Introduction
In today's fast-paced world, IT professionals need to keep their skills sharp and updated to stay ahead of the game. One way to do that is through online learning platforms that offer courses, tutorials, and resources to enhance your knowledge base. Two such platforms, Pluralsight and Udacity, are popular choices among IT professionals. But which one is better? In this blog post, we'll compare Pluralsight vs. Udacity based on several key factors.
Course Selection
Both Pluralsight and Udacity offer a wide range of courses covering various IT topics such as software development, data science, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and more.
According to their website, Pluralsight claims to have more than 7,000 courses taught by industry experts. On the other hand, Udacity has a smaller collection of courses, but they offer several nanodegree programs that are highly focused and rigorous.
Winner: Pluralsight
While Udacity's nanodegree programs may be beneficial for specialized learning goals, Pluralsight's extensive course selection wins in terms of opportunities for diverse learning.
Pricing
Pricing is an important factor when choosing an online learning platform.
Pluralsight offers a monthly or annual subscription plan, with prices ranging from $29 to $299 per month, depending on the features and the length of commitment. Udacity, on the other hand, has two pricing models: monthly subscription and pay per course.
According to Udacity's website, their monthly subscription costs $399 and includes access to mentorship, career coaching, and community support. Pay-per-course pricing varies depending on the course, ranging from $399 to $2,400 per course.
Winner: Pluralsight
Even though Pluralsight's annual membership is on par with Udacity's monthly subscription, its monthly and yearly pricing options are more cost-conscious than Udacity's model. Furthermore, an all-access pass to Udacity's platform can get quite expensive, especially when considering that students interested in multiple classes would need to pay for each one.
Learning Experience
The learning experience plays an important role in the effectiveness of online learning platforms. Both Pluralsight and Udacity have a user-friendly interface and offer video lectures, quizzes, and hands-on projects.
Udacity's courses, however, have a project-focused curriculum that emphasizes practical learning, while Pluralsight emphasizes pre-recorded video lectures.
Winner: Udacity
In terms of learning experience, Udacity takes the gold with its project-based approach. It allows students to put theoretical learning into practice, facilitating a more engaging, effective learning experience.
Conclusion
Both Pluralsight and Udacity are excellent online learning platforms for IT professionals. However, based on the factors we've analyzed, Pluralsight emerges as the winner due to its broader course selections and more cost-effective pricing model. That is not to say that Udacity's nanodegree programs and project-based learning approach aren't valuable in particular educational settings.
Ultimately, which online learning platform you choose depends on your individual learning goals and preferred style of learning – and you can always try one or a few courses in each learning platform to determine which suits you best.
References
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Pluralsight. (2021). Pluralsight [https://www.pluralsight.com/].
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Udacity. (2021). Udacity [https://www.udacity.com/].