The Best (And Free) Online Course Websites

The days of thinking that in order to be educated you need to go to school are gone. However, if you don’t go to school, how are you suppose to gain knowledge in order to develop skills? Well, there is a huge untapped resource by many people and its called the internet. Many people know this already. However, they think that the knowledge is somehow devalued because you didn’t pay copious amounts to obtain it. This has always been strange to me and it is, in my opinion, equally as valuable.

Some would actually say that acquiring knowledge for free is more valuable since you didn’t put any monetary investment into it. Therefore, we will list out a few websites where you can take online courses. These will be both paid and for free. As you already assumed, free courses and websites have their limitation. Therefore, we will list both options in case you don’t mind spending a little extra cash.

 

Paid Website

First, we’ll start with some paid websites. Someone of you may recognize these names. Especially Skillshare, Coursera and Udemy. Another notion that many people have about these websites is that they’re open and free. A disclosure before we start is that they are not free. They may have courses that have limited access or free 7/14 day trials. However, the website as a whole will not give you the full experience without paying. We will get into the prices of these websites individually as we progress. However, it’s time for us to go through these paid websites, in no particular order.

 

Udemy

The first on our list of paid online course websites is Udemy. Some or most of you may have already heard of them. That’ll come to no surprise as they are one of the largest and well known online resources available.

 

 

As you can see, there’s a wide array of choices that you may pick from. From photography to coding, Udemy basically has it all. The one thing to highlight about Udemy that I personally enjoy is the fact that you can do courses a-la-cart. This means that you can purchase courses individually. This is extremely useful because you won’t be contracted to a monthly plan (which many sights make you pay yearly for). Therefore, you can sign up for a course such as “The Complete SQL Bootcamp” and finish it without any extra commitment.

Another notable feature is that you can create a plan and choose courses catered to that path. Therefore, you won’t have to mindlessly search for the courses you need. Lastly. there is a sale going on where courses are severely discounted. Therefore, now is the time to sign up and get some learning done.

 

Coursera

Next is Coursera. Coursera is an online course and resource site that offers a wide variety offered by top institutions. This website was actually introduced to be a long time ago and it was the first time that I’ve ever heard that such a resource existed. Coursera is quite unique because you can sign up for free. However, there are courses that are paid, free or have trial periods.

Looking through the site I found a few examples. The first example is a course called The Science of Well-Being. This course is offered by Yale University and allows the user to either pay $65 for the course (which comes with a certificate) or you can have full access for free.

 

 

I took the liberty of signing up for a course that has a similar enrollment method. In the course I signed up for, there are a ton of modules, reading, and quizzes. The quizzes get marked. Therefore, how well you do truly matters. The courses mimic what it’s like to be enrolled in online classes at a regular university.

For other courses such as Web Design for Everybody: Basics of Web Development & Coding, you can enroll for a 7-day free trial. However, after this trial expires, you’re subjected to a $65/m charge for the length of the course. These courses can last a few months. Therefore, expect to pay a maximum of a few hundred dollars.

Lastly, you can apply for full-fledged degrees. For example, Coursera allows you to apply for your GMBA (Global Masters of Business Administration). Of course, once you find the degree, Coursera will redirect you to the appropriate website where you can apply and gather more information.

 

Udacity

Next on our list is Udacity. It has a similar name to Udemy. However, the website itself has a few key differences. One of the most notable differences is that there is a feature called Nanodegrees. These Nanodegrees can be quite expensive, some ranging up to nearly $2,000 per course. Of course, they offer the option to pay as you go. However, this option is typically a lot more expensive in the long run.

 

 

Udacity is one of the more expensive options out there. However, it is up to you to determine whether or not the knowledge they’re providing is worth the cost. However, similar to Coursera and Udemy, Udacity offers the opportunity to take a variety of courses completely free. Of course, without the certification. It is important to note that with any one of these websites that offer free courses, you can opt-in to receive the certificate at any point. Furthermore, if you’re going into a field where you have not formally studied, a certificate may be an accolade that’ll propel you further.

 

Skillshare

If you spend a lot of time on YouTube, you’ve probably heard of SkillShare. The first time I ever heard about Skillshare was on a sponsored video. After that, I noticed that I started to notice them on more YouTuber’s videos. Skillshare is much different from the rest of the other websites as it does not provide courses per-say. Skillshare can be looked at as an educational YouTube. You can start by signing up for Skillshare. After this, you can take classes that you need, watch the multitude of videos and some classes also have student projects. What’s the catch? Having a Skillshare free account is rather limited.

 

 

Many classes only allow you to view the introduction. After that, you can sign-up for a 14-day free trial where you’ll have full access. Once this finishes, you’ll be subjected to paying the fees above. Similar to other sites, it’s cheaper to pay annually. However, a more expensive monthly option is available.

 

edX

Last on our list of paid online resource websites is edX. Like Udemy, Coursera, and Udacity, edX has both free or paid options. From computer programming to business, edX has everything you’ll possibly need. However, if you choose to audit a course (take it for free), you’ll be giving up the certificate, unlimited course content and be subject to a time limit.

 

 

This is a message that popped up when I enrolled for HTML5 and CSS fundamentals. Some (possibly all) of the free options have a time limit. However, this time limit is over a month away which gives you enough time if you’re quarantined at home. Therefore, you may not have too much to worry about. However, if you cannot finish the course, you’ll lose all access and progress that you’ve done up until that point.

In order to upgrade for the course I chose, you’ll need to pay $165. However, not all courses will cost this much. Prices vary.

 

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Free Websites

It’s time for the section that most of you were probably waiting for, the free websites. As you’d probably already expected, these websites aren’t as good as the paid ones from a guidance and feature standpoint. However, if you’re dedicated, have the time, and patience, it’ll be well worth it. It is hard to find completely free websites. Therefore, if you know of any (that aren’t included in this list) feel free to comment below. This will give future readers a wider variety to look at when doing their research.

 

YouTube

The first on our list is YouTube. YouTube is the biggest video sharing service on the internet. Therefore, it’s only natural that there is a plethora of material for you to discover. Depending on how popular your niche is, videos can be extremely detailed and comprehensive. From fixing cars to coding, YouTube typically has it all.

 

 

For example, the video above is a comprehensive deep dive into Javascript. It walks through the fundamentals and is roughly 48 minutes long. The information in this video is comparable to ones that you’ll find in courses that you’ve paid hundreds or even thousands for. The best part is that you found it completely free. Some people do this for a living on YouTube. Therefore, there are certain channels that are dedicated to educating the masses on particular topics. It is truly one of the information hubs of the internet.

 

Khan Academy

Aside from YouTube, one of the most popular and widely known online course websites is Khan Academy. Khan Academy is incredible (not just because my last name is Khan). There are thousands of videos, classes and discussion boards available to the simple click of a button. It’s been running for years and has helped start the careers of many professionals.

 

 

If you’re a student you can learn. Teachers are welcome to provide information to the student and help them learn on their path to becoming educated. Another favorite feature of mine is that there is no age limit. 30 or 13 years old, everyone is welcome and will learn something. If you’re a parent, you can create an account for your child. Therefore, they won’t have to through the mental gymnastics of figuring out how to enroll in classes by themselves.

As stated, Khan Academy is a nonprofit project that has been around for years and accepts donations to help them stay running. Therefore, if you’re going to use them, I’d highly suggest donating anything you can afford. You’re only able to use the website because people in the past have donated. Therefore, paying it forward so someone else in the future can have the same opportunity is admirable.

 

FreeCodeCamp

This one is a niche website. However, FreeCodeCamp is great for anyone who wants to start out in front-end development. They have an interface that allows you to read on one side and gain firsthand experience on the other.

 

 

Above are the certifications and knowledge that you’ll earn. Although it is not as detailed and comprehensive as websites like Coursera or Khan Academy, it is an easy and efficient way to start out in coding.

 

MITOpenCourseWare

The last website on our list of free resources is MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) OpenCourseWare. This is a website that allows users to traverse through different courses and view the lecture notes. Furthermore, there are also assignments that you can look into and complete. It’s not scheduled and you can work at your own pace. The best part is that the information is completely free.

 

 

For example, this is a list of lecture notes in various pdf files for atmospheric chemistry. In total, there are 22 lectures and you will also be provided with problem sets for you to work on throughout the course. They have courses ranging from business, engineering to health and medicine. If you’re looking for a website that has a ton of free information ready at your fingertips with an online class structure, this is the place to go. 

 

To Conclude

There are thousands of websites that have information pertaining to your desired subject. However, whether you’re going the free or paid route, all information is valuable. Therefore, make sure to do your due diligence and test all of these websites out to determine what the best method for you is!