Coursera Vs Edx: Which platform Is the best

Education will always be important, even if you can’t attend university and lectures in person. That’s why online options are so great! If you’re struggling to choose between Coursera or EdX, just read this.

By the end of this article, you will know what you need in order to make a final decision for Coursera Vs Edx.

Which Is Better – Coursera Or EdX?

Ease of Use

Coursera

Very easy to register. You only need to provide your name, your email address, and a password, then select “join for free”. You can also register using your Apple or Facebook account.

Coursera is very easy to navigate once signed up. EdX is very easy to navigate once you have signed up. You can use the platform on laptops as well as mobile devices.

EdX

Very easy to register. All you need is your full name, email, public username, password, and your country of residence. An email will be sent to you to activate your account. You can also sign up via Microsoft, Google, or Facebook.

Courses Available

Coursera

Coursera has more courses than edX, with over 5,000 to choose from within 11 categories. Within that, there are many sub-categories to help you choose the course that’s perfect for you. A filtering system can help you pick the specific subject within every category and sub-category.

EdX

EdX offers around 3,600 courses that fall under 32 categories. They have a very wide range of courses, and also have a great filtering system. You are able to select your subject, partner, program, level, availability, and even language. 

Free Courses

Coursera

There are more than 2,500 free courses available at Coursera, and they are easy to find. To find them, you must simply select “explore” on the header, and then select “take a free course”.

All free courses will be listed below. Upon completion, you will not receive a certificate, but you are able to purchase the course if you change your mind to get a certificate.

There is the option to “audit” a course, which enables you to access it for free. However, not all course material is available to you, and some assignments cannot be submitted. You will not get a course certificate or get graded with this option, either. 

EdX

At EdX, you can select the “audit track” option on a course to learn it for free. This will, however, limit your access to course materials, and you will not receive a certificate of completion. You are also unable to participate in any exams (see also ‘How Long Does The MCAT Take?’) and graded assignments.

Languages Available

Coursera

Coursera has a wide range of different languages that are available for use. These include English, Spanish, Chinese, traditional Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, French, Korean, Japanese, German, and many more. 

Most video lessons available on Coursera have an interactive transcript, which is even available on the mobile app for ease of use. Users are able to select the language they wish to use after selecting their subject category via the filter system. 

EdX

The courses available on EdX are primarily available in English. While other languages such as Chinese, French, and Spanish are options for some courses, there is no promise of this for all or even most available courses. 

You can assume that English will be the only language available for EdX courses.

Instructors and Course Quality

Coursera

At Coursera, every course is created with the partnered institution right alongside it. This means that the course is of incredibly high quality, and beta testers are used before every course is opened to the public.

The beta testers will give feedback on the course to make sure the course is as good as it can be.

In terms of instructors, they have ratings beside the description of the course. They also have short bios, which goes through their areas of expertise and their social media links.

EdX

The instructors that teach as EdX are from top partnered institutions. This assures users that they are being taught up top experts in the field they wish to study. There are short blurbs about all instructors, along with their social links, and their areas of expertise are highlighted. 

Support

Coursera

You have the option to search for particular topics such as enrollment, payments, or account setups. They also offer live chat options when you are logged in as a means of answering specific questions very quickly.

EdX

There are excellent FAQ sections, as well as useful “Contact Us” options for those who wish to submit tickets. For the tickets, there are even options to include Subjects and Course Details, and EdX will get back to the user soon. 

Pricing

Coursera

At Coursera, individual courses are priced between $29-$99, and they have more than 2,500 free courses, as well as courses you can audit. For specialist programs, they charge between $10,000-$25,000, which are available on Android, iOS, and Desktop.

Here, there is also the option to have an annual subscription, which gives you access to most courses. There is no limit to how many courses you can enroll in, and you are able to earn a certificate.

These subscriptions cost $339, but do not include full degrees or Mastertrack certificates. 

EdX

Individual courses are priced between $50-$300, and all courses can be free if they are audited. Specialist programs cost between $10,000-$25,000, and they are also available on Android, iOS, and Desktop. 

Conclusion

Though it’s up to you to decide which option is best for you, to us the answer is clear. Coursera comes out on top in almost every category. They have better pricing and a wider variety of courses (plus a subscription option), but they are also incredibly helpful.

Both options have good instructors and high quality courses, but the fact that Coursera uses beta testers speaks volumes.

So, Coursera is the superior option for a number of reasons. Do you agree?