# The Great Courses vs MasterClass

The clearest difference is monetization model: The Great Courses at free with in-app purchases against MasterClass's subscription. The Great Courses also leads on review sentiment (40% vs 29%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). MasterClass's advantage is ratings volume (123K vs 17K) and chart position (#25 vs #100). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Great Courses sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and MasterClass sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $119.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for The Great Courses against 4.9 for MasterClass. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MasterClass has 123K ratings behind it against 17K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 40% of The Great Courses's written reviews are positive against 29% of MasterClass's.

The Great Courses ships an update fortnightly, MasterClass every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Great Courses | MasterClass |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-great-courses/id1017813651/reviews) | **[4.9 (123K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/masterclass-online-classes/id1273867416/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 17K | **123K** |
| Positive reviews | **39.6% of reviews** | 28.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | #100 | **#25** |
| Size | 120 MB | 128 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [The Great Courses](https://appshunter.io/developer/636818508) | [MasterClass](https://appshunter.io/developer/1273867415) |

## What reviewers say

### The Great Courses

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-great-courses/id1017813651)

**Currently charting:** #100 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

Access thousands of educational videos from world-renowned professors and experts. Explore a vast range of subjects, from history and science to personal development, with flexible learning options available online and offline. Start your learning journey with a free trial.

**Highlights:** Thousands of educational videos, Courses by world-class professors, Diverse subject matter, Online and offline access, Flexible learning pace, Free trial available

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TGCPlus Monthly Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Quarterly Subscription | $44.99 | per 3 months |
| TGCPlus Annual Subscription | $149.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic, use it all the time
- 👍 Excellent content and Outstanding Educators
- 👍 best app you'll ever subscribe to
- 👍 Math courses are phenomenal!
- 👍 Loving the content in the app!

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Ok content, weak app
- 🐛 Broken
- 🐛 Technical problems trying to cast
- 🐛 Great content, poor streaming
- 🐛 Far fewer courses than before? App VERY buggy

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Audio goes out of sync with video
- App constantly logs users out
- Downloading content doesn't work offline

**Requested features**

- Can we get a ton of courses on AI please, it's a mite urgent
- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Allow audio-only downloads
- Ability to download an entire course in one go


### MasterClass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/masterclass-online-classes/id1273867416)

**Currently charting:** #25 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

Learn new skills from world-renowned experts across a vast range of subjects. Access thousands of bite-sized lessons on professional development, creative arts, wellness, and more. Watch on any device, with offline options available.

**Highlights:** Learn from world-renowned experts, Vast range of premium courses, Thousands of bite-sized lessons, Accessible on multiple devices, Offline learning options, New content added regularly

**Features:** SharePlay

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MasterClass Individual | $119.99 | per year |
| Duo (Free Upgrade) | $179.99 | per year |
| All-Access Pass upgrade | $179.99 | per year |
| MasterClass Duo | $179.99 | per year |
| Family (Free Upgrade) | $239.99 | per year |
| MasterClass Family | $239.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great content from experts
- 🤩 Inspiring and educational
- 👍 High-quality production
- 💡 Diverse range of topics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy app
- 🤔 Confusing navigation and UI
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔌 Unreliable offline support

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes
- Downloaded content disappears
- Playback issues and random pauses
- Inconsistent behavior across devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to download more content offline
- Progress tracking and resume functionality
- Filtering and sorting options
- Transcript search and note-taking


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Great Courses free?

The Great Courses is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is MasterClass free?

MasterClass is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, The Great Courses or MasterClass?

MasterClass is rated higher. The Great Courses averages 4.8 out of 5 from 17K ratings, while MasterClass averages 4.9 from 123K ratings.

### Do The Great Courses or MasterClass have ads?

Neither The Great Courses nor MasterClass shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Great Courses or MasterClass?

The Great Courses ships an update fortnightly, and MasterClass every 3 weeks. Most recently, The Great Courses was updated on October 20, 2026 and MasterClass on October 21, 2026.

### Which is more popular, The Great Courses or MasterClass?

The Great Courses currently peaks at #100 in the App Store charts, and MasterClass at #25. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*