Udemy Review: Pros and Cons

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If you have ever searched for online educational courses, then I am almost certain you will have stumbled across Udemy.

It’s one of the most popular and well-known online learning and teaching marketplaces in the world, with over 100,000 courses in over 65 different languages and 24 million students.

Udemy offers courses for a wide range of subjects. However, their top categories are design, development, marketing, IT and software, personal development, business and music.

As Udemy is developed with the intention of providing all types of people with an ability to learn new things, we created an account (which was free) to do a bit of digging and answer the question, Does Udemy really warrant its popularity?

What is Udemy?

With 204,000+ courses to choose from, Udemy has just about everything under the sun for the curious learner. From game development to business analytics to emotional intelligence, there’s truly something for everyone. There’s an app to learn on the go, and ways to invite friends and enjoy mutual savings.

How Does it Work?

Udemy is a MOOC (Massive Online Open Course) provider that allows you to select the courses you’d like to learn. They offer a variety of limited-time promotional offers for their loyal email subscribers. All courses can be done at your own pace, so take as long as you need to absorb the information. You’ll be rewarded with a certificate of completion after finishing the course.

Features

1. Easy Site Navigation

We could easily navigate the site to get where we wanted. It was exactly what we expected. It was quick and simple to work around.

Firstly, we created an account, which only took seconds. To register, just type in your name, an email address and a password. Howver, it got slightly annoying when the site kept telling me to make my password stronger.

2. Quick Checkout Process

You can easily pick an area that you’re interested in learning about. After deciding, you watch a brief video and read the description about the course and then add it to cart (if you like it). At the checkout, just select a payment method and then the course ready for you to use… easy!

3. Superb Content Quality

If you’re paying for something, you want it to be worth it. You want your bang for your buck.

The courses on Udemy are actually added and promoted by the course provider themselves. So, I don’t believe that Udemy check the content of the thousands of courses on there.

There are, of course, some negative reviews. However, many of the reviews were positive and posted by customers who seemed to be pleased with the quality and content of the course and were satisfied with what they learnt.

4. Learning Experience 

The reviews of Udemy customers to assess the learning experience of the courses offered on the site. A few customers also reported technical issues (e.g., videos kept pausing or stuttering). However, this could be a problem at their own end with Wi-Fi or computer software.

5. Variety in Cost

With courses starting at $11.99, Udemy offers something for everyone, as well as an affordable subscription plan.

6. App for Being on the Go

Udemy offers a responsive app that’s perfect for learners on the go. You’ve got access to your course materials anywhere with an internet connection.

What Are the Pros?

There are some free courses offered on Udemy. Importantly, just because they are free, it doesn’t mean they lack quality or insight on a subject. They are often free due to promotions by Udemy. Or, because the course provider wants to raise awareness of themselves and get more students for future teaching (which I assume they then charge for).

The site runs smoothly too, which is always great for accessibility.

What Are the Cons?

There’s no individual subscription model as of yet, and the costs for individual courses can really add up. This makes Udemy one of the more pricey online learning platforms.

Pricing

How much does Udemy cost and is it worth the price?

According to Udemy, they do not determine how much each course costs. The cost of the course is determined by each individual course provider. Due to this, course prices can vary significantly, from $11.99 – $199.99 per course.

In general, the more information the course provides or the tougher the subject or the longer the course takes (more hours of teaching), then the more expensive it is. Personal and Pro monthly plans vary from $20 – $30.

Who is it for? 

Professionals and students who are willing to pay and invest a little more for professional-grade courses can give Udemy a try. The prices are quite steep for hobbyists and beginners. Luckily, Udemy offers many online course sales such as special Black Friday flash events.

We would not recommend using a Udemy course to kickstart a whole new career. As the courses aren’t accredited, they probably wouldn’t stand out in comparison to those with experience or related degrees.

There’s a wide range of courses, non-certified and certified. Some examples of Udemy courses are:

  • Python for Beginners: Learn Programming from Scratch
  • Excel Deep Dive: Pivot Tables Workshop
  • The Complete Copywriting Course: Write to Sell Like a Pro
  • Communication Fundamentals: How to Communicate Better
  • Complete Blender Creator: Learn 3D Modeling for Beginners

Conclusion

In general, Udemy appears to have decent feedback. Their courses are reasonably priced and the website is easy to use. More importantly, the quality of what is taught is up to scratch and they are taught in a way the is easy to learn.

It’s important to note that the courses offered on Udemy are not accredited by educational institutions. This could be seen as a negative, but in reality this is totally fair enough, considering the price of most of the courses.

However, in the current work climate, there is a focus on what we know and skills and experience we have. Therefore, Udemy is a useful tool that doesn’t require you to dedicate every waking hour.

Udemy is an excellent resource to enhance your skills and to gain a little bit more valuable knowledge—thus making you more competitive in our growing, ever-digitized job market.

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