available on these platforms, giving you endless options. Unlike the in-person learning experience, online learning has a flexible schedule, and you can complete your courses while working.
Online learning is in demand, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. It gave people a unique chance to explore learning while staying at home. Even now, online learning remains an ever-evolving and growing field.
Let’s learn more about the 11 best Online Learning Platforms, so you know what platform to choose that suits your needs.
11) Khan Academy
Khan Academy was founded by Sal Khan in 2008 as a way to help his cousin study math and has now become one of the top online learning platforms in the world. It is a nonprofit organization that provides high-quality courses online for free. The lesson plans are clear and strategically structured making it easier for students of all ages to learn. It covers multiple subjects and concepts from math to economics to social science. You also get quizzes after lessons to evaluate your progress.
Khan Academy focuses on teaching the basics and caters to students from Kindergarten to university. It is a great tool for people who cannot afford tutoring. The course material offered by Khan Academy is well thought out and sequential. It has over 100 million users all over the world.
Pros
Free courses
Multiple learning mediums (videos, audio, quizzes)
Available in multiple languages
Helps prepare for competitive exams
A wide range of topics to choose from
Cons
Does not focus on creative subjects
Mainly for students in school
Pricing
When anyone says free, people always assume, “Huh, what’s the catch?” but there is no catch here, Khan Academy is absolutely FREE.
10) OpenLearning
OpenLearning is a rare online learning platform that is powered by AI technology. This futuristic learning platform lets the instructors create, conduct, and promote a learning experience that is a welcome change. The courses are short and provide you with accredited certifications. It has over 2 million users and thousands of courses to choose from, curated by more than 100 seasoned professionals.
Most of the courses available on OpenLearning are completely free. But the courses with university credentials are expensive. OpenLearning is for anyone who is looking to develop their career with a few professional skills. You can also finish your high school or college education on this platform.
Pros
- User-friendly and easily navigable
- Accredited college and school certification
- Good quality content and a smooth reviewing process
- Affordable university-level courses
Cons
- Lack of versatility
- No option to personalize the selection of courses
Pricing
Most courses on OpenLearning are free, but university-accredited courses range from $150 up to $500. There are no subscription plans available.
9) Udemy
Udemy is known for offering in-depth courses on a wide array of topics. It has over 200,000 courses curated by industry experts. What makes Udemy unique is that has learning material on both personal and professional development. You can find courses on pottery and Python on the same platform.
Udemy also uses a multimedia teaching approach, so the courses have video lessons, audio lessons, reading material, quizzes, and more. You can buy an individual course that interests you or get a plan to take multiple courses. Udemy often has a lot of high-rated courses on discount, so that’s a plus as well.
Pros
- Variety of courses for both personal and professional development
- Good quality content on a wide range of topics
- Self-paced learnings
Cons
- Lack of accredited certification
- Some courses are of questionable quality
Pricing
You can buy individual courses on Udemy starting from $10 up to $200. There is also no option to buy a subscription. You can get a personal plan, but that only lets you take 10,000 courses from its catalog.
8) Udacity
Udacity is an online learning platform that teaches learners technical digital skills that help advance their careers. It believes in a more hands-on approach and provides various case studies and projects for the students to complete. It has over 15 million subscribers and more than 600 experienced instructors.
Udacity has introduced the concept of “nanodegrees” that aims to advance students’ professional careers. It has a wide array of programming, coding, software development, and more courses available.
Pros
- Interactive and simple user interface
- High-quality content
- Nanodegrees provide you with sample projects
- Offers various career-related advice to students
- A lot of good courses are available for free
Cons
- Lack of accredited certificates
- The courses are expensive
Pricing
Udacity offers both free and paid courses. The prices of the courses depend on the type of the course and its duration. It also has a monthly subscription for $249 and an annual subscription for $2390.
7) edX
edX is a learning platform where students can find courses from various universities. It is a non-profit started by Harvard University and MIT. The aim was to make high-quality university-level education accessible to people worldwide. In addition to Harvard and MIT, edX has partnered with other Ivy League institutions like Berkeley, Caltech, and Brown.
Partnered with over 400+ universities, edX offers over 4000 courses on various subjects like science, engineering, business, math, humanity, and more.
Pros
- A huge course catalog to choose from
- Opportunity to get a bachelor’s or master’s degree online
- A rare chance to learn from esteemed universities
- Accredited certificates that are recognized globally
Cons
- Free courses don’t come with certificates
- Some features are hard to navigate
- Lack of courses in the creative field
Pricing
Courses range from $50 up to $300 per course. Degree courses are on the pricier side, starting from $1000.
6) Simplilearn
Simplilearn is an online learning platform founded by an Indian engineer, Krishna Kumar, in 2010. It provides accredited certificates on several topics related to digital skills. The platform has over 3 million users and partnerships with renowned organizations like IBM and IASSC and is also supported by companies like Google and Hubspot.
Simplilearn combines multiple teaching techniques to give you the best outcome and help you retain the information quickly. This would also eventually help you remember everything you have learned more efficiently.
Pros
- Accredited certificates for completing courses that top organizations recognize.
- Integrative learning (a mix of live lectures, video lectures, and assignments).
- You can download courses that you have purchased from its app so that you can learn in offline mode as well.
- If you are dissatisfied, it has a 7-day trial period and a 7-day money-back guarantee.
Cons
- Limited selection of courses.
- No free courses are available, like Udemy or Coursera.
- Negative feedback from users.
Pricing
There is no specific subscription plan; instead, there are plans to provide you with hours of learning with lifetime access. These plans start from $600 and go up to $800. Some of the university-level courses available on Simplilearn cost around $2000.
5) LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning, previously known as Lynda.com, has quickly become one of the most sought-after online learning platforms. It provides users with a platform that helps them develop career-driven skills that can advance them professionally. They boast millions of users and offer over 17000 courses on design, technical writing, JAVA, coding, and more.
You can buy an individual course or get a subscription, depending on your requirements. Industry experts teach the lessons, and you can easily check their credentials. After completing a course, you get a certificate of completion. These certificates are not accredited, but they will be displayed on your LinkedIn profile.
Pros
- Detailed courses on technical software skills.
- Amazing quality courses that are reasonably priced.
- Self-evaluation through various puzzles and quizzes.
- The certificate of completion is directly displayed on your profile.
Cons
- The certification provided is not accredited.
- It has bland and boring user interface.
Pricing
You can take individual courses starting from $20 up to $50. You can also choose to get the subscription plan which is $39.99 per month or $239.88 if you pay annually. LinkedIn Learning subscription also lets you access all the premium features available on LinkedIn
4) Pluralsight
Pluralsight was established in 2004 and has since then become one of the leading online learning platforms in the world. It has over 6000 courses conducted by expert instructors with several years of experience. It focuses on subjects like data analysis, cloud computing, software development, IT ops, and more.
It provides an end-to-end learning experience and you can choose individual courses that you want to take. There is also a subscription option. Pluralsight aims to provide practical knowledge on technical and complex subjects.
Pros
- Helps develop professional skills.
- Affordable courses.
- Practical courses on technical subjects (with case studies).
Con
- For a specific target audience.
- The mobile app is outdated.
Pricing
You can choose an individual standard plan at $29 per month or a premium plan (which comes with additional features) at $45 per month.
3) Coursera
Coursera is one of the largest online learning platforms in the world. Coursera has millions of users and has partnered with over 100 prestigious universities and organizations to provide college-level education to people online. You also get a customized course catalog based on your interests and aptitude. There are also a variety of subjects to choose from, ranging from data analysis to public health.
Coursera offers single, professional certificate, and degree courses. Its subscription plan lets you take individual and professional certificate courses with verified certificates. You can also take courses for free, but you won’t receive a certificate for them.
Pros
- Over 1000 courses are available for free (without certification).
- There is a massive course catalog to choose from.
- Accredited certificates.
Cons
- Specialization courses are time-based.
- Complicated pricing.
- Outdated user-interface.
Pricing
Individual courses start from $9.99, while degree courses start from $2000. The price of courses depends on what you are looking for.
Skillshare is one of the most popular online learning platforms for creative fields. It has over 10 million subscribers and over 30,000 courses. The main focus of Skillshare is to provide a platform for creative minds always to keep learning. The courses are short (12-60 minutes) and interactive. There are also projects to practice and you get community access where you can ask questions and discuss various topics.
Skillshare courses are categorized into four sections: creative arts, business, technology, and lifestyle. These courses target people who want to learn drawing, painting, writing, cooking, or other art-based concepts.
Pros
- Easy-to-follow courses that are short and fun.
- A variety of creative courses to choose from.
- Easily accessible through its mobile app.
- Some courses are free.
Cons
- Courses lack depth.
- No open opportunity to interact with the instructors.
Pricing
Pricing depends on your location, but an annual SkillShare subscription costs around $168 on average.
1) MasterClass
MasterClass is a one-of-a-kind learning platform with exceptional classes. However, the feature that sets MasterClass apart from its competitor is the fact that popular celebrities conduct these classes and share their experience and expertise. You get to learn from industry veterans like cooking from Gordon Ramsay and creativity and leadership from Anna Wintour. The production quality and cinematic experience is unparalleled. The course content is not just entertaining but also provocative.
MasterClass is for curious people who want to keep learning new things. The lesson structure is well thought out and you also get a course guidebook. You also get practical and useful advice from experts that you can use in your life. MasterClass courses focus on both professional and personal development.
Pros
- Expert celebrity instructors.
- It has great cinematic experience and production value.
- Well-structured lesson plans.
- Courses cover professional and creative skills.
Cons
- No way to evaluate your progress.
- There is no option for a monthly subscription.
Pricing
An individual MasterClass subscription costs $120 annually. This gives you access to all the courses available on the platform. However, with an individual subscription, only one person can use it, and you don’t get the option to download any of the courses.
Conclusion
One of the biggest advantages of these Online Learning Platforms is accessibility in terms of cost, location, and especially time. While these are not meant to replace full-time courses fully they come pretty close.
The variety of courses and levels available allow users from different backgrounds to learn subjects they otherwise would never have gotten the chance to.
Apart from availability and accessibility, these platforms also introduce innovative ways of learning that would not be possible in a classroom setting. These allow users struggling with conventional educational methods to access top-notch learning methodologies at a much cheaper price.