Udemy Review: Pros, Cons, and Alternatives

Udemy is one of the world’s largest online learning platforms. Here, you can find a course on practically any subject and learn at your own pace. You have the ability to take your learning online and offline and on any device you prefer. Udemy allows students to learn skills that can help them in life or in their careers — and it does so affordably.

Instructors	4/5
Courses	4.5/5
Experience	5/5
Total	4.5/5

Udemy at-a-glance:

• Udemy has around 200,000 courses on the platform. Finishing paid courses grants you a certificate of completion.
• There are thousands of free courses available.
• Udemy’s courses are affordable compared to other online platforms. Udemy’s frequent deep-discount sales further bring the prices within reach.
• Although most of the courses are of great quality, the fact that anyone can create a course means some less-than-stellar ones can slip through.

So, is Udemy worth it? 

If you’re on a quest to learn something new, you might like the online learning platform Udemy. 

Want to learn more? This Udemy review will show you everything you need to know about one of the biggest e-learning platforms available today, including its tutorials, prices, and more.

Our overall Udemy rating: 4.5/5

What is Udemy?

Udemy is one of the most popular platforms for online learning in 2023, and it continues to grow daily. Today, Udemy has over 190,000 courses, more than 50 million learners, and over 700 million past course enrollments — though there’s no telling what those figures will look like in a few months.

 

Udemy’s primary goal is to bring new knowledge and skills to those unable to pursue education for one reason or another. The platform provides affordable courses with deep discounts or completely free courses to achieve this goal. 

Is Udemy Legit?

With over fifty million learners, it’s clear that Udemy is a legit platform for learning. The platform has been nominated for and won awards in the past. It has also consistently been mentioned by well-known publications such as Forbes and Mashable. 

Who Should Use Udemy?

With Udemy’s vast, diverse course library, there’s no limit to what you can learn on the platform. Anyone who wants to learn a new skill can significantly benefit from the courses here. Because courses are available at varying levels, students of any skill level or experience can find something that suits them. You can come to Udemy whether you want to learn to code for beginners or polish your already advanced skills.

So who exactly is Udemy for? Udemy is for people who want to:

• Gain skills to help them find a job or further their careers
• Change careers
• Find free courses 
• Publish courses
• Find classes in their native language

Thanks to Udemy Business, Udemy also works well for SMBs and enterprises that want to invest in their employees.

Is Udemy Recognized and Accredited?

Udemy is not an accredited educational institution, mainly because courses can come from anyone. For this reason, Udemy certificates aren’t always recognized as official credentials by potential employers. However, some employers value skills and experience over credentials anyway. 

How Does Udemy Work?

One of the best things about Udemy is its simple learning process. With an intuitive user interface and user experience, even less tech-savvy learners can follow along easily.

Here’s how it works: 

• You create your account, then start searching for or browsing courses on the platform.
• Add courses you like to your cart and follow the checkout process.
• You now have lifetime access to your course, which you can access through Udemy’s website or mobile app, provided you are logged in.
• Start learning by following the lectures and videos in your course!

How to Open a Udemy Account

Follow the steps below to create your Udemy account.

1. Click on Sign Up on the upper right-hand side of the Udemy website or sign up via the mobile app.

2. Fill up the form and click the button that says Sign Up.

3. Check your email for the confirmation email.

And that’s it — you’re ready to learn!

Pros and Cons of Udemy

Is Udemy good for every student’s situation? Let’s examine the platform's pros and cons to find out: 

Pros	Cons
Affordable courses that regularly go on deep discount Accessibility for most (subtitles, languages, learning offline) Free courses available Lifetime access when you purchase a course 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re unhappy with your purchase Massive catalog of nearly 200,000 courses Certificates of completion for paid courses Amazing value for money Easy and convenient payment	Certificates aren’t accredited and are sometimes not accepted by employers Course quality is inconsistent Instructor support isn’t always available

How Much Are Udemy Courses?

Instructors set Udemy course prices. Generally, course prices range between free and $300. The purchase gives you permanent access, even if the instructor stops updating the course.

Courses frequently go on sale at a deep discount of 70-90% off. Both Udemy and the instructors can set these sales.

Alternatively, you can subscribe to Udemy’s personal plan for $29.99/month for on-demand access to over 6,000 courses in web development, IT, design and illustration, data science, digital marketing, communication, leadership, and more.

Does Udemy Offer Free Courses?

 

Yes! There are many courses available for free on Udemy. They are either free on promotion or permanently available at no cost.

Can You Return a Udemy Course?

Yes. If you purchase a course, you have 30 days to return it if you are unsatisfied. However, you will not be qualified for a return if you have already consumed the majority of a course’s content. Udemy also exercises discretion if they notice serial refunders, so don’t abuse the refund system!

What Kinds of Courses are Available on Udemy?

We aren't joking when we say that Udemy has a massive catalog of courses. With nearly 200,000 available, you’ll find plenty of categories with subcategories underneath them. 

Some of the platform’s major categories include:

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

How to Find the Best Courses on Udemy

You should feel confident to conduct your own Udemy classes review as you explore your options. Here are some helpful tips to empower you to pick the best course for your needs: 

Use Udemy’s Filters

As you browse the platform, filters will help you find the perfect course. You can use Udemy’s filters to return search results that fit your parameters. Udemy’s filters include:

• Course Rating
• Video material duration
• Topics
• Subcategories
• Difficulty/Levels
• Course language
• Course price
• Features included (quizzes, exercises/projects, and practice tests)
• Subtitles

Explore Udemy Reviews

Every Udemy course has a student rating out of five stars unless it’s brand new. 

Reviews are a great indicator of a course’s quality. For the most accurate assessment, check how many students took the course to give you a better idea of how trustworthy a rating is.

Check When the Course Was Released or Updated

Many fields constantly evolve, so you might consider assessing courses for their release date or last update. For example, you wouldn’t want to study a course teaching you outdated information about search engine optimization or programming.

Find Out More About the Instructor

Every course web page on Udemy has information about the course’s author. The instructor’s biography has a small blurb about them and their experience. 

Our advice? Feel free to research instructors to assess their qualifications. 

Preview the Course

Each course has a preview video about the course basics — an excellent way to gauge whether the course will teach you the knowledge and skills you seek. However, some previews aren’t always complete or entirely accurate. Take a look at each course’s table of content for more information. 

Consider Your Needs

As you look for suitable courses, consider your learning needs and goals. Think about factors such as a course’s length — is it so long that you won’t have the time to finish it? Also consider its features, such as whether it has assignments or quizzes, to help you apply what you’ve learned. Even if a course is highly rated and regarded, it’s useless to you unless you can complete it. 

Consider Your Budget

Although Udemy regularly features courses with deep discounts regularly, it’s still a good idea to consider course costs before purchasing them. After all, even affordable courses add up to hundreds of dollars if you aren’t careful about what you spend.

The good news is you can always return courses within 30 days if you aren’t happy with them. However, Udemy can deny refund requests at their discretion if they find you are refunding courses excessively. Additionally, you cannot refund a course if you have consumed a certain amount of its content.

The Best Udemy Courses

This isn’t meant to be a Udemy courses review, so we’ll only mention courses briefly to give you an idea about the best available on the platform!

• 2023 Complete Python Bootcamp From Zero to Hero in Python is a Python course for beginners that takes you from zero all the way to advanced knowledge in the subject. It has more than 1.5 million past enrollees and a rating of 4.6/5.

• The Web Developer Bootcamp 2023 was recently revamped, so new and former students alike can enjoy the changes! The course covers everything you need to learn about web development, including HTML, CSS, Node, JS, etc. It has over 790,000 students and a rating of 4.7/5 stars.

• The Ultimate Drawing Course - Beginner to Advanced is a course that will teach you how to draw. As the primary building block of art, drawing is an important skill to pick up. This course shows you everything from the fundamentals to advanced techniques. Today, nearly 500,000 students have enrolled in the course, which has a rating of 4.6/5.

• Learn Ethical Hacking from Scratch is an excellent choice for those who want a career in cyber security, where you can find system vulnerabilities and patch them up. With over half a million students, this course has an excellent rating of 4.6/5.

• Microsoft Excel - Excel from Beginner to Advanced will show you everything you need to know about using Microsoft Excel. This A-Z course goes over the basics and delves into more advanced concepts applicable to Microsoft Excel versions 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Microsoft 365. The course has over a million students and a stellar rating of 4.7/5.

• Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design is an excellent course that shows you how to become a designer. It teaches you the fundamentals of graphic design and even offers a primer in design thinking. You also learn how to use some of the industry-leading graphic design software. This course in particular has had over 150,000 students and currently holds a rating of 4.7/5.

• Photography Masterclass: A Complete Guide to Photography helps break photography concepts down into bite-sized, digestible pieces. Through the years, this course has garnered nearly 300,000 students and a rating of 4.7/5.

• Complete C# Unity Game Developer 2D is a course for students who want to develop video games using Unity. This course has 400,000+ students so far and a rating of 4.7/5.

• Complete Blender Creator: Learn 3D Modeling for Beginners is perfect for students that want to work with Blender for 3D Modeling. This beginner-level course starts with the basics and takes you through more advanced concepts to get you comfortable using Blender. Since it was published, this course has gotten over 250,000 students. It currently has a rating of 4.6/5.

If you’d like to know more about the platform's best courses: 30+ Best Udemy Courses to Check Out in 2023. 

For more information on free courses: Top 10 Free Udemy Courses.

Our Udemy Review 2023

Here’s our full Udemy review based on various criteria 

• User-friendliness: 5/5 - Getting started on Udemy is incredibly simple and intuitive for learners and instructors. The platform’s user interface and user experience are clean, straightforward, and easy to follow. Courses are meticulously organized and categorized, so learners like you have an easier time finding what you need.

• Convenience: 5/5 - Most people choose online learning because they’re busy and need the flexibility to learn at their pace. Udemy can offer this convenience, allowing you to take your education offline via the mobile app (or your PC if the offline option is enabled — it isn’t always).

• Accessibility: 4.5/5 - Udemy is available on various platforms. It works on any computer with a browser and an internet connection. It also runs on mobile via the iOS or Android app. Students can learn entirely through the mobile app, depending on the course’s subject and requirements. Many of the platform’s courses are available in several languages, so more people can access education. Additionally, subtitles can be available (if the instructor has made it possible). We took off half a star because not all courses are available for offline use on desktop.

• Affordability: 5/5 - Aside from the many free courses available on the learning platform, paid courses are usually affordable. Courses cost anywhere from $3 to $300 when full-priced. However, frequent deep discount sales make the courses significantly more affordable.

• Certification: 4/5 - Udemy provides a certificate of completion if you complete a paid course. The certificate is great for bragging rights or throwing onto your CV, but remember that it is not an official credential since Udemy is not an accredited educational institution. Some employers accept Udemy certificates as valid, but not all. Keep this in mind, as relying solely on a Udemy course certificate isn’t often enough to find employment.

• Catalog: 5/5 - Udemy continues to grow as time goes on. As of May 2022, the platform has 190,000+ courses. These courses are distributed into categories and subcategories in a wide variety of subjects. Learn about everything from business to IT and even health and wellness.

• Course quality: 3/5 - Each course must pass a quality check before publishing. Courses must have quality audio and high-definition video, with a minimum of five lectures and 30 minutes’ worth of video. But Udemy course quality varies because anyone can become an instructor. Some best-selling courses are high quality because experts in the field created them. Others are mediocre. Always check the reviews before you commit!

• Course curricula/structure: 5/5 - The self-paced classes on Udemy come in different formats and structures. Notably, Udemy courses often have lectures with videos, PDFs, slides, and other resources at the instructor’s discretion. The quizzes, practice tests, and other assignments are quite helpful to students who want to absorb what they’ve learned.

• User support: 3.5/5

• • Udemy offers customer support through an incredibly detailed knowledge base for students and instructors. You can ask direct questions to support@udemy.com.

• • Although Udemy offers excellent customer support, we took off 1.5 stars because some users have stated course support can be middling or even mediocre. Instructors handle their own FAQs and support sections. Although you’ll generally find responsive and helpful instructors, you may occasionally run into some that are too busy to respond often.

• Payment and refund methods: 5/5

• Udemy accepts various payment methods, including debit and credit cards (Mastercard, Visa, Discover, and American Express), cash payments, PayPal, payment via the Apple app stores, payment via Google Pay, and bank transfers.
• As an instructor, all payments for your courses go to Udemy, so you do not need your own payment processor. Udemy pays instructors monthly via Payoneer, PayPal, or direct bank deposit (for U.S.-based users only). For more information, check their support page.

If you aren’t 100% sure about learning on Udemy, you can always start with a free course to see how you feel about the platform. Udemy has free courses available 24/7, making it an even better place to learn. Many of these courses have decent to outstanding quality and are about relevant, in-demand subjects. It’s worth mentioning some courses are available permanently by the author’s choice. 

Final Verdict and Rating

So, how good is Udemy? For us, it takes home a solid 4.5/5stars. Udemy is an excellent way to learn new things and develop skills, whether for personal growth, a hobby, or your career. The affordable prices, vast catalog, flexibility, and accessibility make for an excellent learning platform.

Is Udemy worth it? Yes. Especially if you can purchase courses during deep discount sales.

The only real issue we’ve found with Udemy is that certificates you earn aren’t considered “official” by many employers. If you want official credentials, try Coursera or edX, which are excellent choices all around.

Visit Udemy

Alternatives to Udemy

Is Udemy a good place to learn new skills? Usually yes, but the platform might not be a great fit if you seek universally accepted credentials for your resume. Instead, you might consider: 

• Coursera is a platform that collaborates with universities and industry leaders to provide courses, projects, specializations, and even degrees on various topics. The platform costs $59 per month after a seven-day free trial. Alternatively, you can pay $399 yearly (with a 2-week money-back guarantee). However, if you want to enroll in some certificate or degree programs, you will have to pay a separate price. 
• edX is an excellent platform to study at the world’s best educational institutions (over 160 universities, including some of the Ivy Leagues). 

Conclusion

Overall, Udemy provides excellent value for money — especially if you wait for sales before investing in a course. There are many ways to verify a course’s quality and fit for your needs — but even if it’s not the right fit, you can likely get your money back. In the end, Udemy is a great way to pick up more career-building skills, even if the certificates aren’t always considered valid by employers.

We hope this Udemy review serves you well in exploring this valuable platform. If you’re interested in other learning websites, consider checking out our Coursera review!

Read Our Coursera Review

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are Courses from Udemy Worth It?

Many students would agree that Udemy is worth it. However, that depends on the price, value, and course quality. It’s also important to remember that although Udemy rewards certificates for completing most courses, these certificates are not “official” credentials since Udemy is not an accredited educational institution.

2. Can Udemy Get You a Job?

Udemy likely won’t get you a job outright. What it can do is give you the skills you need to land a job or potentially earn a promotion. However, if you want better credentials for your resume, consider platforms like Coursera and edX instead.

 3. Is Udemy Accredited in the USA?

People around the world ask, “is Udemy accredited?” Unfortunately, the answer is no. Udemy is not accredited as an educational institution anywhere, so certificates earned from the platform aren’t always accepted as official credentials. However, some employers still accept these certificates if you can prove your skills.

4. Do Udemy Courses Expire?

No, Udemy courses don’t expire. If you paid the one-time fee to purchase a course outright, you get lifetime access to that course. That means no matter what happens, you have access to what you’ve purchased, even if the course creator stops updating their product.

5. Can I Watch Udemy Offline?

Yes, you can watch Udemy courses offline on the iOS and Android apps. If you’re using Udemy on your computer’s browser, you can still watch offline, but with limitations. On desktop, some courses do not have the offline feature enabled.

6. Does Udemy Have a Monthly Fee?

There is no monthly fee if you only use Udemy by purchasing courses for lifetime access. However, there is a monthly fee for a Udemy plan subscription (such as the Personal Plan). The personal plan fee is $29.99 monthly after the initial seven-day trial.

7. How Much Does Udemy Cost?

Udemy course prices vary between free and $300. Instructors set the prices for their courses. It’s not uncommon to find courses deeply discounted for as much as 80 to 90% off. Either Udemy or instructors can set these sales.

*Udemy’s personal plan costs $29.99 per month, while Udemy Business’ Team plan costs $360 per user/month for 5-20 users.