What is the difference between Udemy and Udacity?: Udemy vs Udacity

Udemy vs Udacity

Do you want to know What is the difference between Udemy and Udacity?, If yes, then you are in the right place. In this article, I have compared Udemy VS Udacity on different parameters. So give your few minutes and understand the major difference between Udemy VS Udacity.

What is the difference between Udemy and Udacity? [Udemy vs Udacity]

What is Udemy?

Udemy was founded in 2010 by Eren Bali, Gagan Biyani, Oktay Caglar. Udemy has courses in various categories like software development, business, design, marketing, etc. And Udemy is one of the world’s largest online course platforms.

With Udemy, you can nurture and develop your careers, expand your knowledge, and explore a wide variety of hobbies.

What is Udacity?

Udacity is a for-profit educational platform located in Silicon Valley that provides MOOCs and micro-credential programs (Nanodegrees). MOOC means Massive Open Online Courses. 

Udacity was launched in June 2011 by two Stanford university lecturers. They offered their first course free and this course was watched by more than 160,000 students from around 200 counties. And now Udacity has around 12 million users and 300 employees.  

Udacity’s courses have partnerships with some reputed organizations for example Facebook, Google, Nvidia, and Amazon. 

Udacity provides courses and Nanodegrees in various domains such as Data Science, Programming, Business, Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous system, Cloud computing, and Cybersecurity.

Now let’s compare Udemy and Udacity with the following 11 parameters and see which one is better-

1. Udemy vs Udacity: Interface and Usability

We ignore usability, but I think we shouldn’t avoid usability and ease of use. Because it will make your learning super easy and comfortable. So, let’s see which platform is easier to use.


Udemy

The home page of Udemy looks like that, where you can easily find any course of your choice. In the category section, you can find different categories.

What is the difference between Udemy and Udacity?

Registration in Udemy is quite simple. You need to enter Your full name, email, and password. That’s all.

What is the difference between Udemy and Udacity?

Once you complete the Sign-Up, you can find any course in the category section. For example, if you are looking for a machine learning course, so you can find it out here-

What is the difference between Udemy and Udacity?

Udemy also provides a filter option, where you can filter the search result based on your preference. You can filter the course on the following parameters-

What is the difference between Udemy and Udacity?

Udacity

The Home page of Udacity looks like that, which is quite simple and clean. You can easily navigate and find out the course. There are different segments for different programs.

What is the difference between Udemy and Udacity?

For opening an account in Udacity, you need to click on the Get Started Button on the top-right position. Then this registration page will appear, where you can register with your email id or by your Google account, or your Facebook account.

What is the difference between Udemy and Udacity?

Once you complete the sign up, you can go to the “Full Catalog” section to find a course of your choice.

Udemy vs Udacity

And after that, you can use these 3 sections- Select program details, Industry skills, and search bar. From these sections, you can filter the course according to your preference.

Udemy vs Udacity

From the Select program details” section, you can select the Free course or the Paid Nanodegree programs. You can also filter skill levels- for eg. Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. You can filter the program estimated duration.

Udemy vs Udacity

So by using these filters, you can find a suitable program for you.

Winner

Udacity has a more convenient and smart system. But Udacity doesn’t have a mobile app, that’s why it’s quite hard to learn from your smartphone. So, Udemy is the winner.

Udemy Wins, so the score is Udemy: Udacity= 1:0

2. Udemy vs Udacity: Instructors

If you are planning to enroll in any course, I would recommend you to research who’ll be teaching you. The more details you collect, the better trust you can build with your instructor.

Udemy

In Udemy, anyone can submit a course. In order to submit a course in Udemy, all you need to do is register as an Instructor and you can create a course in Udemy.

What is the difference between Udemy and Udacity?

Udacity

Udacity Instructors are industry professionals with more than 5+ years of experience. And Udacity requires the following criteria for their instructors-

Udemy vs Udacity

This requirement shows that all the Udacity Instructors are highly professional and experienced. I personally learned from Olli Iivonen in the Udacity Data Engineering Nanodegree. He is a Data Engineer at Wolt with several years of experience in building and managing data pipelines on various data warehousing environments.

Whereas Ben Goldberg(another instructor) is a staff engineer at SpotHero. He founded and built out their Data Engineering team, using Airflow as one of the key technologies.

So you don’t need to worry about Udacity Instructors, because all instructors are experienced professionals.

Winner

Udacity is the winner because in Udacity all instructors are experienced professionals. Whereas in Udemy, anyone can upload a course. But it doesn’t mean that all the courses in Udemy are not credible.

Udacity Wins, so the score is Udemy: Udacity= 1:1… it’s a draw!

3. Udemy vs Udacity: Quality of the Courses

Quality of the course is the important factor you shouldn’t avoid. So let’s see which platform has good quality of courses.

Udemy

As I mentioned earlier that in Udemy, anyone can submit a course. In order to submit a course in Udemy, you need to register as an Instructor and you can create a course in Udemy. That’s why there is no surety that all the Udemy courses have good quality content.

To check the quality of any Udemy course, you should read the ratings and reviews of other students. And you can also check the instructor’s bio and experience.

Udacity

Udacity has around 200 Free courses with good quality content. Which is very rare in other MOOCs platforms. These Udacity free courses are a good place to start and get a basic understanding of the topic.

The content quality of the Udacity Nanodegree program is far better than other MOOCs platforms. I am saying this based on my experience and other student’s reviews.

The reason for the high content quality is their practical-based learning. Because when we implement our learning, then it becomes stronger. And all the Nanodegree programs have graded projects and capstone projects for practical exposure.

Winner

Udacity is the clear winner in terms of course quality. Because their content is up to date and has graded projects and capstone projects for practical exposure.

Udacity Wins, so the score is Udemy: Udacity= 1:2 …Udacity is taking the lead!

4. Udemy vs Udacity: Certificate and Accreditation

You might have a question Are Udemy and Udacity Certificates Accredited?. So let’s see whether the Udemy and Udacity Certificates are Accredited or not?

Udemy

Udemy provides a “Certificate of Completion” but this certificate is not accredited like an educational institution or university.

All Udemy courses are good for self-learning a new skill, but Udemy is not an accredited university.

Udacity

Udacity certificates are also not accredited by any University. And Udacity is not an accredited educational institution. But Some tech companies give value to Udacity Certificates for hiring new employees. It depends upon the company.

Winner

No one is a winner, because both platforms don’t provide Accredited Certificate. But Udacity Certificates are recognized by some tech companies.

No one is the winner, so the score is the same Udemy: Udacity= 1:2

5. Udemy vs Udacity: Price

Whenever we choose any course, price is always a factor. But we should focus on overall value. So let’s understand the pricing plan of Udemy and Udacity.

Udemy

The actual price of Udemy Courses is around $199 but due to flash sale, it cost around $10. And after purchasing the Udemy course, you will get lifetime access to the course materials.

Udacity

Udacity provides two pricing structure-

  1. Monthly Payment- In this pricing structure, you have to pay the Udacity Fees monthly as you go with the course. This monthly payment cost around $399/month. But most of the time, you get discounts.
  2. Fixed Monthly Payment- In this payment method, you have to pay for a certain number of months. Let’s say for 4 months or 5 months. You will get a fixed monthly payment subscription at a discounted rate (15% off) and will pay a one-off fee upfront. But in a fixed monthly payment mode, you need to plan your study to finish the whole Nanodegree program in that period. Otherwise, you have to pay further.

Udacity also has approx 200 FREE courses, which you can watch at no cost.

Winner

In terms of price, the winner depends upon your preference. If you are looking for a less expensive course, then Udemy is the winner. Because Udemy has courses at affordable prices.

Udemy Wins, so the score is Udemy: Udacity= 2:2… it’s a draw!

6. Udemy vs Udacity: Free Courses

Both platforms have a good amount of Free courses available. So let’s see the Free courses and their quality.

Udemy

Udemy has around 600 free courses in different categories. But these free courses tend to upsell for paid courses more than anything else. They don’t provide much value. But for understanding the basics, these courses are good.

Udacity

The content quality of Udacity free courses is good, but they don’t provide other services with free courses like Projects, Certificate of Completion, Mentor Support, and Career Services.

But Udacity free courses are very in-depth and cover much of the same industry-relevant material covered in their Nanodegree programs.

Winner

Udacity is the winner because their free courses also provide more value and cover in-depth concepts of the subject.

Udacity Wins, so the score is Udemy: Udacity= 2:3… again Udacity is taking the lead!

7. Udemy vs Udacity: Time Commitment

Udemy

In Udemy, most of the data science courses are around 10 to 40 hours. After purchasing the Udemy course, you get lifetime access to the course materials, that you can complete at your pace and time.

Some of the Udemy courses are in-depth, whereas some courses take only a few hours to complete the whole course.

Udacity

Most of the Udacity Nanodegree programs require 3-6 months to complete because of in-depth study material. In Udacity after each lesson, there is a Quiz which you need to complete. This quiz ensures that you understood the concepts taught in the course.

Along with quizzes, there are graded projects. These are real-world projects which are reviewed by expert mentors. So all these steps take 3-6 months of dedicated learning.

Winner

No one is the winner because time commitment depends upon your preference. If you want more in-depth courses, then Udacity is good for you.

No one is the winner, so the score is the same Udemy: Udacity= 2:3

8. Udemy vs Udacity: Courses Catalog

Udemy

In Udemy, you can find following domain courses-

  1. Development
  2. Business
  3. Finance & Accounting
  4. IT & Software
  5. Office Productivity
  6. Personal development
  7. Design
  8. Marketing
  9. Health & Fitness
  10. Music
  11. Teaching & Academics

Udacity

As I mentioned earlier that Udacity provides courses and Nanodegrees in various domains such as Data Science, Programming, Business, Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous system, Cloud computing, and Cybersecurity. Now let’s see their Catalog-

Artificial Intelligence-

Data Science

Cloud Computing

Programming and Development

Autonomous Systems

Business

Career

Winner

Udemy has a wide variety of choices, whereas Udacity is more focused on computer science, IT, data science, and the machine learning field. Due to the wide variety of courses, Udemy is the winner.

Udemy Wins, so the score is Udemy: Udacity= 3:3… it’s a tough fight!

9. Udemy vs Udacity: Support

When we enroll in any online course, sometimes we face issues. That’s why support is an essential thing to consider. So, let’s see how is the support provided in Udemy and Udacity-

Udemy

Udemy provides good support with their help articles. You can read the help article on your questions. For example, if you want to know How to Find Your Missing Course?. So, you can simply read the step by step article here-

What is the difference between Udemy and Udacity?

But chatting to a support agent at Udemy isn’t that easy. For this, you can email for help at [email protected].

Udacity

Udacity provides amazing support with the Live Chat feature. Where you can clear your doubts immediately. Udacity also has helpful articles and a support community to clear your doubts.

What is the difference between Udemy and Udacity?

Winner

Udacity is the winner because. In Udacity, you will be able to reach out to a (human) support agent for help. But in Udemy, it difficult to get in touch.

Udacity Wins, so the score is Udemy: Udacity= 3:4

10. Udemy vs Udacity: Mentorship

One of the biggest problems with online learning is the lack of an involved professor who can help you with any query. So let’s see how Udemy and Udacity tackle this problem.

Udemy

In Udemy, one-to-one mentorship is not provided. But there is an option of Q&A, where you can ask questions related to the lecture with fellow students. You can also find your question in the previously asked questions. Most of the time, you will find your answer in this section.

Q&A

Udacity

In Udacity, when you enroll in Udacity Nanodegree program, a one-to-one mentorship is provided by Udacity. This mentor will guide you throughout the program.

You can ask your queries with the mentor. Mentor Support is very helpful when you work on projects. Because during a project, you may have various queries, which you can ask with your mentor. This Udacity’s Mentor support feature is amazing and unique.

Winner

Udacity is a winner because, in Udacity, you can ask your doubts with the mentor. But in Udemy, it’s quite tough to talk with the instructors.

Udacity Wins, so the score is Udemy: Udacity= 3:5

11. Udemy vs Udacity: Language

Most people prefer courses in their native language. So let’s see in how many languages Udemy and Udacity provide the courses.

Udemy

In Udemy, you can check the languages in the filter option and you can use the language filter to find out the course in your preferred language. In Udemy, most of the courses are in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and German. But you can also find other languages as well.

language

Udacity

In Udacity, I didn’t find the multiple language options. Most of the Udacity courses are in the English language. So if you are looking for a course in your native language, then Udacity is not for you.

Winner

Udemy is the winner because Udemy provides courses in multiple languages.

Udemy Wins, so the score is Udemy: Udacity= 4:5.

Overall, Udacity wins the competition with 1 point.

Now let’s see the summary of this whole comparison in this table-

Summary of Udemy vs Udacity

UdemyUdacity
Price$19.00 to $199.99 a course$700 to $2,000 per program
Free coursesApprox 600Approx 200
InstructorsAnyone can post the courses.Udacity admin decides the Instructors.
Support via Live Chat❌ ✔️
Accredited Certificate❌ ❌ 
Content Quality4.5/54.8/5
Refund Period 30 days2-7 days
Mobile App✔️❌ 
PlatformsDesktop, iOS & AndroidDesktop
Pros-🟢 Lifetime access to the course material.
🟢 Easily track your progress.
🟢 Courses are in different languages.
🟢 Easy to enroll
🟢 Supports Desktop, iOS & Android platforms.
🟢 Affordable Price
🟢 Wide variety of Courses
🟢 High-Quality Content
🟢 Lots of FREE Courses
🟢 Best Mentor Support
🟢 Top Quality Real-World Projects
🟢 Good Community and Discussion Forum
🟢 Easy to Use User Interface
🟢 Best Career Service
🟢 Experienced Instructors
Cons- 🔴 Not all Instructors are experienced.
🔴 Course quality can vary.
🔴 Mentorship is not provided.
🔴 Less value for money
🔴 Expensive
🔴 Udacity doesn’t have any App
🔴 No Lifetime Access to the Course Material
Visit UdemyVisit Udacity

Conclusion

I hope now you have a better understanding of Udemy vs Udacity. Both platforms have their own popularity and features. So, let’s see who should go with Udemy and who should go with Udacity-

Who Should go with Udemy?

  • Those who are looking for short courses that provide enough information in a short amount of time.
  • And those who want to learn any specific skills in less time.
  • Those who don’t want to invest extra money.

Who Should go with Udacity?

  • Those looking for more advanced level courses with real-world projects and mentor support and career services.
  • People who are looking for employment.
  • Those who have some extra budget for the program.
  • Those who prefer good and responsive instructors and mentors.

I hope this comparison of Udemy vs Udacity will help you to decide which platform is better for you based on your needs.  

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comment section. I am here to help you. And If you found this article helpful, share it with others to help them too.

Happy Learning!

Thank YOU!

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Though of the Day…

It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.’

John Wooden

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Written By Aqsa Zafar

Founder of MLTUT, Machine Learning Ph.D. scholar at Dayananda Sagar University. Research on social media depression detection. Create tutorials on ML and data science for diverse applications. Passionate about sharing knowledge through website and social media.

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