Coursera vs LinkedIn Learning:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Coursera had more branded searches than LinkedIn Learning among online course marketplaces worldwide. Coursera had about 3.4 million branded searches, while LinkedIn Learning had 823,000. Coursera made up 41% of all online course marketplace searches we track, and LinkedIn Learning accounted for 10.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about online course marketplaces, Coursera appeared in all five answers and LinkedIn Learning in three. Coursera was mentioned before LinkedIn Learning in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Coursera, about 4 searches for every 1 for LinkedIn Learning
Who does AI mention more?
Coursera, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Coursera, named ahead of LinkedIn Learning in every answer
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Top online course marketplaces in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Coursera appeared in all five answers. LinkedIn Learning was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Coursera was listed before LinkedIn Learning in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Coursera1st
edX2nd
Udemy3rd
Skillshare4th
LinkedIn Learning5th
Domestika–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Coursera5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- edX5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Udemy3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- LinkedIn Learning3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Skillshare3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Domestika0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about online course marketplaces
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which online course marketplace should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best online course marketplaces?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best online course marketplace for a career change?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“online courses for career change”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“affordable online courses”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is Coursera or LinkedIn Learning more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Coursera and LinkedIn Learning by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six online course marketplaces we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Coursera, LinkedIn Learning. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Coursera | Udemy | LinkedIn Learning | edX | Domestika | Skillshare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 36.7% | 44.9% | 7.4% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 2.7% |
| Nov 2025 | 32.7% | 48.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 2.9% |
| Dec 2025 | 36.5% | 44.6% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 4% | 2.7% |
| Jan 2026 | 37% | 45.2% | 6.1% | 5% | 4.1% | 2.7% |
| Feb 2026 | 35.6% | 43.5% | 7.2% | 5.9% | 3.9% | 3.9% |
| Mar 2026 | 35.1% | 42.8% | 8.6% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% |
| Apr 2026 | 37.4% | 45.7% | 7.5% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 1.8% |
| May 2026 | 37.6% | 45.9% | 7.5% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 1.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 37.8% | 46.2% | 7.6% | 4.2% | 2.8% | 1.5% |
| Jul 2026 | 38.4% | 46.9% | 6.3% | 4.2% | 2.8% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 37.9% | 46.3% | 7.6% | 4.2% | 2.8% | 1.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 41% | 41% | 10.1% | 3.7% | 3% | 1.3% |
How has the Coursera and LinkedIn Learning comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Coursera was ahead of LinkedIn Learning in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Coursera’s share of searches among online course marketplaces worldwide moved from 36.7% to 41%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.1M to 3.4M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, LinkedIn Learning’s share of searches among online course marketplaces worldwide moved from 7.4% to 10.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 823K.
How did search popularity change for online course marketplaces worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Coursera overtook Udemy to become the leader among online course marketplaces worldwide, with 41% of the searches.
In September 2026, LinkedIn Learning gained share of searches among online course marketplaces worldwide, from 7.6% to 10.1%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Coursera’s and LinkedIn Learning’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Coursera
1 branded search term
- coursera
LinkedIn Learning
1 branded search term
- linkedin learning
Other head-to-heads among online course marketplaces
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