Top 10 Best Platforms For Online Courses With Certificates

1. Udemy

Udemy provides a platform where anyone can create an online course. All you need is a great idea and some professional video content. What makes Udemy unique is that users have free access to high-quality video tutorials in many different subjects and that they can earn a certificate of completion once they complete their training.

Also, instructors have full control over their courses and can decide who gets admitted and how much it costs. The downside of Udemy is that there’s no built-in payment system; customers are given links to external platforms like PayPal or credit card processors, which means payments are never guaranteed.

Udemy, a recent addition to our best online courses list, is an up-and-comer in eLearning. The site makes it easy to find high-quality courses on just about any topic you can think of (and they’re constantly adding new ones). They make money by charging students a fee to take their courses and teachers a fee to create them.

With thousands of available classes and over 6 million students enrolled globally, Udemy’s reach is huge. You might want to check out their online course on How To Start A Business!

Udemy is a marketplace where you can take (or teach) courses on just about anything. The service has partnered with many major universities to offer college-level classes online.

Classes are paid for in advance, making them a potentially good deal for any student. However, while access to hundreds of courses may sound great, it also means that competition can be stiff as these classes aren’t limited to professionals or even college students.

The world’s largest online course marketplace. As of 2014, Udemy offered more than 65,000 courses from 4,600+ instructors teaching a variety of subjects including business, computer programming, web development, and even digital photography.

If you are looking to start a career in tech or further your own education for less money, Udemy is an excellent place to look. One of their top strengths is that most instructors on their platform have extremely low student-to-teacher ratios so you will always have plenty of one-on-one time with your teachers. They do charge tuition which is usually between $15-$200/month (or free if you pay $99/year) but many courses can be accessed via free trials too.

2) LinkedIn Learning (Ex Lynda)

Lynda is a site dedicated to education, with professional courses and training videos on everything from coding to social media marketing. But LinkedIn Learning is unique in that it is fully dedicated to professional skills.

It focuses on corporate training, making it a great choice for learning new skills that you can actually use at work or take into your next career move.

Lynda offers both free and paid courses (with certificates), and some of its most popular offerings include The Complete Web Developer Course; Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Training; Social Media Marketing Certification; Data Science Bootcamp.

LinkedIn Learning offers nearly 3,000 courses, including webinars, case studies, and tutorials on topics like marketing analytics and project management. Users can watch recordings online or offline, on a mobile device or laptop.

It also offers certification prep options and expert insights through podcasts, which you can access online or download to your device for later listening. You can pay for a monthly subscription or take advantage of LinkedIn Learning’s free trial period. Depending on how long you have access to each course, prices range from $49 per month to $299 per month.

If you’re just starting out and want to develop a variety of business-related skills, LinkedIn Learning is an amazing option. This platform offers in-depth courses on topics ranging from using social media to increasing employee productivity.

They also include a certificate of completion for every course, which makes them unique and gives you more credibility as a professional. If you’re looking for online courses with certificates that are industry-specific, then Lynda is your best bet.

The platform includes lectures from LinkedIn experts like Tamara Mellon, founder of Jimmy Choo shoes, who shares her marketing expertise in one particularly popular video.

3) Skillshare

Skillshare is one of the fastest-growing online learning platforms in recent years. It has more than 4 million students taking courses to learn about anything from business skills to photography, design, and beyond.

One of Skillshare’s best features is that it offers a variety of options for creating your own unique course; whether you want to teach publicly or privately, you can use Skillshare to connect with an audience that wants to learn what you have to teach.

Skillshare is an online community for learning new skills and sharing what you know. Your classes can be as long or short as you want, and you don’t need to worry about recording high-quality videos as some other platforms require.

Since Skillshare is driven by its user base, it can sometimes be hard to find new content that isn’t already well known in most cities. However, if you put in a little time searching through their catalog of classes, there are tons of gems to be found.

Join Skillshare for free with no obligation to pay! You must be accepted into one of their selective programs first before signing up so keep an eye out on Facebook or Twitter if you see they are opening up applications to your area.

Skillshare has over 6 million users, offering more than 1,500 classes from instructors in all creative disciplines. They provide users with unique access to courses and original projects from top industry professionals.

Skillshare allows creators of all mediums to create their own content and host an online course, making it a very popular platform for those looking to connect with other like-minded people.

In addition to hosting your own course, Skillshare offers individuals or brands unlimited space for streaming video footage and an easy-to-use embeddable code in exchange for a small monthly fee. This is great if you’re looking to develop your social media audience but don’t want to spend a fortune on either storage or advertisement.

4) MasterClass

The masterClass is where you’ll find paid, online courses taught by top professionals in their respective fields. Available classes are wide-ranging, with offerings that include acting (with Samuel L. Jackson), comedy (with Jerry Seinfeld), photography, cooking, and many more.

You’ll also find plenty of free content available to watch on MasterClass’ YouTube channel. When you register for a class, you can download PDFs and audio recordings of lessons. One perk of MasterClass is that you can often listen to these recordings while doing something else — like making dinner or driving — which makes it easy to fit your studies into a busy schedule!

MasterClass was founded by renowned actor, producer, and philanthropist, Robert De Niro. MasterClass offers over 100 courses taught by professional instructors on topics including acting, music, comedy, and much more. All course material is available 24/7 and new content is added regularly.

Upon completion of each class, you will receive a Certificate of Completion that can be uploaded to LinkedIn or used for college credit via an official transcript service such as Parchment. In addition to its online classes, MasterClass also offers offline classes taught in person in major cities around the world.

The masterClass is an online learning platform launched by acclaimed director and producer, Matthew Weiner. The company offers video courses on all aspects of filmmaking, from screenwriting to directing to production.

Film and television content comes from industry professionals such as Kevin Spacey, who teaches acting through his MasterClass course. Other popular classes include one led by Star Wars actor Daisy Ridley, who shows aspiring filmmakers how to find their voice and tell a story visually, and a class by James Cameron that goes in-depth on how he creates characters with personalities onscreen.

5) Mindvalley

Mindvalley is an international learning company that specializes in personal development and transformation through various tools, services, events, and experiences. Using cutting-edge technology, Mindvalley provides holistic education to over 6 million students across 162 countries.

Mindvalley’s vision is to create a better world by empowering people to transform themselves and their communities. Its mission is to provide high-quality courses taught by thought leaders from diverse backgrounds in order to facilitate the sustainable personal growth of its students.

The key differentiator for Mindvalley is its emphasis on teaching people how to learn versus what to learn. As such, it focuses on providing real-world skills and life experiences that are derived from a mix of traditional wisdom and research-based approaches to human potential.

A Master’s degree from an accredited school is undoubtedly a great achievement. However, it can also be quite expensive. In order to gain an education in today’s society, students must take out loans and pay high tuition costs.

To avoid having a ton of debt when you graduate, you can turn to online education platforms. There are several of these available and they give students access to expert teachers who live all over the world — many who charge less than their brick-and-mortar counterparts.

Mindvalley has always been at forefront of making information on self-help, personal development, and spirituality accessible to people across borders. It has a wide range of courses that are taught by internationally recognized experts in various fields.

One of their best-selling courses is called You Are Extraordinary which focuses on using the human potential to be your best and overcome any obstacle life throws at you. All their courses come with lifetime access, money-back guarantees, and certificates from renowned universities.

6) Udacity

Udacity offers a number of classes through its Nanodegree program, some of which can be taken for a fee and some of which are available for free. These include degrees in Web Development, Mobile Web Development, Data Science, and Android development.

The company also offers an Intro to Programming nano degree designed to teach basic programming skills. Udacity’s free offerings are particularly helpful for experienced developers who want to learn something new or brush up on a specific skill set that they might have forgotten over time.

Most certificates cost anywhere from $500-$1,000 and come with a paid job guarantee at Udacity’s corporate partners such as Google.

Udacity is a great platform for those who want to become experts in data science, cyber security, and more. The problem with Udacity is that it’s very hands-off. While you do get one-on-one mentors, you don’t get nearly as much support as other platforms do.

Another negative of Udacity is that they constantly are updating courses and redesigning their website which can be frustrating to deal with when trying to learn a new skill set. However, one of its strengths is that most classes have an accompanying YouTube channel where experts further discuss topics taught in class (you also get YouTube Red if you pay for a subscription).

Its Courses section includes over 600+ free online courses! Udacity is a leading MOOC platform with a focus on career advancement. In addition to providing courses, Udacity offers corporate training, alumni services, and community features to students.

The company’s focus on job preparation has led it to offer programming in robotics, data science, and artificial intelligence as well as more traditional business courses. Potential students can enroll through its website or through their partners (usually colleges). See It At: Udacity is a leading MOOC platform with a focus on career advancement.

In addition to providing courses, Udacity offers corporate training, alumni services, and community features to students. The company’s focus on job preparation has led it to offer programming in robotics, data science, and artificial intelligence as well as more traditional business courses.

7) Futurelearn

FutureLearn is an online learning platform founded by The Open University, with a mission to bring higher education to everyone. The platform specializes in video lessons that are typically 5–10 minutes long and taught by subject matter experts from top universities across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

The course selection spans arts & humanities, business & management, computing & IT, education & teaching, and health (with more programs on the way). FutureLearn is free for all learners.

If you want to study online but you’re not quite sure what subject, FutureLearn is an excellent place to start. It’s part of a massive UK-based company called The Open University, which offers more than 300 courses on everything from philosophy and social science to more vocational subjects like programming and creative writing.

If it’s an open learning course that interests you, FutureLearn has some of the best available — with high-quality videos (and transcripts!), an active community, supportive educators, and a wide range of interactive tools for your enjoyment.

And as part of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) movement, you can sign up for free; there are no costs at all if you decide to move forward in any formal way with your education.

FutureLearn is a UK-based online education provider that works with some of Britain’s biggest universities and colleges. As one of just two MOOC platforms to offer students course credit, it’s tailored its platform for college-level learning. Each lesson typically includes video lectures, class discussion forums, and assessments — the same format as a real course at your school.

Unfortunately, FutureLearn is restricted to folks from Europe and (parts of) Asia, so Americans can’t join in on all the MOOC action. However, if you’re looking for an impressive certificate or are hoping to study abroad in Europe or Asia sometime soon — this platform offers a great way to earn credit ahead of time!

8) Alison

Alison is one of our favorite platforms. It has a large library of courses, but it doesn’t require a subscription, so you can sign up for courses on an ad-hoc basis. Some are free, while others are paid. This is perfect if you want to learn something new in your spare time or brush up on existing skills (which could come in handy at work).

The best part? Alison has plenty of interesting video content outside of just its professional development courses — if you want to learn how to make a soufflé or spruce up your interior design skills, there’s something for everyone here.

Alison is an online learning platform that offers courses on business and marketing, languages, technology, design, education, and more. It also has an impressive resume prep option. The site uses videos, PDF files, and worksheets to help you better understand concepts.

There’s a small selection of free courses on topics such as Business English for Entrepreneurs (three hours) and Intro to Graphic Design: Web Layout (four hours). But most of its offerings come with a price tag. You can enroll in its introductory course for free or try out one class for $59; monthly unlimited subscriptions range from $29 to $149 per month.

Online courses with certificates from esteemed universities. If you’re looking to take an online course, but want to make sure it’s run by a reputable institution and comes with a certificate, Alison is for you. It’s one of my favorite platforms when I need to take professional development courses or keep up with continuing education requirements.

Alison has more than 3,000 courses listed on its site-many which come from top-notch schools like Harvard University and Yale School of Management. Whether you’re interested in taking a class on social media marketing or Lean Six Sigma manufacturing management, there are high-quality classes just waiting for you here.

9) EdX

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University have joined forces to create EdX, a non-profit online learning initiative. According to EdX’s website, these two schools are not alone; 31 more schools currently offer free online courses through EdX.

This is a phenomenal opportunity for you if you want to learn from some of America’s most prestigious universities but don’t want to go into debt in order to do so. You can take classes completely free of charge if you sign up for edX without taking a certificate at its end; otherwise, you can enroll in MicroMasters Programs, which cost anywhere from $49-$99 per course or $250-$375 per program.

Many people take online courses to learn new skills. If you are one of them, then you will be happy to know that there are many reputable platforms that offer high-quality online classes, including EdX and Coursera. EdX has been established by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University.

Its wide range of courses includes computer science, languages, public health, and education. Although not as extensive as edX in terms of course offerings, Coursera is also a top choice for those looking for a comprehensive selection of classes with certificates. Other well-known providers in addition to edX and Coursera include Udacity and Khan Academy.

This nonprofit has a strong roster of partners and offers a wide range of courses — from courses from institutions like Harvard and MIT to more-specific offerings in data science, software development, and languages like Chinese.

EdX is an especially good option if you’re looking for something particular to study or want to gain some advanced knowledge in an area that you’re already familiar with. Most classes are free, but there is a certificate program with various pricing options.

Typically if you sign up for one class it will cost you $60 per month and then additional classes are $50 each. Classes average around five hours per week depending on what they cover so it can add up quickly if you take multiple classes at once.

10) Coursera

As one of the most popular platforms for online courses, students can explore hundreds of subject areas. Currently, there are over 1,200 courses available and more than 15 million users have signed up. One of its key selling points is its ease of use; there’s no need to register as a student or pay for a course upfront.

Instead, you can take advantage of free lectures and watch them in your own time frame. Depending on how far along you are in your course, there may be opportunities to complete peer-graded assessments before you submit assignments for evaluation by a teacher at your university or college. Additionally, some colleges use Coursera as an alternative credit option for full-time students who have taken their classes in person.

The online education platform offers users a wide range of online courses that are categorized into three main categories; Specializations, Degrees, and Certificate Programs. It offers more than 1000 specializations in various fields such as Data Science, Computer Science, Medicine, Literature, etc.

When it comes to specialization a user can earn an official certificate through peer assessment in which students review each other’s work. The process is similar to taking a test where one gets points for correctly answering questions and is penalized if they answer them wrong.

Coursera is an education platform founded by Stanford professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller. Since its launch in 2012, it has grown to partner with over a hundred universities worldwide. It offers classes from a wide range of disciplines such as computer science, public health, social sciences, mathematics, and more.

The courses are divided into single units called micro-credentials, which take approximately 4–8 weeks to complete. Students earn micro-credentials upon completion that can be verified through digital signatures and cryptography. Universities pay a small fee per student per class to use their platform which allows them to host classes online without having to build their own site or infrastructure.