Even now, online learning is often seen as just one option among many. That’s why in this blog, we’ll tell you about 7 free learning platforms that explain why you should choose them and how to use each platform effectively. Before starting your studies on these platforms, it’s important to check: whether the study material is free, whether the platform is reliable and useful in the professional world, whether different subjects are available, and whether useful study tools are available, such as quizzes, support, and mobile or offline access.

This list will help you choose a trusted platform and make your online learning easier and better.

1. Khan Academy – Best for school (K–12) foundations

Khan Academy is best for students who want to strengthen their foundation in math and science. Here you get videos, practice exercises, and a personalized learning path, all for free. Separate portals have also been created for many other countries, where the lessons are according to their respective syllabi. Khan Academy is quite helpful for students preparing for board exams and basic revision.

Tip: Use mastery challenges and the teacher dashboard (if available) to monitor weak topics and practice regularly.

2. edX – University-level courses you can audit for free

edX still offers the facility to view many university courses for free. This means you can watch lectures and study materials for free without paying any fees. But you have to pay for certificates and graded assignments, which is completely worth it. This platform provides you with courses from major universities like Harvard and MIT – including subjects ranging from humanities to advanced engineering.

Tip: Audit first to gauge difficulty; upgrade only if you need grading or a verified certificate.

3. Coursera – Wide catalog with many free audit options & financial aid

Coursera still offers thousands of courses created by major universities and industries.  Most certificate courses require payment, but many courses allow you to access the content in video and audio format for free, either through portal support or audio mode. If you want to take a certificate course, you can also apply for financial aid. Coursera is mostly used for career-related skills like data science, AI, and business-related skills.

Tip: If you need a certificate for applications, apply for financial aid or watch for scholarship promotions.

4. MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) – Free, advanced technical and STEM materials

MIT OCW provides you with real course materials – like lecture notes, assignments, exams, and lecture videos taken from MIT courses. You don’t need any registration for this. Therefore, it’s excellent for students who want to study technical subjects like algorithms, physics, or machine learning in depth.

Tip: Pair OCW readings with hands-on projects (GitHub, personal projects) because OCW rarely offers built-in grading or feedback.

5. freeCodeCamp – Learn to code by building projects (100% free)

If you want to learn practical and project-based coding for free, then freeCodeCamp is the best option for you. Its course is designed to teach you everything from the basics of HTML/CSS to full-stack JavaScript. At every step, you’ll get a project that will help you build a good portfolio, which will be very helpful for your career.

Tip: Complete the real-world projects and publish them, employers value demonstrable work more than certificates.

6. Codecademy (Free tier) – Interactive beginner-friendly coding lessons

Codecademy’s free version provides interactive classes in many popular programming languages ​​like Python, JavaScript, and SQL. It’s great for those who like to practice daily.  You have to pay for advanced courses, but the free lessons are enough to learn the basics and understand whether learning to code is right for you.

Tip: Use Codecademy for short daily practice sessions and switch to project-based learning (freeCodeCamp, The Odin Project) for depth.

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7. FutureLearn – Short courses and social learning (free access)

On FutureLearn, you’ll find many short courses that you can take for free. This is great for students interested in humanities and social sciences.  It helps you understand and remember what you learn through discussions. You have to pay for certified and long-term courses.