edX

Online courses, certificates and degree programmes from leading universities.

Verified facts: 3 of 3
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About edX

edX is an online learning marketplace founded in 2012 by Harvard and MIT, now owned by the education company 2U. It offers individual courses, professional certificates, MicroMasters and MicroBachelors programmes, boot camps, executive education and full online degrees from universities such as Harvard, MIT, Berkeley and Oxford, as well as industry partners. Many courses can be audited for free with limited access, while verified certificates and programmes are paid. Compared with Coursera it has a slightly smaller catalogue but a strong roster of elite institutions, and its CS50 courses from Harvard are among the best-known free computer science courses online. Like Coursera, it is for learners, not for creators selling their own courses; organisations wanting their own platform can use the open-source Open edX software instead. It runs in the browser and in mobile apps.

Best for: Learners who want courses and credentials from top universities.

What works

Courses from Harvard, MIT, Berkeley and other top schools
Free audit option on many courses
Clear paths to certificates and degrees

Why people leave

Verified certificates and programmes are expensive
Audit access can be time-limited
Fewer practical, short courses than Udemy

Top edX alternatives

See all 5

1
Coursera
Larger catalogue with a subscription that covers most courses.
66.5
2
Khan Academy
Completely free, nonprofit lessons for foundational subjects.
62.6
3
LinkedIn Learning
Short business and software courses for working professionals.
57.2
4
Open edX
Run your own platform on the same open-source software.
55.3
5
Udemy
Cheaper, practical courses from independent instructors.
49.1

Why people left edX

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from edX, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

Reviews

No approved reviews yet. How we verify reviewers

Write a review of edX

Your rating of edX

Name

Never shown publicly. A work email helps us verify you.

Title

Your review

What did you use it for, and what was good or bad? At least 40 characters.

Did you switch from another app?

Why did you leave it?

How can we verify you use it? (optional)

A GitHub username, your company domain, or say you can send a screenshot. Verified reviews count more.

I received money, credit or a gift for writing this review. (Incentivized reviews are shown but don't count toward rankings.)

By submitting, you confirm you're at least 16 and agree to our terms. Your name, rating, review and the date are published; your email isn't. See our privacy policy.

edX: common questions

Is edX free?

edX has a free plan and paid plans.

Is edX open source?

No, edX is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Open edX.

What platforms does edX run on?

edX is available for Web, iOS and Android.

What are the best alternatives to edX?

The highest-ranked edX alternatives right now are Coursera, Khan Academy and LinkedIn Learning. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 edX alternatives

edX facts

3 of 3 verified

Founded: 2012 by Harvard and MIT professors; Checked Oct 25, 2026edx.org(opens source in a new tab); “Founded in 2012 by Harvard and MIT professors, edX offers online courses and certificates from leading institutions.”
Example course: CS50's Introduction to AI with Python (Harvard); Checked Oct 25, 2026edx.org(opens source in a new tab); “CS50's Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python Harvard University”
MicroMasters credit: Up to 25% of a graduate degree; Checked Oct 25, 2026edx.org(opens source in a new tab); “Learners in the MicroMasters program typically earn up to 25% of their graduate degree in advance, saving time and tuition.”