Short answer
- Closest alternative: edX, also built on university courses, with verified certificates “starting at around $50” and MicroMasters programs that can carry credit toward a master’s degree (edX).
- Free: Khan Academy and MIT OpenCourseWare; neither gives course certificates or credit.
- For professional development credit: LinkedIn Learning, with NASBA CPE, PMI PDUs and other continuing education credit, through LinkedIn Premium from $39.99 a month.
- Note: Udemy is no longer a Coursera competitor. Coursera completed its combination with Udemy on May 11, 2026 (Coursera).
This list compares ten platforms on price, subject focus and the kind of credential at the end. Coursera itself costs $59 a month or $399 a year for Coursera Plus, and since August 2025 it replaced free auditing with a free preview of each course’s first module (Coursera Plus, Coursera blog). The ten platforms below were all active when we checked them on September 22, 2026. For each one we list the price and, since that’s what this site is about, exactly what kind of certificate or credit you get.
The 10 alternatives at a glance
| Platform | Suits | Price (US) | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| edX | university courses, MicroMasters | verified certificate from about $50; professional certificates from about $500 | verified and professional certificates; some programs carry transferable credit |
| LinkedIn Learning | business, technology, creative; CE credit | Premium Career from $39.99/month or $239.88/year | certificate of completion; CE credit; Professional Certificates |
| Udacity | tech programs with projects | $249/month | Program Certificates |
| Khan Academy | school subjects, free | free | no course certificates |
| MIT OpenCourseWare | MIT course materials, free | free | no credit or certification |
| Codecademy | learning to code | shown in local currency | certificates on Plus/Pro; Professional Certification on Pro |
| DataCamp | data and AI | shown in local currency | exam-based DataCamp Certification in Premium |
| Skillshare | creative skills | $167.88/year | class certificate with a project |
| Treehouse | web development | $25 to $199/month | badges; Techdegree credential; college credit via a partner |
| Flatiron School | full bootcamp | $14,900 per certificate program | certificate from the bootcamp |
Sources are linked in each section below.
1. edX
edX offers university and company courses, like Coursera. It’s owned by 2U, which emerged from Chapter 11 as a private company in September 2024 (2U), and says it has reached “100M Learners” with “250+” content partners (edX).
What you get: “you can audit many courses for free or earn a verified certificate for an individual course starting at around $50.” Professional certificates “start at around $500.” Some programs, “like the MicroBachelors® or MicroMasters®, can provide transferable college credits” (edX); MicroMasters credit can count toward a master’s degree elsewhere, depending on the other university’s rules (edX MicroMasters).
2. LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com)
LinkedIn Learning replaced Lynda.com in 2021 and comes with LinkedIn Premium: Premium Career “starts at US$39.99 per month” or US$239.88 a year (LinkedIn). There are no standalone plans or single-course purchases for individuals (LinkedIn).
What you get: a certificate of completion after watching all videos; continuing education credit with CompTIA, HRCI, IIBA, NASBA, PMI and SHRM; Professional Certificates with unproctored exams; and “over 42 learning paths that can be applied toward academic degrees with seven off-platform academic partners” (LinkedIn, CE). More in Lynda vs Skillshare.
3. Udacity
Accenture completed its acquisition of Udacity in May 2024 (Accenture). “A Udacity subscription costs $249 per month” (Udacity), with a 7-day refund window after the first purchase and one refund per student (Udacity terms).
What you get: “Program Certificates” for completed programs (Udacity plans). Udacity also offers a Master of Science in AI that is “awarded by Woolf” (Udacity).
4. Khan Academy
“Khan Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization,” free for everyone (Khan Academy).
What you get: no course certificates. Khan Academy “is not an accredited school and work done on the site does not count towards a diploma or degree program.” The only certificates it lists are teacher training certificates, Learnstorm certificates and motivational templates for coaches (Khan Academy help).
5. MIT OpenCourseWare
Free materials from more than 2,500 MIT courses. “MIT does not offer credit or certification to users of OCW” (MIT OCW). Use it to learn, not to collect credentials.
6. Codecademy
Owned by Skillsoft since April 2022 (Skillsoft). Plans are Basic (free courses only), Plus, Pro and All Access, with prices shown in local currency.
What you get: a certificate of completion only on Plus or Pro; “Free accounts (completing lessons only) will not be granted certificates.” Pro adds Professional Certification after passing all exams in selected career paths (Codecademy, Professional Certification). More in Codecademy vs Treehouse.
7. DataCamp
A data and AI platform with 790+ courses. Prices are shown in local currency.
What you get: a Statement of Accomplishment for courses (no assessment), and DataCamp Certification with timed and practical exams, “included with your premium subscription, so there are no additional costs,” valid for two years (DataCamp). More in DataCamp vs Coursera.
8. Skillshare
Creative classes, “over 35,000” of them, each with a project. $167.88 a year on the US pricing page (Skillshare); no free tier since 2021.
What you get: a class certificate after you watch all lessons and submit a project, with a unique certificate ID (Skillshare). More in Skillshare vs MasterClass.
9. Treehouse
Coding courses and Techdegree programs: $25, $49 or $199 a month, 7-day trial (Treehouse). Owned by Xenon Partners since 2021.
What you get: badges for courses, a verified Accredible credential for a Techdegree, and college credit through University Pathways International on ACE- or NCCRS-reviewed courses (3 credits per course, $35 transcript fee) (Treehouse). More in Udemy vs Treehouse.
10. Flatiron School
A full bootcamp rather than a course library. Software Engineering, AI & Data Science and Cybersecurity certificate programs cost $14,900 each; the Work-Integrated Immersive costs $29,900 (Flatiron School). Owned by Carrick Capital Partners since 2020 (Carrick Capital).
What you get: a certificate from the bootcamp, not a degree. Another bootcamp in the same category is General Assembly, part of the Adecco Group, which gives “a signed certificate of completion” for its Software Engineering Bootcamp (General Assembly).
What about Udemy?
Udemy was long treated as a Coursera competitor, including in earlier versions of this list. Since May 11, 2026 it is “a wholly owned subsidiary” of Coursera (SEC filing). Its model is still different (single courses with lifetime access, or a subscription), see Do Udemy courses expire?. But if you want to leave the Coursera group, Udemy is no longer the way out.
What Coursera itself gives you, for comparison
Coursera offers course certificates, Specializations, Professional Certificates (some with ACE credit recommendations, for example “up to 15 college credits” for Google IT Support), university certificates and degrees from accredited partners. Its terms state that completing its content “does not confer any academic credit” by itself (Coursera terms, Google IT Support). If you need a credential with an exam from an independent body, none of these platforms replaces it; our Certification Cost Index lists those exams and their fees.
How to choose
- You want university courses like Coursera’s: edX.
- You need continuing education credit for a certification you hold: LinkedIn Learning.
- You want to learn for free: Khan Academy or MIT OpenCourseWare, knowing you won’t get a certificate.
- You want to learn to code: Codecademy or Treehouse; Treehouse if you want college credit.
- You work with data: DataCamp.
- You’re creative: Skillshare.
- You want a full-time program with a career focus: a bootcamp such as Flatiron School.
Frequently asked questions
What is the closest alternative to Coursera?
edX. It also offers courses from universities and companies, verified certificates, professional certificates and programs that can carry college credit.
Is there a free alternative to Coursera?
Khan Academy and MIT OpenCourseWare are free. Neither gives course certificates or credit. edX lets you audit many courses for free.
Is Udemy a Coursera competitor?
Not anymore. Coursera completed its combination with Udemy on May 11, 2026, and Udemy is now part of Coursera.
Which Coursera alternative gives college credit?
edX MicroMasters and MicroBachelors programs, LinkedIn Learning learning paths with partner schools, and Treehouse courses through UPI. The receiving college decides whether to accept the credit.
Can you still audit Coursera for free?
Coursera replaced full auditing with a free preview of the first module of most courses in August 2025.
How we checked these facts. Every price and credential rule comes from the platform’s own website, help center or press releases, and ownership changes from company press releases and SEC filings, all checked on September 22, 2026. The earlier version of this article listed a platform called “TwoMorrows Learning”; we could not find any learning platform by that name and removed it. Certificate Quest is not affiliated with any platform on this page and earns nothing from links on it.