Brandwave

FutureLearn vs Udemy:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Udemy had more branded searches than FutureLearn among MOOC platforms worldwide. Udemy had about 3.4 million branded searches, while FutureLearn had 74,000. Udemy made up 18.1% 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 Udemy in two. FutureLearn and Udemy were each mentioned first in two of the four answers that named either.

Among MOOC platforms worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Udemy, about 45 searches for every 1 for FutureLearn

Udemy 3.4M searchesFutureLearn 74K searches

Who does AI mention more?

FutureLearn, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Udemy in 2

FutureLearn in 3 of 5Udemy in 2 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Each is named first in 2 of 4 answers.

FutureLearn first in 2Udemy first in 2

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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. Udemy was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. FutureLearn and Udemy were each listed first in two of the four answers that named either.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Coursera1st
  2. edX2nd
  3. Khan Academy3rd
  4. MIT OpenCourseWare4th
  5. FutureLearn5th
  6. Udemy6th
  7. OpenLearn7th
  8. 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

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 Udemy more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for FutureLearn and Udemy 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.

FutureLearn and Udemy among MOOC platforms worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Udemy, FutureLearn. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthKhan AcademyCourseraUdemyedXMIT OpenCourseWareOpenLearnFutureLearnUdacity
Oct 202552.5%19.3%23.6%2.6%0.64%0.29%0.43%0.64%
Nov 202549.7%18.2%27.2%3%0.6%0.27%0.4%0.6%
Dec 202547.6%21.3%26%2.9%0.7%0.31%0.38%0.86%
Jan 202642.7%23.4%28.6%3.1%0.77%0.35%0.42%0.63%
Feb 202647.4%21.2%25.9%3.5%0.7%0.31%0.47%0.57%
Mar 202647.1%21.1%25.8%3.5%1%0.31%0.47%0.69%
Apr 202647.8%21.4%26.1%2.4%0.86%0.32%0.39%0.7%
May 202642.9%23.5%28.7%2.6%0.95%0.35%0.42%0.63%
Jun 202638%25.5%31.1%2.8%1.3%0.38%0.46%0.56%
Jul 202642.8%23.4%28.6%2.6%1.2%0.52%0.42%0.42%
Aug 202652.8%19.4%23.6%2.1%0.95%0.43%0.35%0.35%
Sep 202660.1%18.1%18.1%1.6%0.73%0.49%0.4%0.33%

How has the FutureLearn and Udemy comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Udemy 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, Udemy’s share of searches among MOOC platforms worldwide moved from 23.6% to 18.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5M to 3.4M.

How did search popularity change for MOOC platforms worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Udemy lost share of searches among MOOC platforms worldwide, from 23.6% to 18.1%.

  2. 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?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using FutureLearn’s and Udemy’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

Udemy

1 branded search term

  • udemy

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among MOOC platforms

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