Udemy Review

Udemy has 64+ million students, offers 210,000+ courses in 75+ languages and is one of the most popular and well-regarded learning sites out there. 

Considering those stats, you’re probably asking how Udemy works, how much it costs and are Udemy courses worth it? 

If so, you’ve come to the right place. This Udemy review is here to answer all those questions.

We’ll be covering what you get with Udemy, the pros, the cons, the costs, alternatives, refunds, whether Udemy is worth it and so much more.

Before we dive in, here’s a quick summary of what you need to know if you’re short on time: 

Table of Contents:

• What is Udemy and how does Udemy work?
• How much does Udemy cost?
• What a lesson is like and the best classes
• Who are the instructors and is Udemy legit?
• How I reviewed Udemy 
• What I liked and what could be improved 
• Who is Udemy for?
• Can I buy Udemy as a gift?
• Udemy refunds
• Alternatives and what others have said 
• How to open a Udemy account
• Is Udemy worth it? 

So let’s get started!

What is Udemy?

Udemy is one of the fastest-growing and popular providers of online education. It's used by the likes of Apple, Unicef, the Citi group and Box to upskill their employees.

The site offers 210,000+ courses in a massive range of disciplines. Each led by individual instructors with extensive experience and expertise in their fields. 

It's regarded as one of the most effective e-learning sites out there, with courses offered in video, audio and textual formats. 

If you're looking to learn a new skill, whatever discipline it's in, you're probably going to be spoilt for choice.

And you'll be joining over 64 million users if you select a course you’d like to try. 

How does Udemy work?

You can buy courses individually on Udemy.  Individually purchased courses don't expire – the course and its resources will be valid for lifetime access. This includes all the lessons (in audio, video or text format) and additional learning materials, which can often be downloaded. 

Alternatively, you can subscribe to a personal plan which gives you unrestricted access to 10.5k of Udemy's most popular courses for as long as your subscription is active.

Udemy focuses on multiple topics, from computer science to chemistry to arts and crafts.

These categories include: 

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

There is a massive range of instructors, and you can learn everything about them and their credentials on the course page. They're typically highly qualified in both their respective area of expertise and how to teach it. 

How much does Udemy cost?

Individual Udemy Courses

Udemy courses can cost anything between $12.99 and $199.99.

Individually purchased courses grant you lifetime access to that course and its resources. Most will include a range of video, audio and textual lessons and resources and assignments. Some may provide Q & A’s with your teachers and forums to discuss topics with your fellow course members.

Considering the kinds of skills you develop with Udemy courses, these prices are great value. Plus, Udemy often has sales offering substantial discounts across its catalog. 

Udemy subscription

You can subscribe to the Personal Plan. It has a 7 day free trial and then costs around $20 per month or $190 if billed annually.

Whilst your subscription is active, you'll have unlimited access to 10.5k+ of Udemy's most popular and highly rated courses.

Is Udemy subscription worth it?

It depends on your learning habits and whether the courses you're interested in are included. To figure this out just check the course landing page. If you see ‘Try Personal Plan For Free' that course is part of the plan. If you find enough courses you like that are included (and you're prepared to make learning a habit) it's definitely worth it.

There are a few larger plans, including Udemy Business Team Plan, which will cost you $360 per year, per-user or the Enterprise Plan. You’ll have to get in touch with Udemy for costs of the latter, but you’ll need a minimum of 21 members.  

For more details on Udemy pricing check out our Udemy Cost article.

How often does Udemy have sales?

Udemy often has sales every day. As the courses are purchased individually, you’ll have to check the course page of a specific course you’re interested in. This will tell you whether there is an offer sale.

Sales on Udemy happen all the time. They’re so frequent, Udemy regulars will be the ones to tell you never to pay for a Udemy course full price.

Free Udemy courses

There are 500 free courses that you can find on Udemy, covering around 25 topics. 

To find these courses is as simple as Googling free Udemy courses. Alternatively, you can find the selection on their homepage.

There's a wide range of topics covered and the teaching is often of the same quality as the paid courses. 

Some of Udemy’s most popular free courses include:

• A Mini Course on Time-Management 
• 7 Scientifically Proven Steps to Increase Your Influence
• HTML5 & CSS3 Fundamentals 

What a lesson is like

Because of the way Udemy is structured, no one lesson is the same. 

This is hardly surprising considering the range of courses and instructors, many of whom will have different teaching preferences. 

However, Udemy provides a very high standard of learning, so you can expect some consistency around quality. 

Lessons will often take pre-recorded video form, which you will be able to consume on-demand, whenever you like. These will be led by your instructor walking you through ideas relevant to your discipline. 

But there is also a massive range of additional learning resources available with most courses. These will often be downloadable texts, articles and other materials relevant to what you're studying. 

Best Udemy classes

Udemy has an incredibly wide range of top quality classes, so narrowing down the best of the best is a difficult task. 

Here are the top 5 most popular Udemy courses:

• Complete Python Development Programme: From Zero To Hero In Python
• The Web Developer Bootcamp 
• Machine Learning A-Z – Hands-On Python And R In Data Science 
• The Udemy Drawing Course: Beginner To Advanced 
• Microsoft Excel – Excel From Beginner To Advanced  

However, what's best for you depends on what you’re interested in and what kind of teaching suits you. 

To help you find the ideal classes, I’ve grouped together the very best courses from each of Udemy’s main categories below.  Many of these courses are independently accredited, giving them even more weight on your CV.

You can check out our article, Best Courses on Udemy.

Development 

Complete Python Development Programme: From Zero To Hero In Python

Created by Jose Portilla, a certified data science instructor with years of teaching experience, this course aims to teach you how to use the Python programming language professionally. With over 24 hours of on-demand video lectures, this course is ideal for those who have never programmed before. It’s a bestseller with a 4.5 /5 rating by students and over 450,000 reviews.

The Web Developer Bootcamp 

This course is taught by Colt Steele, a professional developer and instructor whose graduates have gone on to work at Google! Here, he teaches you all about the ins and outs of web development using HTML5, JavaScript and more. With around 64 hours of video, all you need is a computer with internet and a dedicated and open mindset. 

Business 

An Entire MBA in 1 Course: Award Winning Business School Prof – Learn everything you need to know about business. From launching a business, to growing it to taking it public. It includes 8 hours of on-demand video, 33 articles and 31 downloadable resources including a 300+ page book. Nearly half a million students have enrolled in this course and it has a rating of 4.5/5 from 56k+ reviews. 

Beginner To Pro In Excel: Financing And Modeling Valuation 

Excel is commonly used by businesses of all shapes and sizes. In this course, you’ll not only become equipped with using Excel faster than ever, but you’ll also learn how to build sound financial models and understand the mechanics of company valuation. 

Finance & Accounting 

The Complete Financial Analyst And Training Course 

Chris Haroun is a successful CEO who has gone on to find just as much renown as an educator. Here, he teaches you how to pick stocks, manage a portfolio, build a financial model and much more. If you’re interested in finance, but not too sure what any of that means, this course might be ideal for you!

Investing In Stocks: The Complete Course 

This 14-hour course will teach you how to master the stock market. You’ll learn all the best practices when it comes to picking an individual stock, using qualitative research and placing market orders. If you need any more convincing, your instructor, Steve Ballinger MBA’s is anyone can get started with investing 

IT & Software 

Learn Ethical Hacking From Scratch 

The image of the ethical hacker is very popular in Hollywood. Here, you actually learn how to hack secure systems and wi-fi networks and gather sensitive information about websites. Your teacher, Zaid Sabih, has years of experience with ethical hacking. And the course is all taught from scratch, no prior experience needed. 

IT Troubleshooting Skills Training

Even hackers run into computer problems. Noel Temena has been an IT analyst for 20 years. In this course, he teaches you a standard problem procedure that minimizes your problem duration and informs you about technical dedication and good practices for problem identification. If you’re as technologically inept as I am, this one is certainly worth considering. 

Office Productivity 

Microsoft Excel – Excel From Beginner To Advanced 

With more of a focus on productivity than finance, this course will teach all about the management of large data sets in excel. You’ll build a solid understanding of Excel features and automate your daily tasks using Macros and VBA. If you’re in an office all day and looking to wow your boss with some new skills, give it a go. 

Microsoft Excel – Data Analysis With Excel Pivot Tables 

This course promises to take your data analysis skills from zero to pro using Excel. Taught by Chris Dutton, a best selling analytics expert, he teaches you all the basics of using pivot tables. You’ll need a basic understanding of Excel functions before diving into this one. 

Personal Development 

Become A Superlearner 2: Learn Speed Reading And Boost Your Memory 

This course promises to give you the skills and resources to read up to three times the speed of an average college graduate. You’ll learn tips for effectively processing information and memory techniques for recalling vast amounts of info. Led by education and tech gurus from the prestigious SuperHuman academy, you’ll first need a speaking proficiency with the English language. 

Life Coaching Certificate Course 

Led by applied psychologist Kain Ramsy, this is a course that teaches you how to teach. You’ll learn widely adopted practices for helping to guide people through their problems, how to enhance your social awareness and improve your communication and people skills. You can be from any discipline and don’t need any prior experience.  

Design

The Udemy Drawing Course: Beginner To Advanced 

The clue is in the name of what this course offers. You will learn all the fundamentals including drawing the human face, realistic light and shadow and perspective drawing, and be taught by professional artists Jaysen and Quinton Batchelor. I’m a hopeless artist and if you’re the same, why not take a look at this course. 

Complete Blender Creator: Learn 3D Modeling For Beginners 

GameDevTV was created so anyone could learn how to design their own indie games. That is partially the aim of this course which they teach. You’ll learn how to use blenders interface to create your own 3D models and materials as you come to understand the basics of animation. No prior experience is needed, so we beginners are welcome to try it out as well. 

Marketing

The Complete Digital Marketing Course 

This course lives up to its name, offering to show you how to grow a business online from scratch and providing you with the skills to actually make money from your digital marketing knowledge. Teacher Rob Percival is an experienced web developer and an advocate for the freedom it provides as a career choice. Take a look at this course if you're serious about diversifying your career outlook. 

Facebook Ads And Facebook Marketing Mastery 2020 | Coursenvy

Facebook is one of the most popular platforms in the world, and this course teaches you how to master it as a place to sell your products. Coursenvy is an LA-based ads agency that teaches thousands of people about how to create quality advertising. So why not enroll in this course if you’re struggling to get your product out there. 

Health & Fitness

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Practitioner Certificate 

This is another course led by Kain Ramsey. Here, he teaches you the fundamentals of CBT, one of the most widely used and recognized practices in psychology and mental health. You’ll gain a lot of insight here, especially if you're interested in the mind and mental wellbeing. 

Internationally Accredited Diploma Certificate In Nutrition 

This course will help you understand the role macronutrients, micronutrients, fiber, energy, probiotics and water play in our bodies. It is taught by Akash Sehrawat, who is a holistic health practitioner (and also in very good shape). Anyone interested in eating healthy will gain something from this course. 

Music 

Pianoforall: An Incredible New Way To Learn Piano And Keyboard

Robin Hall is a professional artist and therapist, and PianoForAll is his most popular course with over 300,000 students. You’ll go from beginner to intermediate incredibly quickly as you learn the basic techniques for reading sheet music and playing-by-ear in a wide range of different genres. 

Complete Guitar System: Beginner To Advanced 

Erich Andreas has been playing guitar for nearly 30 years, and he’s here to show you how to play songs, master chords and scales and learn core techniques in the fastest, most efficient step-by-step manner possible. 

Who are Udemy's instructors?

As new courses are added, so are new instructors. What this means is that each instructor is specific to whatever course they are teaching. 

This also means that instructors know what they are talking about when it comes to the content they are teaching. 

Rather than one teacher with the brief of explaining a range of concepts, like in school, each instructor has the freedom to teach specific ideas they are passionate about and understand deeply. 

This means that you are learning from the best.

Instructors will often leave their qualifications on the course page. For example, here are the credentials of the two teachers leading Music Production In Ableton Live. 

Tomas George has a MMus Masters Degree in Music Production and a BA(Hons) Degree in Music Composition. He is also the creator of some of the world's most popular audio and music production courses – with over 250,000 students.

Ian Alexander has a MA Masters Degree in Music Production and BA(Hons) Degree in Music Production. He is a professional Audio and Mastering Engineer.

Is Udemy legit?

Often sites like this seem too good to be true. 

With so many impressive stats, what are Udemy's credentials? 

The platform may not be for everyone, but it is certainly well established and regarded. 

Founded way back in 2010 by tech CEO Eren Bali and a few other big business names, Udemy has grown to become one of the most recognisable education providers on the internet. 

The sheer number of users (over 64 million) and 870 million enrolments is certainly proof that they are doing something right. 

I’ve spent quite a bit of time using Udemy and can vouch for the claims it makes about the type of education it can provide. 

Udemy certificates

Most paid courses on Udemy will offer you a certificate of completion. 

You will receive your certificate when all the elements of the course have been marked as complete. At this stage, the trophy symbol above the course player will color to purple, notifying you that your certificate is ready. 

Click on the trophy symbol to view your certificate. This will take you through to a page that will give you the option of downloading the certificate, which you can save as a pdf or jpg file. 

Only paid, approved courses offer certificates. You won’t get one with free courses or courses that only include practice tests. 

Generally, Udemy's certificates are certificates of completion and are not accredited by a partner institution such as a college or university. That said, a number are. Where this is the case it will be clear on the course landing page.

How to add Udemy certificate to Linkedin

To add your certificate to your Linkedin, go on to your personal account page. 

Scroll down to the honors and awards section and click on the plus icon at the top of the section. 

You’ll be invited to add your certificate. This will include the title (name of course’s certificate of completion), the provider (Udemy) and the date and month the certificate was issued. 

Read our article: Is Udemy accredited? to find out more.

Udemy for Business

Udemy offers subscription services for teams and businesses. There are a couple of options available. You can check out our Udemy Business review, but we have summarized things for you here.

If you have a team of 5-20, Udemy’s Team Plan is the plan to go for. This will cost $360 per user, per year. In return, you'll receive access to 6,500+ courses, available online and with the mobile app.

For larger groups, with 21+ members, Udemy’s Enterprise is the choice. There's no set price for this plan. To get a price, contact Udemy Sales.  

Enterprise gives you access to everything you get with Teams, plus some other features including custom topics, custom URLs and the chance to create and host proprietary courses. 

Udemy Business has also partnered with Corp U to create the Udemy Leadership Development Program. Again, there is no set price, so contact Udemy Sales for costs. 

You'll receive over 100 executive-level courses from leading universities and institutions, as well as the opportunity to join live events and receive AI power analytics and insights.  

There are many benefits to signing up for Udemy with your business.

Your team won’t only be able to improve their skills in a variety of disciplines, but you will also be working together and collaborating through taking similar courses and completing similar projects. 

How I reviewed Udemy 

I spent a lot of time researching Udemy to put this course together. 

This included checking out individual courses from a variety of different instructors, disciplines and topics. I also had a look at the free courses on offer. 

On top of this, I have done some deep-dive research on the Udemy Help and Support pages, gathering all the relevant information of costs, refunds and other information on purchasing. 

Finally, I looked elsewhere across the internet to gather other peoples opinions on Udemy, and to pick out some potential alternatives. 

What I liked about Udemy

Fantastic range of courses 

Perhaps the most striking pro of Udemy is its range. 

With over 210,000 courses available, you wouldn’t be able to get through them all, even if you tried. 

The courses are all very specific and go into clear and concise detail. 

So, whilst there are many platforms offering piano lessons, because of the sheer number of courses on Udemy you are much more likely to find one that caters specifically to what you want to learn. 

On that point, the range of courses allows for an equally great range of teaching styles. So, if you prefer to learn practically with tasks or by video and text; if you like getting into the specific theory of a topic or if you're just looking for a crash course, the choice is there. 

Courses cover an impressive group of different categories. And most are geared towards the working world. 

This means that rather than just providing you with interesting but arbitrary knowledge, you can apply the content to whatever field of work you’re in. 

Whether it's the range of categories, courses or teaching styles, you won’t get bored with Udemy. 

Top instructors 

Another thing I liked about Udemy was its focus on the instructors. 

One of the first things the site asks you on the homepage is whether you are there to learn or to teach. So, that option of sharing knowledge is clearly open to anyone with a passion for a particular skill. 

Again, because of the massive range of courses, instructors are allowed to go into a lot of detail about whatever subject they are focusing on. 

The logic is that if everyone is teaching how to play piano, why not focus on explaining how to play a specific genre or style that you’re interested in and skilled at playing.

This isn't like school, where teachers are forced to stick to the curriculum. These instructors make their own curriculum and teach you what they feel is relevant to a discipline they know inside out. 

As a result, courses go into a lot more detail and are a lot more engaging, as you can imagine with someone who cares about their subject. 

But it isn’t just anybody who teaches from Udemy. 

On any course page, you should be able to find a little blurb about your instructor. 

In almost all cases these are highly qualified individuals with years of experience both practicing and teaching whatever skill they want to share with you.

Lots of choice and freedom 

The internet has made education easier than ever, and Udemy has taken full advantage of that. 

The most empowering aspect of the site is how much choice it provides. 

In the first instance, you’re free to choose whatever subject in whatever category interests you. There are absolutely no requirements. 

But even then, once you're enrolled, you are still free to learn however you would like. This means you can cater your course to your preferences. 

You can burn through all the content in one night, or you can squeeze in five minutes a day whenever you have time. 

The choice is yours. 

On top of that, most courses, like I’ve mentioned, have incredibly diverse teaching methods. 

So you’ll not only often receive on-demand video lessons, but also downloadable materials and resources you can consume whenever you feel like it. 

Just like learning any new skill, Udemy courses will require a certain amount of commitment, work and dedication to personal practice. 

However, you are free to build all of that into whatever your lifestyle currently is. 

Constant sales and promos

This is a slightly minor point but I feel it is worth mentioning. 

Udemy courses are constantly on sale. If not, there is normally some kind of promotion or deal that's going on. 

When you go onto any given course page, you’ll notice that, almost always, you won’t be charged at the original price.

In fact, in many cases, you’ll save quite a bit of money. 

This doesn’t apply with most of Udemy’s competitors, which I think is worth considering. 

What could be improved

Course might not be right for you 

I’ve given lots of praise to the range of courses and instructors. But there is one slight downside to this pro.

Because there are so many courses, it can be hard to tell whether or not a course is right for you. 

Instructors have very different approaches when it comes to teaching similar topics, so it can be difficult to know whether a certain approach fits what you're looking for.  There have been complaints that Udemy courses are ‘hit or miss.’ 

There are some ways to avoid disappointment. 

Firstly, Udemy puts a lot of effort into providing detail on the course landing page, so you are always able to see the instructors credentials, what the course teaches, and how the content is provided e.g. how many videos, articles, assignments etc. 

This will give you a good idea of what a course is like. 

If you're still unsure, there is no harm in doing a little more research. Reading reviews, visiting forums and seeing what else is out there will all help you find the course that's right for you. 

Not all course certificates are certified 

You will receive certificates of completion for courses on Udemy. These can be easily added to your LinkedIn profile if you have one. However, most of them are not accredited by any partner institution (though some are).

That said, any evidence you can provide that you are willing to invest in yourself and your career will make you stand out from the crown. And where courses involve the production of a piece of work you will have something to tangibly demonstrate what you’ve learnt to potential employers. 

Udemy could also expand its categories to make academic topics like physics, math, engineering, English, history, chemistry, social science, biology more obvious, as well as generating more courses in these areas.   

Who Udemy is for

Udemy was designed so that anyone, anywhere could learn. 

With that said, there are a few specific groups of people who I think could massively benefit from checking Udemy out.

These include: 

• Anyone looking to develop skills in tech and computing, but struggling to find a way in 
• Learners who want to dive deep into a specific aspect of a discipline 
• People who want a one stop shop for all their learning. IUdemy offers such diversity of courses, there really is no limit to what you could learn from programming to performing magic.
• Anyone thinking of a career change and gaining a new professional skill
• Those that like to take courses as they come, rather than purchase a whole subscription 
• People who enjoy a combination of learning resources, in video, audio and text formats 
• High flyers who can’t seem to fit learning new things in their busy schedule 
• Business owners and managers looking for a wholesale way to educate their team

Can I buy Udemy as a gift?

Udemy can be purchased as a gift for someone else, and many courses would make terrific presents. 

This is especially the case if you know someone who is interested in a particular discipline or area of learning. 

To purchase a Udemy course as a gift you:

1. Navigate the course landing page, or click the ellipsis on the top-right if you’re already enrolled in the course.
2. Click Gift This Course either from a dropdown menu or the left-hand side of the page
3. Enter the recipient's name, e-mail address, the date you want to send the course and a personal message. 
4. Proceed To Checkout and enter your details. 

Tips to finding great courses on Udemy 

Udemy has a lot to offer, but that can make it overwhelming to know where to begin. 

Luckily, we have a couple of tips for finding great courses with Udemy. 

You can browse Udemy courses by: 

• Category 
• Topics Recommended For You 
• or Search

The first is the most obvious, especially if you’re new to Udemy. You can see all the categories Udemy has to offer on the top tab of the home page. 

Clicking on any one of these will take you to all the courses offered within that category. You can then filter by:

• Most Popular 
• New and Trending 
• Featured Courses 
• Popular Topics 
• Popular Instructors 
• All Courses 

Once you have used Udemy enough times, the site will start recommending courses to you on your home page. 

Scrolling down will take you to the What To Learn Next section, which will include courses that are ‘Recommended For You,’ courses Udemy suggests ‘Because You Viewed X Course’ and ‘Featured Courses’ in whatever category you’ve most recently browsed. 

Finally, if you’re looking for a specific course or discipline, you can always use the Search Bar at the top of the home page.     

Udemy refund

Udemy courses can be refunded within 30-days, providing that your request meets the eligibility criteria. 

Payments are sent to instructors within 30 days, so your request will not be accepted after the window period.

Udemy reserves the right to reject refund requests. This can happen when a significant portion of the course has already been consumed, excessive refunds have been requested or your account has been reported for abuse. 

For courses purchased through iOS or Boleto Bancário and Pix, as well as certain bank or cash transfers, your refund will be credit only. Refund requests can only be made through desktops or laptops, not on the mobile app. 

Here’s how to request a refund:

1. Click on Purchase History and find the course you want to get refunded. 
2. Click the Request Refund icon below the course
3. Select a Refund Method, which can either be through your original payment method or Udemy Credits 
4. Select a reason for why you requested a refund 
5. Click submit 

You should receive an email confirmation acknowledging your refund request. You can check the status of your request on your Purchase History page. 

For full details on refunds, check out our Udemy refund article.

Udemy alternatives

Coursera, Alison, GetSmarter & edX

Coursea partners with universities across the world to provide certifiable and recognised online learning content. 

For more granular detail, check out our Coursera Review and our article Udemy vs Coursera, which is better? 

Alison is a free online learning platform hosting over 4,000 courses in 10 categories. It’s partnered with some of the biggest companies out there to produce expert courses on a range of subjects. Such partners include Google, Stanford, Microsoft, and University of Cambridge. Although all Alison’s courses are free (including diplomas) there is a charge if you wish to receive certification. You can also sign up for a premium account for regular discounts and no ads

GetSmarter provides data driven learning designed to provide professional resilience. Its courses are provided by elite institutions and span disruptive technology, finance, sustainability, business management and more. They typically last 6-8 weeks, provide access to a Success Adviser 2U’s Career Engagement Network and the Online Campus where you can interact with the teaching team and other students.

edX is similar to Coursera in that it is partnered with top institutions to offer accredited courses from the likes of Harvard, MIT and Yale. If that prestige interests you, take a look at our edX review.

MasterClass

MasterClass does things a little differently from the others. The focus is more on the learning experience. 

There is not the same amount of content or depth as Udemy, but what MasterClass does offer is incredibly high-quality production value and lessons from celebrities, leaders and living legends. In fact we rate Udemy as the #1 best alternative to MasterClass. 

If you want to study business strategy with Bob Iger, cooking with Gordon Ramsey or film making with James Cameron, MasterClass is the place to go.

Skillshare & Domestika

One of Udemy’s biggest competitors is Skillshare. This site offers a very similar model to Udemy, but there are some key differences.  In contrast to Udemy which has a pay per course model, Skillshare is a subscription platform. This ,ay work better for some learners. Check out our full Skillshare review or our comparison articles, Udemy vs Skillshare and Skillshare alternatives for more detail.

Domestika is similar in some ways to Skillshare. It is a great class for creatives with over 10 categories to choose from and an incredible amount of classes with each of them.  

The platform offers a range of purchase options so is extremely flexible in that respect. Be aware though, it is a European based platform and not all of the courses are taught in English (though a range of subtitles is available).

Datacamp, Udacity & Pluralsight

If you're looking for a platform dedicated to data science skills then Datacamp might be for you. They offer over 350 courses including coding with Python and R, skills and career tracks where you can hone in on your learning priorities and workspace areas where you can practice writing code. 

Finally, two other well established sites for courses on the latest technologies are Udacity and Pluralsight.

For in-depth comparisons read our article Udemy Alternatives, Udemy vs Udacity and Udemy vs LinkedIn Learning.

Udemy reviews: What others have said

To give you the most balanced and well-rounded picture of Udemy , I've researched what others have said about it. 

I took a look at forums like Reddit. The response was as I expected. People tend to like Udemy, and especially the sales it offers, but the courses can be hit and miss…

“Don't fall for Udemy sales. Udemy is the furniture store of e-learning. They are always on sale and you will never have to pay the full price. (Also, the full prices are often extremely exaggerated). Udemy is hit and miss. There are some absolutely great, highly recommendable courses, but there also is the complete opposite.” - Udemy review reddit

This was one of the more negative opinions of Udemy encountered. Even then, this individual clearly values some of the courses they have taken with Udemy. 

But it does tap into the issue I have – your experience with the site will ultimately depend on what courses you take. So, as I said, make sure you do your research. 

This was supported by another comment I found: 

“Any high rated (> 4.5 stars) course with a lot of ratings (> 5000) is good and choosing between them really only comes down to preference of the instructor. Take a look at the free previews of lessons and see which one you like.” - Udemy review reddit

I agree with this user's onion of Udemy entirely. Yes, Udemy may sometimes be hit or miss, but you can normally tell how good a course is based on looking at factors like enrollment, reviews and ratings. 

The other comments I found tended to be even more positive, like this one: 

“I have learned a lot from several Udemy courses. I highly recommend them. Just always remember that it’s still a tutorial so make sure you practice your skills while actually building real sites. Or if you’re not ready for that yet go on codewars and practice your JS for now with challenges.” - Udemy review reddit

This was in response to someone asking about Udemy’s coding lessons (JS = JavaScript). This individual has clearly had a good experience with their courses, but they also recognise that you will need to follow strict individual practice to improve. 

So, we can see overall that Udemy courses can be a bit hit or miss and require you to practice in your own time. However, if you find the right course, which is quite easy to do, Udemy can add years to your learning in a matter of hours. 

Do Udemy courses expire?

Enrolling in a course with Udemy will give you lifetime access to that course. 

This is the case even if the course is free or you bought the course on sale. You will have access to the content even after you have completed it. 

However, bear in mind that instructors own the rights to their courses. They may decide to unpublish their course or Udemy may have to remove it for policy reasons. 

If this takes place with a course you’re enrolled in, contact Udemy support. 

Evaluating Udemy

Features: Access to over 210,000 courses in a range of disciplines which you can return to after completion.

Content quality: A range of teaching styles that take the form of high-quality audio, video and text lessons, supplemented by in-depth additional learning materials. 

Content breadth: A massive range of categories that include Business, IT & Software and Music. 

Teachers: Instructors on Udemy are there to teach a specific course that they have years of experience with and is curated and tuned in to their specific skill set. 

Supporting materials: Downloadable resources are available with most lessons including articles, assignments and certificates. 

Payments & refunds: Udemy courses cost between $12.99 and $199.99 and can be refunded within a 30-day window. 

Support: Contact Udemy Support.

How to open a Udemy account

Opening a Udemy account is extremely straightforward. 

1. Click sign up in the top right corner of the home screen 
2. Enter your name, email and a unique password
3. Select whether or not you want to receive promotional emails from Udemy 
4. Click sign up 

It’s that simple. 

From then, you can click Log In and enter your details that way. 

Is Udemy worth it?

So, what’s the final verdict on Udemy? 

In my opinion, it depends on what you're looking for as a learner. But it seems that most people have very positive experiences. 

The range of courses means some will inevitably suit you more than others. And if you prefer a more academic approach this may not be the site for you. 

However, Udemy will be perfect for you if you want to buy specific and detailed courses individually. All courses are priced individually, with video lessons and learning resources available on-demand, so you can tune in whenever.  And if you do want to subscribe, a personal plan is available.

On top of this, Udemy is ideal if you're looking to acquire new skills that will better prepare you for the changing nature of the world. This is the place to go to improve your tech, IT, marketing and productivity skills. 

There's an incredible range of courses, with well-renowned instructors who go into loads of detail around subjects they are passionate about. 

And don’t forget, there are almost always sales and promos with all the courses, and a 30-day refund available if you aren’t happy with your purchase. Plus a 7 day free trial of the personal plan.

Related articles: CXL review, best online math courses, best online psychology courses, FutureLearn review

Udemy review – FAQs