Methodology

How entries get their facts

Every course entry carries a verification block: the date we checked, whether the provider page confirmed the figures shown, and a note describing exactly what was read where. As of 2026-07-31, the two Coursera professional certificates are verified against their program pages (ratings, review counts, enrollments, and US pricing); the Udemy and edX entries are not, because those platforms blocked or failed automated access — their rating fields are blank on purpose.

Why prices are described, not quoted

Udemy runs near-continuous sales, so any specific dollar figure we printed would be wrong within days. Instead we state the pricing model — one-time purchase with frequent discounts, subscription with monthly rate where the provider publishes one, free-to-audit — and send you to the provider for today's number.

Editorial content

The "who this fits" text on course pages and the category introductions are our own editorial judgment, labeled as such. They are opinions about fit, not facts about the course, and no platform or instructor pays for them or reviews them.

The automated sync

A scheduled Apify sync (npx tsx scripts/sync-courses.ts with APIFY_TOKEN set) can refresh catalog fields at scale. It is currently offline; while it is, the catalog stays deliberately small because every entry is checked by hand. When it comes back, synced fields will carry their own sync date, separate from hand-verified facts.

Affiliate links

Outbound course buttons may carry affiliate parameters when configured — see the disclosure. Affiliate status never affects which courses are listed or what the editorial text says; several listed options, like auditing CS50 free, earn us nothing at all.