edX review

edX suits adults who want university courses without a subscription. It was founded by Harvard and MIT professors, and its catalog spans individual courses, professional certificates, executive education, microcredentials and full degree programs. The audit track costs $0 and gives access to lectures, readings and practice assignments, so you can study a subject such as Harvard's CS50 before spending anything. When you want proof, the verified track adds graded assignments and an official certificate, starting at around $50 for an individual course, while professional certificate programs typically start around $500. Short courses take about 2 to 6 weeks. The pay-per-course model is good value if you take a few courses a year and poor value if you plan to collect many certificates, where Coursera Plus usually costs less. Audit access is limited, and there are no graded assignments without paying, which some learners need to stay motivated.

Who it is for

Adults who want university courses and are happy to pay only for the certificates they need.

Price

Free audit track; verified certificates start at around $50 per course.

Verified track starts at around $50
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 9, 2026.

Key features

• Audit track at $0 with access to lectures, readings and practice assignments
• Verified track with graded assignments and an official certificate
• Professional certificates, executive education, microcredentials and degrees
• Courses from universities and industry leaders
• Self-paced short courses of about 2 to 6 weeks

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Most courses can be audited for free
• Strength: Pay per course instead of a monthly fee
• Strength: University names such as HarvardX on the certificate
• Weakness: Audit learners get no graded assignments or certificate
• Weakness: Professional certificate programs start around $500
• Weakness: No single subscription covering the whole catalog

Key facts

• Audit track: $0
• Verified track: Starting at around $50
• Professional certificates: Typically start around $500
• Founded by: Harvard and MIT professors

Where it ranks

edX is No. 4 in our Best Online Course Platforms for Learners verdict.