Softwr

LMS · head to head

Coursera vs Degreed

Coursera logo

Coursera

LMS

Learn from top universities and companies worldwide

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Degreed logo

Degreed

LMS

Learning experience platform that indexes skills and third-party content rather than hosting courses

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Coursera has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Coursera free audit does not include certificate upon completion; Degreed pricing is entirely quote-based with no public rate card, and third parties report annual floors around 25,000 USD and licence minimums as high as 150 seats, so a mid-sized organisation frequently cannot buy it at any sensible price.
  • They diverge on capability: Coursera covers Video lectures, Degreed covers Content aggregation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Coursera and Degreed actually diverge.

Attributes where Coursera and Degreed differ
AttributeCourseraDegreed
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Free tierYesNo
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (LMS).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Coursera

  • Video lectures
  • Quizzes
  • Peer assessments
  • Certificates
  • Mobile learning
  • Offline access
  • Specializations
  • Degrees

Only in Degreed

  • Content aggregation
  • Skills framework
  • Pathways and plans
  • Skill gap analytics
  • Career mobility
  • Learning records
  • Academies
  • Integrations with content providers

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Coursera

  • Skill developmentnot Degreed
  • Career advancementnot Degreed
  • Professional certificatesnot Degreed
  • Degree programsnot Degreed

Degreed

  • A large enterprise that already spends heavily on Coursera and LinkedIn Learning and cannot tell which of it is used or usefulnot Coursera
  • An organisation planning a workforce transition and needing a defensible view of which skills exist internally before it hires externallynot Coursera
  • A company running compliance training in an LMS that wants a separate, voluntary development experience employees actually choose to opennot Coursera
  • A group building internal mobility, matching people to open roles and stretch projects on evidenced skills rather than job titlesnot Coursera

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Coursera

  • Free audit does not include certificate upon completion
  • Limited offline access to course materials
  • Paid specializations require monthly subscription rather than one-time purchase

Degreed

  • Pricing is entirely quote-based with no public rate card, and third parties report annual floors around 25,000 USD and licence minimums as high as 150 seats, so a mid-sized organisation frequently cannot buy it at any sensible price.
  • Degreed is a layer, not a replacement: you keep paying for the learning management system that runs compliance training and for the content subscriptions it indexes, so the licence is a third line on top of two you already have.
  • The skills data leans heavily on employee self-assessment, and self-rated skill is a weak signal; if managers do not validate ratings consistently the workforce capability picture that justified the purchase is not reliable enough to make hiring or redeployment decisions on.
  • Adoption is voluntary in most deployments, so unless the organisation ties learning to something consequential, usage decays after the launch campaign and the platform becomes an expensive search box.
  • Integrations with content providers vary in depth: some surface full metadata and completion write-back while others index only titles, so the unified record of learning the business case assumed can be patchy in exactly the sources employees use most.

Pricing, plan by plan

Coursera

Free
  • Free AuditFree
  • Coursera Plus$59/month
  • Professional Certificates$39/month

Degreed

On request
  • Degreed for Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Content aggregation across internal and third-party sources
    • Skills framework and gap analytics
    • Pathways, plans and academies
  • Degreed Free (individual)Free
    • Personal learning profile
    • Track learning from any source
    • For individuals rather than organisations

Which should you pick?

Choose Coursera if

  • You need video lectures.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want quizzes.
Coursera review

Choose Degreed if

  • You need content aggregation.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want skills framework.
Degreed review

Questions people ask

Is Coursera or Degreed better?
Neither clearly leads. Coursera starts at Free and Degreed at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Coursera or Degreed?
Coursera has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Coursera and On request for Degreed.
Does Coursera or Degreed run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Coursera for free?
Yes. Coursera has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Degreed starts at On request.
What is Coursera best used for?
Coursera is most often used for skill development, career advancement, professional certificates, degree programs. Of those, skill development and career advancement are not what Degreed is typically brought in for.
What can Coursera do that Degreed cannot?
Coursera covers Video lectures, Quizzes, Peer assessments, Certificates. Degreed covers Content aggregation, Skills framework, Pathways and plans, Skill gap analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Coursera: Can I audit courses for free?

Yes. Most Coursera courses can be audited for free, allowing access to videos and assignments without a certificate.

Source
Degreed: Does Degreed replace our LMS?

No. It is a discovery and skills layer over content. Compliance training, assignment and certification records generally stay in the LMS, and you pay for both.

Coursera: What is Coursera Plus?

Coursera Plus is a subscription for $59/month or $399/year providing unlimited access to over 7,000 courses and specializations with certificates.

Source
Degreed: What does Degreed cost?

It is quote-only. Third-party reports put annual floors around 25,000 USD with licence minimums that can reach 150 seats.

Coursera: Do enterprises get custom integrations?

Yes. Enterprise plans include SSO, APIs, AI-assisted Course Builder, and 30+ LMS integrations with dedicated customer success managers.

Source
Degreed: Is the skills data trustworthy?

Only as far as your validation process is. It is built on self-assessment plus peer endorsement, so without manager validation it should not drive redeployment decisions.

Coursera: What is the cost of a degree program?

Coursera offers accredited degree programs starting at $50,000 and above, with costs varying by program and institution.

Source
Degreed: Can individuals use it free?

Yes, Degreed offers a free personal profile for tracking your own learning, separate from the enterprise product.

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