Udemy Review 2023: How It Works, Features, Pros & Cons

 Udemy Brief History

Udemy was founded in 2010 by Eren Bali, Oktay Caglar, and Gagan Biyani as a platform for anyone to create and sell online courses. The idea came from Bali’s experience of learning math through online videos when he was living in a small village in Turkey. Udemy’s mission is to improve lives through learning by connecting students and instructors from different backgrounds and skill levels.

Udemy at a glance

Udemy is a leading destination for online learning and teaching with over 213,000 courses and 62 million students. Udemy offers courses in a variety of topics, such as business, technology, personal development, design, music, and more. Udemy also provides solutions for organizations to upskill their employees and achieve their goals.

How does Udemy work:

Udemy works as a marketplace where anyone can create and sell online courses. Instructors can upload their videos, slides, quizzes, assignments, and other resources to create engaging and interactive courses. Students can browse through the course catalogue and enrol in the courses that interest them. They can learn at their own pace, access the courses on any device, and interact with the instructors and other students through Q&A and reviews.

Udemy Price and Plans

1.  Udemy courses are priced individually by the instructors, ranging from free to $199.99. However, Udemy often offers discounts and promotions that lower the prices significantly. Students can also apply for Udemy scholarships to get financial assistance for their learning.
2.  For organizations, Udemy offers two plans: Udemy for Business and Udemy for Government. These plans provide access to a curated collection of courses, as well as analytics, reporting, and learning management tools.
3. Udemy for Business costs $360 per user per year for the Team plan (5-20 users) and $240 per user per year for the Enterprise plan (21 or more users). Udemy for Government costs $349 per user per year for the Team plan (5-20 users) and $229 per user per year for the Enterprise plan (21 or more users).

Udemy Features

Some of the features that make Udemy stand out are:

• A diverse and comprehensive course catalogue that covers almost any topic imaginable.

• A user-friendly and intuitive interface that makes it easy to find, enrol, and complete courses.

• A flexible and self-paced learning model that allows students to learn whenever and wherever they want.

• A supportive and interactive learning community that fosters engagement and feedback between instructors and students.

• A quality assurance system that ensures the courses meet certain standards and expectations.

• A certificate of completion that students can download and share after finishing a course.

 Udemy Pros and Cons

Like any other platform, Udemy has its advantages and disadvantages. Some of the pros are:

• It offers a wide range of courses for different levels, interests, and goals.

• It provides affordable and accessible learning opportunities for anyone who wants to learn new skills or improve existing ones.

• It empowers instructors to share their knowledge and expertise with millions of learners around the world.

•  It supports lifelong learning and personal growth by encouraging students to explore new topics and challenge themselves.

Some of the cons are:

• It has inconsistent quality and content across different courses due to the lack of centralized control or regulation.

•  It has limited interaction and support between instructors and students compared to traditional or live online courses.

•  It has low completion rates and retention rates due to the lack of motivation or accountability for some students.

• It has potential issues with plagiarism, fraud, or piracy due to the open nature of the platform.

Who Is Udemy for?

You are probably asking yourself, is Udemy right for me?

If a variety of courses is something that you are looking for, then you are considering the right learning platform. Udemy offers such a diversity of courses, that there is no limit to what you can learn with categories like ¨Finance & Accounting¨ to ¨Lifestyle¨.

If you are thinking of a career change and gaining a new professional skill like coding knowledge or maybe you want to dabble in an exciting new hobby like cake decorating, then Udemy has it all.

Its courses vary from beginner to advanced levels so you will certainly find a course that is suited to your skills and ambition. The diversity of its courses makes Udemy stand out from other competitors like Skillshare or Pluralsight. The fact is that Udemy is open to everyone, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have any prior experience.

In short, Udemy is good for:

• Professionals looking to gain skills
• People looking for a career change
• Students looking to complement their studies
• Those looking for free courses
• Individuals looking to publish their courses
• International students looking for courses not just in the English language

Udemy Refund Policy

Udemy believes that its learners should be satisfied with the courses they purchase. In case you aren’t, the platform offers a generous 30-day refund policy. To request an Udemy refund, you just need to follow these easy steps:

1. Navigate to your purchase history
2. Locate the course to be refunded
3. Below the course title, click Request Refund and you will be directed to the course refund page
4. Select your refund method either the card you paid with or Udemy credits

Request an Udemy Refund

How To Open A Udemy Account?

The registration process for Udemy is intuitive. The design and layout of their platform are user-friendly and easy to follow. But let me show you what the registration process looks like:

1. Open a browser and visit www.udemy.com
2. Click Sign Up in the top right corner
3. Add your Full Name, Email and Create a Password
4. You’ll be sent a confirmation email

Udemy Sign Up

Once you are signed up you can click on Categories and begin browsing the different courses on offer.

Udemy Categories

After selecting a category you can pick one of the subcategories which will take you to all the relevant courses. You can then begin to look at each course individually and read a little more in-depth.

Udemy’s Most Popular Categories

According to the web search results, the most popular category on Udemy is development, which covers topics such as programming, web development, data science, and software engineering. The development category has the highest number of courses, students, and ratings on Udemy. For example, the 2023 Complete Python Bootcamp: From Zero To Hero In Python course has over 1.4 million students and a 4.6 rating out of 5. The development category also has the most subcategories, such as mobile development, game development, e-commerce development, and more.

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The second most popular category on Udemy is Business, which covers topics such as entrepreneurship, management, finance, marketing, and sales. The business category has over 100,000 courses and over 30 million students on Udemy. Some of the most popular courses in this category are Beginner To Pro In Excel: Financing And Modeling Valuation, The Complete Financial Analyst Training And Investing Course, and An Entire MBA In 1 Course: Award Winning Business School Prof.

The third most popular category on Udemy is IT & software, which covers topics such as IT certification, network & security, operating systems, and hardware. The IT & software category has over 50,000 courses and over 20 million students on Udemy. Some of the most popular courses in this category are Learn Ethical Hacking From Scratch, AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate 2023, and Cisco CCNA 200-301 – The Complete Guide to Getting Certified.

Udemy is a popular online learning platform that offers courses on various topics, such as business, technology, personal development, and more. However, Udemy is not the only option for online learners. Many other platforms offer similar or different features, benefits, and drawbacks. Here are some of the best Udemy alternatives and how they compare:

Udemy Alternatives and How They Are Compared

Coursera: Coursera is one of the most well-known and reputable online learning platforms that partners with top universities and organizations to offer courses, specializations, certificates, and degrees. Coursera courses are accredited and recognized by employers and academic institutions. Coursera also offers financial aid and scholarships for eligible learners. However, Coursera courses are more expensive than Udemy courses, and some of them have fixed start and end dates, which may not suit everyone’s schedule.

Skillshare: Skillshare is another online learning platform that focuses on creative skills, such as design, photography, music, writing, and more. Skillshare offers a subscription model that gives unlimited access to over 30,000 courses for a monthly or annual fee. Skillshare also has a community aspect that allows learners to interact with instructors and peers, share projects, and give feedback. However, Skillshare courses are not accredited or certified, and the quality and depth of the courses may vary depending on the instructor.

Udacity: Udacity is an online learning platform that specializes in technology skills, such as programming, data science, artificial intelligence, and more. Udacity offers nano degree programs that are designed by industry experts and include projects, mentorship, career services, and a credential upon completion. Udacity also offers free courses that cover the basics of various topics. However, Udacity nano degree programs are very expensive compared to Udemy courses, and they require a significant time commitment and prior knowledge.

edX: edX is another online learning platform that partners with leading universities and organizations to offer courses, programs, and degrees. edX courses are accredited and recognized by employers and academic institutions. edX also offers financial assistance and scholarships for eligible learners. However, edX courses are more expensive than Udemy courses, and some of them have fixed start and end dates, which may not suit everyone’s schedule.

LinkedIn Learning: LinkedIn Learning is an online learning platform that offers courses on topics related to business, technology, and creative skills. LinkedIn Learning is integrated with LinkedIn’s professional network, which allows learners to showcase their skills and achievements on their profiles. LinkedIn Learning also offers personalized recommendations based on the learner’s goals and interests. However, LinkedIn Learning requires a subscription fee to access its courses, which may not be affordable for some learners.

Pluralsight: Pluralsight is an online learning platform that offers courses on topics related to technology skills, such as software development, cloud computing, security, and more. Pluralsight also offers skill assessments that measure the learner’s proficiency in various domains. Pluralsight requires a subscription fee to access its courses, which may not be affordable for some learners.

Datacamp: Datacamp is an online learning platform that offers courses on topics related to data science and analytics, such as Python, R, SQL, machine learning, and more. Datacamp also offers interactive exercises that allow learners to practice their skills in a real-world environment. Datacamp requires a subscription fee to access its courses, which may not be affordable for some learners.

Codecademy: Codecademy is an online learning platform that offers courses on topics related to programming and web development, such as HTML, CSS