Best MOOC Platforms in 2026
Updated
In short: Stepik is ranked #1 of 67 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Alison and edX. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Alison. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Khan Academy at $0.83/mo.
Online courses can support a new interest, professional learning, or a longer path toward a degree. Compared on completion certificates, course access model, degree programs, mobile apps, and offline learning, these MOOC platforms offer different ways to organize study and access coursework. Check free-plan availability and the paid-from price against your budget, and consider whether enterprise plans matter for learning across a team. Alison, edX, and Brilliant are among the names to compare, along with options such as Khan Academy and FutureLearn. The right features depend on how you prefer to study, what credentials you seek, and whether you need to learn on the go.
67 MOOC platforms ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
18 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | StepikWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 2 | AlisonWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $5/mo | 6.6 | |
| 3 | edXWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $12.50/mo | 6.6 | |
| 4 | BrilliantWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 5 | Great LearningWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | ₹999/mo | 6.5 | |
| 6 | Khan AcademyWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $0.83/mo | 6.5 | |
| 7 | CodecademyWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $24.92/mo | 6.4 | |
| 8 | DataCampWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 9 | freeCodeCampWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 10 | FutureLearnWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $29.17/mo | 6.4 | |
| 11 | OpenClassroomsWeb · iPhone | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | €300/mo | 6.4 | |
| 12 | AWS Skill BuilderWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $29/mo | 6.3 | |
| 13 | EdraakWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 14 | Google Cloud Skills BoostWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $29/mo | 6.3 | |
| 15 | IBM SkillsBuildWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 16 | iversityWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | €19/mo | 6.2 | |
| 17 | KadenzeWeb | One bar | — | 1 of 6 | $20/mo | 6.2 | |
| 18 | VeducaWeb | One bar | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.2 | |
| 19 | Canvas NetworkWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 20 | CourseraAndroid · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 21 | NovoEdWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 22 | PluralsightWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | $24.92/mo | 5.4 |
| 23 | PrometheusWeb · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 24 | upGradWeb · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 25 | Chinese University MOOCWeb · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Course access model | Completion certificates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stepik | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | mixed | Yes |
| 2 | Alison | 6.6 | Free plan | $5/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 3 | edX | 6.6 | Free plan | $12.50/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 4 | Brilliant | 6.5 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | subscription | No |
| 5 | Great Learning | 6.5 | Free plan | ₹999/mo | Yes | — | mixed | Yes |
| 6 | Khan Academy | 6.5 | Free plan | $0.83/mo | Yes | — | subscription | No |
| 7 | Codecademy | 6.4 | Free plan | $24.92/mo | Yes | — | subscription | Yes |
| 8 | DataCamp | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 9 | freeCodeCamp | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 10 | FutureLearn | 6.4 | Free plan | $29.17/mo | Yes | 49.99 /mo | — | — |
| 11 | OpenClassrooms | 6.4 | Free plan | €300/mo | Yes | — | mixed | Yes |
| 12 | AWS Skill Builder | 6.3 | Free plan | $29/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 13 | Edraak | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 14 | Google Cloud Skills Boost | 6.3 | Free plan | $29/mo | Yes | 29 /mo | — | — |
| 15 | IBM SkillsBuild | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 16 | iversity | 6.2 | Free plan | €19/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 17 | Kadenze | 6.2 | Free plan | $20/mo | Yes | 20 /mo | — | — |
| 18 | Veduca | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | mixed | Yes |
| 19 | Canvas Network | 5.6 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 20 | Coursera | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 21 | NovoEd | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 22 | Pluralsight | 5.4 | No | $24.92/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 23 | Prometheus | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | mixed | Yes |
| 24 | upGrad | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | per-course | Yes |
| 25 | Chinese University MOOC | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | mixed | Yes |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which MOOC platform is ranked first on Freedom251?
Stepik is ranked #1 of 67 with a score of 6.7. Alison is second and edX third.
How many of these have a free plan?
18 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Khan Academy has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.83/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.