This is a comprehensive list of some of the most prominent Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and similar online platforms as of May 2020. Whether you are looking to upskill yourself to cope with quickly-growing and changing industries, to enroll in an University-level program and get a recognized academic degree, or take up a new course on a topic you are interested in, this list of MOOCs will come in handy.

Since most of us are currently under lockdown or quarantine due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, this is also a great way to make the best of your time. You can brush up on skills you already know, or learn something new with the extra time you now have. Most of the MOOCs on this list offer free online learning platforms from a wide variety of topics, from data science, to management and leadership, to nutrition, fitness and at-home workouts.

EdX

EdX is one of the most popular MOOC available. It was first started by Harvard and MIT, but now contains many other Universities from around the world. It is more difficult compared to others, but they have a good reputation and many of their students have secured decent jobs using the skills taught in their courses. Since these are from Universities, they are more theoretical and detailed. The courses are free, but you can optionally buy the course certificate at the end of the course. If you are looking for a job in that particular area, it is definitely worth the investment.

Coursera

Coursera also offers courses from many reputable Universities around the world (now over 200). Their courses are also free, but you need to pay if you want their official certificate after the course is over. Coursera is one of the best MOOCs out there, and it is more theoretical than hands-on.

Udemy

Udemy takes more of a practical, hands-on approach, and provides well over 20k courses to choose from, ranging from basically any topic you can think of. You pay for each course individually, and the price varies from course to course. Anyone can make and sell a course here, so the quality generally varies based on the teacher. Reviews are important to check the quality of a course before buying it. They do not offer any certificates.

Udacity

Udacity is well known for their technical courses, but also offer some University-level courses as well. Their courses are considered expensive and overpriced, but their certificates is highly reputable and many have found successful jobs using their certificates. Although it may help to find a job, there are many similar free platforms available.

Future Learn

Future Learn was initially created by a group of English Universities, and it has expanded into a wide variety of courses since its foundation. They have both free and paid courses, which are quite overpriced as compared to other MOOCs.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy was originally created to learn math, ranging from basic algebra to University level calculus. They have not expanded and offer other areas, and their courses are all free. Their materials includes many hands-on and interactive tools which is surely better than reading the material from beginning to end.

Skillshare

Skillshare has a wide range of courses and they are currently offering a free trial with unlimited access to most of the courses. The paid membership gives you unlimited  access to everything, and they currently have a lot of positive feedback.

EventBrite

Eventbrite is not really a MOOC. But I put it in this list because they are now offering online events and workshops in so many different areas. It is definitely worth a shot, since many of their courses are free. They don’t offer the same style of courses as MOOCs, but their workshops are interesting. More importantly, joining a live workshop in an area of interest with other members gives you a sense of group effort, and would certainly help you to meet other like-minded people, and to generate new ideas you wouldn’t have had if taking a course alone.

BitDegree

BitDegree is a less popular platform, but seems to offer a wide range of courses, especially in coding, web design, and digital marketing. Some of their courses are free as well, so why not?

DataCamp

DataCamp is great if you want a hands-on experience in many emerging technologies and tools. They have both free and premium versions, and you can conveniently use your LinkedIn account directly for DataCamp. They also offer courses and statement of accomplishments which can be added directly to LinkedIn, in order to showcase your achievements to potential employers.

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning is directly connected to your LinkedIn account, so that all of the courses you take, and certificates you received, are automatically displayed in your LinkedIn profile. They are currently offering one month for free, and you can choose from courses based on industry needs.

Code Academy

With Code Academy, you get to learn from any of the trending programming languages, with courses that have hands-on experience, and are designed specifically to get you ready to actually work with that particular programming language. A limited free account is available, which gives you access to interactive lessons and daily practice.