As technology advances, people are looking for ways to develop their skills. One of the reasons why is because of the demanding market. People have to keep on polishing their skills with these such demands. There are many ways to learn a new skill online: lectures, courses, tutorials, you name it. Similarly, there are multiple learning platforms available as well. Udacity and Pluralsight are two such examples that provide users with complete courses in which they can enroll and get full access to the necessary learning material. Such platforms give you the ease of learning from the comfort of your home. You don’t have to go to any college to attend a class. You also have the option to repeat the lecture if you didn’t grasp the concepts clearly. But which of these learning platforms should you go with? The answer is not an easy one. You have to decide which one works well for your needs. Both of these websites have amazing content but there are a few differences that can help you decide which one to go for.

A Comparison

People have different preferences depending on their requirements. Both platforms are an amazing way to increase your knowledge. The main reason people opt for Udacity is the fact that it allows the users to start with the basic concepts. This allows even the beginners to grasp the concepts. However, this is not the case with Pluralsight. Pluralsight provides high quality and in-depth content. This makes it a little difficult for beginners to follow through. But this is not the only defining factor. You have to make the choice depending on your needs. There are many benefits to these platforms. However, there are some downsides associated with them as well. Let’s discuss the differences between them to help you figure out the best one for your needs.

1. Content Availability Pluralsight offers a variety of content, especially in programming languages. It provides advanced content for students that have the basic knowledge and want to move straight into the in-depth study. In comparison, Udacity provides content that is easier to follow and understand. Both platforms have industry professionals teaching the courses. You don’t have to worry about getting the wrong concepts with either of the platforms.
2. Feedback And Coding Projects Pluralsight does not provide its users with vast coding experience. The lectures present are more towards the tutorial side. Also, there are a few coding assignments and projects. In comparison, Udacity provides actual projects to its users. There is a feedback feature which helps the users understand where they stand and how much more effort they need to put in the course. There are actual developers that are looking at your code and providing their valuable feedback.
3. Nano degrees

One thing in which Udacity finds its edge over Pluralsight is the fact that it provides its users with Nanodegree programs. There is no such feature present on the Pluralsight platform. A Nano degree becomes extremely important if you are looking to change your career. You can display the degree in your portfolio to tell the recruiters that you are qualified for the post you are applying. Although Pluralsight does give you a certificate of achievement at the end of your course if you pass the exam, however, having a degree is a very different matter. Both these learning platforms feature self-paced courses. You are the boss of your own time. The one thing to keep in mind is that these Nano degrees are quite expensive. The cost makes people stick with courses that offer just a certificate of completion at the end of the lecture.

4. Consistent Quality Pluralsight provides high-quality content, as stated above. The one thing users find amazing about this website is the fact that it maintains that quality. There are no courses that you see deteriorating as the years go by or if the popularity of the website increases. There is a full-time editing staff working to maintain this quality of the lectures. In contrast, there are some courses available on Udacity that are not high in quality.
5. Mobile Application Pluralsight takes the lead when it comes to providing users with ease. It provides an interactive mobile application that is easy to use. You can access the courses you have enrolled in wherever and whenever you want. The application works well. This is much more than we can say for Udacity.
6. Certificate of Completion

Both the platforms provide users with the certificate of completion after they pass an exam at the end of the course. Users can display these certificates in their portfolio.

7. Beginner Friendly Pluralsight provides advanced content that assumes that student has the basic knowledge to get started with the course. This feature makes it difficult for users who are just starting out with these advanced level courses. Although it is not impossible to follow up, they need to do a little homework on their own. Udacity takes the users from the basic level and gives them the information they need to start with. With progression, the difficult slowly increase. The downside of this is that students are unable to start their own projects after they have completed the course. However, in the end, advanced level skills and professional development is what we go after.

In the end, the choice is yours. You have to choose which platform is best for you. However, reviews suggest that you should try Pluralsight. If you don’t want to invest in it, try it for free with a free trial and decide for yourself, is Pluralsight worth it?