Like other sub-sectors in the education app market, skills and online training courses experienced significant growth at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, as many people lost jobs or were temporarily out of work. This growth has continued post-pandemic.
Online course apps have tapped into the demand for re-skilling and upskilling workers in the face of skill shortages and huge market shifts. Employers are able to create their own programmes to train employees in job-specific skills through apps such as Udemy and Coursera, while job-seekers can work on their employability by taking expert courses on LinkedIn Learning.
Much of the growth of the online course sector stems from mass open online courses. Students are able to study free or paid courses flexibly, at their own pace and fully remotely, while in some cases earning certifications. While these courses were originally provided by universities and other academic bodies, the role of professors in the active running of classes has been scaled back.
Apps which teach coding and programming specifically also attract significant revenue and attention. The programming sector is expanding, and with it more people are undergoing training to fill the job shortages. One of the top programming apps, Mimo, offers beginners courses in Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS and other coding languages which are attractive to potential employers.
Despite their pandemic popularity, online course sector businesses are still struggling to turn a profit. Udemy has recorded net losses each year since its public listing, Coursera lost $175 million in 2022 and despite being India’s most valuable start-up, BYJU’S is only now shifting its focus to profitable growth.
Online course apps have become more integrated into workers’ career progression as the sector has moved further from academia and closer to the world of work, seeking to meet demand as it emerges.
We have collected data and statistics on the online courses sector. Read on below to find out more. If you want to dive deeper into the education app market, check out our premium report.
Key Online Course App Statistics
- The online course app sector generated $3.1 billion in revenue in 2023
- LinkedIn Learning generated the most income out of all online course services in 2023
- Over 125 million people used online courses in 2023, an increase of four million on the previous year
- Coursera had 128 million registered users to its app in 2023
- Online course apps were downloaded 46.4 million times last year
Education App Report 2024
Want to learn more about the Education app industry? In our Education App Report, we cover financials, forecasts, usage, downloads, demographics and benchmarking data.
Top Online Course Apps
| App Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| https://www.udemy.com/ | Udemy | The more than 210,000 courses provided through Udemy are predominately for job-related skills and some generate credit towards technical certification |
| https://www.linkedin.com/learning/ | LinkedIn Learning | A subsidiary of LinkedIn, LinkedIn Learning provides video courses taught by industry experts in business, creative and technological subjects |
| https://www.khanacademy.org/ | Khan Academy | Khan Academy provides free practice exercises and instructional videos for students from the beginning of school through college |
| https://www.coursera.org/ | Coursera | Partnering with universities and employers, Coursera focuses on job-relevant online learning |
| https://www.skillshare.com/en/ | Skillshare | Learning community Skillshare allows students to take classes in creative subjects through a subscription service |
| https://byjus.com/learning/ | BYJU'S | Indian company BYJU'S operates in more than 100 countries to offer educational content through digital animation videos |
| https://www.goconqr.com/ | GoConqr | Using a crowd-sourced community library, GoConqr is a platform for cooperative learning |
Online Course App Revenue
The online course app sector earned $3.1 billion revenue in 2023, a 14.8% increase on the year prior.
Online course app market revenue 2018 to 2023 ($bn)
Online Course Revenue by App
LinkedIn Learning generated the most revenue, although several were close to matching it.
Online Course App Users
129 million people used online courses in 2023, a slight increase on the previous year but still behind 2020 levels.
Online course app users 2018 to 2023 (mm)
Online Course Users by App
Coursera has the most registered users, at 128 million. Khan Academy is close behind with 120 million signups.
Online course users by app 2023 (mm)
| App | Users (mm) |
|---|---|
| Coursera | 128 |
| Khan Academy | 120 |
| Udemy | 68 |
| LinkedIn Learning | 27 |
| Skillshare | 13 |
| GoConqr | 10 |
Sources: Company data
Online Course App Downloads
There were 46.4 million downloads of online course apps in 2023.
Online course app downloads 2018 to 2023 (mm)
More Education App Data
- Duolingo Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Education App Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Education App Benchmarks (2024)
- Chegg Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Babbel Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Memrise Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Language Learning App Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Busuu Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
