Coursera is probably the first company that comes to mind when thinking about online learning. The company has over 5800 courses, and it’s known for collaboration with over 300 top universities and organizations such as Stanford, Duke, Google, and IBM. At the same time, the company is associated with a complicated Coursera price model, with some of the content being free and some being very expensive.
While many of its courses can be accessed for free, it can be confusing to understand when or why you should pay for a course. In this guide, I will take a closer look at Coursera’s pricing policy, explore the most affordable ways to pay for its courses and what you can get for free on this e-learning platform.
Table of Contents
- Coursera’s pricing model
- Is Coursera Free?
- Free Courses
- Cost for Guided Projects
- Specializations and Professional Certificates
- MasterTrack Certificates
- Online Degrees
- Coursera Plus Cost
- Coursera for teams
Coursera’s pricing model
Coursera offers a wide variety of learning programs, with prices starting at $49 for individual courses and increasing for more in-depth programs such as guided projects, specializations, professional certificates, MasterTrack certificates, and online degrees. Guided projects, which take no more than 2 hours to complete, start at $9.99. Specializations and professional certificates start at $49 a month and can take up to 6 months to complete. MasterTrack certificates start around $2,000 and take less than a year to complete. Online degrees, which can take up to 4 years to complete, start at $9K and can cost up to $50K or more. Additionally, Coursera offers a subscription plan called Coursera Plus, which allows access to a variety of courses for a monthly fee of $59 or an annual fee of $399.
To make it easier to understand the types of training material on Coursera, I have prepared a short comparison table (including average duration, price, and availability of certificates):
| Format | Duration | Price Range | Includes Certificate | Access to Assignments & Feedback |
| Courses | 1 to 4 months | Free or from $49 for full access | Yes (when paid) | Yes (when paid) |
| Guided Projects | Less than 2 hours | $9.99 | Yes | Yes |
| Specializations & Professional Certificates | Up to 6 months | $49/month | Yes | Yes |
| MasterTrack Certificates | Less than 1 year | From $2,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Online Degrees | 2 to 4+ years | $9,000 to $50,000+ | Yes | Yes |
| Coursera Plus Subscription | Monthly or yearly access | $59/month or $399/year | Yes | Yes |
Is Coursera Free?
While Coursera offers thousands of its courses for free, they do come with some limitations. These limitations include no certificate, no access to assignments, and no instructor feedback. However, there is the option to purchase the course starting at $49, which comes with a completion certificate, access to assignments, and instructor feedback.
Cost for Guided Projects
Guided projects were launched in 2020 as a way for learners to work on hands-on projects and demonstrate their abilities to employers. Guided projects are among the cheapest Coursera price options available on the website, they take less than 2 hours to complete and focus on topics such as data science, business, or computer science. Coursera currently offers close to 1600 guided projects, with 610 of them being offered for free. These are one of the cheapest ways to learn on Coursera with prices starting at $9.99.
Specializations and Professional Certificates
Specializations and professional certificates are more in-depth programs that provide a deeper understanding of a specific subject or skill. Specializations and professional certificates start at $49 a month and can take up to 6 months to complete. These programs include a 7-day free trial for you to test before committing to the full program.
MasterTrack Certificates
MasterTrack certificates are designed for individuals who want to take their education to the next level and gain a deeper understanding of a specific subject or skill. These programs start around $2,000 and take less than a year to complete.
Online Degrees
Online degree programs offered by Coursera, such as Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, can take anywhere from 2-7 years to complete. These programs are offered in partnership with renowned universities from around the world, including the University of London, Arizona State University, University of Michigan, and HEC Paris, among others.
It’s important to note that these degree programs come with a significant financial commitment. The cost of a full program on Coursera can range from $15,000 to $40,000 or more. While this may seem costly, it is a fraction of the cost of traditional on-campus degree programs. Additionally, the degree programs offered by Coursera are fully verified by the partnering universities, ensuring that they are of high quality and hold the same value as an on-campus degree.
Coursera Plus Cost
Coursera Plus is a subscription service offered by Coursera that grants access to 10,000+ learning programs. It includes unlimited access to hands-on Guided Projects, Specializations, and Professional Certificates. The cost of Coursera Plus is $59 per month or $399 per year.
This subscription can be a good choice for those who plan to enroll in five or more courses in one year. The verified certificates for each course that you successfully complete are included with the subscription. However, degrees and MasterTrack Certificates are not included. The subscription can be cancelled at any time, and the annual plan comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
This approach makes Coursera fees more predictable for those who study frequently and want to gain knowledge in various fields.
Coursera for teams
Coursera also offers plans for teams and businesses. The Team plan, priced at $399 per user per year, is designed for teams and smaller organizations with 5-125 users. It includes access to a catalog of 8,400+ courses, verified certificates, the catalog of 2,500+ hands-on Guided Projects, and more. Payment can be made using PayPal or a credit card.
The Enterprise plan, designed for larger organizations with 125+ users, includes everything in the Team plan plus additional features such as solutions consulting services, customer success features, and integration features. Coursera prices for the Enterprise plan are not published on Coursera’s website and must be obtained by contacting sales.
Payment methods accepted by Coursera include credit card and PayPal. Credit cards accepted are Visa, MasterCard, Discover, JCB, and AMEX (only for courses priced in USD). Some regions may have limitations on the payment methods available. Most of Coursera’s courses are displayed in USD, but some course prices may be shown in the local currency.
It should be noted that Coursera does not currently offer gift cards, and payments through mobile devices are not currently supported (only if you have installed the app, you can pay through it).
Coursera Plus users’ feedback
Based on the experience of real users of the platform, we can identify the key advantages and disadvantages of the subscription. Below, I have collected the most frequently mentioned opinions from students who have already subscribed and shared their impressions.
A small table to summarize the main points:
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Pays off with active use — value increases with multiple courses | ❌ Some courses are too basic or overly theoretical |
| ✅ Certificates included in the subscription | ❌ Issues with subscription cancellation and auto-charges can occur |
| ✅ Wide course selection across tech, business, humanities, languages etc. | |
| ✅ There is a flexibility to change courses without losing money |
Coursera Plus advantages
Among the students who have purchased a subscription, the following advantages are noted:
- The cost is fully paid off due to active use. An annual subscription becomes profitable if the user takes several courses or specializations. Moreover, such an investment is quickly rewarded. As the students themselves emphasize, ”I paid for a 1-year subscription, and it has already paid for itself with the college credits I earned.”
- Certificates are included in the price. On some online learning platforms, you need to pay additionally for the certification after completing the course. Therefore, Coursera is a clear advantage here, because I am able to complete as many certifications as I want for a set price, which is easy and understandable for me as a user.
- Coursera Plus provides access to a wide range of courses, from ML to business, humanities, and language. One student characterized the subscription as a source of inspiration for continuous learning “I view it as a library of knowledge-ideal for learning. I’ve used it extensively to build skills in areas like machine learning, AI, and blockchain, and I’m now working on my MBA… For people like me, it’s almost addictive.”
- Another significant advantage of this subscription is that you can drop courses without losing money! With Coursera Plus, you don’t have to pay for a course if you change your mind — you just choose another one. This gives you more freedom in your studies. For example, if after a few lessons of a course I realized that it doesn’t suit me, I can switch to a more interesting and prioritized option without losing my money.
Coursera Plus disadvantages
As for the main drawbacks, they are as follows:
- Some users note that the courses are too superficial or too academic, which is not suitable for practical learning. This is especially noticeable in technical topics: “I tried IBM JS developer and Meta backend… I found them too theoretical… feel bored.”, ”The quality of some of the courses [was] low, and the peer review exercises annoying more than helpful.”
- Some students faced the problem of canceling their subscription and being automatically charged. A user complained “I PURCHASED A SUBSCRIPTION AND I HAVE TO DISPUTE THEM EVERY MONTH BECAUSE THEY KEEP CHARGING YOU EVEN AFTER CANCELLATION.” So be careful and read the terms of your subscription carefully!
As you can see, Coursera Plus has its pros and cons that you should consider before subscribing. I believe that the platform can be a profitable learning option for people who have clear goals, discipline, and a desire to acquire new knowledge. At the same time, it is important to consider the platform’s limitations and read the terms of use carefully to avoid unpleasant financial surprises!
Frequently asked questions about Coursera pricing
How much does an individual course cost on Coursera?
Coursera prices for individual courses start at $49.
What is the cost of a Coursera subscription?
A Coursera Plus subscription costs $59/month or $399/year.
How much do online degree programs cost on Coursera?
Online degree programs on Coursera can cost anywhere from $9,000 to $50,000 or more.
Are there any free courses available on Coursera?
Yes, Coursera offers over 2,500 of its courses for free, but they do come with limitations such as no certificate, no access to assignments, and no instructor feedback.
How much do Guided Projects cost on Coursera?
Guided Projects on Coursera start at $9.99 and take no more than 2 hours to complete.
How much does Coursera cost per month?
The Coursera Plus subscription plan costs $59 per month or $399 per year. This plan includes most courses, specializations, professional certifications, and project guides, but excludes degrees and MasterTrack programs.
How much does a Coursera certificate cost?
For individual courses, the cost of a certificate ranges from $29 to $99. Specializations and professional certificates cost $49 per month, so the final price depends on how quickly you complete the course (some certificates can take 3–6 months to complete, so the price of the certificate can be from $147 to $294).
Does Coursera cost money?
Yes and no. Coursera offers many courses for free, but they usually don’t include a certificate or teacher feedback. If you want full access and a certificate of completion, you’ll have to pay, starting at $29 for the basic course.
