Linkedin Learning Worth It? – Full Review with FAQs & More

LinkedIn Learning is a great platform for professionals to sharpen their skills in different topics. 

As an online course creator, you can benefit from it by exploring new areas of subject matter. This will enhance the quality of your online courses. 

Moreover, you can find video-based courses on LinkedIn Learning that provide professionals with helpful career skills. On the other hand, LinkedIn Learning is a great online learning platform, you should look into alternatives as well. 

Therefore, in this LinkedIn Learning Review, you can find pros and cons, benefits, features, important factors, and alternatives of LinkedIn Learning.    

Quick Summary of the Main Product

The website LinkedIn Learning was originally a digital art school founded in 1995 by Lynda Weinman. 

Later on, in 2015, the site was purchased and renamed LinkedIn Learning by LinkedIn to become one of the most popular e-learning platforms. 

LinkedIn Learning offers online courses that teach skills required by professionals to build successful careers. 

These courses revolve around the vast subjects of:

• Business and Administration
• Creative and Fine Arts
• Technology and Computer Sciences

The certifications that LinkedIn Learning provides value for people who want to:

• Differentiate themselves in the networking and job hunting process
• Develop and enhance new skills
• Actively use their LinkedIn Profile to stand out in the job market 

The LinkedIn Courses are video-based and taught by experts. You have the option to download practice exercise files and quizzes at any point on your mobile phone or computer. 

We highly recommend LinkedIn Learning. Along with courses on professional development and new skills they also offer personalized course recommendations. 

Moreover, you receive a Certificate of Completion once you complete a course. These certificates can be shared on your LinkedIn Profile. 

The video lectures offered by LinkedIn Learning are available in seven languages:

• Spanish
• French
• English
• Portuguese
• Chinese
• German
• Japanese

Features and Benefits

In this section of the LinkedIn Learning Review, we will discuss how its features can benefit you as an online course creator.

Team Learning

LinkedIn Learning supports personalized e-learning for your entire company or team. 

It focuses on how your team can benefit from online learning by:

• Promoting personalized team development
• Maximizing team training

Learning Paths 

A learning path is a set of courses combined in a group to provide complete how-to information on a given topic. They connect the path between skills and your career. 

LinkedIn Learning is offering 70+ learning paths currently. 

After you complete a learning path, LinkedIn Learning gives you certificates of completion. These LinkedIn Learning Certifications benefit job seekers greatly. 

For example:

A learning path on “How to Become a Project Manager” consists of 17 courses and is 27 hours long.  

LinkedIn Learning Courses 

Courses on LinkedIn Learning are structured into three broad categories followed by sub-categories. The browsing section is extremely intuitive and easy to follow.

As mentioned earlier, the three broad categories are:

• Business: Covers many topics including Marketing and Advertising, Leadership, Professional Development, Management, Business Analysis, Strategy, and Software.
• Technology: Covers latest technology skills including Cloud Computing, Database Management, and Data Science. 
• Creativity: Covers a wide range of artistic topics such as Photography, Illustration, Audio and Music, Animation, User Experience, and Graphic Design.

Courses arranged in sub-categories are organized into:

•  Learning Paths
• Subjects
• Software

LinkedIn Learning Videos 

The LinkedIn Learning Courses are offered as video lectures. 

These video courses contain a questions section where learners can ask additional questions and receive responses from the instructor.

A major benefit comes with the LinkedIn Learning mobile app which allows you to learn on the go at your own pace.

LinkedIn Learning Certificates

The Certificate of Completion generated after you complete a learning path can be shared on your LinkedIn Profile. 

These certificates of completion document your skillset for potential employers.

Course Content Quality

The course quality varies from subject to subject high-quality and also heavily depends on the instructor. 

While critics have stated that advanced subject matter is unavailable, the quality of the course content is not compromised. 

Our team can guarantee that the content is worth the price.

Factors to Consider Before you Decide to Buy LinkedIn Learning

This section of the LinkedIn Learning Review explains important factors you should consider before you invest in the platform.

LinkedIn Learning Subscription  

The price for LinkedIn Learning is subscription-based including the option to purchase individual courses. 

Individual courses cost $20-$40 including tax.

LinkedIn Learning comes in a Premium subscription that offers a complete package of many features including unlimited access to 16000+ courses. 

These LinkedIn Premium features include:

• Check who has visited your profile
• 3 monthly InMails for people outside of your network
• Job questions for job interview preparation
• Job Applicant Insights for job skills and competition
• Salary Insights to consider the best opportunities
• Company Insights, for example, hires, trends, and leadership changes

You can choose from two LinkedIn Learning costs, the monthly subscription or yearly subscription:

• Monthly subscription costs $29.99
• Annual subscription costs $239.88

User Interface 

You will find that the LinkedIn Learning platform has an incredibly simple user interface. 

This is not necessarily a bad thing, a simple and clean interface is easy-to-use. 

It can be helpful when there are too many courses to search through including your own LinkedIn account to manage.

LinkedIn Learning Features 

When we compare LinkedIn Learning with other educational platforms, it has many useful features.

When you create a LinkedIn Learning account, you get access to the following features:

• Set weekly goals to achieve
• View your progress on multiple LinkedIn Learning courses you are taking 
• Pick up a LinkedIn Learning course where you left off
• Get access to complete transcripts of videos
• Participate in Question and Answer sections
• Take your own notes when taking lectures in your LinkedIn profile 

LinkedIn Learning Free Trial 

There is a 1-month free trial option available. 

We highly recommend you to try out LinkedIn Learning through their one-month free trial first. 

Many experts are not satisfied with the lack of advanced course material. You will be able to judge whether the content quality and course content fit your requirements. 

Your perception of the value that LinkedIn Learning provides for its money will depend on your experience. Therefore, this 1-month free trial will prove to be very beneficial.

Accredited Certificates 

As mentioned before, students do not receive accredited certificates from LinkedIn Learning on the completion of learning paths.

However, LinkedIn is a famous platform where professionals stay connected. Therefore, taking a LinkedIn Learning course will have the same value.

Moreover, the platform is integrated to allow you to display a badge on your LinkedIn Profile as an alternative to a certificate of completion. 

You can also display the LinkedIn Learning Certificates on your profile, however, they will not be displayed with the company’s logo.

Advantages and Disadvantages of LinkedIn Learning

What we liked	What we didn’t like
• Easy to use  • Wide range of topics available • Q&A’s sessions with experts • LinkedIn Learning certificates and badges • User-friendly • 1-month free trial • Courses offered in multiple languages	• Only video courses, no other method of delivery • Certification not accredited • Limited category of courses

Social Proof

LinkedIn Learning customers are highly satisfied with the content quality and variety of topics available. 

Since LinkedIn is a well-known platform for professional growth, therefore the LinkedIn Learning Certificates are widely acknowledged.

Customers have given positive LinkedIn Learning reviews. All courses provide a new skill that helps them in their career development.

The LinkedIn Page is intuitive and easy to navigate through. Students easily find courses and manage their profiles.

Some of the many customer reviews we found online include:

LinkedIn Learning Review – Alternatives (Recommendations)

#1: Best IT Courses Online – Pluralsight Review 

Pluralsight has aimed at the in-demand IT knowledge enhancement of individuals ever since its creation. It offers 6000+ courses taught by 1500+ expert professors that reach more than 180 countries. 

The technology-based courses cover topics surrounding:

• Creative Professionals 
• Software Development
• Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning
• IT Ops
• Information and Cyber Security
• Architecture, Engineering, and Construction
• Business Professional Skills
• Data Professional
• Cloud Computing  

We highly recommend Pluralsight because it supports self-paced learning. You can access courses at any time.

Moreover, you can access Pluralsight on multiple devices:

• iOS
• Windows
• macOS 
• Android 
• Smart TVs

Factors to Consider Before you Decide to Buy Pluralsight

Pluralsight Subscription

There are two subscription plans that are further divided into different pricing plans.

The Individual Plan offers:

• Standard Plan for  $159/year, $19/month
• Premium Plan for $239/year, $29/month

The Team Plan offers:

• Starter Plan for $399 per user/year
• Professional Plan for $579 per user/year
• Enterprise Plan for $779 per user/year

User Interface

Courses can be converted into bite-sized modules. Moreover, Pluralsight also gives students the option of offline viewing. 

Students can follow code lessons in real-time with instructors through interactive modules. 

The user interface is clean and helps you find courses easily. 

Furthermore, every course displays the following information:

• Course Description
• Table of Contents
• Exercise Files
• Transcript
• Recommendations tab
• Discussions tab 

Features 

Pluralsight offers courses that revolve around the following IT courses:

• Creative Professionals 
• Software Development
• Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning
• IT Ops
• Information and Cyber Security
• Architecture, Engineering, and Construction
• Business Professional Skills
• Data Professional
• Cloud Computing  

There are 10 categories of different learning paths.

This platform offers high-quality course material and high in-demand skills. These courses provide a quality corporate learning experience. 

Free Trial 

The Individual and Enterprise plans have different trial periods:

• Individual plans: 10-day free trial period
• Enterprise: 14-day free trial period

Certification

Pluralsight offers MOOC Certification which is currently quite popular in the corporate sector. The practice exams for these certifications have a lot of value.

Moreover, it facilitates ongoing learning through:

• ITIL: Information Technology Service Management for ITIL Certification.
• CompTIA: Courses designated to Continuing Education Credits for Operating systems and Networking problem-solving skills.
• ISACA: The Information Systems Audit and Control Association accepts Pluralsight courses CPE credits through the submission of completion certification. 
• PMI: Project Management Institution holds PMP exams for the Personal Development Units program.

You can find our detailed post on Pluralsight here.

What we liked	What we didn’t like
• High-quality course content • Affordable • Offers mobile apps • Easy-to-use • Top certifications • Interactive interface	• Audio issues  • Experts have reported a lack of advanced courses

Best IT Courses Online

IT Courses taught by experts on Pluralsight are high in demand in the industry. Skills taught by professionals for career growth and personal development are required by all employers. Pluralsight provides these skills and gives accredited certificates.

#2: Best Platform for Online Courses – Udacity Review 

Udacity offers:

• Nanodegrees – In-depth learning programs
• Some free courses
• Services for job hunters  

More than 60 courses are available compiled under these programs:

• Business
• Programming and Development
• Cloud Computing
• Autonomous Systems
• Data Science
• Artificial Intelligence

There are advanced courses on tech skills that are highly job-focused. They provide you with work samples that can be later used in job applications. You also end up with project samples that show your work. 

Many courses that are available on Udacity have been formulated with industry partners. This means that they provide information regarding skills required by companies in job candidates.

Udacity states, “Nanodegrees represent collaborations with our industry partners who help us develop our content and who hire many of our program graduates.”

Since Udacity focuses on job skills, it centers around Nanodegrees. These are courses that specifically provide real-world, practical information to help students advance their careers.

Nanodegrees courses usually consist of professional services.

Factors to Consider Before you Decide to Buy Udacity

Udacity Subscription

Some of the courses on Udacity are free of charge. Whereas, Nanodegrees courses cost in the range of $339/month to 399/month.

In the case of a three to four-month enrollment, the fee adds up to $1017 to $1356 where you can pay $339/month.

Udacity offers financial assistance as well. It has partnered up with a loan payment company that breaks down installments and spreads them over a longer time.

Udacity Plus costs an additional $299/month.

Additional features include:

• Self-service cancellation 
• Remove credit card details
• Get a copy of your data
• Delete your account

User Interface

This platform has one of the most intuitive user interfaces out there. It is incredibly user-friendly and helps you find courses easily. 

It has gone through many redesigns over time, therefore, we can guarantee that it is designed to improve your experience.

Features

Udacity courses consist of modules with video lectures like most MOOC learning sites. It designs quizzes, homework, and projects to ensure maximum content retention.

The assignments and quizzes are highly interactive. They are designed in a way that ensures your focus in lectures otherwise becomes harder to pass. 

Udacity Plus is another tool with advanced features that provides courses on topics such as:

• Machine Learning Engineer
• Senior Web Developer
• iOS Developer

This program allows students to interact with career services professionals and learn more about tech jobs that are high in demand.

Free-Trial

There is a one-month trial period where you can access one of the Nanodegrees courses for free. You can avail all the features included in the subscription plan. 

Certification

Through its partnership with Pearson VUE, Udacity allows students to take a 75-minute long final exam (for a fee) to avail themselves of employer-recognized credentials.

Moreover, Nanodegrees is also a paid credentials program that offers formal Udacity certificates upon completion.

What we liked	What we didn’t like
• Gives specific attention to job-focused skills • Advanced course material  • Work and Project samples • Self-service tools • Downloadable data	• Costly • Lack of diversity in courses

Best Platform for Online Courses

Udacity provides a rigorous course program to train students with specifically job-focused skills. As an online course creator, you can benefit from their intensive education program to provide your students with the best online courses.

LinkedIn Learning Review – Guide to Buy

There is a lot of knowledge you can get as an online course creator to successfully run your online course business. 

You can get information on businesses, IT, professional tips, and much more from online courses.

Here are some of the factors you should consider before choosing an e-learning platform for yourself:

Subscription

An important factor, which is also a downside of online education platforms, is that they are usually quite expensive.

To facilitate students, expenses are mostly broken down into monthly subscriptions or yearly pricing plans. However, they are still considerably costly.

Make sure you choose the best option for yourself.

User Interface

An online course platform should always have an intuitive, clean user interface. If the interface is messy, information is cluttered, and ads pop up frequently, it usually drives traffic away from the site.

A clean UI is helpful to manage accounts of students and teachers, navigate through the program easily, and find courses you want quickly.

Features

If you choose a platform that has high charges then make sure it offers value.

It should offer:

• Clean UI
• Smart Search
• Variety of courses
• Variety of instructors
• Multiple course delivery methods
• Easy online transaction services
• Account management tools
• No pop-up ads

Free Trial

The best way to find out whether or not a platform checks all the points in your list of requirements is through a free trial. 

Make sure you sign up for a free trial for any platform that you want to invest in. It gives you a clear picture of how it works and if it is the best option for you.

Certification

When you complete a program or a learning path, the platform you use to study online courses provides you with a certificate of completion. 

These certificates currently have high demand in the industry because employers search for job seekers with a high skill-set. 

However, certifications on some of the platforms are not recognized and accredited. Therefore, research well on certificates that are widely accepted or rejected by the industry.

Wrapping Things Up…

This concludes our LinkedIn Learning post. 

LinkedIn Learning is a great online education platform to learn skills for professional development and growth. 

Along with a variety of courses taught by professionals, LinkedIn Learning also provides certification to help advance your career. 

If you do not agree with the LinkedIn Learning features, then you can also choose its alternatives: Pluralsight and Udacity. 

We highly recommend Pluralsight because not only does it have unending course categories but also offers MOOC Certificates and provides quality content.