The 5 Best Pluralsight Alternatives and Competitors (2023 Rankings)

Are you looking for Pluralsight alternatives to help you learn new tech skills or pursue a new career that perhaps allows you to work remotely?

Especially since 2020, individuals have been revisiting what they want to do regarding their career or learning a new skill for self-improvement or even as a hobby.

With the emergence of AI technology and machine learning, there has also been a significant shift and a huge need for skilled staffing in many high-paying areas, requiring a specific skill set.

This, in turn, led to the explosion of online learning, since many individuals want to be productive with their at-home time, and at the same time, look for ways to switch careers or advance in their current industry.

While many individuals utilize online course platforms to develop a fun new skill, such as watercolor painting or cooking a scrumptious meal for their family, others might be looking for in-demand technical skills to help them advance in the workforce.

The greatest thing is that these course providers are fully online, offering you great quality content at a fraction of the cost of traditional college education, helping you gain skills that will equip you to be successful, all without having to put your current everyday life on hold, but rather fitting your learning in with your daily activities, wherever you are.

One of the top online course options to help you with your learning goals is Pluralsight.

Pluralsight offers a great selection of online courses designed to help students build valuable, in-demand tech skills.

But no online course platform is the perfect fit for everybody, which is why you might be looking for some solid Pluralsight alternatives that better fit your specific learning style or other preferences.

The good news is there are several great alternatives to Pluralsight that offer world-class courses on tech subjects.

Read on for our in-depth look at some of the best Pluralsight competitors we think are worth considering.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost for you, we might get a commission if you click the link and purchase.

 

What is Pluralsight?

Pluralsight is a top choice when it comes to selecting an established, tech-focused online learning platform. Some of the top companies partner with Pluralsight to provide the best training to their staff for talent development and retention. Pluralsight facilitates certification training, helps teams track individual progress, and identifies training gaps and a learning path for each person.

Some of the most popular certifications offered on Pluralsight include Microsoft Azure, Python,  Javascript, and AWS. If you think that these courses are boring, you are mistaken:  Pluralsight offers hands-on labs and activities, skills assessments, as well as team role assessments, with roadmaps and gap analysis.

Suppose you are interested in a career in data and cyber security. In that case, you can either choose between two key paths (CompTIASecurity+, which consists of 24 hours of learning and comes with a practice exam, and Information Security Testing and Auditing with Nmap, consisting of 5 hours of learning, and four lessons), or you can explore this career path course-by-course, by enrolling in classes like “Approaching Automated Security Testing in DevSecOps” or “Securing Data with Asymmetric Cryptography.”

Given the quality and the current content of courses offered, Pluralsight pricing is very affordable. After your 10-day free trial, you can choose either the standard ($29/month) or the premium plan ($45/month).

 

Pluralsight Drawbacks

While Pluralsight is undoubtedly one of the best online course websites for those looking to build technical skills, there are some drawbacks noted by customers:

• Understanding the difference between Roles, Paths, etc. can be confusing for some
• The content is mostly tech-focused, so students looking for a course platform with variety may be disappointed
• Navigation on the app can sometimes be confusing

 

The Best Pluralsight Alternatives

1. Skillshare

Skillshare allows you to learn at your own pace so you don’t have to feel rushed or stressed out while learning. The relaxed state will allow you to absorb the taught material better and apply it confidently. Skillshare does a great job of celebrating the process of learning rather than being just results-driven. Because of that, it’s a great fit for adults who appreciate the worth of personal growth and investing in themselves.

Skillshare offers over 34,000 courses, taught by over 11,000 instructors: you can choose courses in graphic design & illustration, photography, sculpting, or time management.

If you are looking for specific skills to help you with a new tech career, Skillshare also offers courses in IT and programming.

Skillshare instructors are subject-matter experts who develop their own course content on their respective areas of expertise.

Whether it’s Excel spreadsheets or 3D drawings, each instructor is passionate about their subject and it shows. You can see each instructor’s ranking, as well, so that you can choose highly-ranked instructors who do a good job sharing their skills and experience with students like you.

Skillshare offers you to try their platform for free for a full first month. After that, you can continue with their annual Premium Membership (see our Skillshare pricing guide for info).

Check out our Skillshare review for more info on the platform, including pricing details, popular courses, pros and cons, and more.

Click here to try Skillshare free for 30 days.

 

2. Udacity

Udacity is a great online education platform that many companies use US-wide. Because of that, it adds credibility when you complete coursework with Udacity.

Although Udacity is not accredited and does not confer traditional degrees, they offer boot camps for specific skills, such as Java or Python programming. They also offer their specific Nanodegrees that are very short, lasting between 2-4 months.

The idea is that these course clusters are not very expensive (averaging about $1,200/program), and they offer very up-to-date dynamic course content.

At the same time, a traditional college cannot do so due to the long duration of its program.

With the fast-changing state of technology these days, fast-paced short learning sessions are the preferred way to stay current with your skillset. For example, Udacity offers a program that takes about three months to learn UX Design, with a weekly time commitment of about 10 hours.

Udacity offers you to try them out for free, limited to specific courses. After that, Udacity pricing differs based on which program or course you choose.

Our full Udacity review fully covers everything you need to know about this course platform.

Click here to get started with Udacity.

 

3. Datacamp

Datacamp is a top online course platform for technology and computer science focus. Tailored for learners of all experience levels, students who are new to anything technology-related need not be intimidated by the language or content of the courses. The platform tailors your learning experience based on your skill level.

Suppose you are ready for a challenge or a career change. In that case, Datacamp offers great programs, such as “Introduction to Data Visualization with Seaborn,” or many different coding boot camps to add another programming language to your portfolio.

Datacamp also has tools for job search, recruitment, and certification; it is truly a platform that brings students, instructors, skills, and talent together to forge the next-generation workforce.

Datacamp pricing makes it one of the more affordable platforms, especially when you sign up during their special enrollment period. To get started, you can try out every first chapter, or up to 6 courses, for free, and after that, it costs $12.42/month (billed annually).

Make sure to check out our Datacamp review to see our detailed notes on its benefits and drawbacks.

Click here to start learning for free on Datacamp.

 

4. Coursera Plus

With a Coursera Plus subscription, you gain unlimited access to over 7,000 courses, making it easier to pursue your dream of learning a new skill, getting that promotion, or switching to a new and exciting career.

Even though Coursera offers courses from different universities, these credits are all modular and stackable, meaning they all count toward your degree goal, rather than being a time and financial “waste.”

Coursera offers tools for anyone who needs structure to be successful: certificates of completion and the Mastertrack™ option help you stay focused and keep you motivated.

Because most of Coursera’s course programs take anywhere from 1-3 months, depending on the choice of your educational path, make sure you take individual courses first to determine the path you want to take when it comes to your education and career. This helps you to spend your time and money wisely.

Our Coursera Plus review has more info on the platform’s subscription offering.

Click here to try a Coursera Plus subscription free for 7 days.

 

5. edX

edX is a giant in the online course platform industry. Because of its established status that started in 2012, over 500,000 students frock to this learning platform daily to access valuable course content on the go.

Overall, edX offers over 3,600 courses in software development, coding, and digital marketing. edX delivers courses by partnering with over 160 top universities, such as the University of Chicago, Harvard, and MIT to offer courses in technical and business subjects, to help you grow personally and professionally.

Some of the courses that edX offers are Data Analytics Boot Camp, Digital Marketing Boot Camp, and MBAEssentials, each offered by different colleges and taught by their instructors.

The greatest strength of edX is that it has removed the barriers to joining a top university to attend its lectures and has brought high-quality learning content to the everyday student.

You can audit just about every class on the platform for free, but if you want to earn a certificate for completing a course, you’ll have to pay a small fee (our edX pricing guide has more info on how this works).

For more details on edX and its benefits to you, we encourage you to read our edX review.

Click here to try edX free.

 

What to Look for in a Pluralsight Alternative

While Pluralsight is a great choice for online learning and career advancement, make sure you check all top platform contenders according to your top priories.

Here are some things to consider when you’re checking out other Pluralsight alternatives:

Course selection

All platforms offer a wide variety of courses on various subjects, from cooking to art to leadership and finance to learning how to start your small business. Based on your educational goals and needs, make sure you research which platform offers the courses with the proper content. Some platforms offer complete degrees, or certificates, as well. If that’s important to you or your employer, make sure you narrow down your platform list to only those who can offer that.

Content presentation

All online course platforms have, by definition, online content that helps you learn and grow academically. Most companies leverage the video component heavily, either with pre-recorded lectures, or live videos. Several also offer progress assessments, tests, hands-on activities, projects, and ways to interact with instructors or students.

Learning goal clarity

This metric will largely depend on your preference and personality. Many self-driven type-A personality folks will not need much hand-holding regarding online coursework, as they love checking off the boxes and completing assignments. Those more creative or who desire more structure and support might benefit from a clearly defined learning goal path.

Support

In addition to having clear goals, many students thrive when supported along their journey. Having success along the way motivates a student to keep going. Some platforms have student networks or discussion groups, while others offer 24/7 support or access to instructors.

Pricing

Get started for free with any of the platforms mentioned above. Once you try a couple out to see how the courses are laid out and whether you like the content presentation, check out their pricing, whether a monthly or annual subscription. Some platforms offer a course-at-a-time option or a degree/program fee. These options are significantly lower than traditional university (and even community college) education.

 

A Final Word on Pluralsight Alternatives

With so many great Pluralsight competitors out there, you can find the perfect learning platform that fits your needs.

All of these platforms have their own benefits and drawbacks, so make sure to do your research before committing.

Consider what type of learning style suits you best, how much it will cost, and what other students are saying. That way you’ll get the most out of your online learning experience at an affordable price.

Have any questions about our guide to the best alternatives to Pluralsight? Let us know by commenting below.