Udemy Review: What To Know Before Buying A Course
Chad Emery
Published on October 12, 2021
Big selection, so-so quality
Udemy is one of the biggest online course platforms around. It’s a fantastic option for casual learners because you can find courses about a wide variety of topics. Anyone can create a course though, so quality isn’t always the greatest. Udemy also doesn’t offer recognized certificates like other education websites.
PROS
- Large selection of courses
- Easy to use and navigate
- Read course reviews before buying
- 30-day money-back guarantee on all courses
CONS
- Not always good quality
- Some courses are only an hour long
- Prices change all the time
Table of Contents
Udemy Overview
Taking online courses is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to learn new skills. There are a lot of websites and platforms where you can find courses, but they’re not all created equally. Some are really good and others are really, really bad.
That’s why I wanted to take a closer look at Udemy. It’s been around for a few years and has a good reputation around the web. I love reviewing language apps (that’s the reason I started this website), and I was pleasantly surprised to see Udemy offers language courses.
Although I’ll focus on the language courses in this Udemy review, everything you see is available for every course on Udemy. You can study everything from data science and computer engineering to mindfulness and life coaching.
Udemy has been around since 2010 and has exploded in popularity since then. It has over 44 million students and almost 200,000 courses. I’ve purchased quite a few courses on Udemy over the years and it’s my go-to option for online learning.
I’ve learned everything from digital marketing to basic website development on Udemy. Recently, I’ve discovered that it can also be a great place to find online language courses. It’s a different experience than using other language apps like Babbel or Pimsleur, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad.
Go ahead and take a look at Udemy’s courses to see what’s available. You may be surprised at what you find!
Udemy Price
Each teacher sets the price for their own Udemy courses. They usually range from around $10.00 per course to more than $200.00 per course for more specialized topics. The average price for Udemy courses tends to be around $20.00 to $30.00. There are also a variety of free courses available.
If you’re interested in taking IT courses on Udemy, you can subscribe to Udemy Pro for $19.99 per month or $240.00 per year. This membership cost includes access to several IT certification topics like AWS, CompTIA, and Project Management Professional. Unfortunately, Udemy Pro is not available for non-IT topics.
Udemy Free Trial
Udemy doesn’t offer a free trial, but you can preview courses before you buy them. Each course offers a short video explaining what the course is. There are also details like what topics will be covered and even reviews from other people who have purchased the course.
Udemy Discount
Udemy offers several discounts and seasonal sales throughout the year on its courses. These can range from 10% to 90% off courses. Instructors can also offer discounts on their courses. The best time to find these promotions is around major holidays and at the beginning of the school year. There are currently no student or military discounts available on Udemy.
Udemy Review: Features
It’s free to register for Udemy, but you can’t access the courses until you pay for them. And before you buy, you should know exactly what you get. Let’s look at the main features of Udemy.
Udemy App
You can access Udemy from your web browser, but it’s easier to use the app. The Udemy app is available for both iOS and Android devices. You can also download courses to watch them offline or use Chromecast and Airplay to watch them on a bigger screen.
The Udemy mobile app is easy to use and makes the learning experience seamless. You can navigate between courses in the app, and the videos and audio play smoothly without annoying lags. The web version of Udemy works well too, but I prefer using the app.
Udemy Courses
The main feature of Udemy is its courses. They cover over 3,400 different topics and over 60,000 teachers have created their own unique courses on the platform. Not all teachers are professionally qualified, so it’s important to check reviews and ratings before you buy anything.
Overall, I’ve had good experiences with Udemy courses. Some are more in-depth than others, but they’re generally good quality. You can also see the curriculum for each course before you buy it. This helps you understand everything that’s included.
Udemy Feedback
Student feedback is one of the most important features of Udemy. This lets you know whether or not a course is worth buying. When you visit a course’s homepage, you can see how many students are enrolled, how many have rated the course, and what that rating is.
In the early years of the platform, Udemy had bit of a quality problem. Lots of people created low-quality courses and tried to sell them for a quick buck. Currently, selling courses on Udemy is a lot more competitive. Most of the courses available now are better, but it’s still important to read through the feedback before buying.
Udemy Certificate Review
When you complete a course on Udemy, you’ll receive a certificate showing your accomplishment. It’s a nice reward to show off your achievement to friends and family, but it doesn’t have much value in the academic or professional world.
Since Udemy teachers don’t have to be professionals or qualified in any way, there’s no way for future employers or schools to verify the quality of the courses you’ve taken. If you’re looking for an accredited and professional certificate, Coursera is a much better option. For languages, you can check out Busuu because it offers certifications.
Udemy Review: Overall Learning Experience
I enjoy using Udemy to learn about a lot of different topics. It’s easy to explore the different courses and most of them don’t have any prerequisites. Even though the quality of the courses varies, you always know what you’re getting before you buy.
This is the best aspect of Udemy, in my opinion. You can see the full course syllabus, see how many hours of lessons each course has, and read reviews from past students. Because there are so many courses available on Udemy, there are usually a few options for the same subjects. You just need to do a little research to find the best one.
Udemy also tracks your progress so you can see how much of the course you’ve taken. It’s easy to start exactly from where you left off in a course. Some language apps like Mondly do this, too. I find it convenient and it makes the most of my study time.
Udemy Review: Areas of Improvement
There aren’t many areas of improvement when it comes to Udemy, as long as you know what you’re getting into. It’s just important to realize upfront that the course quality varies a lot.
Udemy Language Courses Review
A lot of people use Udemy to find courses about digital marketing, computer programming, and online business, but there are also tons of language courses available. You can find courses in a lot of different languages like Arabic, Hindi, German, and even Russian or Urdu. Here’s a quick overview and what you can find for some of the most popular languages.
Udemy Spanish Courses
There are over 330 Spanish courses available on Udemy. Not too surprising since it’s one of the most popular languages in the world. The Udemy Spanish courses cover everything from Spanish for Beginners to conversational and advanced Spanish. There are also over 50 free Spanish courses that teach topics like Spanish verbs and tenses and travel vocabulary. If you study these courses and use a Spanish app, you’ll be speaking in no time.
The most popular course is Spanish for Beginners and it has around 20,000 positive student reviews. Out of all of the Spanish courses, you’re sure to find at least one that can help take your skills to the next level. You can also check out an app like MosaLingua for additional learning tools.
Udemy French Courses
Right now, there are over 290 French courses available on Udemy. You can learn French as a complete beginner (A1 level), take a pronunciation course, or study a more intermediate course. There are also quite a few regular courses offered in the French language. Some examples include Digital Marketing, Social Media, and Project Management.
There are also 60+ free French courses if you want to pick up some new vocabulary and grammar quickly. The free courses are usually quite a bit shorter than the paid ones, but they can still teach you some useful info. All in all, Udemy can be a great place to start learning French. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive option, a French app may be a better option. I recommend Drops for vocabulary.
Udemy Korean Courses
Udemy currently has over 130 Korean courses available and almost 30 of them are completely free. You can learn a lot of important topics like basic Korean vocabulary, how to read the Korean alphabet, and Korean for travel.
The courses are more for beginners than advanced students. If you already know some of the Korean language and want to improve your skills, Udemy may not be the best option. Using other Korean apps will be a better use of your time.
Udemy Alternatives & Competitors
The online education industry is huge, and there are a lot of websites and apps similar to Udemy. The most popular Udemy alternative is Coursera. Coursera offers courses from accredited universities like Harvard and Yale, as well as successful businesses like Facebook and Google. Other Udemy alternatives include Skillshare, EdX, and Domestika. In terms of language learning, the best Udemy alternatives are Baselang and Lingoda.
Udemy vs Coursera
The main difference between Udemy and Coursera is the quality of classes. Coursera has very strict requirements and only partners with recognized universities and businesses around the world. This gives it a more academic feel. Anyone can create a course on Udemy, which makes it a better option for casual learners. In terms of price, Udemy is a slightly cheaper than Coursera, but the quality of courses is a little lower.
Both Udemy and Coursera offer different types of certificates for students. Coursera certificates are more respected because they come directly from the university that created the course. Udemy offers course completion certificates, which really don’t have much value. However, you can pursue IT certifications like PMP and CompTIA with Udemy Pro. These are recognized qualifications.
Try Coursera by clicking the link below, or you can read this Coursera review to learn more.
Udemy vs Baselang
If you’re learning Spanish, you may look into online courses with Udemy or Baselang. Udemy offers recorded Spanish lessons for a low price. Baselang offers unlimited private Spanish lessons with a live teacher for $149.00 per month. If your goal is to become fluent in Spanish, Baselang is the better option. You’ll become fluent more quickly and learn much more than a single Udemy course can teach you.
Try a class on Baselang by clicking the link below, or you can read this Baselang review to learn more.
Udemy vs Lingoda
Lingoda is an online language school accredited by the German government, It offers courses in English, French, German, and Spanish. You can also find courses for these languages on Udemy, but Lingoda’s quality is much higher. Lingoda classes are group classes with a certified teacher. You’ll learn a lot more with Lingoda and also receive immediate feedback from a teacher. This is something Udemy doesn’t offer.
Try it for free by clicking the link below, or you can read this Lingoda review to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re a casual learner and just want to explore new topics and courses, it’s worth paying for Udemy. If you’re looking for professional certifications or more academic classes, it’s better to use Coursera.
Udemy certificates are not valid because anyone who completes a course receives one. Udemy is not an accredited institution and it does not partner with universities or other entities that offer accredited certifications.
While you can put Udemy on your resume to share your knowledge with future employers, but your certifications don’t actually mean that much. Everyone gets a completion certificate from Udemy when they finish a course. They aren’t usually recognized by most employers or universities as a legitimate certificate though.
Udemy is not accredited. The Udemy website confirms this. However, some courses can count for continuing education credits or professional certifications outside of Udemy. You will need to request a formal accreditation from the third-party course provider if this is your case.
About this Udemy review
I’ve taken over 20 different courses on the platform and spent over 50 hours taking classes before writing this Udemy review. I’ve also read about other users’ experiences with Udemy in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. This is an independent Udemy review and all of the opinions are my own. Udemy did not sponsor this review and I am not an employee of Udemy.
7 Comments
Tran Phuong Lien says:
A very absurd act of Udemy! I’m Vietnamese in Russia, I’ve been buying and studying udemy’s courses all year. I paid all for a course and it is Udemy’s obligation to deliver the course according to my bill, but now why won’t udemy let me continue my studies just because I’m in Russia? This action is a blatant act of stealing and appropriating property in a blatant manner. Udemy is in serious violation of consumer protection laws or frankly a SCAM (because Udemy collected my money but did NOT provide a commensurate service). A place related to education but blatantly cheating and appropriating users’ assets, how does Udemy claim to be an educational tool – a civilized tool? You are behaving like a prehistoric and uncultured person. Such a tool is not qualified to teach other people how to be human. I give up Udemy forever because you are not fit for the role of imparting knowledge.
PS: Who are we? We are just consumers, how can we influence the political situation of the “big guys”?
What an insult.
Sara says:
DECEPTIVE AD. NOT 30 days money back. I live in USA! One star company
I followed your advise and signed up for a course to “TRY FOR FREE”. They seem like a respectful company giving 30 days free trial. I did not like the Photoshop course I signed up for and canceled it in 1 day. It was NOT FREE. They refused to give me back my $105 for the course but instead decided to give me CREDIT instead. I am in dispute with them who have refused to acknowledge that I have canceled the course even though I have THEIR email of cancellation giving me credit. I think this is a deceptive company.
This is their refund policy that is NOT advertised.
Udemy’s Refund Policy
We want you to be satisfied, so all eligible courses purchased on Udemy can be refunded within 30 days, provided the request meets the guidelines in our refund policy.
Certain restrictions may apply and some purchases may only be eligible for credit refunds. For more information regarding our refund policy, please see below.
How to submit a refund request
Learn how to submit a refund request.
Refund status
For answers to commonly asked questions we receive regarding a refund’s status, please review our refund status FAQ.
Our 30-day policy
While our 30-day refund policy is to allow students to learn risk free, we must also protect our instructors from fraud and provide them a reasonable payment schedule. Payments are sent to instructors after 30 days, so we will not process refund requests received after the refund window.
Additional reasons for denied refunds
We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to limit or deny refund requests in cases where we believe there is refund abuse, including but not limited to the following:
A significant portion of the course has been consumed or downloaded by a student before the refund was requested.
Multiple refunds have been requested by a student for the same course.
Excessive refunds have been requested by a student.
Users who have their account reported, banned or course access disabled due to a violation of our Terms or Trust & Safety Guidelines.
We do not grant refunds for any subscription services unless otherwise required by applicable law (please see below for more information).
These refund restrictions will be enforced to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Credit only refunds
In cases where a transaction is not eligible for a cash refund, the refund will be granted using Udemy credits, provided it otherwise meets our 30-day refund policy.
If your course purchase is only eligible for a credit refund, this will be indicated on the refund page.
In my case, Udemy decided alone that they would give credit. Cancel in one day and it is only eligible for credit? Why is this not stated up front??
Chad Emery says:
Hi Sara, sorry to hear you had a bad experience with Udemy. However, I have to disagree. Their refund policy is clear and has a list of reasons why they might reject a refund (you pasted the list in your comment). I’ve requested a refund for a course before and received it. Either way, I understand it’s frustrating. Coursera is another course platform that has a lot of classes. You can give that a try!
Chris says:
I have purchased several of these Udemy courses and I will never buy another one because they are very poorly designed
I watched some of the videos and the rest of them I get a error message. I’m done with udemy
Chad Emery says:
Hi Chris, thanks for sharing your opinion! Unfortunately, the quality of courses on Udemy ranges from absolutely amazing to really, really bad. In general, I’ve had really good experiences with Udemy courses. I always recommend checking out the past student reviews before buying any courses!
Lewis Graham says:
While some of the courses are good, the offline feature in the App just doesn’t work (for me; Android phone and Android tablet). Looking at past complaints, this has obviously gone on for years, and Udemy simply hasn’t addressed this. Like many people, I would like to use my commute time to study and be productive, and Udemy could be a good resource in principle, in practice it’s not, so I’ve gone to other resources and only look to Udemy as a 2nd, and 3rd choice. A shame; for me, for others studying and for the better content providers, some of which are excellent.
Monica says:
I have taken several courses through Udemy and found that they have some very good courses. What I do not like is the fact that they do not have any customer service phone/chat support. This is particularly upsetting when you have a question about a refund that they automatically tag as a udemy credit instead of a bank refund. I am very disappointed that I am not able to speak with someone about my refund especially when I just made the request and saw the error. To me customer service is EVERYTHING so even if the courses are a 10 without customer service that is comprehensive I can’t give a rating above 5.