Udemy is an online course marketplace covering management, technology, marketing, and personal development, taught by independent instructors. It helps an organization that needs a specific practical skill for staff or volunteers, such as basic bookkeeping, digital marketing, or a software tool, at low cost.
Key features
- Large catalog: management, marketing, tech, design.
- One-time purchase: pay only for courses you take.
- Frequent sales: far below list prices.
- Lifetime access: including instructor updates.
- Completion certificates: a personal record, not an accredited credential.
Pricing
Individual courses commonly sell for $10 to $20 during sales, even if list prices look higher. Udemy Business is priced per user annually with a curated catalog and reporting, and its rate is not a fixed public figure.
Prices change over time. Figures above are based on Udemy’s own site.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Very affordable, especially on sale | Quality varies since instructors are independent |
| Covers niche practical skills | No structured path unless you build one |
| One-time purchase, lifetime access | Certificates carry less weight than accredited ones |
Udemy vs DataCamp
DataCamp, also covered on elathar, is stronger for a structured data path. Udemy fits when you need one course on a specific skill.
Who Udemy is for
Organizations that need a specific practical skill for staff or volunteers quickly and cheaply, and can judge course quality through ratings.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you need an accredited qualification or a guided path with deadlines.
How to get started
Check instructor ratings and recent reviews before buying, and wait for a sale instead of paying list price.
FAQ
Are Udemy certificates accredited?
No, they record completion. Treat them as skill-building, not a credential.
Is Udemy Business worth it for a small team?
Compare the per-user cost with buying only the individual courses you need.
Disclosure: elathar may earn a commission if you sign up for Udemy through the links in this article. This does not change what you pay, and it does not influence which tools we choose to cover.
