# edX online learning vs The Great Courses

edX online learning and The Great Courses both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 82% of edX online learning's written reviews are positive against 40% of The Great Courses's. The Great Courses's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks) and chart position (#100 vs unranked). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. edX online learning sells 43 one-off in-app purchases and The Great Courses sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. 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 edX online learning against 4.8 for The Great Courses. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11K and 17K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of edX online learning's written reviews are positive against 40% of The Great Courses's.

edX online learning ships an update every 5 weeks, The Great Courses fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | edX online learning | The Great Courses |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/edx-online-learning/id945480667/reviews) | **[4.8 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-great-courses/id1017813651/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 11K | **17K** |
| Positive reviews | **81.9% of reviews** | 39.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#100** |
| Size | 56 MB | 120 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [edX LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1700453712) | [The Great Courses](https://appshunter.io/developer/636818508) |

## What reviewers say

### edX online learning

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/edx-online-learning/id945480667)

Access thousands of online courses and degree programs from top universities and companies. Upskill in critical disciplines, strengthen your resume, and advance your career on your own schedule. Stream content, download materials, and test your knowledge with quizzes and exams.

**Highlights:** Thousands of courses and programs, World-class academic and industry partners, Career skill development, Professional certificate programs, Degree programs, Stream online courses, Download course materials

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

**In-app purchases (43)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade Course | $5.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $10.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $15.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $19.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $20.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $25.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $26.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $29.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $30.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $39.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $45.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $49.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $50.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $54.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $55.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $59.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $60.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $69.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $79.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $99.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $100.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $105.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $119.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $123.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $124.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $129.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $149.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $150.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $159.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $169.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $186.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $189.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $199.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $200.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $209.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $219.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $229.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $249.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $299.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $300.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $349.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $449.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $829.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient learning on the go
- 💡 Wide variety of courses
- 🌟 High-quality content from renowned institutions
- 👍 Intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app performance
- 🔍 Lack of progress tracking
- 📱 Limited functionality compared to website
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate courses
- 🔍 Inconsistent user experience

**Reported bugs**

- Videos not playing or freezing
- Frequent app crashes or refreshes
- Login issues and loss of course progress
- Incompatibility with certain devices

**Requested features**

- Improved progress tracking and bookmarking
- Split-screen support for note-taking
- Offline mode for all course content
- Better search and filtering options
- Seamless sync between app and website


### 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is edX online learning free?

edX online learning is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is The Great Courses free?

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

### Which has better reviews, edX online learning or The Great Courses?

The Great Courses is rated higher. edX online learning averages 4.8 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while The Great Courses averages 4.8 from 17K ratings.

### Do edX online learning or The Great Courses have ads?

Neither edX online learning nor The Great Courses shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, edX online learning or The Great Courses?

edX online learning ships an update every 5 weeks, and The Great Courses fortnightly. Most recently, edX online learning was updated on October 27, 2026 and The Great Courses on October 27, 2026.

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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.*