FutureLearn review

FutureLearn ranks eighth. Its Unlimited subscription opens 1400+ short courses from 200+ institutions and educators, with a printable digital Certificate of Achievement on eligible courses and permanent access to courses where you earned one. That makes it a sensible middle ground between paying per course and a large catalog subscription. The free Limited Access tier lets you sample material, but lessons are released weekly, certificates are not included and access ends after you finish. Longer credentials, such as ExpertTracks, microcredentials and online degrees, are sold outside Unlimited. FutureLearn's catalog is strongest in healthcare, teaching, psychology and business. The pricing page displayed euro prices from our location, so the USD price is pending. We compared documented features and published prices only.

Who it is for

Learners who want university short courses with certificates on one subscription

Price

Free Limited Access; Unlimited billed monthly or annually. See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Unlimited covers 1400+ short courses
• Digital Certificate of Achievement on eligible courses
• Courses from 200+ institutions and educators
• Keep access to courses where you earned a certificate
• ExpertTracks, microcredentials and online degrees sold separately

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free Limited Access lets you sample course materials
• Strength: Monthly or annual Unlimited plans
• Strength: Strong coverage of healthcare, teaching and psychology
• Weakness: Free Limited Access has no certificates and releases lessons weekly
• Weakness: Pricing page showed EUR, not USD, when we checked
• Weakness: Microcredentials and degrees are not part of Unlimited

Key facts

• Short courses: 1400+
• Partners: 200+ institutions and educators
• Free tier: Limited Access, no certificates

Where it ranks

FutureLearn is No. 8 in our Best Online Course Platforms For Learners verdict.