Udemy has 200,000+ courses and 70+ million students. With prices as low as $9.99 during sales, it seems like a no-brainer. But with so many courses, quality varies wildly. Is Udemy actually worth it?
The Short Answer
Udemy is worth it — if you buy smart. Never pay full price (sales happen every few weeks), read reviews carefully, and stick to instructors with 4.5+ star ratings and thousands of students.
What Our Data Shows
Across 200+ Udemy courses in our review database:
- Average rating: 8.4/10
- Top 20% of courses: 9.3/10 — genuinely excellent
- Bottom 20%: 6.8/10 — not recommended
The gap between great and mediocre Udemy courses is wider than on any other platform.
Udemy Pricing Tips
- Never pay full price. “Full price” on Udemy ($99–$199) is a marketing tactic
- Wait for sales: Courses drop to $9.99–$14.99 every 2–3 weeks
- New account trick: New accounts always see sale prices
- Udemy Business: $30/user/month for teams — worth it for companies
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Massive course library across every imaginable topic
- Incredibly affordable during frequent sales ($9.99)
- Lifetime access to purchased courses
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Many courses regularly updated
Cons
- Quality is inconsistent — anyone can publish
- Certificates are not industry-recognized
- No structured learning paths (unlike Coursera)
- Full-price listings are misleading
Best Udemy Courses We’ve Reviewed
Udemy vs Coursera
Choose Udemy for practical, skill-based courses at low prices. Choose Coursera if you need recognized certificates from universities. Both have a place in your learning toolkit.
Are Udemy certificates worth anything?
Udemy certificates are completion certificates — they prove you finished a course but don’t carry the weight of a Coursera/Google/IBM professional certificate. Focus on the skills you gain, not the certificate.
Last updated: March 2026. Based on our review of 200+ Udemy courses.