The online courses platforms come constantly updating in recent years. This is because the number of users adapted to these platforms and looking for ways to update their knowledge has been increasing considerably, making the platforms invest in innovation to meet this new demand.
This increase in offer also brings a change in the way this service is offered. More and more platforms seek to optimize the user experience, the quality of courses and find ways to differentiate themselves in the market. Consequently, the large online teaching platforms end up having very specific characteristics, which make them better meet one or another student profile.
Two of the major platforms for online courses on the market are the Udacity and Codecademy platforms, both in the MOOC ( Massive Open Online Courses ) market and each with its own specifics.
As all the two platforms are very similar in terms of technical level and the ability to train qualified professionals to occupy large positions in the market, choosing between one of these platforms requires you to know their specificities in detail. And to help you better understand the characteristics of each of these platforms, this article presents a review comparing the characteristics of the Udacity vs Codecademy platform.
What is Udacity
Udacity is a for-profit educational organization. It is one of the most renowned online teaching platforms in the areas of technology and computer science. Founded in 2011, Udacity already has several professional courses that range from beginners to more experienced professionals who need to invest in a complete education to differentiate themselves in the market.
One of the great differentials of the Udacity platform are its Nanodegree courses. Although these courses share opinions regarding their cost-effectiveness, the Nanodegree courses are a real differential due to the following characteristics:
- Complete course, with acquisition of high-level knowledge
- Course with the possibility of working on real projects for large companies in the market
- Content updated to market demands, aimed at training great professionals to occupy prominent positions in renowned companies
How Udacity works
Udacity works as an online learning platform, where you have access to different courses in the areas of technology and computer science. In addition, in its Nanodegree courses, Udacity also has the supervision of practical projects where you will solve problems for real companies, with which the platform has a partnership. This allows for a true immersion, which makes the student leave a Nanodegree course highly qualified for the demands of the market.
Who are the instructors
Udacity instructors are professionals with academic background and experience in teaching, as well as professionals with extensive experience in prominent sectors. As the course is aimed at training competent professionals, instructors with proven experience in solving problems for large companies tend to be more valued by Udacity than instructors who have only academic experience.
Udacity Prices
As the Udacity platform offers courses of different specialty levels, different durations and different categories, Udacity prices can vary considerably depending on the course chosen. Furthermore, knowing whether the course is predominantly theoretical or has practical aspects also makes all the difference. The Nanodegree courses, which are broader training courses and offer the possibility of carrying out practical activities in projects by leading companies in the market, are charged through monthly fees that cost an average of US$ 400.00 per month. The price of open courses varies between US$ 29.00 and US$ 59.00, normally. However, the total amount to be invested may end up varying, depending on duration, level of expertise and even area of interest.
Udacity has Free Courses
Udacity has some free courses so that you can get to know the technical level of the courses offered by the platform. However, most of Udacity’s free courses are entry-level courses, or even introductory modules for larger, more complete courses, such as Udacity’s highly regarded Nanodegree courses. It should be noted that the free options for Udacity courses are not as complete as the paid options on the platform.
user experience
The Udacity platform has some differentials that contribute to an extremely positive user experience, such as:
- highly targeted audience
- Courses with high technical quality
- Courses with constantly updated syllabus and adapted to the demands of the labor market
- Courses that offer complete experience to train professionals who are secure and able to occupy large positions in the labor market
Udacity has a certificate
All Udacity courses that are completed on time, meeting your criteria, offer the option of certificate. However, it is important to note that certificates are reserved for courses acquired. If you attend a course in the listening mode, that is, there is no cost to enroll in classes, you will need to purchase it and pay the certification fee to receive the document.
It is noteworthy that the relevance of the certificate covers both the academic market and the professional market. Many professionals get good positions in the job market thanks to their Udacity certifications, especially when they take Nanodegree courses.
Udacity is worth it
Udacity is a very segmented platform, valuable to a very specific audience. So if you’re someone looking to study technology or computer science, Udacity is certainly worth it. But if you don’t fit the platform’s specialty profile, it might be wise to consider other platforms.
Check below the main advantages and disadvantages of Udacity to assess if you have the desired profile to invest in courses at Udacity.
Advantages of Udacity
- Advanced content adapted to market demands
- Complete content to train professionals with little or no experience in the market
- Support to carry out practical activities in companies with challenging demands and to have a really complete education
- Nanodegree courses with advanced and qualified experience
Disadvantages of Udacity
- Very segmented platform
- Some courses have less time flexibility to complete theoretical activities and assessments
In the perception of some students, the fact that Nanodegree courses do not have the same academic value as an Undergraduate course is also considered a disadvantage, as these students seek academic training or occupy positions where the academic career directly influences opportunities for advancement and remuneration.
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What is Codecademy
The Codecademy is an American institution that offers programming courses, especially courses that address:
- jQuery
- Javascript
- Python
- Ruby
- PHP
- JAVA
In addition, the platform also offers courses on so-called markup languages, such as HTML and CSS.
Founded in 2011, Codecademy is headquartered in New York (USA), and has been helping numerous students who seek to invest in continuing education to occupy large positions in the market.
How Codecademy Works
Codecademy works as a recurrence platform, that is, a platform where you have subscription plans to have unrestricted access to all content covered by the category you subscribe to. Thus, you can review classes whenever you want, study with flexibility in time and have autonomy in relation to the content. In addition, you have the ability to optimize your cost-effectiveness according to your available time to follow classes.
Who are the instructors
Codecademy also selects its instructors based on technical criteria. This means that to be an instructor of a course on the platform, you must have experience in the area, in addition to having didactics and up-to-date knowledge, capable of training professionals capable of solving market demands. Most of the professionals who teach courses at Codecademy are Undergraduate, Master’s or Doctoral students from renowned Universities, as well as course professors from famous Universities. It should be noted that the academic curriculum is not the main criterion chosen by the platform to select its instructors. So, if you take a course at Codecademy, be aware that, regardless of academic background, your instructor will be someone with remarkable practical experience.
Codecademy Prices
Codecademy pricing is not based on course syllabus content, or even individual course criteria. Since Codecademy works through subscription plans, what determines the price is the plan you choose to subscribe to, which can vary between the following options:
- Codecademy Basic: free plan, with some limitations regarding platform functions and limited content. Just visit the platform and register to start studying at Codecademy for free through the Basic plan.
- Codecademy Pro: $15.90 monthly plan, with access to numerous platform features. The Pro plan gives you access to support, certification, members’ exclusive area and even the ability to work on real projects. In most cases, this is the most cost-effective plan on the platform.
- Codecademy Teams: if you and your team are interested in investing in courses to optimize the provision of your services, an excellent option is the Codecademy Teams plan. However, this plan needs to be evaluated individually, as each team has specific demands and individual dynamics. In order for you to have access to the resources of this plan, you need to register on the platform and request contact with someone from the Codecademy team to receive an appropriate proposal for your case.
Codecademy has Free Courses
All courses in the Basic plan are free. However, you do not have access to certification when taking any course through this plan. If you are already a well-positioned professional in the market, certification will probably end up being something trivial for you. Still, it’s important to mention that the Pro plan has more options.
user experience
The user experience tends to be positive, especially since the platform is highly segmented and cost-effective. But it is worth noting that people with an unstable routine tend to see less benefits, since the cost of tuition is fixed, regardless of how many classes you are able to attend per month.
Codecademy has certificate
Codecademy has a certificate for every course you take on time, and you are duly enrolled in one of the premium subscription plans. The basic plan is the only one that does not have certification, regardless of the course’s specialty level.
Codecademy is worth it
Codecademy has proven to be an excellent platform for anyone who wants to learn programming or take any other course in the technology areas. In addition, it has numerous free courses that can be accessed very easily, which is why most users describe the platform as valuable. However, to find out if codecademy is worth it to you, check out the pros and cons of the platform below.
Codecademy Advantages
- Countless free courses
- Great value for money
- Customized options to meet large teams with advanced demands
- Certified courses
- Plans with member-only content and access to platform support
- Possibility to carry out real projects, supervised by Codecademy instructors
Disadvantages of Codecademy
- Most courses with superficial content
- Some customers report difficulty navigating lesson pages
- Exclusive code editor, different from what the student will find on the market
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Conclusion
Both Udacity and Codecademy are highly regarded platforms, and both are specific platforms for the public looking to invest in professional training in the areas of technology, programming and computer science. However, even though they offer courses from the same niche, Codecademy and Udacity vary slightly in the user experience they offer, as well as the quality of their courses and the perception of value according to their profile.
Codecademy stands out for being a platform with numerous courses available for an excellent cost-benefit ratio, since it has subscription plan options, which give unrestricted access to all content covered by the plan. Udacity, on the other hand, has the Nanodegree courses as a differential, which are considered an intermediate course between the technical level courses and the undergraduate and graduate academic training. As it is possible to carry out a Udacity Nanodegree in much less time than an academic training, whoever seeks to differentiate themselves in the market through technical training finds in the Udacity platform the most profitable option for this.
Given the information presented in this article, it is up to you to assess which option is most suitable for your profile and invest in your professional training. As discussed, both the Codecademy platform and the Udacity platform have some limitations. But if you are taking the course on the platform that is ideal for your profile, these limitations will be negligible. Visit the Codecademy and Udacity platform website right now to enroll in the most suitable course for your profile!