65+ Of The Best Online Course Websites Compared

If you are after a MASSIVE comparison list of the best online course websites in 2024, you’re in the right place!

And when I say massive, I really mean it!

Below, you will find a huge comparison table of all the top online learning sites that offer high-quality video courses, cohort-based courses, live classes, workshops, training, and even degrees.

As an added bonus, many of these sites allow you to take many of their courses/ classes for free with no upfront cost. Let’s get started!

65+ Of The Best Online Course Websites In 2024 [Free + Paid]

My Favourite Top 5 Online Course Websites

As you can see from the above comparison table, there is an endless amount on online course sites to choose from. So if you are after some recommendations, here are my favorite picks.

1. Skillshare

• Price: 2-week free trial 
• Courses available: 28,000+
• Certificate of completion: No
• Best for: Designers, entrepreneurs, coders, creatives

First on my list is Skillshare which offers well structured and informative on-demand video classes that are made in-house and by their members. Since it’s inception in 2010, Skillshare has gained 8+ million students and hosts over 28,000 lessons.

Some of the many categories that Skillshare covers include design, writing, business, web development, knitting, photoshop, PHP, illustration, and cooking to name a few.

So whatever you are into, there is sure to be a class for you!

Currently, new users can try the service for free when activating their 2-week free trial! Overall, a great online course website that has a bit of something for everyone.

2. LinkedIn Learning

• Price: 1-month free trial 
• Courses available: 15,000+
• Certificate of completion: Yes
• Best for: Programmers, coders, business owners, management

Next on my list is LinkedIn Learning (previously known as Lynda.com) which has been educating students since 1995. Since then, they have helped to upskill millions of students from over 69 countries.

Unlike Skillshare, LinkedIn Learning only has courses taught by their handpicked teachers, with no community-driven content. While this does result in fewer classes, the overall quality is outstanding!

Some other great benefits of LinkedIn Learning are their extensive learning paths, industry-leading tutors, ability to add courses to LinkedIn profiles, and a certificate of completion.

So if you are a job seeker, or are looking to change careers, LinkedIn Learning is a great starting point.

3. MasterClass

• Price: $180/yr
• Courses available: 80+
• Certificate of completion: No
• Best for: Designers, enthusiasts, hobbyists, creatives

When compared to the other online course websites in this guide, MasterClass looks pretty average on paper. In total, they only have 80 classes and don’t provide any certificates. So what’s the deal?

What really sets MasterClass apart from the rest is that their instructors are considered the best in the world.

As of writing this, MasterClass currently has classes taught by Tony Hawk, Usher, Pen & Teller, Serena Williams, Steve Martin, Samuel L. Jackson, Natalie Portman, Martin Scorsese, and Stephen Curry to name a few.

So if you are looking to learn skills from the best of the best, you can’t go past MasterClass.

4. Udemy

• Price: Free – $249
• Courses available: 100,000+
• Certificate of completion: Yes
• Best for: Designers, programmers, coders, artists

For those looking for a massive list of online courses that cover almost every category, Udemy is the place to be. Founded in 2009, Udemy has helped 50+ million students gain new skills and jobs.

Unlike many of the other course providers on this list, Udemy courses are completely crowdsourced much like YouTube. While this does result in more courses and categories, content can sometimes be hit and miss.

However, for large categories such as programming, coding, business, and software, Udemy course content is top-notch. Even companies like Mercedes Benz, General Mills, Adidas, Booking.com, and VW use Udemy for upskilling their workforce.

So for a huge range of online courses and affordable prices, Udemy is a great contender.

5. edX

• Price: Free – $340
• Courses available: 2,500+
• Certificate of completion: Yes (for a price)
• Best for: Computer networking, IT, business, humanities, arts

Next on my list is edX which brings some of the best professors and universities in the world, and makes it accessible to anyone. To make this even better, many of their courses can be taken for free!

As of writing this, edX has partnered up with dozens of universities and businesses from MIT, Harvard, Berkeley, Boston, IMB, and Microsoft for delivering free online courses.

How it works is that many of these institutions have shared their online lectures and course curriculum to students all around the world. So anyone can receive a high standard of education.

While 1,000’s of their courses can be taken for free, if you are looking to get a certificate, you, unfortunately, will have to pay for this. Nonetheless, still one of the best online learning websites!