LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com) vs. Udemy Business

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
Lynda.com (now offered as part of LinkedIn Learning) is an elearning course library acquired and now supported by LinkedIn in May 2015.N/A
Udemy Business
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
Udemy for Business is a cloud-deployed elearning course collection offered by Udemy.com.
$720
per year 2 users (minimum)
Pricing
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)Udemy Business
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Team Plan (2-20 Users)
$30
per month (billed annually) per user
Enterprise
Contact Sales
Udemy Business Leadership Academy
Contact Sales
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)Udemy Business
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional DetailsUdemy aims to supply scalable learning for organizations of every size. Nonprofit pricing is available for all registered 501(c)3 organizations.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)Udemy Business
Considered Both Products
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
Chose LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
Udemy for Business is a crapshoot. The consistency is non-existent. Some courses go incredibly deep, while other courses don't go deep enough. Even when we got a few free months of access to Udemy - I still couldn't find why I would use Udemy over LinkedIn Learning.

Pluralsight
Chose LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
I personally think that LinkedIn Learning is a better educational eContent platform in comparison to the other solutions I have used. The catalog is more expansive, offers more in depth tutorials and trainings, has educated instructors, and offers a path to become an expert of …
Chose LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
Well compared to other competitors the payment method is far more streamlined for Indian audiences, especially against Coursera. The courses provided are very business oriented and keep in mind the limited time availability with working professionals. It keeps the content short …
Chose LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
Again, this corporate form is trying to force me to choose from products with slightly different names while not offering common options.

Udemy seems similar in many respects, but my recollection is that their subscription model was less appealing. I didn't find they offered …
Chose LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
LinkedIn Learning wasn't our first choice; what it came down to for the organization was the cost for the value of the product. The other services provided better training, better metrics, and better reporting. LinkedIn Learning (or Lynda.com) provided the most affordable …
Chose LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
We didn't get too deep into the comparison outside of a surface review of the other options. LinkedIn Learning reps were responsive and quick to put something together to meet our needs. Moreover, initial cost fit within our budget and the integration between LinkedIn and …
Chose LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
The quality of Udemy courses ranges from meh to blah to OK.LinkedIn Learning has better quality, the content seems more vetted, and the platform is better.
Chose LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
With Udemy you pay per course whereas with Lynda you pay a monthly fee for unlimited courses. For people looking for a long term learning tool, Lynda is the better choice as you get more value for your money.
Chose LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
Coursea offers more credible certifications, while Udemy offers individual courses that don't require a monthly subscription. Ultimately, all 3 platforms provide quality content and a wide range of courses. However, some may specialize in different areas than others. My …
Chose LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
While ease of use is better with Udemy or Coursera, nothing compares to lynda.com's catalog and pricing model (other than Khan Academy re: the latter).
Udemy Business
Chose Udemy Business
Udemy Business has a more "fun" brand. However, LinkedIn learning has higher quality courses and instructors. The videos are professionally shot, the editing is great, and the sound quality is good. In my opinion, some of the courses/instructors on Udemy Business are …
Chose Udemy Business
I would put Udemy for Business above Coursera and Udacity but below LinkedIn Learning as LinkedIn Learning provides better personalization experience. I'm assuming this is because LinkedIn has data about my profession and certifications and hence they are able to recommend …
Chose Udemy Business
Udemy is lowcost and affordable with quality content versus Pluralsight which is expensive and more of only tech. Skillsoft is old and not updated.

Udemy helps serving masses. We are a huge organization so cost is very important factor. We are 17000+ team in India. It makes …
Chose Udemy Business
We selected Udemy for Business because it offered such an enormous variety of courses that are relevant to software development. While Pluralsight offers a large selection too, it's often not as specific on a given topic as Udemy for Business is, and moreover, the courses on Pl…
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)Udemy Business
Learning Management
Comparison of Learning Management features of Product A and Product B
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
7.6
11 Ratings
10% below category average
Udemy Business
7.5
5 Ratings
11% below category average
Course authoring7.710 Ratings5.94 Ratings
Course catalog or library8.811 Ratings7.24 Ratings
Player/Portal8.311 Ratings7.35 Ratings
Learning content8.711 Ratings6.75 Ratings
Progress tracking & certifications8.911 Ratings8.35 Ratings
Learning reporting & analytics6.510 Ratings7.55 Ratings
Social learning7.28 Ratings5.64 Ratings
Gamification4.33 Ratings8.02 Ratings
eLearning Content
Comparison of eLearning Content features of Product A and Product B
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
6.4
6 Ratings
26% below category average
Udemy Business
6.8
3 Ratings
20% below category average
Multi-Lingual Support6.14 Ratings7.03 Ratings
Structured Learning7.06 Ratings6.93 Ratings
Course Searches7.96 Ratings6.33 Ratings
Historical Metrics5.24 Ratings6.43 Ratings
Cloud-Based Content6.84 Ratings7.03 Ratings
Automation & Integration5.73 Ratings7.43 Ratings
Best Alternatives
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)Udemy Business
Small Businesses
iSpring Learn
iSpring Learn
Score 9.1 out of 10
iSpring Learn
iSpring Learn
Score 9.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Infosec Skills
Infosec Skills
Score 9.9 out of 10
Infosec Skills
Infosec Skills
Score 9.9 out of 10
Enterprises
Infosec Skills
Infosec Skills
Score 9.9 out of 10
Infosec Skills
Infosec Skills
Score 9.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)Udemy Business
Likelihood to Recommend
8.9
(39 ratings)
8.1
(12 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.0
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.5
(5 ratings)
7.1
(2 ratings)
Support Rating
7.0
(13 ratings)
9.5
(3 ratings)
Implementation Rating
7.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
8.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)Udemy Business
Likelihood to Recommend
LinkedIn
I've learned hundreds of software applications over the last several decades, and trained teams in offices and one-on-one. At one point, books and trade magazines were a great way to get up to speed with an application, but they've become less and less effective for getting started. Video lessons have some strengths; you can get a rapid overview of a program's capabilities and watch an experienced user using its tools efficiently. On rare occasions they'll even point out bugs that could trip you up, but I wish instructors shared more of those issues. However, it takes a very self-motivated learner to sit through training sessions. Most people don't fit that category, and a subscription may end up gathering dust like a pandemic gym membership. My account is sometimes dormant for months, but then I'll be watching lessons continually the following month. I've often wondered if it was worth it for that reason. I have some friends that voraciously devoured class after Lynda.com class, and built successful careers on that training. But many others never use their account. It's helpful to consider whether you're a self-motivated learner. If not, it may not be the best format for you. More complicated software often can't be adequately introduced in a several-hour-long series of videos. I found Final Cut Pro (7) hard to learn online, also Logic Pro. Other somewhat complicated programs like DVD Pro were a snap to learn, and I learned a lot about PHP and Actionscript programming from Lynda.com. Some web and graphics software is exceptionally explained by real experts, such as Lynda's Photoshop classes, which are the best I've seen on that subject. Many of her web production courses will take you every step along the way to creating your own website, even if you haven't coded before. Adobe and Apple have both published similar project-based tutorial classes in book form, and I think they're a bit more polished, but the video instructor can help move you along through all the content more easily. Learning software seems to work better from an online video than a book these days; it's helpful to already be sitting at the computer where you're able to try everything out as it's explained. Most people don't seem to retain software principles unless they're trying them while learning. A bad instructor can make it difficult to sit through a video class. Lynda.com and others generally have a large variety of content creators, so you're not as limited with instructors as you might be at a University, where the same instructor may teach several related applications. Departmental faculty may have much more targeted and creative applications for your software though, while paid corporate software training can be mind-numbingly bad. Continuing ed classes that I've taken usually seemed to just focus on learning the tools in a software product. They often don't or even can't show you how to apply the software for your purposes as full time faculty at a University might. Some Lynda.com instructors weren't great, but most seemed a cut above the continuing ed and corporate software trainers I've learned from or contracted. The majority of the classes seemed to apply the software for an impressive final project. Redundancy is a real drawback among the online lessons. Often the advanced classes repeat many of the concepts from the introductory "Essentials" courses. If you know an earlier version of an application and just want to learn new features, a book may be a faster route to your goal. I originally suggested the "New Features" lessons that Lynda began to offer for updated releases, and I think they're especially helpful. It's much harder to skim through a video than a page of text, so I'd anticipate having to complement your Lynda.com lessons with other instructional materials. Lynda.com didn't have as many of the "fluff" courses that LinkedIn is now offering. These titles read like articles from Cosmo. They might be better served to offer "How to respond to a connection request from a recruiter who works in a field completely unrelated to you."
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Udemy
Enrolling is very easy and [accessible], courses are varied and quite intriguing, the specifics of every course given are quite useful for current businesses because you can educate your colleagues or your team through this tool and hit the ground running. This is very simple, online courses are super easy to access and very well programmed. The speed of the courses is also [adequate].
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Pros
LinkedIn
  • Industry expert authors/instructors - you're learning from people with pedigree.
  • Breadth and depth of catalog - not only is there a wide range of topics and disciplines, but there are frequently several levels of depth within each (eg. Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced).
  • Time needed to complete each course AND each section of a course are included - you know what you're getting into from the first click.
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Udemy
  • Massive Course Catalog - Udemy has a tremendous selection of courses, enabling my reports to find pretty much any course they might be interested in.
  • Multi-platform streaming - Udemy for Business offers apps across several different platforms, enabling my reports to be able to learn in the way they want to, at a time that is convenient for them.
  • Learning Management - Udemy for Business offers me data and metrics on how my employees are engaging with their learning.
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Cons
LinkedIn
  • LinkedIn Learning provides learning paths, but it's left much to be desired. Not enough direction about the why, or learning outcomes.
  • Some courses provide exercises/quizzes. Others do not. There's definitely a missing piece to test comprehension.
  • The library is so large, it's difficult to really build your own learning. I find it better for just-in-time learning.
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Udemy
  • The self learning part of assignments that I see in Udemy for Business are oversimplified and does not reflect actual complex scenarios that we see in major corporate offices. While it's easier to understand a course if the assignment is simple, Udemy for Business needs to have courses on more complex topics
  • The content is generic in nature and is not tailored at an individual or professional level. For example, If I'm a product manager for pricing, I will find ton on courses which explains about existing pricing strategies. This is the basic thing and what i'm looking for is something that goes beyond these basic concepts
  • there are too many courses that explains the same concept with almost 90% overlap. Finding the right content takes lot of time. It would be great if Udemy for Business could tell me what is the percentage overlap with the courses that I have already taken and recommend me better courses based on my needs
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Likelihood to Renew
LinkedIn
It can help all employees learn to strengthen current skills or to learn new skills and then can learn to excel in their current department or they learn a new skills in a new department creating interconnection and cross-departmental value in a company.
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Udemy
No answers on this topic
Usability
LinkedIn
Very user friendly, easy to copy and/or download notes offline, and follow up with your instructor is easy as pie. You can even LinkedIn with your instructor and follow up with questions/concerns online and in several forums. Very cool concept and easy to use.
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Udemy
It is easy to use and fairly intuitive. I think anyone at any tech level would be able to use the platform easily.
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Support Rating
LinkedIn
The technical team behind LinkedIn Learning (or Lynda.com) knows their job, and they usually solve problems very quickly. While I haven't had many run-ins with them (thus the low rating), I do find that when we call them, the problem gets resolved in a reasonable amount of time. The flip-side of this comment is that we never have needed to call them with a high-priority issue.
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Udemy
The support is fantastic. As soon as you enroll you will get a learning consultant and success manager who take care of your learning journey by helping you along the way until you complete the course. We also get informed about new courses added and any author announcements etc.
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Implementation Rating
LinkedIn
By implementation we are able to achieve 1.Skill improvement 2.Reduced burden on training staff 3.Learning new market leading technologies like Generative AI.
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Udemy
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
LinkedIn
Our organization has used different webinars, including ones on LinkedIn, to provide similar insight. But it's a totally different ballgame. Lynda.com offers in-depth tutorials rather than just a 2-hour video broadcast. With lynda.com there are more information and experts, as well as so many different courses fit for every need/want. There is also a lot more flexibility with lynda. You can take it on the go, watch on mobile and at anytime, rather than being tied to a certain time slot.
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Udemy
Udemy for Business is a competent alternative to other business education tools on the market, it provides applicable content that enables users to study at their own pace. Some areas they can improve: adding engaging videos for learning, and a badge that can be placed on users LinkedIn account after they have been certified for a particular skill or topic
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Return on Investment
LinkedIn
  • I can't think of a negative impact that Lynda.com has when it relates to the extensive library of training software that is available to subscribers. I'm lucky that my job provides a free subscription for instructors. I use Lynda.com to hone in on my technical skills.
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Udemy
  • The most important impact Udemy has had in our Business is that continuing education is making them happier for a low cost, and everyone can choose a topic of their interest and the interest of the company.
  • It has reduced the amount of people quitting their jobs because we care about their personal growth.
  • Some of our areas have become more efficient.
  • Remember that it is less expensive to train people even if they leave your company than it is having someone not trained with a lack of knowledge in your company!
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