edX vs Outschool

edX is an online course provider offering courses, certificates, executive education, microcredentials and degrees from edX, member institutions, 2U and other organizations. Learners can audit courses for free, but the audit track limits content, omits graded assignments and certificates, and ends access to materials when the course ends. Verified individual courses start at around $50 and include graded work, a certificate and continued access to lectures, readings and lessons. Multi-course professional certificate programs start at around $500; executive education programs can cost at least $2,500. Courses combine video and text, discussions, and different problems and assessments; many are self-paced, and individual courses generally take two to six weeks. Android and iOS apps support enrollment, most assignments, discussions and offline video downloads, but not timed or proctored exams. Institutional and business offerings include LMS integrations, SSO, grade pass-back, analytics dashboards and administrative tools. edX reports a network of 100 million learners and more than 250 content partners.

Outschool is an online marketplace where families can find educational classes and activities through a website and apps. Classes are intended for children ages 1–18; its catalog promotes more than 140,000 live online classes and subjects for ages 3–18. Families can choose recurring weekly classes, self-paced formats, tutoring, and other options. Subjects span math, language arts, writing, science, coding, engineering, physics, veterinary care, video games, cooking, dance, art, music, yoga, meditation, languages, and pop culture topics. All live classes take place through Zoom, with a maximum group size of 18 learners. Families can pay per class at the listed class price, or choose a membership for $40 a month, which provides 80 credits shared across learners on a family account. The membership includes a 14-day trial; eligible cancellations receive a full refund. Families with an account can join free events without purchasing a class. Free apps are available for iOS/iPadOS and Android/Chromebooks. Live classes are recorded, encrypted on a private server, and automatically deleted after 90 days. Educators complete identity verification and a background check using Persona.