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Best Apps for Online Courses of 2023
Whether you want to boost your skills and knowledge for career or personal reasons, there’s an app to to teach you what you need to know. We tested seven of the best to help you choose.

Table of Contents
Whether you want to kick your creative side hustle into high gear or deepen a creative practice for personal growth, Skillshare's classes will inspire you to be your best self.
Why we chose Skillshare:
- $99.99/year or $18.99/month for access to all Skillshare classes.
- If you're looking to deepen your creative practice, learn something new, or build a creative business, Skillshare has the course for you.
- Skillshare features a large library of courses from leading writers, artists, and others. While the courses tend to be short, they are packed with tips, exercises, and wise advice from working artists.
- There are lots of classes on building a freelancing business here as well, and tech specialties such as UX design, so you can learn about the practical side of creative business.
Great for: scribblers, doodlers, dreamers -- and people who want a little creative outlet but don't have lots of time.
Read Skillshare's Full ReviewBest for Work (and Job Hunters)
In case you didn't know, the job-hunting and professional networking site has a powerful learning component as well.
Why we chose Linkedin Learning:
- $29.99/month or $299.99/year for access to a substantial library of professional development courses. Offers a one-month free trial.
- App is easy to browse and since most of the courses are video-based, you can learn right from your phone.
- Algorithm recommends the classes that are most likely to be relevant to you, and it's easy to find anything else you're looking for.
- Lots of classes available in business, creative, and technology topics. Whatever your career phase or profession, you'll find useful material here.
- Courses are substantive, but still short enough to digest.
Great for: developing highly specific skills fast.
Read LinkedIn Learning's Full ReviewBest for Kids and Test Prep
Driven by the mission to provide free education to anyone who wants it, Khan Academy offers K-12 video instruction and test prep.
Why we chose Khan Academy:
- Totally free.
- Offers a number of classes with video and text-based components, mostly for middle and high-school students.
- Has a selection of test prep materials to help those preparing for the SAT, LSAT and more.
- Simple interface is easy to navigate.
- Videos are well-produced and engaging, designed to hold the attention of younger students.
- Khan Academy has been a leader in this space for many years, and is a great choice for young learners.
Great for: supplementing schoolwork, filling in knowledge gaps for people of all ages, and helping homeschoolers (even after the pandemic).
Read Khan Academy's Full ReviewBest Certificate Programs
With EdX, you can take classes from top universities from the comfort of your home (or phone).
Why we chose EdX:
- Prices vary -- most classes are free to audit, with more expensive certificate options. The course I did was free with $169 for a certificate. This is a nice feature because it means the material is available to all, and those who want to can purchase the certificate option to verify their credentials to employers.
- Video lectures are watchable on a mobile device, although you can access them on a computer as well.
- Many certificate programs available for learners who want to dedicate themselves to professional development, learn a new skill, or change careers.
- Take courses from Harvard, MIT, and other prestigious universities.
Great for: learning new skills and showing employers that you have them.
Read edX's Full ReviewEverything We Recommend
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Our Pick
Skillshare - Online Classes
4.4 Ratings 78K+ Reviews 1M+ DownloadsExplore your creativity on Skillshare, the leading platform for online courses where millions of creatives come together to take the next step in their creative journey.
Discover thousands of inspiring classes on topics like drawing, calligraphy, graphic design, photography, animation, arts and crafts, illustration, hand lettering, pattern design, icon design, watercolour, and more. Learn to use creative tools like Procreate, Fresco, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
Take the opportunity to learn from leading professionals and start your creative career.
• Download the app to watch hundreds of free classes.
• Start your free trial of Skillshare Premium to get unlimited access to our full library of premium, subscription-only classes.
• As a Skillshare Premium Member, you can also download classes to watch offline.
Questions? Suggestions? Feel free to email us at help@skillshare.com.
TERMS
After your 30 day trial, payment will automatically be charged to your Google Play Account. Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Your subscription and auto-renewal settings are managed via your Google Play Account Settings. For further information please refer to our privacy policy (https://www.skillshare.com/ss/privacy) and terms of use (https://www.skillshare.com/ss/terms).CostFreeFreeIn-App Purchases$9.99 - $167.88 per item$18.99 - $169.99 per item -
Runner Up
LinkedIn Learning
4.7 Ratings 179K+ Reviews 10M+ DownloadsGrow your skills with LinkedIn Learning. Explore over 16,000 expert-led courses, available both for free and with a subscription.
Learn on the go with the LinkedIn Learning Android app.
Get the skills you need to succeed by watching bite-sized video courses anytime, anywhere.
Whether you want to learn leadership skills, build a mobile app, or how to use software, LinkedIn Learning has something for you. Take marketing classes, get management training, learn graphic design, take photography courses, watch web and interactive design tutorials, and much more. Watch expert-taught courses in leadership, programming, IT, 3D animation, and much more.
Sharpen your skills and get the most out of your LinkedIn Learning membership with the app:
- Access 16,000+ courses in business, tech and creative with more added each month
- Get personalized course recommendations
- Download courses for offline viewing
- Explore curated courses for a guided learning experience
- Save courses to watch later
- Watch entire courses or individual videos at your own pace
- Share courses with your network
- Add certificates of completion to your LinkedIn profile
- Access to LinkedIn Premium networking tools, and exclusive insights like Who’s Viewed Your Profile
Popular course topics and skills include:
- Learn business skills like becoming a manager, learn to give presentations, and how to negotiate
- Get communication tips and and time management training
- Develop leadership skills and get training on strategic planning
- Watch a variety of marketing tutorials like content marketing, digital marketing, SEO, and marketing tools like Google Analytics
- Brush up on Excel skills, QuickBooks, and other tools
- Learn coding languages like SQL, Java, C#, Python, and more
- Get the skills you need in IT infrastructure, database administration, and software administration
- Get training on game design and development
- Learn web development and how to build web applications or mobile apps
- Learn how to design and create a website
- Learn how to design logos, create ebooks, and more with in-depth tutorials on Illustrator, InDesign, Muse, and other software
- Learn photography and photo editing techniques, how to use a camera, Photoshop, Lightroom, and more
- Learn how to record and learn music production
- Learn videography and motion graphics with tutorials taught by experts
- Get 3D modeling and animation skills
The LinkedIn Learning app is free to download, with courses you can watch for free right away. With a subscription, you can access our full library across technology, creative and business topics.
For Monthly Premium: $29.99 monthly USD
For Annual Premium: $299.88 annual USD
If you choose to subscribe, your subscription will automatically renew until cancelled and will charge your credit card. You can turn off auto-renew at any time through your LinkedIn account.CostFreeFreeIn-App Purchases$29.99 - $239.99 per item$29.99 - $299.99 per item -
Also GroovyYou can learn anything. For free.
Spend an afternoon brushing up on statistics. Discover how the Krebs cycle works. Get a head start on next semester's geometry. Prepare for upcoming exams. Or, if you're feeling particularly adventurous, learn how fire-stick farming changes the landscape of Australia.
Whether you're a student, teacher, homeschooler, principal, adult returning to the classroom after 20 years, or a friendly alien trying to get a leg up in earthly biology — Khan Academy's personalized learning library is available to you, for free.
- Learn anything, for free: Thousands of interactive exercises, videos, and articles at your fingertips. Study math, science, economics, finance, grammar, history, government, politics, and much, much more.
- Sharpen your skills: Practice exercises, quizzes, and tests with instant feedback and step-by-step hints. Follow along with what you're learning in school, or practice at your own pace.
- Keep learning when you're offline: Bookmark and download your favorite content to watch videos without an internet connection.
- Pick up where you left off: Tailored to your current learning level, our mastery system gives instant feedback and recommendations on exactly which skills and videos to try next. And, if you choose to create a free account, your learning syncs with http://khanacademy.org, so your progress is always up-to-date across all your devices.
Learn using expert-created videos, interactive exercises, and in-depth articles in math (arithmetic, pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics, calculus, differential equations, linear algebra), science (biology, chemistry, physics), economics (microeconomics, macroeconomics, finance and capital markets), humanities (art history, civics, finance, US history, US government and politics, world history), and more (including computer science principles)!
Already familiar with the Khan Academy website? Not all functionality is available in this app. Community discussions, computer programming content, test prep, parent tools, teacher tools, and district tools should all be accessed directly at http://khanacademy.org.
Khan Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.CostFreeFreeIn-App PurchasesNoNoedX brings online courses from the world’s best universities and industry-leading companies to your mobile device, making it easy for you to learn something new and build job-relevant skills in today’s fastest growing fields.
Learn anytime, anywhere
With edX’s free app, you have the freedom to learn on your own schedule:
- Stream online classes in data science, blockchain, Python, and more to learn on the go.
- Download online courses to watch anytime.
- Test your knowledge with quizzes and exams as you advance through each course.
- View course announcements and handouts.
- Use the advanced search to find courses in any subject, from programming to philosophy to history and more.
Explore online courses from 30+ subjects, including:
- Computer science – Learn programming in Python, C++, Java, R, and more. Delve into in-demand topics like artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, cloud computing, and cybersecurity.
- Business & Management - Build your knowledge in accounting, marketing, finance, economics, information technology, entrepreneurship, and more.
- Mathematics - Master your skills in calculus, statistics, and algebra with math courses from high school to college level.
- Science & Engineering: Explore biology, chemistry, robotics, manufacturing, and various engineering fields.
- Language: Learn a new language, including Spanish, Mandarin, French, English, and sign language.
Choose from thousands of courses in those popular subjects and more, including art, law, politics, and history.
About edX:
edX is the education movement for restless learners. Together with our founding partners Harvard and MIT, we’ve brought together over 30 million learners, the majority of top-ranked universities in the world, and industry-leading companies onto one online learning platform that supports learners at every stage of their lives. We’re pursuing our vision of a world where every learner can access education to unlock their potential, without the barriers of cost or location.
Visit us: edx.org
Like us: facebook.com/edx
Follow us: twitter.com/edxonline and instagram.com/edxonlineCostFreeFreeIn-App Purchases$1.99 - $4.99 per itemNo
The 411 from our Appventurer
How we tested?
I browsed through each app to get a sense of what kind of courses were available and how the interface worked. Then, I selected a course or two to take or at least start — some were too long to complete, but I did enough to get the flavor of the course. I was looking for the depth of content, how easy and intuitive the course material was to access, the quality of video if there were video lessons, and how any text-based material was presented. For classes with assignments or a community component, I looked at how easy it was to upload these and what the interfaces were like.
Why get the app?
The apps are also good for selecting what courses to take, especially on subscription apps where you pay for access to all the courses, because you can browse around without worrying about making important decisions. On most of these apps, the courses are well-organized and friendly to browsing.
More About Skillshare: Our Pick
More About LinkedIn Learning: Runner Up
The learning program for the popular job-oriented social network, LinkedIn Learning, offers over 1600 classes across a wide range of career-oriented topics (broadly divided into business, creative, and technology). The service is not cheap, at $29.99/month and $299/year. But if professional development is a goal for you this year, or if you need to call upon a diverse array of skills in your professional life, LinkedInLearning may be well worth it.
While LinkedIn has become an all-purpose professional networking platform, it’s still of particular interest to job-seekers. And LinkedIn Learning may be especially useful to that group as well. In addition to providing a way to learn new skills, the platform offers courses, especially for job seekers. Classes include practical skills like optimizing your LinkedIn profile and personal branding, as well as courses on maintaining a positive attitude and managing stress while job hunting.
The courses vary quite a bit in length, from 15 minutes to several hours. LinkedIn Learning doesn’t offer certificates or any feedback, so it’s more useful for gaining skills and knowledge than receiving a credential. But for many purposes, that’s all you need.
More About Khan Academy: Also Groovy
Founded in 2008, Khan Academy is a non-profit dedicated to offering high-quality free education to learners of all ages. 617 million children worldwide lack skills in math and reading, and Khan Academy is trying to fill in that gap for anyone with an internet connection.
The app features many course offerings in math (from kindergarten through early college), science, history, grammar, computers, and other academic disciplines. For students heading to higher education, Khan Academy has test prep for the SAT, LSAT, and more. Given that test prep courses are typically pretty pricey, Khan Academy's free option helps even the playing field for all students.
The courses are self-paced, so you can progress through them as slowly or quickly as you want, depending on how much time you have or how difficult you find the material. This is helpful for kids, who don't have to feel bored by material they grasp quickly or frustrated by more challenging content.
Khan had some of the best videos of any of the apps I tested. While the content was mostly not intended for me (although let's be honest, I could benefit from some math classes), I found the videos engaging and well-produced. They are designed to keep the attention of tweens and teens, but they don't feel patronizing. Information was delivered clearly and with good visual aids.
Khan Academy also provides a platform for teachers and out-of-class educators (summer camps, after-school programs, etc.) to create online learning experiences for their students. They can post videos and text lessons, receive and grade homework, and more.
The pandemic has seen a sudden focus on online learning. While many kids and parents are hoping to return to the classroom soon, Khan Academy programs can help kids keep their education on track in the meantime. And for kids without access to school, those who want some extra enrichment, or adults who want to fill in some knowledge gaps, Khan Academy will still be there after schools reopen.
More About edX: Also Groovy
Many of these classes are standalone and include offerings from all different disciplines. I enrolled in a course on the Science of Happiness that used findings from psychology, neuroscience, and other fields to help understand human happiness. Courses like these can satisfy curiosity and build knowledge and well-being.
While some courses on other apps on this list can be completed in a day or two (often an hour or two), EdX classes are full-length university courses, scheduled by the week and often designed to take 12 weeks. You can do them in this time frame, but all the materials are available at once, so if you had a lot of time at once, you could conceivably do a whole course in a week or two. Each class tells you how many hours per week it’s likely to require.
The platform and video quality are not as good here as on some of the other apps, both on smartphone and on computer. Perhaps understandably, it feels like it’s made by a university, while the others feel like they’re made by tech companies. However, the content shines here, and the platform is functional, just not as sleek as some other offerings.
EdX provides exceptional value because most of the courses can be accessed for free, meaning the knowledge and skills are available to all. If you want to gain new knowledge or skills and don’t need certification, EdX presents an extraordinary opportunity to learn from professors at top universities for free. However, if you need to verify your learning to an employer, that option is there as well. While the price is fairly steep, being able to look at the courses for free allows you to make an informed calculation about whether or not to invest.
Other Apps Considered
Udemy is an a la carte marketplace for online classes, mostly in the area of coding and business. There are a wide range of classes here, but they are generally quite expensive for the amount of content you get. However, it looks like Udemy has frequent sales -- I tested a course for $20 that is typically $148.
At typical prices, however, I'd recommend caution with this site since anyone can sell their courses on it. That means that the consumer has to do more work to ensure that the class is worthwhile than on a platform that produces its own material or does more gatekeeping.
Coursera is similar to EdX, and that platform offers more options, and the app is a bit easier to use. However, it very much depends on the specific class you want to take, and there are some great courses and certificates on Coursera, so it's definitely worth a look.
Prices vary -- some free courses are available, some are subscription-based. Coursera offers access to all their certificate programs and specializations for $399/year. That sounds steep, but if you have the time and money to invest in professional development this year, there's a lot on offer here.
They also have some non-professional courses. I enrolled in a (free) Buddhism and Modern Psychology course that was incredibly informative.
The thing to keep in mind about MasterClass is that it includes a series of basketball lessons from Steph Curry. We all know that Steph Curry cannot teach you to play basketball like he does over the internet. The content is physical, and it takes an enormous amount of hard work and talent to do what he does. But that doesn't mean the course is worthless: his tips might raise the game of a weekend player or inspire a high school athlete. And it's often interesting to learn how high-performing people think about what they do.
I say this because most or all of the courses on MasterClass should be thought about in the same way, but it's easier to remember that you're not Steph Curry than that you're not Judd Apatow. The classes on MasterClass can help you improve your skills, but the high-profile teachers on the platform can't teach you their secret to success. Years of work, talent, luck, and often specialized equipment are needed.
That said, the app works well. The videos look good, and you can also switch to an audio version and consume the content like a podcast. I'm just put off by the pricing -- $180/year with no free trial and no monthly option -- and the fact that they seem to be selling a version of mastery that is unrealistic. Still, much of the content is top-notch, and it's fun to hear from the talented people who teach on the platform.
Caroline Rothnie
Hard as I try to keep a minimalist phone, I can't stop downloading more apps. In addition to my can't-live-without apps for organization, music and podcasts, fitness, and meditation, I'm constantly trying out new ones. So I love apps, but it's a complicated relationship -- some of my favorites are for keeping me off my phone/internet.
In second grade, I attempted to do a book report on a story I had written myself, so you could say I've always thought of myself as a writer. These days, I write a wide variety of web content with a focus on mental health and productivity. I also write personal essays. I live in Kansas with my husband and two dogs.
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From short videos that teach a single skill to in-depth, multi-week classes that can change the direction of your career, learning apps can improve your life in large and small ways. We tested seven options to find the best.
Our top choice was Skillshare, which specializes in short courses for artistic and creative pursuits for only $18.99/month. For career skills, we were a fan of LinkedIn Learning. We also gave high marks to the extensive course and certificate offerings of EdX and the free courses for younger and returning learners offered by Khan Academy.