FutureLearn vs MIT OpenCourseWare:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, MIT OpenCourseWare had more branded searches than FutureLearn among MOOC platforms worldwide. MIT OpenCourseWare had about 135,000 branded searches, while FutureLearn had 74,000. MIT OpenCourseWare made up 0.73% of all MOOC platform searches we track, and FutureLearn accounted for 0.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about MOOC platforms, FutureLearn appeared in three of the five answers and MIT OpenCourseWare in two. MIT OpenCourseWare was mentioned before FutureLearn in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
MIT OpenCourseWare, about 82% more searches than FutureLearn
Who does AI mention more?
FutureLearn, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, MIT OpenCourseWare in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
MIT OpenCourseWare, named ahead of FutureLearn in 2 of 3 answers
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Top MOOC platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, FutureLearn was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. MIT OpenCourseWare was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. MIT OpenCourseWare was listed before FutureLearn in two out of three answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Coursera1st
edX2nd
Khan Academy3rd- MIT OpenCourseWare4th
- FutureLearn5th
Udemy6th
OpenLearn7th
Udacity8th
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
- Khan Academy3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- FutureLearn3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Udemy2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- MIT OpenCourseWare2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- OpenLearn2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Udacity1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about MOOC platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which MOOC platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best MOOC platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best MOOC platform for online learning?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“online course platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“free online courses”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is FutureLearn or MIT OpenCourseWare more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for FutureLearn and MIT OpenCourseWare by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight MOOC platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for MIT OpenCourseWare, FutureLearn. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Khan Academy | Coursera | Udemy | edX | MIT OpenCourseWare | OpenLearn | FutureLearn | Udacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 52.5% | 19.3% | 23.6% | 2.6% | 0.64% | 0.29% | 0.43% | 0.64% |
| Nov 2025 | 49.7% | 18.2% | 27.2% | 3% | 0.6% | 0.27% | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Dec 2025 | 47.6% | 21.3% | 26% | 2.9% | 0.7% | 0.31% | 0.38% | 0.86% |
| Jan 2026 | 42.7% | 23.4% | 28.6% | 3.1% | 0.77% | 0.35% | 0.42% | 0.63% |
| Feb 2026 | 47.4% | 21.2% | 25.9% | 3.5% | 0.7% | 0.31% | 0.47% | 0.57% |
| Mar 2026 | 47.1% | 21.1% | 25.8% | 3.5% | 1% | 0.31% | 0.47% | 0.69% |
| Apr 2026 | 47.8% | 21.4% | 26.1% | 2.4% | 0.86% | 0.32% | 0.39% | 0.7% |
| May 2026 | 42.9% | 23.5% | 28.7% | 2.6% | 0.95% | 0.35% | 0.42% | 0.63% |
| Jun 2026 | 38% | 25.5% | 31.1% | 2.8% | 1.3% | 0.38% | 0.46% | 0.56% |
| Jul 2026 | 42.8% | 23.4% | 28.6% | 2.6% | 1.2% | 0.52% | 0.42% | 0.42% |
| Aug 2026 | 52.8% | 19.4% | 23.6% | 2.1% | 0.95% | 0.43% | 0.35% | 0.35% |
| Sep 2026 | 60.1% | 18.1% | 18.1% | 1.6% | 0.73% | 0.49% | 0.4% | 0.33% |
How has the FutureLearn and MIT OpenCourseWare comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- MIT OpenCourseWare was ahead of FutureLearn in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, FutureLearn’s share of searches among MOOC platforms worldwide moved from 0.43% to 0.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90.5K to 74K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, MIT OpenCourseWare’s share of searches among MOOC platforms worldwide moved from 0.64% to 0.73%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 135K.
How did search popularity change for MOOC platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
MIT OpenCourseWare’s share of searches among MOOC platforms worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 1.3% to 0.73% in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for FutureLearn worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 90.5K to 74K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using FutureLearn’s and MIT OpenCourseWare’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.
FutureLearn
1 branded search term
- futurelearn
MIT OpenCourseWare
2 branded search terms
- mit ocw
- mit opencourseware
Other head-to-heads among MOOC platforms
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