Online learning is growing faster than ever — we compared 4 of the top platforms leading the way

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• The rise of online learning platforms has democratized education, allowing people to learn just about anything from home.
• However, there are countless types of online classes and platforms to choose from, which can be overwhelming.
• To make it easier, we compared and broke down the differences between four of the most popular online learning platforms: Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and Skillshare.
• Read more: The 20 fastest-growing skills in the freelance job market, according to Upwork — and the online courses you can take to learn them

Thanks to online learning platforms, a physical classroom is no longer the only place to gain an education. You can now learn anything, from photography to computer science, from anywhere. The democratization of education has helped break down traditional barriers of access like high costs and location, resulting in a more skilled and informed workplace and citizenry. Not to mention that online classes are a great way to gain new skills and stay engaged while many of us are spending more time at home due to self-isolation guidelines surrounding the novel coronavirus.

These days, there are countless types of classes and online learning platforms to choose from. You could spend years absorbing the differences in coding languages, strategizing how to most effectively leverage email marketing tactics for your small business, or in a very meta twist, learning how to learn — and then move on to a different platform and do it all over again.

To help you make sense of the different models, we compared four popular online learning platforms: Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and Skillshare.

We looked at pricing, types of courses offered, what you're getting in each course, and the teachers who will be guiding you through it all. We also found the top courses from each platform so you can get an idea of why specific students flock to each site.

Keep scrolling to find a platform that will suit your particular needs, whether you want to gain the skills necessary for that next promotion or you just love learning for the sake of learning.

Read the original article on Business Insider