The Great Courses vs OpenLearn

Struggling to choose between The Great Courses and OpenLearn? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

The Great Courses is a Education & Reference solution with tags like lectures, academic-subjects, video, audio.

It boasts features such as Video lectures by university professors and experts, Wide variety of academic subjects covered, Engaging presentation style for lifelong learning, Mobile app allows lectures on the go, Closed captioning for accessibility and pros including High quality content from leading experts, Convenient learning on your own schedule, Large catalog of courses to choose from, Good value compared to cost of college courses, Lifetime access to purchased courses.

On the other hand, OpenLearn is a Education & Reference product tagged with open-source, free, online-learning, selfpaced, open-university.

Its standout features include Free online courses and learning resources, Wide range of subjects including science, math, technology, health, languages, business, social sciences, education, law, history, and more, Self-paced learning at your own speed, No registration required to access most materials, Materials designed for self-learners and educators, Some courses lead to formal qualifications and badges you can display, Discussion forums on some courses to engage with other learners and educators, and it shines with pros like Completely free to access, No ads or paid upgrades, Created by experts from a reputable university, Good quality courses and materials, Very flexible - learn anywhere, anytime, Great for casual learners or continuing education.

Feature	The Great Courses	OpenLearn
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Education & Reference	Education & Reference

Product Overview

The Great Courses

Description: The Great Courses is an audio and video lecture series covering a wide variety of academic subjects. Experts in each field present video lectures designed to engage lifelong learners.

OpenLearn

Description: OpenLearn is an open educational platform from The Open University that offers free online courses and learning resources across a wide range of subjects. The materials are designed for self-learners and educators to use.

Key Features Comparison

The Great Courses Features

• Video lectures by university professors and experts
• Wide variety of academic subjects covered
• Engaging presentation style for lifelong learning
• Mobile app allows lectures on the go
• Closed captioning for accessibility

OpenLearn Features

• Free online courses and learning resources
• Wide range of subjects including science, math, technology, health, languages, business, social sciences, education, law, history, and more
• Self-paced learning at your own speed
• No registration required to access most materials
• Materials designed for self-learners and educators
• Some courses lead to formal qualifications and badges you can display
• Discussion forums on some courses to engage with other learners and educators

Pros & Cons Analysis

The Great Courses

Pros

• High quality content from leading experts
• Convenient learning on your own schedule
• Large catalog of courses to choose from
• Good value compared to cost of college courses
• Lifetime access to purchased courses

Cons

• Can feel impersonal compared to in-person classes
• No student-instructor interaction
• Requires self-motivation to complete courses
• No credentials offered upon course completion
• Some courses may feel outdated over time

OpenLearn

Pros

• Completely free to access
• No ads or paid upgrades
• Created by experts from a reputable university
• Good quality courses and materials
• Very flexible - learn anywhere, anytime
• Great for casual learners or continuing education

Cons

• No instructor support or feedback
• Limited assessment and tracking of progress
• Less structured than formal online courses
• Quality can vary across courses
• Limited credentials offered compared to paid options

Pricing Comparison

The Great Courses

• Subscription-Based
• One-time Purchase

OpenLearn

• Free