vs.
Course Marketplace
8.5
10
Education Company
7.4
10
FutureLearn vs. GetSmarter - Complete Comparison
Written by
Janosch Herrmann
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Overview
ToggleDescription | FutureLearn FutureLearn is a British online learning platform that offers courses developed by their more than 175 university partners worldwide. The platform was founded in 2012 and has since attracted more than 10 million learners worldwide. | GetSmarter getsmarter is an online learning platform that partners with world-renowned universities all across the globe to create short courses on a variety of academic & professional topics. |
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Types of courses | FutureLearn BACHELORS DEGREE Bachelor's DegreeGet a Bachelor's degree from one of FutureLearn's partner universities $10000 - $30000 USD 10-15 hours per week MASTERS DEGREE Master's DegreeGet a Master's degree from one of FutureLearn's university partners. $10000 - $40000 USD 1-3 years INDIVIDUAL LEARNING Short CoursesShort courses on a wide variety of topics, created by universities and other institutions FreeIncluded in subscription 2-4 hours per week INDIVIDUAL LEARNING MicrocredentialsCreate specialized courses created by top academic institutions worldwide. Some courses might count as academic credit towards a degree. $500 - $1000 USD 6–12 weeks | GetSmarter INDIVIDUAL LEARNING Short CourseShort courses developed together with top universities. They usually take a couple of weeks to complete. $500 - $3000 USD 6-8 weeks |
Subscription plans | FutureLearn PERSONAL FutureLearn UnlimitedUnlimited access to 1400+ online courses from FutureLearn $20 - 40 USD per month | GetSmarter No subscription plans available |
Pros & cons | FutureLearn
| GetSmarter
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General information
ToggleType | Course Marketplace | Education Company |
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Number of courses | 2000+ | 250+ |
Popularity | Relatively niche | Relatively niche |
Available categories | Business Analytics & IntelligenceComplianceData ScienceDesign ToolsDigital MarketingEntrepreneurshipFinanceIT CertificationsLanguage LearningLeadership | Business Analytics & IntelligenceData ScienceLeadershipManagementMarketing Analytics & AutomationDesign ToolsEntrepreneurshipFinanceProject Management |
Available languages | English | English |
Evaluation
ToggleFull score | 8.5 10 | 7.4 10 |
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Features
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Available apps | No apps available... |   |
Company
ToggleCompany name | FutureLearn Limited | GetSmarter |
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Company size | Medium | Medium |
Founded in | 2012 | 2008 |
Headquarters | United Kingdom 🇬🇧 | South Africa 🇿🇦 |
Founders | The Open University | Sam Paddock, Rob Paddock |
External reviews |  Trustpilot 4.7740 reviews | App Store 4.8531000 reviews Play Store No reviews yet... |
Our opinion
ToggleFutureLearnFutureLearn is one of the few online learning platforms that offer full online degrees. We also like that you can access a lot of their regular courses for free for a limited amount of time, with the upgrade to the paid course being offered as an optional add-on. In contrast to some other similar companies, their offering is also a lot more streamlined and easier to understand, which we think is another benefit of FutureLearn. That said, their catalog isn't as big as that of some of their competitors, which means that you might not find the course you're looking for, especially if it's a bit more niche. Overall, we can recommend FutureLearn for students that want to take full online degrees, as well as students that want to learn with courses from universities, instead of courses from individual instructors.
GetSmartergetsmarter offers a selection of high quality courses, in collaboration with some of the most prestigious universities worldwide. We particularly like the impressive roster of partners they work with. If you want to take their courses, you shouldn't be on a tight budget though, since the prices are fairly steep, which is understandable when you look at their partner universities, but nevertheless might be unaffordable for many. We therefore recommend getsmarter to professionals that want to learn new skills, and that have the disposable budget to afford their courses.
