Udemy Review: Is the Learning Platform Worth It for Freelancers & Small Businesses?
Udemy is one of the world’s largest e-learning platforms, offering over 200,000 online courses, serving more than 60 million users, and working with thousands of instructors. Founded in 2010 in San Francisco, Udemy focuses on practical, career-oriented education – especially in fields like technology, business, marketing, and lifestyle.
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What Is Udemy?
Unlike traditional university-based platforms, virtually anyone can become an instructor on Udemy. This leads to massive content variety – but also varying quality levels.
Most courses consist of YouTube-style video lessons, complemented by exercises, downloadable materials, and optional certificates.
Udemy landing page (excerpt from udemy.com)
How Freelancers & Small Businesses Can Use Udemy
For Freelancers:
On-Demand Skill Upgrades
Web design, programming, SEO, copywriting, data science – Udemy is perfect for targeted skill development to expand or improve your service offering.
Soft Skills & Tools
Communication, time management, Notion, Trello, ChatGPT – everything is available on demand.
Specialization & Positioning
If you want to stand out from competitors, you’ll find niche courses like “UX Writing,” “Freelance Branding,” or “LinkedIn Lead Generation.”
For Small Businesses & Teams:
Team Training with Udemy Business
A curated version of Udemy with 20,000+ courses for companies. Major brands like Adidas and Pinterest use it.
Scalable Onboarding
New team members can be onboarded quickly through relevant Udemy courses.
Employee Retention
Professional development is a strong benefit – especially in digital industries.
Wide variety of courses across almost every topic (excerpt from udemy.com)
What Else Does Udemy Offer?
Lifetime Access: Once purchased, courses remain accessible – no subscription required (except Udemy Business).
Rating System & Preview Videos: User reviews and previews help you choose wisely.
Transcripts & Subtitles: Ideal for focused learning or language barriers.
Offline Access via App: Download courses for travel or commuting.
Customizable Video Player: Adjust speed, take notes, skip sections.
Course overview page (excerpt from udemy.com)
Schnelleinstiege und Kapiteleinteilung in Kursen (Auszug von udemy.com)
What We Like – and What We Don’t
What We Like:
Massive course selection across nearly every topic
Affordable pricing thanks to frequent discounts (often €10–20)
Clean, intuitive platform
30-day money-back guarantee
Courses available in multiple languages
What We Don’t Like:
Quality varies significantly between instructors
Confusing pricing structure due to constant discounts
Certificates have no official academic recognition
Is Udemy Affordable for Freelancers?
Most Udemy courses are available for €10–20 during sales. Regular list prices often range from €100–200, but you should rarely pay full price, as discounts are frequent.
Tip: Prices may vary slightly between browser and app. If you see a good deal, grab it.
For companies, Udemy Business offers fixed monthly per-user pricing (depending on the plan).
Udemy monthly pricing overview (excerpt from udemy.com)
Note: Prices may change. Please check the official website for current details.
Final Verdict: Is Udemy Worth It?
Yes – with some caveats.
If you search strategically and check instructor reputation, reviews, preview content, and update dates, Udemy offers excellent value for money. Freelancers + Founders benefit enormously from affordable skill upgrades without long-term commitments.
Important: Never buy blindly. Always review ratings, content outlines, and course updates.
Hard facts:
No subscription trap (unless you choose Udemy Business)
Flexible & start anytime
Covers both professional and hobby topics
Large community with Q&A sections and external discussions
Alternatives to Udemy
Coursera – Academic courses with certificates (often free to audit, certificates $30–99)
edX – University-level courses, free + paid certificates
LinkedIn Learning – Business & soft skills (subscription model)
Skillshare – Creative & soft skills (subscription model)
Udacity – IT, Data Science, AI (Nanodegrees, premium pricing)
Pluralsight – Developer & IT specialization (subscription model)
Best try for yourself.
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