LinkedIn Learning and Coursera are both leading online learning platforms. LinkedIn Learning focuses on professional development with courses taught by industry experts, while Coursera offers a broader range of courses, including academic subjects and personal interests, taught by professors from top universities.
Key Takeaways
- Both LinkedIn Learning and Coursera are reputable online learning platforms.
- LinkedIn Learning offers 16,000+ courses, while Coursera offers 7,000+ courses.
- LinkedIn Learning and Coursera platforms provide mobile apps for iOS and Android devices with a better learning experience.
- LinkedIn Learning certification is not accredited.
- Reputable academic bodies accredit Coursera certificates.
- While LinkedIn learning courses focus on professional development and business-related skills, Coursera has courses that cut across various disciplines.
Coursera vs LinkedIn Learning: Which Is Best?
Choosing between Coursera and LinkedIn Learning depends on your specific learning goals, preferences, and budget. Let’s delve into the details to help you decide which platform is the best fit for you:
Coursera:
- Academic Rigor: Coursera’s courses are often provided by top universities and institutions, ensuring a high level of academic quality. If you’re looking for in-depth knowledge or even considering a career change, Coursera’s structured courses may be the best choice.
- Specializations and Degrees: Coursera offers Specializations, Professional Certificates, and even full degrees. These credentials are widely recognized by employers and institutions, making Coursera a strong option for career advancement.
- Pricing: Coursera offers a mix of free and paid courses. Paid courses can range from $29 to $99 per course, while Specializations typically cost between $39 and $79 per month. The cost can add up, but the quality of content often justifies the investment.
- Learning Approach: Coursera emphasizes a more traditional learning approach with structured courses, quizzes, assignments, and peer-graded assessments. This format suits individuals seeking a classroom-like experience.
- Job Placement and Networking: Coursera’s Coursera for Job Seekers program connects learners with employers, enhancing job placement opportunities.
- Success Stories: Coursera features numerous success stories of learners who have advanced their careers, changed fields, or gained significant knowledge.
LinkedIn Learning:
- Practical Skills: LinkedIn Learning is geared towards acquiring practical, short-term skills. If you need quick, job-specific knowledge or want to improve your current role, LinkedIn Learning is a valuable resource.
- Pricing: LinkedIn Learning operates on a subscription model, with a monthly fee of approximately $29.99 or an annual fee of around $299. This can be a cost-effective option if you plan to take multiple courses.
- Learning Approach: The platform primarily offers short, on-demand video lessons. It’s more suitable for professionals looking to enhance their skills quickly.
- Integration with LinkedIn: LinkedIn Learning’s integration with the LinkedIn platform allows for networking and job opportunities, particularly valuable if you’re active on LinkedIn for professional purposes.
- User Base: With over 774 million users, LinkedIn Learning has a vast user community. Many businesses use it for employee training and development.
- Global Reach: LinkedIn Learning is accessible in more than 200 countries, making it widely available to a global audience.
How Do LinkedIn Learning and Coursera Courses Compare?
LinkedIn Learning offers 16,000+ online courses, mainly focusing on creativity, management, and technology. On the other hand, Coursera has 7,000+ courses that majorly focus on programming and technology.
While LinkedIn courses can improve your skills and make your resume look great, its certification is not accredited by academic bodies. On the other hand, Coursera courses are accredited by renowned academic bodies like the California institute of arts and Yale University.
The Side-by-side comparison table below highlights the differences between LinkedIn Learning and Coursera.
| Comparison Parameters | LinkedIn Learning | Coursera |
| Number of Courses | LinkedIn Learning offers 16,000+ courses across 30+ categories. | Coursera provides 7,000+ courses across 11 categories |
| Number of Users | 27+ Million users | 92+ Million users |
| Rating Out of 5 | 4.5 | 4.7 |
| Cost | -An annual subscription of $299.99 -A Monthly subscription of $39.99 -Individual courses do average $35 | -An annual subscription of $399 -A Monthly subscription of $59 -Individual courses do average $49.9 |
| Instructors/Teachers | Teachers are approved LinkedIn Members | Lecturers from top institutions |
| Are the Certificates Accredited? | No | Yes |
| Free Content Offered | 8 free learning paths | 25,000+ free courses |
| Features | -Courses tailored for desktop and mobile view -High-quality videos and downloadable content | – Access to community forums to share ideas – Quality professional video and downloadable content |
| Specialization | Offers courses designed for personal development and in-demand skills | Offers courses that provide access to university education |
| Who are the Courses Meant for? | -Professionals wishing to grow their careers -Individuals seeking to build upon existing or new skills | -Individuals seeking new skills in technology or computer science |
The Similarities between LinkedIn Learning and Coursera
While LinkedIn and Coursera online learning platforms have distinct differences, they also share a few similarities. Below are the similarities between LinkedIn Learning and Coursera:
- Both platforms provide online learning.
- Both platforms provide learning flexibility.
- Reputable educators will teach you on both platforms.
- Both offer certification at the end of the course.
- Both Platforms’ courses are compatible with mobile phones and desktops.
- Both platforms provide courses at a subscription, but there are a few free courses.
The Mobile Experience of LinkedIn Learning and Coursera
LinkedIn Learning and Coursera are great e-learning platforms that provide mobile apps that enable learners to access learning materials and track their daily progress. Below is a closer look at the mobile experience on each platform:
LinkedIn Learning Mobile App
- The LinkedIn Learning mobile app is available for Android and iOS devices and can be downloaded free from Google Play or App Store.
- The learning app will allow you to access all courses, and you can as well save them for offline learning.
- You can track your progress, take quizzes, and earn certification via the LinkedIn Learning mobile app.
- The LinkedIn Learning mobile app enables learners to create and easily manage playlists of courses.
- The LinkedIn Mobile app has an intuitive and easy-to-use interface.
Coursera Mobile App
- The Coursera mobile app is available for both Android and iOS devices.
- Coursera mobile app enables learners to access all courses on the platform; however, some features are unavailable.
- The app allows learners to download course materials for offline viewing.
- The app has a unique feature that allows learners to set reminders for classes or particular deadlines.
Although both platforms provide functional and easy-to-use mobile apps with similar features, LinkedIn Learning has the edge as its mobile app provides a personalized experience. Therefore, choosing the best platform that offers a better mobile learning experience depends on the learner’s preferences and habits.
Courses Offered on LinkedIn Learning and Coursera Platforms
While LinkedIn Learning courses focus on professional development and business-related skills, Coursera has courses that cut across various disciplines. Below are the courses offered by each platform:
Courses offered by LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is a subscription-based online learning platform that offers courses on creative skills, technology, and business subjects. The courses offered include the following:
- Introduction to data science.
- Leadership.
- Graphic design.
- Coding.
- Content marketing.
- Ecommerce fundamentals.
- Communication strategies.
After your course, you’ll be awarded a completion certificate. You can upload this certificate on your LinkedIn profile to showcase your newly acquired skills. However, remember that the certificate is not accredited, but most recruiters recognize it.
Courses offered by Coursera
Coursera is a popular massive open online course (MOOC) platform that offers various courses from reputable universities globally. The courses offered by this platform include the following:
- Computer science.
- Data science.
- Arts.
- Humanities.
- Social science.
- Business
- Personal development.
- Language learning.
- Math and logic.
- Information technology.
You will get an accredited certificate from Coursera at the end of your course. At Coursera online learning platform, you can earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
Features of LinkedIn Learning and Coursera Platforms
The features of LinkedIn Learning and Coursera platforms are impressive, and they distinguish these two giant platforms from the rest. Below are the features for each platform:
LinkedIn Features
- The platform supports multiple devices, meaning you can still stream a course while switching devices.
- The platform has a feature that automatically saves your streaming progress; therefore, you can start and stop course streaming at any time.
- The courses are delivered by reputable professionals who have excelled in their respective fields.
- The LinkedIn software has a feature that offers course recommendations depending on your profile.
- You can switch to audio-only if you wish to save streaming data.
- The LinkedIn Learning platform allows learners to download courses for offline learning.
Coursera Features
- Coursera has a lifelong learning program that can earn you accredited degree certificates.
- At Coursera, you’ll get unlimited access to over 90% of the courses.
- You can freely explore topics and skills at Coursera.
- At Coursera, you will get Adobe-guided projects. These projects allow you to work with Adobe software to gain the necessary skills and expertise.
- Coursera allows you to personalize your preferred course schedule.
LinkedIn Learning and Coursera Pros and Cons
Below is the table of LinkedIn Learning and Coursera pros and cons:
| Pros | Cons | |
| LinkedIn Learning | -The courses are suitable for all skill levels -A wide scope of topics to choose from. -Highly-rated teachers -The courses are structured for online and offline learning -You’ll earn LinkedIn certification -Inexpensive -Has a better mobile experience | -Certificates are not accredited -Frequent changes in prices |
| Coursera | -You’ll earn an accredited certificate -Has a lot of free content -Top-quality teachers from reputable institutions -Availability of community forums -Focuses on developing personal skills -The platform has several learning paths | Unclear pricing |
In conclusion, Coursera offers courses covering several fields, while LinkedIn strongly focuses on professional development and business-related skills. Both platforms provide a wide selection of courses; therefore, your learning interests and goals will determine the best program.
Reference
https://careerkarma.com/question/which-is-better-linkedin-learning-4226b7600/
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