# edX online learning vs Academia.edu

The clearest difference is update cadence: Academia.edu at every 2 weeks against edX online learning's every 5 weeks. Academia.edu also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). edX online learning's advantage is review sentiment (82% vs 74%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. edX online learning sells 42 one-off in-app purchases and Academia.edu sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 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 Academia.edu. 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 74% of Academia.edu's.

edX online learning ships an update every 5 weeks, Academia.edu every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | edX online learning | Academia.edu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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/academiaedu/id1385234213/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 11K | **17K** |
| Positive reviews | **81.9% of reviews** | 73.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 56 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [edX LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1700453712) | [Academia.edu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1385234212) |

## 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 (42)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade Course | $5.00 | one-time |
| Upgrade Course | $10.00 | 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


### Academia.edu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/academiaedu/id1385234213)

Access a vast library of open-access research papers on your mobile device. Discover new studies, track mentions and readership of your work, and connect with fellow scholars. Explore millions of academic papers on diverse topics.

**Highlights:** Discover and read research, Save research papers, Track mentions and readership, Search scholarly topics, Connect with scholars, View colleague activity

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Academia Premium - Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Academia Premium - Annual | $98.99 | per year |
| Academia Premium - Annual | $98.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helpful for research and learning
- 📚 Comprehensive academic resources
- 🔍 Useful for finding relevant papers
- 🌐 Connects researchers globally
- 💡 Innovative academic platform

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Sudden price increase for Premium
- 🔍 Unintuitive search and navigation
- 🔒 Sign-in issues and frequent log-outs
- 📤 Unwanted notifications and emails
- 🔍 Difficult to access full papers without subscription

**Reported bugs**

- PDF files not loading properly
- Crashing and freezing issues
- Inconsistent behavior across platforms

**Requested features**

- Landscape mode support
- Improved search and filtering options
- Ability to bookmark and organize papers
- Better integration with other research tools
- More transparent pricing and subscription options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is edX online learning free?

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

### Is Academia.edu free?

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

### Which has better reviews, edX online learning or Academia.edu?

edX online learning and Academia.edu are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 11K and 17K ratings respectively.

### Do edX online learning or Academia.edu have ads?

Neither edX online learning nor Academia.edu shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, edX online learning or Academia.edu?

edX online learning ships an update every 5 weeks, and Academia.edu every 2 weeks. Most recently, edX online learning was updated on September 24, 2026 and Academia.edu on September 24, 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.*