Khan Academy vs MIT OpenCourseWare:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Khan Academy had more branded searches than MIT OpenCourseWare among MOOC platforms worldwide. Khan Academy had about 11.1 million branded searches, while MIT OpenCourseWare had 135,000. Khan Academy made up 60.1% of all MOOC platform searches we track, and MIT OpenCourseWare accounted for 0.73%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about MOOC platforms, Khan Academy appeared in three of the five answers and MIT OpenCourseWare in two. MIT OpenCourseWare was mentioned before Khan Academy in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Khan Academy, about 82 searches for every 1 for MIT OpenCourseWare
Who does AI mention more?
Khan Academy, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, MIT OpenCourseWare in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
MIT OpenCourseWare, named ahead of Khan Academy 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, Khan Academy 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 Khan Academy 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 Khan Academy or MIT OpenCourseWare more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Khan Academy 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 Khan Academy, MIT OpenCourseWare. 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 Khan Academy and MIT OpenCourseWare comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Khan Academy was ahead of MIT OpenCourseWare in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Khan Academy’s share of searches among MOOC platforms worldwide moved from 52.5% to 60.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 11.1M.
- 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

In September 2026, Khan Academy gained share of searches among MOOC platforms worldwide, from 52.8% to 60.1%.

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.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Khan Academy’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.
Khan Academy
1 branded search term
- khan academy
MIT OpenCourseWare
2 branded search terms
- mit ocw
- mit opencourseware
Other head-to-heads among MOOC platforms

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