Best Online Learning Platforms (Free & Paid) (2024)

The internet has made learning easier than ever before. With an online learning platform, you can gain the skills that once required getting a college degree—all from the comfort of your home.

You have plenty of options if you want to use an online learning platform to expand your knowledge. This guide will show you the 10 best online learning platforms to learn new skills and advance your career.

Top 10 Online Learning Platforms

1. Coursera
2. Reliablesoft Academy
3. Codeacademy
4. A Cloud Guru
5. LinkedIn Learning
6. Google Skillshop
7. MasterClass
8. Udemy
9. Pluralsight
10. Udacity

1. Coursera

Coursera is undoubtedly one of the best online learning platforms for students looking to expand their knowledge.

The platform partners with over 200 of the world’s top universities and organizations to bring high-quality educational material.

Many courses provide a professional certificate once you complete all the lessons.

What can you learn with Coursera?

Coursera offers thousands of courses spanning dozens of topics. The main categories for the lessons are:

• Business
• Computer Science
• Health
• Data Science
• Math & Logic
• Information Technology
• Personal Development
• Arts & Humanities
• Physical Science

How Coursera Pricing Works?

Approximately 2,000 of the courses on the Coursera online learning platform are available for free.

The rest require you to pay.

There are several payment options available. The first is to pay a one-time fee for individual course certification. This can range from $29 to $100.

You can also get a Coursera Specialization which consists of a series of courses in the same subject. Specializations cost between $29 and $49 per month.

If you are interested in learning from more than one course, a Coursera Plus plan may be right for you. With the subscription, you get access to over 3,000 paid courses. The plan costs $399 per year.

Coursera offers a 7-day free trial to new students. While this is not bad, there are Coursera alternatives that offer a better money-back guarantee option.

2. Reliablesoft Academy

Reliablesoft Academy is a dedicated learning platform for online digital marketing training.

Reliablesoft Academy offers twelve online courses covering all digital marketing channels. In particular, these are:

1. The Complete SEO Course
2. eCommerce SEO Course
3. Google Ads Course
4. Facebook Ads Course
5. Google Analytics Course
6. Email Marketing Course
7. Content Marketing Course
8. Keyword Research Course
9. Social Media Marketing Course
10. Digital Marketing Course
11. Affiliate Marketing Course
12. Retargeting Course

The courses are grouped into three bundles.

• Digital Marketing Full Course – includes all courses and two certifications. A digital marketing certification and an SEO certification.
• Digital Marketing Full Course Bundle – includes ten courses.
• SEO Course Bundle – includes four courses (SEO Course, Google Analytics Course, eCommerce Course, Keyword Research Course) and an SEO certification.

What can you learn with Reliablesoft Academy?

With Reliablesoft Academy courses, you can learn everything there is to know about Digital marketing. You will learn which techniques to use to increase your traffic and sales in the fastest possible way.

All digital marketing courses are comprehensive, and they include actionable tips and proven advice to help you apply the theory in practice.

Reliablesoft courses are highly rated by hundreds of students.

How Does Reliablesoft Academy Pricing Works?

Reliablesoft Academy courses are affordable for everyone with a straightforward pricing structure. You pay a one-time fee, and you get lifetime access to the courses.

You also get free updates (courses are updated frequently to consider new techniques and technologies).

In addition, you get a 60-day money-back guarantee which is the best offering in the online learning industry.

3. Codecademy

Codecademy is an online learning platform for people learning about web development.

The courses contain a mix of text lessons and interactive coding tools that allow students to practice what they learn in real time.

What can you learn with Codecademy?

Codecademy has courses in 14 programming languages, including Java, JavaScript, Python, and Ruby. They also offer courses in the 10 following subject areas:

• Web Development
• Web Design
• Computer Science
• For Business
• Developer Tools
• Data Science
• Machine Learning
• Code Foundations
• Mobile Development
• Game Development
• Data Visualization
• Cybersecurity

If you want to take more than one course, Codecademy offers Career Paths and Skill Paths that combine multiple courses to make a single learning resource for a specific profession.

How does Codecademy Pricing Work?

Codecademy uses a subscription payment model.

There is a free plan available that includes limited interactive lessons and daily practices.

If you want access to all the learning resources, you need a Pro plan. The plan costs $39.99 monthly when paid monthly or $239.88 when billed yearly.

4. A Cloud Guru

A Cloud Guru is an online learning platform that helps students learn how to use different cloud-based technologies.

The courses are available on-demand through a series of videos and interactive exercises.

Many of the courses provide a certificate of completion once you finish.

What can you learn with A Cloud Guru?

A Cloud Guru offers over 360 courses and 1,600 hands-on labs. You can find resources to learn about the following subjects:

• AWS
• Azure
• Linux
• Kubernetes
• Terraform
• DevOps
• GCP
• Ansible

Many courses are specifically designed to help students prepare for the official certification exams for platforms like Linux and AWS.

How Does Cloud Guru Pricing Work?

To use A Cloud Guru, you need to have a paid plan. There are two options:

• Personal Basic: $35 per month
• Personal Plus: $47 per month

You can save 17% off both plans’ costs by enrolling in yearly billing.

A Cloud Guru offers a 7-day free trial for new users to try out the learning platform.

There are also business plans if you need access for your team.

5. LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning is an online learning platform to help business professionals develop new skills.

It features over 16,000 self-paced courses primarily composed of videos and written lessons.

When you complete a course, you get a certificate of completion to add to your LinkedIn profile.

What can you learn with LinkedIn Learning?

LinkedIn Learning offers courses in the Business, Creative, and Technology categories. Below are some popular courses in the platform’s catalog:

• Project Management Skills
• Social Media Marketing
• Data Analysis
• Programming Languages
• Graphic Design
• Web Design
• Sales
• Small Business and Entrepreneurship

How LinkedIn Learning Pricing Works?

LinkedIn Learning lets you buy individual courses or sign up for a recurring membership.

Single courses cost between $20 and $40.

The membership plan requires you to have a LinkedIn Premium account. The cost for a Premium account starts at $29.99 per month or $239.88 when paid annually.

LinkedIn Learning offers a one-month free trial to anyone that hasn’t had a Premium account.

6. Google SkillShop

Google Skillshop is an online training platform that teaches people how to use various Google marketing services.

Courses are presented in video and text format and available for study on-demand.

You can receive an official Google certification after you pass the final knowledge assessment for a course.

What can you learn with Google Skillshop?

With Google Skillshop, you can learn how the different Google marketing platforms work and how to use them for a business. The main focus areas are:

• Google Search ads
• Google Display ads
• Google Shopping ads
• Google Video ads
• Google Analytics

The lessons cover beginner and intermediate-level concepts for these topic areas.

How Google Skillshop Pricing Works?

Google Skillshop is completely free to use. You can study the courses and take the certification exams as often as you’d like.

7. MasterClass

MasterClass is an online learning platform that features lessons taught by celebrity and VIP instructors.

Some of the famous people that have taught through MasterClass include Gordan Ramsay, Stephen Curry, Alicia Keys, and James Cameron.

Each class consists of around 20 lessons that last about 10 minutes each.

What can you learn with MasterClass?

MasterClass offers over 100 classes spanning 11 different categories.

Some of the topics covered in MasterClass lessons include:

• Music
• Business
• Food
• Design & Style
• Writing
• Wellness
• Sports & Gaming

How MasterClass Pricing Works?

MasterClass is a paid online learning platform. You get unlimited access to all the courses when you sign up for a membership.

There are three membership plans:

• Standard: $15 per month
• Plus: $20 per month
• Premium: $23 per month

All the plans provide access to the same material. The only difference between the tiers is the number of devices you can use to view the material simultaneously.

That, and the Standard plan does not allow you to download the courses for offline viewing.

8. Udemy

Udemy is one of the most widely used online education platforms by people that want to learn new skills and further their careers.

You can find over 150,000 courses taught by independent instructors. With over 40 million students, there are plenty of Udemy courses that get a lot of attention.

The online learning platform’s most popular courses are its Python courses, where students can learn how to use the programming language.

Courses are available on-demand and presented through various videos, lectures, hands-on lessons, and downloadable resources.

What can you learn with Udemy?

Udemy has the most extensive course selection of any online learning platform on our list.

There are thousands of courses available in each of the following categories:

• Development
• Business
• Finance & Accounting
• IT & Software
• Office Productivity
• Personal Development
• Design
• Marketing
• Lifestyle
• Photography & Video
• Health & Fitness
• Music
• Teaching & Academics

You can find courses that cover beginner, intermediate, and advanced-level concepts in these subject areas.

How Does Udemy Pricing Work?

With Udemy, you pay for each course individually. The cost for a course can range from $12.99 up to $199.99. This is the best pricing structure compared to other Udemy alternatives.

Naturally, the courses that are longer or that cover a more advanced topic tend to cost more.

When you pay for a course, you get lifetime access to the material. Many instructors update the material to keep it relevant to current best practices.

9. PluralSight

PluralSight is an online education platform for learning about popular technologies.

Experienced tech professionals teach the courses through a series of videos.

Like Codecademy, there are hands-on lessons and labs to help you practice in real time as you learn new skills.

What can you learn with PluralSight?

Pluralsight offers over 7,000 courses that you can use to learn new technology skills: This includes lessons in the following subject areas:

• Web Development
• Software Development
• Manufacturing & Design
• IT Ops
• Architecture & Construction
• Information & Cyber Security

The platform’s most popular courses are web development lessons that teach how to use different programming languages.

The course skill level ranges from beginner to advanced.

How Pluralsight Pricing Works?

Pluralsight uses a subscription pricing model. To access the learning material, you must sign up for one of the following plans:

• Standard: $29 per month (or $299 per year)
• Premium: $45 per month ($499 per year)

Pluralsight offers a 10-day free trial for both plans. There are also business plans for those looking to train their team.

10. Udacity

Udacity is an online learning platform that teaches students the digital skills needed for the jobs of the future.

You can use the platform to complete a single course or a Nanodegree program consisting of a series of courses.

What can you learn with Udacity?

Udacity offers learning programs across various business, programming, and data science topics.

Some of the most popular Udacity programs include:

• Front End Web Developer
• Java Web Developer
• Product Manager
• Data Scientist
• Cloud Developer
• Artificial Intelligence

How Udacity Pricing Works?

With Udacity, you must make a recurring payment for each course or Nanodegree program you want to study.

Nanodegree programs start as low as $279 per month.

All training is self-paced, so you must keep your membership active for however long it takes to complete the material.

Udacity provides an estimated duration for each program if you were to study a certain amount of time per week.

What is an Online Learning Platform?

An online learning platform is a digital hub of educational resources. Students use a platform’s resources to further their knowledge and learn new skills.

The resources can come in various forms, including videos, written guides, interactive lessons, and more. They are commonly presented through courses dedicated to a particular subject.

Online learning platforms typically make their courses available on demand so students can learn on their own schedule.

Online learning platforms are usually less expensive when compared to traditional education methods.

Tip for Choosing the Best Online Learning Platform

There is a lot to consider when choosing an online learning platform. You do not want to invest time and money into an academy only later to discover that it isn’t what you wanted.

You can find the best online learning platform for your particular needs when you know what to look for.

Here are some tips for how to choose an online learning platform:

Look for experienced instructors: An online course is only as good as its instructor. You want a learning resource taught by an experienced professional in the subject area. This will give you an accurate perspective on the skill you want to build.

Read user reviews: When choosing an online learning platform, you should read the customer reviews to see what your peers say. If others found the platform helpful, it is a good sign that it may work well for you.

Practice material: A good online course involves practice. Good courses involve students in “doing” — not just watching and reading — “doing again” and in applying what they learned.

Fair pricing: You shouldn’t have to break the bank to use an online learning platform. Ideally, you would look for a platform that only charges a reasonable one-time fee.

Look at the community and support: When using an online education platform, you may have questions not answered in the course material. In these situations, having an active community where you can engage with the instructor or other students is good.

Money-Back Guarantee: Each platform has a different money-back guarantee policy. Before registering, make sure that you read and understand how each policy works. Platforms that are confident about their offerings usually provide better money-back guarantee options.

Specialization: If your goal is to become an expert in a specific area, i.e., digital marketing, then you can benefit more by choosing an academy that specializes in that field.

Criteria used for choosing the best online learning platforms

There are hundreds of sites offering online training. eLearning has become a billion-dollar industry, and the competition is intense.

We’ve used the following criteria to evaluate learning platforms to include in this list.

• Quality of online courses
• Ease of use
• Learning platform software
• Online Reputation
• Pricing structure
• Accredited certifications
• Number of students
• Community and support
• Transparent policies