Comparison

edX online learning vs MasterClass

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

edX online learning

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
Read full description

edX is the online learning platform that prepares you for every career moment. Register for free, and get immediate access to: * Education for every budget and background. Choose from thousands of courses and programs — from free courses to full degrees — that match your personal, professional, and financial needs. * World-class academic and industry partners. Discover immersive programs from Harvard, Amazon, Google, MIT, IBM, and hundreds of other exceptional institutions around the world. * Learning that drives meaningful career outcomes. Upskill in dozens of critical disciplines — like AI, supply chain management, and sustainability — to build a résumé-redefining skill set. It’s never too late or too early to join edX. Our courses and programs meet you where you are in your professional trajectory. You can: * Switch industries. Launch, change, or advance your tech career with immersive boot camps. * Strengthen your résumé. Deepen your expertise and showcase your skills with professional certificate programs. * Level up as a leader. Learn to lead initiatives and teams with executive education programs. * Earn a degree. Unlock new career opportunities with master’s, doctorate, and undergraduate degree programs. Make your next career move on your schedule. With edX’s free mobile app, you can: * Stream online courses in AI, cybersecurity, data science, and more. * Download course materials and transcripts for uninterrupted access. * Test your knowledge with quizzes, assignments, and exams. * Discover and enroll in new courses and programs as your skills evolve. Visit: edx.org Like: facebook.com/edx Follow: x.com/edxonline and instagram.com/edxonline

About

MasterClass

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
Read full description

LEARN FROM THE BEST. BE YOUR BEST. Build crucial skills so you can thrive at work, at home, and beyond. Whether you want to negotiate a raise, write a book, dial in your health, or perfect your baking techniques, our instructors—world-renowned experts, industry leaders, and cultural icons—are here for you. Check out our online courses, and get ready to learn new skills and thrive. A VAST RANGE OF PREMIUM COURSES Choose from classes on professional development, business, wellness, creative skills, food, writing, home & lifestyle, sports & gaming, music, photography, and more—all featuring MasterClass’s cinematic storytelling. 200+ EXPERT INSTRUCTORS. THOUSANDS OF LESSONS. Each class is broken up into bite-size lessons. Quit doomscrolling and binge a whole class—or learn new skills in just 5 to 10 minutes. EDUCATION THAT’S ACCESSIBLE ANYWHERE Watch on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV. For on-the-go learning, switch to audio mode or download select classes to build skills offline. BOOST YOUR CAREER WITH BUSINESS LEADERS Access business training courses taught by top leaders, including Martha Stewart, Mark Cuban, Bob Iger, Rich Paul, Sir Richard Branson, and Anna Wintour. IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH & WELLNESS Tap into expert-led educational videos on healing and boosting your gut, brain, and skin, plus courses on everything from menopause to meditation. COOK TO IMPRESS WITH WORLD-CLASS CHEFS Enjoy immersive cooking classes with culinary titans like Gordon Ramsay, Roy Choi, Dominique Crenn, Massimo Bottura, Wolfgang Puck, and Thomas Keller. FINISH YOUR BOOK WITH BESTSELLING WRITERS Break through blocks and get your work out in the world with writing courses from Malcolm Gladwell, Margaret Atwood, James Patterson, Amanda Gorman, David Sedaris, R.L. Stine, and more. LEARN TO BE LEGENDARY FROM ICONIC ARTISTS Hone your creative skills with the likes of Amy Poehler, John Legend, Mindy Kaling, Issa Rae, RuPaul, Steve Martin, Shonda Rhimes, and Helen Mirren. Music lessons and photography courses are also available. LEVEL UP YOUR GAME WITH ALL-STAR ATHLETES Find out how champions like Lewis Hamilton, Serena Williams, Steph Curry, Wayne Gretzky, Tony Hawk, and Simone Biles (plus legendary coaches like Geno Auriemma and Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski) train and win. NEW CONTENT ADDED REGULARLY Extend your online learning journey with new classes, playlists, and even offers to meet with our instructors. ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP TERMS The annual membership is an auto-renewing subscription plan. By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and applicable notices below. Your Apple account will be charged the noted amount for the first year and will be charged annually thereafter at the then-current rate unless you cancel before the end of the current period. No refunds for partially unused periods. To cancel or update payment information, go to your App Store Subscriptions. See our Privacy Policy at https://www.masterclass.com/privacy See our Terms of Service at https://www.masterclass.com/terms CA Privacy Notice: https://www.masterclass.com/privacy/states#california For CA residents: Do Not Sell My Info: https://www.masterclass.com/privacy/states#do-not-sell

Screenshots

edX online learning4 screens
MasterClass4 screens

Verdict

The call

edX online learning and MasterClass both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 82% of edX online learning's written reviews are positive against 29% of MasterClass's. edX online learning also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). MasterClass's advantage is ratings volume (123K vs 11K) and chart position (#31 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. edX online learning sells 42 one-off in-app purchases 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for edX online learning against 4.9 for MasterClass. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MasterClass has 123K ratings behind it against 11K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of edX online learning's written reviews are positive against 29% of MasterClass's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

edX online learning ships an update every 5 weeks, MasterClass every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
edX online learning versus MasterClass: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteredX online learningMasterClass
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (11K ratings)4.9 (123K ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.9% of reviews — better28.9% of reviews
Number of ratings11K123K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank—#31 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size56 MB129 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperedX LLCMasterClass

Customer experience

edX online learning

All ratings10,742 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral1.4%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews1,853 reviews
Positive81.9%
Neutral5.9%
Negative12.1%

MasterClass

All ratings122,861 ratings
Positive97.9%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews772 reviews
Positive28.9%
Neutral16.3%
Negative54.8%

User reviews

edX online learning

From 11K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

MasterClass

From 123K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

edX online learning

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

MasterClass

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

In-app purchases

42 purchases

edX online learning

One-time42
  • Upgrade Course8 variants$5.00
  • Upgrade Course2 variants$10.00
  • Upgrade Course2 variants$19.00
Show 39 more
  • Upgrade Course$20.00
  • Upgrade Course7 variants$25.00
  • Upgrade Course$26.00
  • Upgrade Course11 variants$29.00
  • Upgrade Course$30.00
  • Upgrade Course6 variants$39.00
  • Upgrade Course$45.00
  • Upgrade Course16 variants$49.00
  • Upgrade Course8 variants$50.00
  • Upgrade Course$54.00
  • Upgrade Course$55.00
  • Upgrade Course18 variants$59.00
  • Upgrade Course$60.00
  • Upgrade Course6 variants$69.00
  • Upgrade Course$79.00
  • Upgrade Course15 variants$99.00
  • Upgrade Course2 variants$100.00
  • Upgrade Course$105.99
  • Upgrade Course6 variants$119.00
  • Upgrade Course$123.99
  • Upgrade Course$124.99
  • Upgrade Course3 variants$129.00
  • Upgrade Course20 variants$149.00
  • Upgrade Course3 variants$150.00
  • Upgrade Course$159.00
  • Upgrade Course4 variants$169.00
  • Upgrade Course$186.99
  • Upgrade Course13 variants$189.00
  • Upgrade Course9 variants$199.00
  • Upgrade Course$200.00
  • Upgrade Course9 variants$209.00
  • Upgrade Course7 variants$219.00
  • Upgrade Course$229.00
  • Upgrade Course8 variants$249.00
  • Upgrade Course11 variants$299.00
  • Upgrade Course$300.00
  • Upgrade Course$349.00
  • Upgrade Course$449.00
  • Upgrade Course$829.00
6 purchases

MasterClass

Subscriptions6
  • MasterClass Individual$119.991 Year
  • Duo (Free Upgrade)$179.991 Year
  • All-Access Pass upgrade1 Year trial$179.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • MasterClass Duo$179.991 Year
  • Family (Free Upgrade)$239.991 Year
  • MasterClass Family$239.991 Year

Questions

Is edX online learning free?
edX online learning 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, edX online learning or MasterClass?
MasterClass is rated higher. edX online learning averages 4.8 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while MasterClass averages 4.9 from 123K ratings.
Do edX online learning or MasterClass have ads?
Neither edX online learning nor MasterClass shows ads.
Which is updated more often, edX online learning or MasterClass?
edX online learning ships an update every 5 weeks, and MasterClass every 3 weeks. Most recently, edX online learning was updated on September 30, 2026 and MasterClass on September 30, 2026.

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