The top 10 online learning platforms to keep growing in your career!

With the advent of COVID-19, many people found themselves with "extra time" and were looking for ways to spend it. While some found themselves becoming sourdough connoisseurs, many others were taking the time to be a “lifelong learner” and take some online courses, whether it was to update their skills or make a possible career change. And with the bounty of online tools and e-learning platforms out there, it’s never been easier to learn something new in the comfort of your own home and on your own time. The only problem? How do you choose? It can be challenging to find the right fit, or make sure you’re getting the most “bang for your buck.”

In this article, we’ll discuss the 10 top online learning platforms and what they can offer you, including:

• 10 of the top online learning platforms

• Pros and cons of each online learning platform

• Things to consider before enrolling in an online learning course

Please note that this list is not meant to be comprehensive, and inclusion on this list is not an endorsement or a sponsorship by Career.io.

10 Top online learning platforms

1. Udemy

With over 213,000 classes and more than 70,000 instructors, Udemy is the largest online learning platform in the world. Udemy offers a wide variety of learning opportunities taught by independent instructors, who set their own pricing for the eLearning programs they create for the platform, although many courses are priced at just $14.

When choosing your course on Udemy, you'll first want to define what your learning goals are in advance and make sure to read the course description thoroughly. Don't skip over the "What You'll Learn" section, and make note of the instructor's credentials and average star rating. Take advantage of the short preview that they offer, so you can get a feel for the content and production quality, so you can get a feel for the instructor's style, and how the information will be presented.

2. Coursera

With over 3,000 courses created by universities and professional organizations and more than 87 million people using this service, Coursera is considered by many to be the number one teaching/learning app. Coursera has teamed up with 200+ universities and companies to offer courses to augment your education and help you succeed in your career. Pricing ranges from $10 per course for guided projects, $39+ per month for professional certification courses, and university-issued certificates start at $2,000 per course.

Coursera does offer some free courses, but the more comprehensive courses have either an individual fee or require a subscription. They do offer a “Coursera Plus” program which allows you to access more than 3,000 courses for a $59 flat monthly fee. And Coursera offers courses in a multi-media format that more closely aligns with a “real” college class, with instructors creating their own courses, uploading videos, and personally assigning and grading tests and homework.

3. Skillshare

A subscription-based online learning platform, Skillshare offers unlimited access to courses in almost 70 creative topics, such as graphic design, writing, photography, illustration, cooking, and more. For $14 a month (no long-term contract required) you can take as many courses as you want where you can develop new creative skills, uncover a new hobby, or strengthen your existing skills, and courses are created and taught by professionals in their field. They also offer courses in marketing, business, entrepreneurship, and leadership that can help enhance your professional value and keep you up to date in today’s ever-changing job market.

4. EdX

EdX was founded by Harvard and MIT and offers real college courses in a wide range of subjects and topics, taught by university professors. While they do tend to favor STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math), they also offer courses in language, arts, and the humanities. EdX has teamed up with several universities to offer professional degree certificates as well as “micro” degree programs to be used for professional development purposes. 

Unlike other online learning platforms that don’t have accredited courses, they also offer a “Global Freshman Academy” in partnership with Arizona State University, in which you can earn undergrad credits for certain courses that will transfer to other colleges or universities. And the classes are comparable to college/university classes, as they offer lectures, reading, discussions, quizzes, and assignments.

EdX does offer free classes, but with one caveat — if you want to earn a "verified certificate" for your job, it will cost about $49 per course. And there is a start date for each class, which cycles on and off throughout the year, but once the session starts, you can work at your own pace. 

5. Udacity

Tech skills are in demand, and Udacity offers courses to meet that need. Udacity offers “nano degrees” which take about four months to complete and offers lessons, projects, discussions, and mentoring from real-life advisors who help you with your resume and work portfolios. They provide a “coding boot camp,” as well as courses focused on programming, cloud computing, data science, and web development. They offer courses for beginners as well as those with experience. All these benefits aren’t cheap, however: about $399 monthly, or around $597 for students who buy the full four-month program at one time.

6. freeCodeCamp

Ever thought about learning to code? freeCodeCamp (aka Free Code Camp) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit group that is made up of an interactive platform, an online community forum (including chat rooms, local organizations, and online publications) that aim to make learning web development free and available to everyone, regardless of experience or financial means. It starts with online tutorials designed to introduce learners to HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, and progresses to projects that can be completed solo or with a partner. 

Once all project tasks are completed, students are paired up with other nonprofit organizations to build web apps, which provide real-world development experience. The curriculum is self-paced and includes 1,400 hours of coding challenges and web development, plus 800 hours of assisting with open-source projects (for nonprofits), and this all translates into approximately one year of full-time coding experience, at which time students receive a certificate for each section they’ve completed. It’s a popular platform, used by 350,000 unique visitors a month, from 160+ countries.

7. 360 Training

If you work in a field that is subject to governmental regulations, such as food and beverage, Human Resources, insurance, real estate, or environmental health and safety, you’ll probably have to have required training. 360Training.com is a hub where you can get that training, and any work that you do is saved in the cloud, so you don’t have to complete all training courses in one session. The company offers 6,000+ courses in over 15 industries, and they’re current with the most recent governmental regulations, and you can create any reports or certificates that your employer might require as proof of completion.

8. Pluralsight

Pluralsight offers courses in data science, cyber security, software development, and information technology, and is aimed at working professionals in those fields. You can take individual courses, but the company encourages you to choose a “path,” which is similar to “mini degrees,” a sequence of related courses in a focused subject area, like specific programming languages, software skills, programming languages, etc. This is meant to eliminate any vagaries or confusion about what classes to take, and you can take a pre-test to determine your skill level.

Pluralsight’s library offers 7,000+ classes with hundreds of potential learning paths, so if you’re not ready for a full-length one, you can take shorter, individual courses to see if it’s for you. The cost is about the same no matter how many courses/paths you want to pursue: about $29 a month for a personal plan (or $299 per year). If you want to commit to the “premium” option, that’s about $500 a year, which includes all the standard features/courses, plus extra interactive courses and industry-standard practice tests for several professional certifications.

9. FutureLearn

FutureLearn offers a huge selection of online courses that are taught by professors from first-rate universities as well as industry professionals. You can learn a new career-related skill (and earn a professional certificate) or take an enrichment class to learn more about a personal interest or hobby (aka “boredom busters.”) There’s a moderate time commitment, as most courses are meant to be completed within six to ten weeks. But they have a pretty good selection of shorter classes as well.  Some classes are free, and they offer classes that run about $50-$90, along with an Unlimited subscription program, which is $279.99 a year.

10. Masterclass

While not strictly a career-focused online learning platform, Masterclass is the place to go for personal growth classes, and they offer courses in business and leadership, cooking, writing, music, sports, photography, acting, and more that are taught by some of the world’s leaders in those fields. They offer more than 180 classes and are subscription-based, with each course providing about 20 short video lessons and a comprehensive workbook. There's an active student community from around the world, and courses are self-paced. Each class is designed to be accessible for beginners, and they're always offering new classes. Their annual membership is $180 and provides unlimited access to all current and future classes, and they have a monthly option of $15.

How do I choose a good online platform?

When deciding which online learning platform is right for you, be mindful of finding one whose style works best for you – are you an independent worker or do you require a set deadline? Also keep in mind your budget, schedule, and whether or not you need to earn a certificate, as well as the content of the curriculum, the instructor's qualifications, and how the class is formatted. 

In terms of what an online learning platform should have, make sure the platform you choose is clear, easy to navigate, and has a responsive support team.

Other factors to consider are:

• Course and instructor reviews

• The platform/institution’s credibility

• Length of the course and time flexibility

• Prerequisites and skill levels

• Interaction and engagement

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Key takeaways

1. With so many platforms out there, it can be challenging to find the right fit, or make sure you’re getting the most “bang for your buck.”

2. When deciding which online learning platform is right for you, be mindful of finding one whose style works best for you.

3. Keep in mind your budget, schedule, and whether or not you need to earn a certificate, as well as the content of the curriculum, the instructor's qualifications, and how the class is formatted.