Ariana Cardozo
Content Writer At Gradehacker
Udemy Review
It’s never too late to learn something new, and there are no excuses with the Internet offering us numerous online learning platforms with a vast range of online courses.
You can literally learn how to build a robot or how to play an instrument just by connecting through a course.
Whether you are looking for a fun way to expand your knowledge or you want to pursue a career path, it is just a matter of finding the right online learning platform.
This time we decided to do a Udemy review, and if you have yet to hear about this platform, it turns out it’s one of the most popular online educational tools.
By searching and investigating, we discovered positive reviews, others that could have been better and fake reviews. So we got down to business and prepared the detailed review you need to ensure this is the right place to invest your money and learn about its various courses.
Here at Gradehacker, we are the non-traditional adult student’s most trusted resource. We want to help you accomplish your goals and give you the right tools to find truthful quality courses and ensure a good experience.
Let’s hope you find this review helpful, so let’s get started!
What Is Udemy?
Udemy is an online learning platform that allows you to access millions of individual courses all at once.
It’s important to say that this site isn’t related to any college courses. Udemy is all about learning new professional, creative, practical, or any other skill you can implement.
It offers free and paid courses at accessible prices for professionals and students.
You can use it to complement something you already know, have experience with, or learn something completely new that catches your attention.
This platform offers over 213,000 online video courses, and they are available in over 60 languages. Yeah…that many! Keep reading to find out all the details.
Feel free to check out our Best Online Learning Platforms list, where Udemy is included among other alternative popular course platforms!
Who Is Udemy For?
Udemy is literally for everyone!
This platform not only supports students but its teachers as well. Many courses are available to discover if you are a student looking to learn something new. There is no limit.
But if you are also an instructor looking to teach and share your knowledge, you can do that too! This will provide you with more learning experiences and opportunities as well.
The courses vary from beginner to advanced levels, so this is open to everyone, and it doesn’t matter if you don’t have any prior experience.
Where Can You Use Udemy?
Udemy can be used on your web browser, but it’s also possible to download Udemy. The app is available on IOS and also in Android devices.
Based on our experience, the Udemy mobile app is really intuitive and easy to use. Download the Udemy app and try it out!
Udemy Courses Categories
- Development
- Business
- Finance & Accounting
- IT & Software
- Office Productivity
- Personal Development
- Design
- Marketing
- Lifestyle
- Photography & Video
- Health & Fitness
- Music
- Teaching & Academics
Inside each one, the popular course topics will show.
As we said, and as you can see, this is literally for everyone. Are you looking to learn a language? There’s no need to download a language app. You will find Spanish Courses on Udemy!
Do you want to be a copywriter? There are copywriting courses as well. Consulting courses? Yes! Music? Of course!
For example, we tried searching the word “dogs” in the search bar, and many courses related to dogs and animals came up. Feel free to search until you see something interesting!
Courses Structure
This truly depends on each class. Some Udemy course schedules will take over 45 minutes to complete, but others will take longer.
The courses consist of videos divided into segments. A few include lectures, slideshows, quizzes, answering questions, or more, depending on the subject. But we’ll get into that further in the Udemy review. Just keep reading!
In the description of each course, you will find all information, so you know what to expect before buying it.
For example, going back to the dogs-related courses, we found specifically 276 courses available. One was called “How do dogs learn,” so let’s say you are interested in that one.
The first thing we see by clicking on it is the rating. We highly recommend reviewing each course’s rating to ensure what others say.
Another thing you can take a look at is the last update date to make sure you are not about to take an old- not updated course.
Next, we have the “what you’ll learn” box. This is very useful because if what we find fits our goals, it’s a good sign! If not, you better keep looking for another course.
Then you will see the requirements. Super important as well! Don’t worry if you don’t fit a requirement. You will find one that suits you among the wide variety of courses that Udemy offers.
After we check this out, we finally have the course description. This is a very detailed explanation part where you will get closer to making your decision.
But it’s not over yet. Below the description, you will also find the course content, including how many sections the course has, how many lectures, and how many hours you need to complete it.
A good thing to consider is that you have free access to a preview of each course. This way, you can take a look and see for yourself if you like it or not.
And last but not least, you will find other related courses and information about the instructor.
It all sounds pretty great, huh? But you may be wondering if these courses are accredited.
Courses Certification And Accreditation
Most courses do offer a certificate of completion. But not all of them.
In most cases, you will receive a certificate showing your accomplishment. But it has no value in the academic and professional world.
Let’s clear out the fact that Udemy is not an accredited institution. Why? Because there are thousands of instructors offering their courses, which makes it very difficult for Udemy to verify the credibility of each class.
You will have to use your judgment and decide if the course and the instructor meet your requirements.
If this is not what you wish and you prefer having an accredited certificate, then we recommend you check out Coursera. We have a Coursera video review with all the details. Check it out!
This brings us to a new question:
Is Udemy Legit?
Because the range of courses is really wide and this is not an accredited institution, many people have questions about its legitimacy.
The truth is, Udemy is legit.
We are talking about a well-established organization with satellite offices worldwide. We recommend using Udemy if you want to develop your skills in a certain area or learn something new.
Most of the courses are taught by experienced instructors; you can get to know them better in the Instructor bio.
It’s a good option for every non-traditional student because you can take the courses at your own pace with a schedule that fits you.
Either way, this doesn’t mean that all courses are high-quality. There are low-quality courses as well.
Let’s go ahead and explain this further with our experience using it.
Our Udemy Experience
The first thing Udemy asks you to do is register; this part is free. Once you are done, Udemy will ask you:
“What’s your current career goal’?
Among the options you have:
- Enter a new field
- Advance in my current field
- Become a manager in my field
- Advance as a manager
You will get personal recommendation courses that match your goals by answering these questions.
Then you are done. The next step is choosing the course you like the most based on everything we mentioned. You can check out the list of popular Udemy courses if you are unsure what you like.
How To Choose The Perfect Udemy Course
We took our time to carefully review some of the courses they offer. Depending on what you are looking for, you can refine your search by rating, duration, language, category, and pricing. But we will get to that!
At first, we felt overwhelmed by looking at the courses because there were genuinely many options. But using the filters makes it much more manageable. We highly recommend it.
Remember to look at the preview video the courses offer; this instructional video will help you clear your mind about whether it’s a low-quality or high-quality course. That’s why it’s essential to take your time while searching.
As we mentioned, consider looking at the reviews. If the course has 5-star Reviews, this is definitely a good choice!
Taking a Course in Udemy
When you finally have your chosen Udemy course, you will find it in the “My Learning” tab of the site. This is where you can view all the purchased courses if you have more than one.
There is a very helpful tool that allows you to schedule the time you intend to take these courses if you are taking multiple classes simultaneously.
Also, this is where you can see your progress in each course.
By clicking on the class, the first lecture starts playing. The courses are mainly in video format in a good video quality and you will find very useful features underneath it.
By clicking on the class, the first lecture starts playing. You will also find handy features underneath the video:
- Notes: write while you are watching your lecture and tether them to the video's time stamp; that way, you can jump to the part you wish with your notes
- Reviews: over here, you can read everything other students had to say about the course. The reviews can also be read before actually taking the course
- Class Q&A: here students ask questions to the instructor. You can also upload pictures with your questions. Before taking the class, check if the course is updated. If not, the instructor may not reply because it's an old course
- Learning tools: depending on the course, you will have access to some materials, like worksheets, the instructor has left for you
- Quizzes: only available in some courses. If there are, you will find them at the end of the lecture. This is a good way to review everything you have learned
About the lectures themselves, the video lessons typically last up to 10 minutes each. The class style depends on the instructor; it can be more like a lecture or tutorial.
The fact that the videos are short is good because it makes it easier to pause, take a break, and even go back to refresh something you didn’t understand.
The video player lets you control the speed, captions, volume, and resolution. It also has a bottom to rewind or fast forward 5 seconds from where you are.
A few even have the option of subtitles in other languages.
Being an Instructor on Udemy
As we said before, Udemy allows you to become an instructor as well. Let’s talk about that real quick.
If this is the case, Udemy gives you excellent tips and instructions to help you make a good course. The site offers a number of courses that are trending based on keyword and topic searches.
Feel free to take advantage of this insight to design a good course if you want to be an instructor.
How much money do instructors earn? This depends on the number of people that buy or watch the course. So there isn’t a specific number.
And talking about money, let’s answer the awaited question.
How Much Does Udemy Cost?
Free Courses
Good news first, there are over 600 free courses you can take!
If you are still deciding whether to invest in a course, try a free class related to the topic you like first.
Of course, the variety of courses is wider in the purchased options. Still, the topics of free classes are also a good idea.
Check out our Udemy Free Courses: Quick Online Courses For College Students blog, to learn more about them!
Prices of Udemy Courses
The ranges of prices vary. Courses start at $9.99, and others go up to $199.99.
All Udemy courses consist of a one-time payment. When you purchase the course, you’ll have immediate unlimited access, even after you finish it. You can always go back as many times as you want. The course never expires.
Courses that have more information and harder subjects are typically more expensive, and this makes sense. Remember that the instructor is the one who sets the price and not Udemy.
Does Udemy offer a free trial? Sadly, no, it doesn’t. But remember that you have access to a preview of the course.
A benefit you earn by purchasing a course is that you will also get discounts on many other courses.
If you find the perfect course for you, but it’s too expensive and is out of your budget, you must know that all courses are constantly on sale at 90% to 95% discounted off the original price, so this is excellent news!
Another good thing to remember is that many instructors also offer discount codes for their specific courses.
Udemy offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. During this time, if you don’t like the course, you can get a refund. But if time passes, this option won’t be possible anymore.
Either way, be mindful of the following rules:
- The refund option could be taken away by purchasing a course and downloading all the content
- Frequently refunding options can get you suspended from Udemy
How to request a refund? You must select the course you bought and click on the “request a refund” option. That’s it! But make sure you do this within the 30-day money-back guarantee rule. The refunds will be returned via the original payment method you entered in the first place, credit refund or cash refund.
Udemy doesn’t offer an annual subscription, but it offers a monthly subscription plan that costs 26.99 per month. This personal membership gives you access to thousands of highly-rated courses, including courses in IT and web development.
Udemy Pro
Udemy Pro is designed to help students accomplish their IT certification goals. If you need to learn what this is, IT certification demonstrates your competency in a certain technology field. Through it, you have unlimited access to Udemy pro IT content.
There is a monthly subscription that costs $19.99. This option offers a free 7-day free trial that allows you to access their IT content.
This is a specialized track that you must only invest in if you want to advance your career and if your field has to do with technology.
Our Verdict
The final moment has arrived. What do we think about Udemy?
We believe this is definitely an excellent online learning platform to learn new skills or improve others you may have.
If you do your research based on our review, you will find high-quality courses that will leave you with many lessons learned. This only works if you take it seriously and dedicate some time to it.
Some of the courses are quite pricey, but you can consider the 30-day refund policy and the fact that you will have lifetime access to the classes.
We don’t recommend Udemy if you want to learn something for academic purposes. If this is the case, platforms accredited by universities, like Coursera, are a better fit for you.
But if you are just looking to learn a hobby or want personal and professional development, then this is just what you need.
Before we finish, let’s look at the Pros and Cons of Udemy.
PROS
- Offers high-quality courses
- Lifetime access to courses
- Ability to learn in your own time
- Wide range of courses
- Affordable prices
- Constantly high discounts codes available
- One time payment. No extra cost
- Easy to use and navigate
- Refund requests: 30-day money-back guarantee on all courses
- Professional certificate in the paid courses
CONS
- Not accredited by institutions
- Certificates can't be used to seek formal accreditation
- No academic credit
- Prices vary
- Free courses don't always offer a certificate of completion
- Not always good quality
Is Udemy Worth It For You?
You probably already know the answer to this question because you made it to the end of the blog!
Now you can determine if this is what you were looking for or not. Either way, feel free to explore the website. Sign-up is unnecessary if you just want to see what courses are available.
We recommend you try it out! There is nothing you are missing by just searching and looking at the website.
But if this is definitely not the right online course platform for you, check out our Best Online Learning Platforms list!
We hope you find this review helpful in understanding how Udemy works and its features.
If you want to find other useful apps, check out related blog posts:
Ariana Cardozo
Ariana Cardozo is a screenwriter with a passion for film, writing and theater. She is a content creator for our blog, Youtube channel and Instagram. She loves helping non-traditional students by sharing the best tips to make their college experience easier.
