Education & E-Learning · head to head
Open edX vs Pluralsight
Open edX
Education & E-Learning
Open-source platform powering online learning
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Pluralsight
Education & E-Learning
Technology skills platform for IT professionals
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Open edX has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Open edX open edX has no licensing fee as open source software, but the vendor's own site states that hosting and infrastructure costs are the operator's responsibility, so there is no bundled managed-hosting price to compare against SaaS competitors.; Pluralsight core Tech plan lists at $49/month while the broader Complete plan across all domains lists lower at $29/month on the same pricing page
- They diverge on capability: Open edX covers Course authoring, Pluralsight covers Video courses.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Open edX and Pluralsight actually diverge.
| Attribute | Open edX | Pluralsight |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | free | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, IOS, Android | Web, IOS, Android, Apple TV |
| Founded | 2012 | 2004 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Education & E-Learning).
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 Open edX
- Course authoring
- Interactive videos
- Assessments
- Discussions
- Certificates
- Mobile apps
- xBlocks
- LTI tools
Only in Pluralsight
- Video courses
- Skill assessments
- Learning paths
- Hands-on labs
- Certifications
- Mobile learning
- Offline viewing
- Slack
Both cover
- Analytics
- SSO
- Web support
- IOS support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Open edX
- MOOC creationnot Pluralsight
- Corporate trainingnot Pluralsight
- Blended learningnot Pluralsight
- Degree programsnot Pluralsight
Pluralsight
- Technology teams building structured skill development and certification prep programsnot Open edX
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Open edX
- Open edX has no licensing fee as open source software, but the vendor's own site states that hosting and infrastructure costs are the operator's responsibility, so there is no bundled managed-hosting price to compare against SaaS competitors.
Pluralsight
- Core Tech plan lists at $49/month while the broader Complete plan across all domains lists lower at $29/month on the same pricing page
- Free trial is limited to 10 days
Pricing, plan by plan
Open edX
Free- Self-HostedFree
- Full platform
- Community support
- All features
- Managed Hosting$undefined/month
- Hosted solution
- Support
- Maintenance
Pluralsight
On request- Standard$29/month
- Core library
- Learning paths
- Skill assessments
- Premium$45/month
- Everything in Standard
- Hands-on labs
- Exams
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- All content
- Analytics
- SSO
Which should you pick?
Choose Open edX if
- You need course authoring.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want interactive videos.
Choose Pluralsight if
- You need video courses.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android, Apple TV.
- You also want skill assessments.
Questions people ask
- Is Open edX or Pluralsight better?
- Neither clearly leads. Open edX starts at Free and Pluralsight at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Open edX or Pluralsight?
- Open edX has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Open edX and On request for Pluralsight.
- Does Open edX or Pluralsight run on more platforms?
- Open edX runs on Web, IOS, Android. Pluralsight runs on Web, IOS, Android, Apple TV.
- Can I use Open edX for free?
- Yes. Open edX has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pluralsight starts at On request.
- What is Open edX best used for?
- Open edX is most often used for mooc creation, corporate training, blended learning, degree programs. Of those, mooc creation and corporate training are not what Pluralsight is typically brought in for.
- What can Open edX do that Pluralsight cannot?
- Open edX covers Course authoring, Interactive videos, Assessments, Discussions. Pluralsight covers Video courses, Skill assessments, Learning paths, Hands-on labs. Both handle Analytics, SSO, Web support, IOS support.