Coursera vs Coursera Plus (2024) What is the Difference?

If you are still confused while deciding between Coursera vs Coursera Plus, here is everything you need to know in 2024.

In this article, I have shared complete details on Coursera and Coursera Plus to help you decide which option is best fit for your online learning.

Let’s get started.

Coursera vs Coursera Plus

Let’s start with the basic questions first like: What’s the difference? It’s simpler than you think.

Coursera is an online learning platform offering free and paid courses, specializations, certificates, and degrees.

Coursera is the platform’s version, where you subscribe to a single course and get unlimited access.

On the other hand, Coursera Plus is a paid subscription model in which you get access to all Coursera courses for the duration of your subscription.

But, in Coursera, you pay for one course for unlimited access; in Coursera Plus, you pay for unlimited access to all courses. To make it more affordable use Coursera Coupon and save big.

Now, let’s get into the details.

What is Coursera?

Coursera is a renowned online learning platform founded in 2012 by Stanford professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller. It offers various courses, specializations, and degree programs across multiple fields of study.

Partnering with top universities and organizations worldwide, Coursera aims to provide high-quality education accessible to anyone with an internet connection in the comfort of their homes.

All you need to do is sign up for the platform for free. Then, you can browse their 9,000+ free and paid course catalog and sign up for any course you want to learn.

What Does Coursera Offer?

Coursera has multiple choices of things to learn:

• Free Courses: You can sign up for these courses for free, have unlimited access to the learning material, and learn at your own pace.
• Guided projects: These are mentored by experts and usually have skill-based tests and certificates.
• Single Individual Courses: These are standalone courses on a specific topic, ranging from beginner to advanced levels. Courses often include video lectures, readings, quizzes, and peer-reviewed assignments.
• Specializations: These are related courses designed to help learners master a particular subject. Specializations often culminate in a hands-on project.
• Professional certificates: These are designed to help learners gain job-ready skills in specific industries. They are often developed in collaboration with industry leaders.
• MasterTrack certificates: These courses have portions of master’s degree programs that offer real academic credit and can be applied towards a full degree.
• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree programs: These are full bachelor’s and master’s degree programs from top universities, available online with the same validity as an offline course.

What is Coursera Plus?

Coursera Plus is a subscription service launched by Coursera in early 2020. It offers a more cost-effective and flexible way to access Coursera’s content.

Instead of paying for each course or specialization individually, you can pay a flat annual fee for unlimited access to over 90% of the classes and programs available on the platform.

However, MasterTrack and full degrees are not included in Coursera Plus.

To understand whether a course is included in Coursera Plus, you simply need to open the course in Coursera’s catalog and see if it bears the Coursera Plus logo. Here is how it looks. 

What Does Coursera Plus Offer?

But why did Coursera, which had all the features needed for online learning, release Coursersa Plus? Here is the deal. Coursera Plus provides several benefits over the standard Coursera model:

1. Unlimited Access: Subscribers can take as many courses, specializations, and professional certificates as they want without paying extra fees.
2. Wide Range of Content: With one payment, you can access over 7,000 courses, specializations, and professional certificates across various disciplines.
3. Flexibility: Access to all courses allows you to explore different fields of interest without the financial commitment of individual payments.
4. Cost-Effective: For frequent learners, Coursera Plus can be significantly more affordable than paying for multiple individual courses.
5. Certification: You can earn certificates for every course or specialization completed, which you can share on professional networks or include in resumes in Coursera Plus.

Coursera vs Coursera Plus: Pros and Cons

Now that you know the major offerings of Coursera and Coursera Plus, here are the pros and cons.

Coursera Pros

• Pay-as-You-Go: You can only pay for the courses or programs you are interested in.
• No Commitment: It is best for learners who only want to take one or two courses.
• Wide Range of Free Content: Many courses offer free access to course materials without certification, and this is the best option if you simply want to upskill.
• Unlimited access to all course materials that are also downloadable.

Coursera Cons

• Cost: Paying for individual courses or specializations can add up quickly if you want to learn multiple.
• Limited Access: With Coursera, you can only access the course you pay for.

Coursera Plus Pros

• Unlimited Learning: With Coursera Plus, you can access most of Coursera’s content for a single fee, including almost 9000 courses.
• This is cost-effective for frequent learners who plan to take multiple courses.
• Flexibility: You can explore various subjects without worrying about individual costs.

Coursera Plus Cons

• Costly: Requires an annual payment, which may be significant for some users.
• Not All Offerings Included: Some certifications and degrees are not covered under the subscription.

Coursera vs Coursera Plus: Pricing and Plans

Now, to the important part: pricing. This can be the deciding factor for many individuals, and it’s important that you know all the details.

Coursera Pricing

Coursera has an individual payment program model, with different prices depending on the course or specialization.

Individual courses or specializations can cost between $49 and $79 monthly, including a certificate upon completion.

Click the below button to check out the course catalog on Coursera. Sign up for any course you like now, and Find out the factors like Are Coursera Certificates Worth It?

Coursera Plus Pricing

Coursera Plus is available for a monthly or annual subscription fee that offers unlimited access to most of Coursera’s courses, specializations, and professional certificates. The plans are:

1. Coursera Plus Monthly Program: Coursera’s popular plan comes with a 7-day free trial. The monthly cost is $59, totaling $708 annually.
2. Coursera Plus Annual Program: Coursera’s premium program, priced at $399 per year, provides a 50% discount compared to the monthly subscription. It also comes with a 14-day free trial to test drive the subscription before committing.

With these offered prices, you can save huge on Coursera Plus and also get a free trial offer to try out the platform before you commit. These offers get more affordable in Coursera Cyber Monday Deals.

Coursera vs Coursera Plus: Which One Should You Choose?

I am personally subscribed to Coursera Plus because I have completed three courses on the platform. However, choosing between Coursera and Coursera Plus depends on your learning goals, budget, and plan to use the platform frequently.

To make it easier, I have listed two different sets of options to choose from on both platforms:

You can choose Coursera if:

• You only plan to take one or two courses or specializations.
• You prefer a pay-as-you-go model without a large upfront cost.
• You want to access free course materials without needing a certificate
• You simply want to learn a course for free.

You can choose Coursera Plus if:

• You plan to take multiple courses, specializations, or professional certificates.
• You are a frequent learner and want the flexibility to explore various subjects.
• You want ultimate savings through a single, upfront payment.

But ultimately, the choice lies in what you want. The courses and learning materials are the same in Coursera and Coursera Plus, so the choice mainly rests on your preferred payment model.

You can try out the Coursera Free Trial and take a free course before deciding for yourself.

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