Khan Academy is a strong choice for free educational resources, particularly in math, and for supplemental learning. Coursera Plus is better suited for users seeking recognized certifications and a wider range of in-depth courses, especially for professional development, but it comes at a cost.
| Attribute | Khan Academy | Coursera Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Price/Subscription Cost | Khan Academy is free to use. Khanmigo, the AI-powered personal tutor, costs $4 per month or $44 per year for parents and learners. It is free for teachers. | $59 per month or $399 annually. Monthly subscription includes a 7-day free trial. Annual subscription comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee. Promotions and discounts can affect monthly subscription prices. |
| Course Variety and Depth | Khan Academy offers a wide range of educational materials across various subjects from preschool through early college education. | Provides access to over 10,000 courses, projects, specializations, and professional certificate programs. Partners with over 350 top universities and companies to create its content. |
| Subject Coverage | Khan Academy covers a wide range of subjects, including math, science, economics, history, arts, and computer programming. It offers test preparation materials for exams like SAT and LSAT. Subjects include math (early math through calculus and statistics), science (biology, chemistry, physics, and more), English Language Arts (grammar, reading comprehension), and social studies (history, civics/government). It is particularly strong in math. | Includes courses in computer science, data science, business, personal development, information technology, language learning, health, math and logic, social sciences, physical science and engineering, and arts and humanities. |
| Learning Style (Video, Practice Exercises, Articles) | Khan Academy provides pre-recorded video lessons, interactive quizzes, practice exercises, and articles. It uses short video lessons and supplementary practice exercises. | Courses use a combination of video lectures, readings, quizzes, and peer-reviewed assignments. Offers hands-on projects and labs. |
| Certificate Availability | Khan Academy is not an accredited school, so work done on the site does not count toward a diploma or degree. The only certificates available are teacher training, Learnstorm, and motivational certificate templates. | Includes unlimited certificates of completion for courses, specializations, and professional certificates. Certificates can be shared on LinkedIn, added to resumes, and shared with employers. |
| Instructor Quality and Expertise | Khan Academy provides meticulously curated and accurate resources crafted by subject matter experts. Bill Gates endorsed the platform, mentioning Sal Khan's ability to make complicated topics understandable. | Instructors are often professors from top universities or experts in their fields. The Coursera Instructor Network is a group of instructors with demonstrated expertise in their course topics. |
| User Interface and Experience | The platform's design is simple, easy to navigate and minimalistic. It is user-friendly and intuitive. | Designed to be simple and intuitive, with a course dashboard for schedules, quizzes, and goal setting. Some users have reported issues with navigation and finding specific options like the refund policy. |
| Mobile App Availability and Functionality | Khan Academy has official apps for both iOS and Android. There is also a Khan Academy Kids app for children ages two through six. The apps allow users to download videos for offline viewing and keep progress in sync. | All courses and specializations are available on Coursera's website and mobile app. The mobile app allows users to download course content for offline access. |
| Community Support and Forums | Khan Academy has a community forum where users can ask questions and get advice. | Many courses have discussion forums where learners can interact with each other. Some courses encourage the formation of study groups. |
| Personalized Learning Paths | Khan Academy offers personalized learning pathways tailored to each student's needs. The platform assesses each student's proficiency level and offers real-time feedback and personalized recommendations for skill advancement. | Offers personalized learning paths based on career or personal learning goals. AI is used to suggest personalized learning paths and refine content based on learner interests. |
| Progress Tracking and Analytics | The platform offers tools to track student progress, identify areas of improvement, and tailor teaching strategies. Teachers can monitor individual skill mastery levels and pinpoint areas of misconception. | Offers a Learning Profile that showcases expertise through badges, course tracking, skills analytics, and activity metrics. Universities can track student progress on Coursera, including time spent on the course and videos watched. |
| Offline Access to Content | Users can download videos on the Khan Academy app to watch offline. For permanent offline access, Kolibri by Learning Equality is recommended. | Allows users to download course materials, including videos, for offline access. Quizzes can be saved and submitted offline. Users can manage offline content in the app settings. |