vs.

FutureLearn logo
FutureLearn

Course Marketplace

8.5

10

Our winner
Read FutureLearn reviewVisit FutureLearn
GetSmarter logo
GetSmarter

Education Company

7.4

10

Read GetSmarter reviewVisit GetSmarter

FutureLearn vs. GetSmarter - Complete Comparison

Janosch Herrmann

Written by
Janosch Herrmann

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Overview

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Description
FutureLearn logoFutureLearn

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 logoGetSmarter

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.

Types of courses
FutureLearn logoFutureLearn
BACHELORS DEGREE

Bachelor's Degree

Get a Bachelor's degree from one of FutureLearn's partner universities

$10000 - $30000 USD
10-15 hours per week
MASTERS DEGREE

Master's Degree

Get a Master's degree from one of FutureLearn's university partners.

$10000 - $40000 USD
1-3 years
INDIVIDUAL LEARNING

Short Courses

Short courses on a wide variety of topics, created by universities and other institutions

FreeIncluded in subscription
2-4 hours per week
INDIVIDUAL LEARNING

Microcredentials

Create 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 logoGetSmarter
INDIVIDUAL LEARNING

Short Course

Short courses developed together with top universities. They usually take a couple of weeks to complete.

$500 - $3000 USD
6-8 weeks
Subscription plans
FutureLearn logoFutureLearn
PERSONAL

FutureLearn Unlimited

Unlimited access to 1400+ online courses from FutureLearn

$20 - 40 USD per month
GetSmarter logoGetSmarter

No subscription plans available

Pros & cons
FutureLearn logoFutureLearn
    Pros
  • Wide range of courses from top universities
  • Affordable subscription
  • Cons
  • Limited free course access
GetSmarter logoGetSmarter
    Pros
  • Collaboration with top universities
  • Industry-relevant courses
  • Professional certificates
  • Cons
  • Limited course selection
  • Courses are rather expensive
  • The user interface could use some improvements

General information

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Type
Course MarketplaceEducation Company
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

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Full score

8.5

10

7.4

10

Individual scores
Course quality
FutureLearn
GetSmarter
LowHigh
Course catalog
FutureLearn
GetSmarter
Less satisfiedVery satisfied
Affordability
FutureLearn
GetSmarter
More expensiveHigher value
Career value
FutureLearn
GetSmarter
Low valueHigh value
Customer support
FutureLearn
GetSmarter
BadGood
Usability
FutureLearn
GetSmarter
BadGood

Features

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Support options
  • Email
  • Phone
  • Chat
  • Community
  • Knowledge base
  • Learning support
  • Career support
  • Email
  • Phone
  • Chat
  • Community
  • Knowledge base
  • Learning support
  • Career support
Available apps
No apps available...
IOS logo
Ios
ANDROID logo
Android

Company

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Company name
FutureLearn LimitedGetSmarter
Company size

Medium

Medium

Founded in
20122008
Headquarters

United Kingdom

🇬🇧

South Africa

🇿🇦
Founders
The Open UniversitySam Paddock, Rob Paddock
External reviews
ios logo
Trustpilot
4.7740 reviews
ios logo
App Store
4.8531000 reviews
ios logo
Play Store

No reviews yet...

Our opinion

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Summary
FutureLearn logoFutureLearn

FutureLearn 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.

Learn more about FutureLearnDiscover FutureLearn alternatives
GetSmarter logoGetSmarter

getsmarter 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.

Learn more about GetSmarterDiscover GetSmarter alternatives

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