Both platforms are popular and recognized. EdX primarily partners with higher education institutions and focuses more on humanities and natural sciences, while Coursera has a larger base of partners from multiple industries and focuses on topics like computer science and business degrees. Coursera offers a much larger and wider range of courses and programs compared to edX. Additionally, edX is popular for offering better content quality and higher value for money, while Coursera offers career paths, specializations, and online degrees to certified.
Both platforms partner with top universities and organizations to design and deliver their courses, and they also provide free content and the option to purchase courses individually.
The courses on both platforms are recognized by employers and educational institutions, and they offer high-quality education from respected institutions worldwide.
You may be asking yourself, Which is better, edX or Coursera? Is the edX certificate valuable? Is Coursera bigger than edX? Is edX the same as Coursera? What is the difference between Coursera and edX?
In this article, we compare both platforms and ultimately declare a winner. Now check the comparison table Betwean edx and Coursera.
edX and Coursera are popular online learning platforms that offer a wide range of courses from top universities and organizations worldwide. edX offers various courses, including humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, business, and computer science. Coursera focuses on professional training in computer science, business, and data science and offers self-paced courses, instructor-led courses, and professional certificate programs.
Factor
edX
Coursera
Number of courses
4,000+
5,000+
Course topics
It offers wide range of courses, including humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, business, and computer science.
It focuses on professional training in computer science, business, and data science.
Course formats
Self-paced courses, instructor-led courses, and professional certificate programs
Self-paced courses, instructor-led courses, professional certificate programs, and MasterTrack certificates
Pricing
Most courses are free to audit, with paid options available for certificates and other features
Most courses are free to audit, with paid options available for certificates and other features.
Partners
Founded by Harvard University and MIT, with partners that include other top universities and organizations such as Berkeley, Microsoft, and IBM
Most courses are free to audit, with paid options available for certificates and other features. Coursera also offers a subscription plan with unlimited access to most of its courses.
edX courses are free to audit, with paid options available for certificates and other features. Coursera also offers a subscription plan with unlimited access to most of its courses.
Both edX and Coursera have partners, including Harvard University and MIT, Berkeley, Microsoft, IBM, Stanford University, Yale, Google, and Meta.
edX has a strong reputation for its humanities and natural sciences courses, while Coursera has a strong reputation for its courses in professional training.
Overview of Coursera
Coursera was founded in 2012 by Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng. It is an accredited online university program for learning new skills. With over 2700 free courses across various categories, Coursera offers a wide range of content to build career skills.
Top instructors provide all courses, and the platform partners with 275 popular universities and companies to create quality content. After learning, users receive an accredited certificate, ensuring a reliable and valuable academic experience.
You will love Coursera for its:
Accredited Certificates
Free Courses
Top Instructors and Experts
Guided Projects
High-quality courses
Professional Certificates
Different learning programs
If you want to learn an in-depth review of this platform, then visit Coursera Review.
Overview of edX
edX was founded in 2012 by Harvard University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers over 4,100 online courses across various subjects. CEO Anant Agarwal leads the platform, which is accredited and partnered with numerous universities and institutes.
It caters to all levels, offering 2415+ Introductory, 1261+ Intermediate, and 395+ Advanced courses. Users can audit courses for free without tuition fees and enjoy a 14-day refund policy for paid courses or programs.
You will love edX for its:
Verified Certificates
Free Courses
Degree Programs
Learn with a popular university
World-class instructors
Interactive online courses
Self-paced and instructor-paced courses
If you want to learn an in-depth review of this platform, then visit edX Review.
edX vs. Coursera Similarities
Both platforms offer accredited Courses, Professional certificates, BootCamp, and Degree Programs related to all educational topics.
edX and Coursera offer courses free courses without certificates related to all categories.
Both platforms have partnerships with the most popular companies and universities, such as Harvard, MIT, and Stanford.
edX and Coursera are available for all devices. You can access the content on desktop, iOS, and Android devices.
Both platforms offer courses related to different languages, such as English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and many others.
edX and Coursera are the best choices for businesses or institutes that want to improve their employees’ skills.
Both platforms offer a 14-day refund policy for paid plans.
edX vs. Coursera Differences
Coursera offers 7,000+ courses and programs related to all categories, while edX offers 4100+ courses related to all educational topics.
Coursera mostly offers courses related to the latest technology, such as computer science and business degrees, while edX offers mostly courses related to humanities and the natural sciences.
edX Most courses are free without a certificate, while Coursera offers 2700+ courses related to different topics.
Coursera offers a monthly or annual subscription plan, while edx does not offer a monthly or annual subscription plan.
edX average course length is several weeks to a few months, while Coursera’s average course length is 4-20 hours.
edX vs. Coursera courses
Coursera offers 7,000+ courses and programs related to all categories, while edX offers 4100+ courses related to all educational topics.
edx most popular topics are Architecture, Art and culture, Life Sciences, Business, Chemistry, Communication, Computer Science, Data Analysis, Design, Finance, and EdCS50’s Introduction to Computer Science.
Coursera’s most popular topics are Accounting, Cybersecurity, Data Analysis, Data Science, Excel, Google, Machine Learning, Project Management, Python, and SQL.
Best edX Courses
Programming for Everybody: Learn basic concepts of Python, such as variables, conditional execution, and repeated execution. You will learn everything from the basics of programming to using Python. Charles Severance instructed this course. Its audit version is free, and 7 weeks are required to complete the course.
CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science: Learn the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming. You will also learn concepts such as abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development. David J. Malan instructed this course. Its audit version is free, and 12 weeks are required to complete the course.
Introduction to Linux: Learn Linux using both the graphical interface and command line across the major Linux distribution families. You will also learn How to navigate through major Linux distributions. Jerry Cooperstein instructed this course. Its audit version is free, and 14 weeks are required to complete the course.
Data Science: R Basics: Learn basic R programming concepts such as data types, vectors, arithmetic, and indexing. Next, Learn how to perform operations in R, including sorting, data wrangling using dplyr, and making plots. Its audit version is free, and 12 weeks are required to complete the course.
Best Coursera Courses
English for Career Development: This career development course is designed for non-native English speakers who are interested in advancing their careers in the global marketplace. Brian McManus instructed this course. Its audit version is free, and 40 hours are required to complete the course.
Chinese for Beginners: You will learn Mandarin phonetics and essential daily expressions, enabling learners to achieve a fundamental understanding and confidently engage in basic conversations. Xiaoyu Liu instructed this course. Its audit version is free, and 23 hours are required to complete the course.
Google Cloud Fundamentals: Learn essential concepts and terminology for working with Google Cloud. Next, Learn how resources get organized with projects and identify different ways to interact with Google Cloud. Google Cloud Training provides this course. Its audit version is free, and 8 hours are required to complete the course.
SQL for Data Science: Learn how to identify a subset of data needed from a column or set of columns and write an SQL query to limit those results. Next, Learn how to create an analysis table from multiple queries using the UNION operator. Sadie St. Lawrence instructed this course. Its audit version is free, and 14 hours are required to complete the course.
Introduction to Programming with MATLAB: Learn the fundamentals of computer programming concepts such as variables, control structures, and functions. Next, Learn about various data types and how to handle them in MATLAB. Akos Ledeczi instructed this course. Its audit version is free, and 35 hours are required to complete the course.
edX vs Coursera Teachers & Course quality
Coursera has partnerships with the 275+ most popular Universities and Companies to create its courses and learning programs.
edX offers courses and programs that are partnered with the most popular universities and colleges, such as ACCA, AWS, Arizona State University, Arm Education, and Babson College.
Expert tutors teach all courses who work in the most popular companies and have 4 to 10 years of experience in their relevant fields.
Both platforms offer video tutorials, assignments, quizzes, and projects to build strong foundational skills related to selected topics.
edX vs Coursera Cost
Option
edX
Coursera
Subscription
Not Available
$59 p/m or $399 annually
Individual Course Cost
Between $50 to $500 on the Verified track
Courses: Cost start from $49 Guided projects: cost start from $9.99 Specializations and Professional Certificates costs start from $39.99 p/m Degrees: costs start from $9,000
Free Trial
Free audit option on most courses
7-day free trial
Free Courses
Most are free to audit
2700+ free courses without certificates
Refund
Available for 1st 14 days
Available for 1st 14 days
Coursera Cost
Coursera PlusCost
You can choose to pay for Coursera Plus either Monthly or Annually:
Coursera Plus Monthly – $59/ month
Coursera Plus Annual – $399/ year
It also offers a 7-day free trial for a monthly plan and a 14-day money-back guarantee for the annual plan. You will not get access to the MasterTrack Certificate and degrees program in this plan.
Guided Projects: It currently offers 789+ Guided Projects. Coursera Guided Projects cost start from $9.99.
SpecializationsCost: Its costs start from $39 to $100 per month. Each specialization covers 3 to 10 courses. Learners will also get a 7-day FREE Trial.
Professional CertificatesCost: Coursera currently offers 150+ Professional Certificates to choose from. Its cost starts from $39 per month with a 7-day free trial.
MasterTrack CertificatesCost: MasterTrack Certificate costs start from $2000. 4-8 months are required to complete the certificate.
Degrees Cost: Coursera Bachelor’s degrees cost start from $9000. 2-4 years are required to complete the degree.
edX Cost
edX Courses cost is different for the different programs. If you are looking for a verified certificate, then its cost starts from $49 to $300. Its Master’s degree program cost ranges from $10,000 to $25,000.
edX professional education courses cost approximately…
Master’s Degree program cost ranges from $10,000 to $25,000.
MicroMasters Degree program cost ranges from $600 to $1,500.
MicroBachelors Programs cost ranges from $500 to $1,500.
Professional Certificate Programs costs start from $150 to $1,000.
edX vs Coursera for Business
edX for Business
edX is also available for Business. You can easily customize your plan and team. You will develop essential skills pathways with verifiable and stackable credentials to upskill and train every employee.
For Teams & Smaller Organizations: It is designed for 30 learners or more. Its cost is $349 Per learner per year.
For Enterprise: In this plan, You need to select your team and know about the cost through the edx team.
In these plans, You will get access to the Admin Dashboard, Learner Portal, Infographic of Skills Pathways, and many other features.
Coursera For Business & Teams
Coursera also offers a Business plan. You will get access to 5,400+ courses, 3,300+ hands-on Guided Projects, and Verified Certificates.
You will get access to 5-125 users in the team plan. Its cost is $399 Per user annually. It also provides a 14-day refund guarantee.
edX vs. Coursera Pros and Cons
edX has many pros and cons.
PROS
It offers 4071+ courses.
It has 160+ partners.
It offers BootCamp & Degree Programs.
It is available in different languages.
Top University & College create its content.
Its many courses are free in the audit version.
Offers verified certificate after completion of the course.
You can download courses for offline use.
It also offers the option for self-paced learning.
edX offers a verified certificate that is valid for the academic level. It is an accredited platform because it has 160+ partners, such as Berkeley and Harvard University.
Coursera provides accredited certificates that employers recognize. It does not offer its own content, but many educational institutions and top universities publish courses on this platform. You will earn a certificate from Coursera backed up by the university.
Both platforms offer accredited certificates that are valuable for resume and job gains.
edX and Coursera alternatives
If you have less budget & not interested in the accredited platform, then Udemy and LinkedIn Learning are the best alternatives to this platform.
Udemy
Udemy is the perfect platform for those who want to learn new skills or reskill their existing knowledge. It offers 160+ topics and categories for learners to choose the course according to their interests. Its course costs start from $9.99, and the personal plan costs $16.58 monthly. Learn More Udemy Review.
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is the perfect platform for those interested in Business, Creative, and Technology topics. If you want to learn new skills or improve your existing ones, this platform is the best way to start. Its monthly cost is $39.99 per month, and its annual cost is ($239.88) working out at $19.99/month. Learn More LinkedIn Learning Review.
Udacity
Udacity is the best platform for those who want to improve their technical skills. It offers Single paid courses and Nanodegree related to different technical categories. You will get real employable skills that are based on real-world projects. You can also get 24/7 support through Nanodegree mentors. Learn More Udacity Review.
Conclusion: edX vs Coursera
Coursera offers a diverse range of courses, including professional training, such as computer science and business, while EdX provides free access to courses from recognized universities. Coursera offers more than 7,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs, all included in the subscription.
EdX focuses on building new skills and advancing your career, while Coursera offers courses from industry leaders like Google, IBM, and Meta. Coursera Plus offers more than 7,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs, all included in the subscription.
There is no outright winner in the edX vs. Coursera certificate debate, as both certificates are valuable. Coursera offers access to a large array of skill-oriented business-related courses, while Udemy’s specific lessons may be too dry. Coursera also offers free video streaming, making it a more accessible option for those seeking a more comprehensive learning experience.
FAQs
What’s better, edX or Coursera?
Coursera is the better platform because it offers 7,000+ courses and programs related to all categories, while edX offers 4100+ courses related to all educational topics.
Which is cheaper, edX or Coursera?
Both platforms offer mostly content for free without a certificate. The cost of both platforms is the same, but a Coursera Plus subscription could save you money if you take full advantage of it.
