Udemy review

Updated September 28, 2026 · BackstageCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

Udemy suits adults who want a broad course library bought as a subscription or as a single course purchase rather than a creator fan platform. Entry fees of $35 apply, and support runs on help centre only, so questions about billing are answered in writing.

Key facts

Best for
Adults who want to pay per course or by subscription, and can browse on the free plan first.
Price from
$35↗
Pricing model
subscription and one-time course purchase↗
Free plan
Yes↗
Legal entity
Udemy, Inc.↗
Headquarters
United States↗
Founded
2010↗
Support channels
Help-centre↗
Official website
udemy.com

Facts checked September 26, 2026, 5 sources

Apps and profiles

Pros and cons

Pros

  • A free plan is listed, so you can look at course material before paying entry fees of $35.
  • A subscription and one-time course purchase model means you can pick a subscription or a single course purchase.
  • The legal entity Udemy, Inc. and the headquarters country US are stated, so the company behind an invoice is named.

Cons

  • Support runs on help centre only, so billing questions wait on a written reply.
  • Entry fees of $35 are higher than the entry price of $11 at xMode AI.
  • A subscription and one-time course purchase setup can put a recurring subscription and a single course purchase on the same account, so both belong in your budget.
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Who it suits

  • Adults who want a structured course library rather than a creator's paid feed.
  • Learners who like a choice of billing, since subscription and one-time course purchase covers both a subscription and a single purchase.
  • Anyone who checks the company first: Udemy, Inc. in US is stated up front.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Creators who want to sell directly to an audience: Graphy lists entry fees of $49 for its own store.
  • Readers who prefer funding a creator directly: YoKu runs on donation-based.
  • Buyers focused on the lowest entry price: xMode AI lists $11.

The company behind it

Udemy is run by Udemy, Inc., founded in 2010 and headquartered in the United States. Billing for a subscription or a single course runs through the same company, and questions about orders or course access go through the help centre, so answers arrive in writing rather than by voice.

How Udemy compares

Frequently asked questions

How much does Udemy cost to start?+

Entry fees of $35 sit above the site median of €21.92, and the model is subscription and one-time course purchase. Udemy places 39 on entry price among 58 brands, so a buyer comparing on price alone has cheaper options.

Is there a free way to use Udemy?+

A free plan is listed, so you can look at course material before paying. Paid access then follows a subscription and one-time course purchase model, which means you can either subscribe or buy a single course. The company behind both routes is Udemy, Inc., so the same company handles the free and paid sides.

How do I get help with an order or a course I bought?+

Support runs on help centre, so questions about orders, course access or invoices are handled in writing. That is the only channel listed for the brand, which can mean a slower answer than a live chat or a phone line would give. Keep your order details ready when you write.

Who runs Udemy and where is it based?+

The service is run by Udemy, Inc., which was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in the United States. That legal name and country are the details to check on an invoice, and they tell you which company handles a subscription or a course purchase on your account.

Is Udemy a fan platform or a course library?+

Udemy sells courses rather than creator subscriptions, and the model is subscription and one-time course purchase. If you want to charge your own audience directly, a creator platform is a different shape: Graphy lists entry fees of $49 and YoKu runs on donation-based.

Which of the compared brands costs the least to start?+

xMode AI lists the lowest entry price at $11, against $35 for Udemy and $49 for Graphy. Udemy also sits above the site median entry price of €21.92, so a budget-first reader has cheaper options on the same list.

Who does Udemy suit?+

It suits adults who want to pick up a subject through structured courses, either on the free plan or after paying entry fees of $35. A subscription and one-time course purchase model keeps the choice open, so you can test a topic with a single course before committing to a subscription.

Sources

Compiled from 5 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Platforms supported.

Udemy

Udemy

Adults who want to pay per course or by subscription, and can browse on the free plan first.

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