Udacity Reviews, Alternatives, Pricing, & Offerings in 2025

Udacity is an online learning platform that offers tech-focused courses and Nanodegree programs. The platform was started in 2011 and focuses on subjects like data science and artificial intelligence.

This article provides details about Udacity for students and parents who want to compare online learning options. It covers reviews, pricing, alternatives, and services so you can make a smart choice.

Udacity Reviews and Testimonials

We looked at reviews from multiple platforms to understand what real users think about Udacity.

Trustpilot: Udacity has over 3,126 reviews with an excellent 4.5 out of 5 rating. Users like the well-organized courses and hands-on projects. Many students praise the clear instructions and practical approach. The AI chatbot feature is also popular for getting quick help. Some negative reviews mention outdated content and translation issues in non-English courses. A few users report delayed project reviews that took more than 24 hours.

Course Report: Course Report shows 627 reviews with a 4.7 out of 5 rating. Students appreciate the project-based learning and real-world applications. The technical mentor support gets positive feedback. Learners mention that completing projects builds confidence. Some reviews note that courses can be expensive compared to other options.

Sitejabber: Udacity has a 3.2 star rating from 5 reviews on Sitejabber. Users complain about poor customer support and difficulty getting help when needed. Some students mention that lessons are poorly put together. One reviewer stated the price is too high for the quality offered. Positive reviews highlight Udacity as a good resource to learn coding at home.

Reddit: Reddit discussions show mixed opinions. Some users call Udacity overpriced and say the materials already exist free online. One user who took the Data Engineer Nanodegree said they learned a lot but felt the course was too short for the price. Multiple Reddit threads mention that Udacity reduced the quality of content and support over the years. Users note that the 2015-2016 programs were better than current offerings. Some mention difficulty getting refunds after the 7-day window.

Their Own Website: Udacity showcases success stories and testimonials from graduates who got jobs at top companies. The website highlights partnerships with Google, Amazon, and other tech leaders. Student testimonials mention career advancement and salary increases after completing programs.

Is Udacity legit? Yes, Udacity is a legitimate company. Based on reviews from Trustpilot, Course Report, and other platforms, Udacity offers real courses with industry-recognized certificates. The company has been operating since 2011 and has trained thousands of students. However, user experiences vary based on the specific program and timing.

Overall, Udacity gets good ratings for course content and project-based learning. The main complaints are about high prices, inconsistent support, and some outdated materials. Students who complete programs often report positive career outcomes.

Udacity Pricing

Pricing Range

Udacity uses a subscription model. The monthly subscription costs USD 249 per month. A 4-month bundle costs USD 846, which saves you 15%.

Previously, individual Nanodegree programs cost USD 399 per month. Different programs took 3 to 6 months to complete. The new subscription gives access to all 80+ Nanodegree programs and 300+ courses.

What students say about Udacity Pricing

Many students find Udacity expensive compared to competitors. Reddit users mention that Coursera Plus costs only USD 59 per month while Udacity charges USD 249. One review stated that the USD 399 per month for a single Nanodegree is too high.

Some learners say the pricing was more reasonable in 2015-2017 when it was USD 200 per month with a money-back guarantee. Current users mention that frequent discounts of 40-75% off make the subscription more affordable. Industry average pricing for similar tech courses ranges from USD 50 to USD 150 per month on platforms like Coursera and edX.

Hidden costs

Udacity charges a USD 10 pre-authorization hold when starting a free trial. This hold drops automatically after a few days. There are no registration fees for the subscription.

Add-on services like career coaching now cost extra. Resume reviews that used to be free now cost USD 100. The subscription auto-renews each month unless you cancel.

How Udacity’s pricing works

Students can pay with credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Some regions can use Affirm payment service. The subscription renews automatically each month.

Udacity frequently offers promotional discounts of 25-75% off through personalized discount codes. Holiday sales like Black Friday and Diwali often have the best deals. Students can lock in 4-month subscriptions to save 15% upfront. No special category discounts for military or students are mentioned on their site.

Free Trial

Udacity offers a 7-day free trial in select countries including Australia, Canada, UK, Germany, and others. The trial provides full access to all courses and Nanodegree programs.

You need to provide payment information to start the trial. A USD 10 pre-authorization hold is placed but refunded. The trial auto-renews to a monthly subscription unless canceled. Visit their free trial page for details.

Refund policy

Udacity allows cancellation within 7 days of the first month for a full refund. EU citizens get 14 days. The refund only applies to the first month of subscription. If you cancel and re-enroll later, you do not get another refund period.

Users on Reddit and Sitejabber report mixed experiences with refunds. Some students successfully got refunds by contacting their bank or PayPal. Others mention that Udacity ignored refund requests or made the process difficult. Multiple reviews mention being charged after cancellation. Check their full refund policy for official details.

Several reviews mention poor practices like continued charging after cancellation and difficulty reaching customer support for refund help.

Udacity Alternatives

Students may look for Udacity alternatives due to high pricing, limited subject coverage, or desire for more affordable options. There are several good competitors that offer similar or better features.

Coursera

Coursera partners with top universities to offer academic courses and degrees. Coursera Plus costs only USD 59 per month compared to Udacity’s USD 249.

Coursera covers more subjects beyond just tech. Coursera offers accredited degrees and certificates from universities like Yale and Stanford. The platform has more flexible learning paths. However, Coursera courses are less project-focused than Udacity. Tech courses may not be as hands-on.

My Engineering Buddy

My Engineering Buddy provides personalized 1-on-1 online tutoring and homework help for college students. They focus on engineering, math, physics, and advanced subjects.

Tutoring costs USD 20-35 per hour on average. My Engineering Buddy offers live tutoring sessions on whiteboards with expert tutors. They help with homework, projects, labs, and test prep. The service has a 97% satisfaction rate and serves students in the US, UK, Canada, and Gulf countries. Unlike Udacity’s self-paced courses, My Engineering Buddy provides direct tutor interaction. Students get personalized help exactly when needed. The pay-as-you-go model is more flexible than monthly subscriptions.

edX

edX is founded by Harvard and MIT and offers university-level courses. Many edX courses are free to audit. Paid certificates cost USD 100-300 on average. edX offers actual degrees from accredited universities.

The platform covers 30+ categories including business and humanities. edX has more academic credibility than Udacity. However, edX courses are less job-focused. The interface is considered less user-friendly. Tech courses may lack the hands-on project emphasis of Udacity.

DataCamp

DataCamp focuses specifically on data science and analytics skills. The subscription costs around USD 25 per month. DataCamp offers interactive coding exercises and practice.

The platform has clean, well-organized learning tracks. It provides more focused data science training than Udacity’s broader tech coverage. However, DataCamp is limited to data-related topics. It does not cover other tech fields like AI or cloud computing. The learning is more introductory than Udacity’s advanced programs.

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning offers business, tech, and creative skills courses. The subscription costs about USD 30-40 per month. Courses integrate with LinkedIn profiles.

Instructors are vetted experts and content is professionally produced. The platform has strong focus on professional development. However, LinkedIn Learning lacks the deep technical projects of Udacity. Certificates may not carry as much weight in tech hiring. The courses are shorter and less comprehensive.

Udemy

Udemy is a marketplace where anyone can create and sell courses. Individual courses cost USD 10-200, often on sale for USD 10-15. Udemy has the widest variety of topics and instructors. Students can buy only what they need.

Lifetime access to purchased courses is included. However, course quality varies greatly by instructor. No standardized curriculum or job placement support exists. Certificates are not as recognized by employers.

How it Works?

A. For Students

Signup process for students and parents: Students visit udacity.com and click “Join for free” on the homepage. They can connect using Google or Facebook accounts, or create an account with email. After entering email, students receive a verification link. They enter their name and password to complete account creation. The process takes just a few minutes.

How to connect with mentors: After enrolling in a subscription, students get immediate access to course content. Technical mentors are available through the platform’s support system. Students can ask questions and get help from mentors and the community. Some programs offer 1-on-1 video sessions with mentors for extra support.

Process for scheduling sessions: Students work through self-paced content on their own schedule. Project due dates are provided as guidelines. For programs that include mentor sessions, students can book office hours slots. Video sessions are scheduled based on mentor availability. The platform sends reminders to help students stay on track.

B. For Tutors

Becoming a tutor at Udacity requires expertise and experience. Udacity only accepts established industry professionals who have worked at major tech companies or own successful businesses. The application process is selective and competitive.

First, create a Udacity account at udacity.com. Then go to the instructor application page. Complete the application form with your name, email, and company information. Provide your employment details, credentials, and any legal limitations. State how many hours you can commit each week, typically 7-10 hours minimum. Explain your teaching, coaching, and education experience. Select areas you want to teach and explain specific topics within those areas. Finally, rate why you want to become an instructor, covering career development, giving back, growth in education, financial incentives, and personal branding.

After submitting your application, Udacity reviews it and contacts qualified candidates. If accepted, you work with the Udacity content team to create your course. Support includes video production, editing, and user experience help. Get started by visiting the Udacity instructors page.

FAQs for Tutors

Q1. Can tutors set up their own fee or is it fixed by the company?

Tutors do not set their own fees. Udacity pays instructors based on their experience, expertise, and demand, similar to how colleges pay professors.

Q2. How much can a tutor expect to earn on an hourly basis?

Tutors and mentors earn around USD 25 per hour on average according to Indeed. Some experienced mentors reported earning USD 5,000-10,000 per month in earlier years. Current payment has decreased with more competition.

Q3. How many hours of work can a tutor get per month?

Work availability varies greatly. Some mentors report getting very few students while others stay busy. In earlier years (2010-2014), mentors could work full-time hours. Currently, with more mentors competing, average work is 10-25 hours per week. Income can range from USD 125 to several thousand per month.

Q4. Is it easy to get students?

Getting students is not easy. Udacity assigns students to mentors. New mentors often start with few or no students. Building up a student base takes time. Some mentors report waiting weeks to get their first assignments. Competition has increased significantly as Udacity hired more contractors.

Tips on how to get more students on Udacity: Complete all onboarding training and the Mentorship Nanodegree program. Provide high-quality, fast responses to students. Maintain high ratings from student feedback. Be available during peak hours when students need help. Build experience by starting with easier programs and expanding to more advanced ones.

What tutors like about Udacity: Reviews on Indeed and Glassdoor show tutors appreciate the mission of democratizing education. They enjoy the remote work flexibility and making their own schedules. Mentors like helping students develop technical skills and seeing their success. The company provides good training and support. The community of other mentors is helpful and collaborative.

What tutors do not like about Udacity: Payment rates have decreased over time. Work is inconsistent like “Uber for code work.” Many mentors cannot earn enough to support themselves. There is too much competition for available work. Some mentors average only USD 125 per month now compared to USD 10,000 in earlier years. Job security is low with frequent changes. Backend systems for tracking student progress are often broken. Customer support is slow to respond to mentor questions.

Udacity: Company Information

Founding year and background: Udacity was founded in 2011 by Sebastian Thrun, David Stavens, and Mike Sokolsky. The company grew from free computer science classes offered at Stanford University in 2011. Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig offered an Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course that enrolled 160,000 students worldwide. This success led to the creation of Udacity.

Founder’s details: Sebastian Thrun is a German-American entrepreneur, educator, and computer scientist. He co-founded Google X and led the Google self-driving car project. Before Udacity, he was a professor at Stanford University and Carnegie Mellon. His robotic vehicle Stanley won the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge.

Mission and vision: Udacity’s mission is to power careers through tech education. According to their LinkedIn page, they aim to change lives, businesses, and nations by creating job-ready digital talent. Their vision focuses on democratizing education by offering accessible, flexible, and economical higher education opportunities.

Scale of operation: Udacity is headquartered in Mountain View, California. The company operates globally in 190-240 countries. Most students come from the United States (42%), followed by Europe and other regions. Udacity has 430-500 employees. In 2024, the company reported 16.9 million enrolled learners. Revenue reached approximately USD 90 million.

Types of services: Udacity offers Nanodegree programs, individual courses, corporate training, and now an accredited Master’s degree in AI. Services include 1-on-1 mentoring, project reviews, career coaching, and resume reviews.

Subjects offered: Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Cloud Computing, Programming, Cybersecurity, Business Analytics, Digital Marketing, Autonomous Systems, Blockchain, DevOps, Product Management, and more tech-focused fields.

Unique features: Project-based learning with real-world applications, mentor support, partnerships with tech companies like Google and Amazon, AI chatbot for quick help, career services including resume reviews and interview prep, and now an accredited Master’s degree option.

USP of Udacity

Industry Partnerships: Udacity claims courses are co-created with companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. Reviews confirm this is true. Students learn current industry skills. However, the content is not always updated quickly enough to keep pace with rapid tech changes.

Project-Based Learning: Students complete real-world projects that can be added to portfolios. Multiple reviews praise this hands-on approach. Projects help students build practical skills. However, some reviews mention that project requirements exceed what was taught in the lessons, causing frustration.

Career Services: Udacity advertises career coaching, resume reviews, and job placement help. In the past, these services were included free. Now resume reviews cost USD 100 extra. Some older programs had job guarantees that no longer exist. Current reviews show mixed results on career service effectiveness.

Expert Instructors: Courses are taught by industry professionals from top companies. Reviews confirm instructor quality is generally high. However, some students report inconsistent teaching quality between different courses. Some instructors are engaging while others are boring or unclear.

Drawbacks of Udacity

• High Cost: At USD 249 per month, Udacity is much more expensive than competitors like Coursera (USD 59/month) and DataCamp (USD 25/month). Many reviews call it overpriced for what you get.
• Outdated Content: Multiple reviews on Trustpilot and Reddit mention courses with outdated information and broken project links. Some courses teach tools or features that no longer exist.
• Inconsistent Support: Customer service is slow to respond. Some students report getting no replies to support tickets. Technical issues can take days to resolve. The quality of mentor support varies greatly.
• Limited Free Content: Unlike Coursera and edX, Udacity offers very few free courses. Students must pay to access most content.
• No Mobile App: Udacity only works on web browsers. There is no mobile app for iOS or Android, making learning on-the-go difficult.
• Delayed Project Reviews: Project reviews can take more than 24 hours, sometimes up to a week. This slows down learning progress and frustrates students.
• Refund Policy Issues: The 7-day refund window is very short. After that, getting money back is nearly impossible. Multiple reviews mention difficulty getting refunds even when courses did not meet expectations.
• Auto-Renewal Problems: The subscription auto-renews and some users report being charged even after canceling. This has led to complaints on Trustpilot and Reddit.

Comparison with My Engineering Buddy

My Engineering Buddy excels in several areas where Udacity falls short. MEB provides personalized 1-on-1 tutoring with live interaction on digital whiteboards. Students get immediate help from expert tutors during sessions. The average cost is USD 20-35 per hour, much less than Udacity’s USD 249 monthly subscription. MEB focuses on advanced engineering and technical subjects at college and master’s level. The service has a 97% satisfaction rate with money-back guarantee.

MEB students consistently report high grades, averaging 92% on assignments. The platform has 15+ years of experience serving 18,000+ students. Customer support is available 24/7 via WhatsApp and email. Students can connect with a human within minutes, not days.

Students should consider MEB for complex engineering subjects, real-time homework help, and personalized test preparation. MEB’s live tutoring model works better than self-paced videos when students are stuck on difficult problems. The pay-as-you-go pricing is more flexible and affordable than monthly subscriptions.

Customer Support and Policies

Udacity’s customer support gets mixed reviews. Response times are slow, often taking several days. Some students report getting no response at all to support tickets. The platform has a refund policy but many users find it difficult to actually get refunds processed.

Udacity’s 7-day refund window (14 days in EU) is much shorter than some competitors. The policy only applies to the first month. My Engineering Buddy provides better support with 24/7 human assistance via WhatsApp. MEB offers easy refunds if students are not satisfied. The founder personally guarantees quality with a money-back promise.

Global Reach and Localization

Udacity operates in 190-240 countries worldwide. The platform is primarily in English. Some courses have been translated to other languages, but reviews mention poor translation quality with mixed English and German sentences.

Udacity does not offer strong multilingual support. The platform is designed for a global audience but does not cater well to non-English speakers. My Engineering Buddy serves students in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Gulf countries. MEB tutors speak English and can adapt teaching to different educational systems including AP, IB, GCSE, and A-Levels.

Udacity’s future plans

AI Integration: In October 2025, Udacity launched an accredited Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence degree with Woolf University. The program costs less than USD 5,000 total. Udacity also introduced an AI chatbot powered by OpenAI to help students get quick answers while learning. The company plans to expand AI tools across all programs.

Corporate Training Expansion: Udacity is growing its enterprise services. In May 2024, Accenture acquired Udacity and integrated it into their LearnVantage platform. This aims to provide tech training to corporate clients worldwide.

Accredited Degrees: Beyond the new Master’s in AI, Udacity plans to offer more accredited degree programs. They want to give learners formal recognition alongside practical skills.

Backward Compatibility: The new Master’s program allows current and former Udacity students to apply completed Nanodegrees toward the degree. This recognition of prior learning helps students save time and money.

FAQs About Udacity

Q1. How does Udacity compare to My Engineering Buddy?

Udacity offers self-paced tech courses while My Engineering Buddy provides live 1-on-1 tutoring. Udacity costs USD 249/month for all courses. MEB costs USD 20-35/hour for personalized help. MEB focuses on engineering and advanced subjects. MEB has 97% satisfaction vs Udacity’s mixed reviews. MEB provides immediate homework help while Udacity teaches general courses.

Q2. Is Udacity good for beginners?

Udacity courses are often rated intermediate or advanced. Complete beginners may struggle. The platform works better for people with some technical background.

Q3. Does Udacity offer job guarantees?

Udacity used to offer job guarantees in some programs but discontinued them. Current programs do not guarantee employment.

Q4. Can I get a refund from Udacity?

Yes, but only within 7 days of your first month (14 days in EU). After that, refunds are not available. Reviews show mixed experiences with actually getting refunds processed.

Q5. Are Udacity certificates recognized by employers?

Udacity certificates are known in the tech industry. However, they are not accredited degrees. The new Master’s in AI program offers actual accreditation.

Q6. How long does it take to complete a Nanodegree?

Most Nanodegree programs take 3-6 months depending on how many hours you study per week. The estimated time varies by program.

Q7. Does Udacity offer free courses?

Udacity offers some free courses but most content requires paid subscription. The free options are very limited compared to Coursera or edX.

Conclusion

Udacity offers quality tech education with project-based learning and industry partnerships. The platform excels in hands-on projects and current tech skills. However, high pricing at USD 249 per month, inconsistent support, and some outdated content are major weaknesses.

For students seeking affordable, personalized help with advanced engineering subjects, My Engineering Buddy is an excellent alternative. MEB provides live expert tutoring at USD 20-35 per hour with 24/7 support and a money-back guarantee. The 97% satisfaction rate and focus on complex college-level topics make MEB ideal for engineering students who need real-time help.