E-learning Platforms Comparison

This e-learning platforms comparison will help you learn more about these platforms. If you are an instructor and you would like to sell your courses, choosing a platform is not that hard. A marketplace like Udemy can help you do that. But if you want to learn about the alternatives to Udemy, you will have to dig a little deeper.

In recent years, online-learning platforms have become wildly popular. But at the same time, they have created a lot of confusion. There are many different e-learning platforms, which is often confusing for both learners and course instructors. The goal of this post is to clarify the differences between different popular platforms.

E-learning Platforms Comparison: 5 Famous Marketplaces

As a course instructor, you must make an informed decision when choosing an e-learning platform. Now we are going to show a brief comparison of Udemy vs. some other well-known e-learning platforms. Hopefully, you will find this comparison helpful.

Platforms that work as marketplaces differ from one another in terms of course formats, audience, compensation models, pricing, and promotions. Please note that here we are not going to include-learning sites that do not work as marketplaces. Here are the key differences:

	Udemy	SkillWise	Coggno	Skill Success	Skillshare
Number of Students	About 30 million	600,000+	2 million	n/a	4 million
Number of Courses	80,000	2700+	1000+	1000+	26,000
Certificate	Offers non-accredited certificates	No	No	Non-accredited	No certificate, but instructors can offer individually
Business Platform	Udemy for Business	None	Business training only	None	Skillshare for Organizations
Consumer Pricing	$10-$200 per course	$9-$49 per course	$10-$200 per course	$199 per course	$15 per month
Who Can Work as Instructors	Anyone	Anyone	Anyone with business domain expertise	Application process	-Anyone-Enrolling is required
Instructor Payout	-97% instructor promotion sales-25% affiliate sales-50% of organic sales	-50% of sales on the sites-3% transaction fee-30% of partner sites sales	-80-90% of sales on websites-Instructors have to pay $35/month-60% of sales on the marketplace	-Usually 50% of sales-Compensation based on discussion	-30-50% of royalties-$10 per referral
Promotion	-Sales and discounts-Optional site promotions	-Course bundles-On-site promotions-Promo codes	No	Group coupons applicable for $10 courses	Annual membership discounts
Suitable for Students	Looking for niche topics	Looking for IT-related courses	Corporations and professionals	Main targets are beginners	Who love creative projects
Suitable for Instructors	Experts who need side gigs	Who need access to the distribution network of StackCommerce	Experts in HR and insurance	New instructors	Instructors who create short courses

Differences Between Major E-learning Platforms

Udemy

Most people interested in e-learning are familiar with Udemy. Over the past few years, it has developed as a full-fledged online marketplace. For instructors, it has a unique revenue structure. When the courses are sold, instructors get a part of the revenue. The amount depends on the sales.

For new instructors, this is one of the best marketplaces. To test your online teaching skills, you can try this platform. If you are looking for a way to earn some passive income, Udemy will not disappoint you.

Skillshare

See any e-learning platforms comparison and you will notice Skillshare being compared with Udemy. There are some clear reasons why Skillshare is often compared with Udemy. But what makes Skillshare different is its subscription-based services. Students who have subscribed to Skillshare can use the library of courses. There is no fixed price for a course. Instructors get paid when their courses are viewed.

On Skillshare, instructors publish their classes. The duration of a class usually does not exceed 60 minutes. This platform is a good choice for relatively less experienced instructors. However, Skillshare is often taken very seriously in an e-learning platforms comparison.

In terms of the number of students and the number of courses, Udemy is larger than Skillshare. Skillshare puts emphasis on the quality, not the quantity of the courses. Recently this platform has expanded its categories and included subjects such as technology and business.

If you are an instructor, the main difference for you is the payout scheme. It is based on royalties from memberships, not on fixed sales. According to the site, the average income of an instructor is $3000/month.

Skill Success

In some ways, Skill Success is like Udemy. Their revenue share policies are the same. However, it operates on a smaller scale than Udemy. It also has a subscription model. In terms of course creation, not much information is available about Skill Success.

If you want to create courses and become an instructor, you can not do so just by signing up. Skill Success is probably not a better alternative to Skillshare or Udemy.

Coggno

Coggno is different from other e-learning platforms in the sense that its only focus is on business customers. This training marketplace is also a learning management system and it connects HR organizations, content developers, and employees in need of training. Simplifying corporate training is the goal of this platform.

Coggno allows you to create courses and upload them on the platform. It is different from other Udemy alternatives in another way: it allows you to upload SCORM files. If you wish, you can deliver the courses privately. In this e-learning platforms comparison, we highly encourage you to try Coggno.

Coggno is a really good platform for professional trainers. You can offer your courses to your audience by using the branded version of this platform without spending a cent. So, it is a really effective B2B marketplace.

SkillWise

This learning platform is related to StackCommerce, a creator of some amazing online courses. SkillWise mainly focuses on photography, design, business, development, and IT classes. This platform is a good fit for you if you are interested in any of these fields.

SkillWise gives you access to the network of StackCommerce. This network provides a lot of support for content creation. In terms of payout, SkillWise is very much like Udemy. An instructor receives 50% of the revenue earned from selling the courses. SkillWise does not specify the pricing, but your final price is determined by your suggested price.

Choosing a Platform

Udemy vs. Skillshare

If you are just getting started with online teaching, either Udemy or Skillshare can be a good choice for you. Udemy vs. Skillshare is a hot topic in any e-learning platforms comparison. But at the same time, you have to notice the key differences between Udemy and Skillshare.

There are more students on Udemy, but there is more competition, too. On Skillshare, you will get visibility more easily. There is only video content on Skillshare. Besides, there is a project in every course. Udemy has content in multiple formats, and the course techniques are also varied.

In terms of the earnings model, Skillshare is a bit opaque. On Udemy, an instructor has more control over the process of earning. In other words, the process is a bit more transparent.

SkillWise, Skill Success, Coggno

The operation of Skill Success is very much like Udemy. Some users even say that Skill Success uses the business model of Udemy. However, this platform is not as widely known as Udemy. It is also much smaller than Udemy. There is also another issue. Skill Success does not specify the requirement for becoming an instructor.

SkillWise is seemingly a reasonably large network, but little is known about the success of its instructors. While you will find numerous shiny reviews of Udemy, you will not find many good reviews of SkillWise.

Other Learning Platforms

There are numerous other online platforms, and some of them have gained huge popularity. If you want to make e-learning platforms comparison, you should learn about the major ones. Now we are going to discuss some of them.

Codecademy

Codecademy is a very useful platform for people who want to learn to code. No matter what your experience level is, you can get started here. Here you can learn not only HTML and CSS but also Python, JavaScript, and more. Eventually, the site will help you apply your knowledge and build basic websites and apps.

You can use the free plan, but if you want to go deeper, the pro membership may be helpful for you. For real-world practice, pro membership is a must. If you are serious about learning to code, this platform will not disappoint you. Take a look at any e-learning platforms comparison online and you will see how seriously people take Codecademy.

Pluralsite

The main focus of Pluralsite is on technology. If you are passionate about IT, software development, and data security, this platform will make you smile. If you are already carrying on your studies in this field, on this site you can take practice exams. To use this platform, usually you have to pay $29 per month. But the content is also available for free.

Coursera

Coursera offers courses from some famous organizations and universities. These courses come in a variety of formats. The site offers great flexibility. Whether you need professional specializations or one-time workshops, Coursera can help you. Here you can even study for a master’s certificate from an online university.

Edx

Edx hosts online university courses, and in that sense, it is very much like Coursera. The platform offers courses in sciences, humanities, technology, and business. Some of its partners are IBM, MIT, Berkley, and Harvard. Some courses even offer professional certificates.

Most of these classes are available for free. But you will have to spend some money on a verified certificate. There is another great thing about the courses: they are self-paced, which means you can take as much time as you need to complete a course.

The Bottom Line 

Whether you are a course builder or a student willing to develop some skills, finding a good learning platform should be your first priority. There are many platforms, but very few are good enough to compete with Udemy. We have provided e-learning platforms comparison that will hopefully help you make an informed decision.