We put together a gigantic master list of online learning platforms and digital resources that are free and paid to help spark your sense of curiosity – especially in the areas of technology, creative pursuits and travel.
Each of these online learning platforms has been researched (though, we are always open to feedback and more first-hand accounts) and this table provides a comprehensive list so you can easily discover a new way to learn, no matter what your interest or investment level. Know of some online learning platforms missing from this list? Feel free to let us know! PS: we tried to keep it alphabetized… until we started adding more platforms. Then it all went out the window!
*Please note: Creative Live & SkillShare are affiliate links – if you end up signing up for a class, we may received a little ca$h money. Thank you for helping sustain Color & Curiosity so we can keep bringing you inspiration and resources!
The Online Learning Platforms
| Platform | Summary | Free/Paid/Both | $$ | Tech | Creative | Travel | Class Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alison | Alison offers certificate programs, diploma courses and learning paths on a variety of topics – especially technology, science, math and marketing, along with specific job-focused courses. | Free | Free – you just need to make an account | X | Digital Network Security, Facebook Ads for Beginners | ||
| Chicago Detours | Hyperlocal culture and historical curiosities tour company in Chicago. | ||||||
| Class Central | An aggregation of online free and paid courses from all over the internet with the goal of encouraging learning, | Both | Primarily free classes (or free to audit) as well as paid | X | X | How to Make a Comic Book, Text Mining and Analytics | |
| Codecadamy | Site focused on teaching digital skills and building ‘the education the world needs’ -net native education through engaging experiences rather than traditional classroom practices | Both | Basic limited free account; under $20 monthly | X | Python, Data Visualization, Web Design | ||
| Coursehorse | A marketplace that helps people discover and enroll in local classes, with a focus on New York, LA and Chicago (but there are lots of virtual/digital classes too). Rewards program with 5% back in rewards on every dollar spent on classes. | Paid | Per Class | X | X | Virtual Digital Photography, Blockchain 101 | |
| Coursera | A collection of free and paid courses from some of the top instructors and professors from companies and universities. Professional certificates, specializations, online degrees and other options available. | Both | Free library; under $40 for more in-depth learning | X | Bioinformatics for Beginners, Brand Management | ||
| Creative Live | Free live online creative classes in art, design, photography, crafting and other topics. Additional paid on-demand options. | Both | Free classes when they’re live-streamed, paid options on-demand | X | X | Podcasting for Crafters and Makers, The Art of the Interview | |
| EdX | A collection of online courses from top universities like Georgetown, Dartmouth, Harvard – both limited free options and paid options. Also a big focus on Adobe programs and training. | Both | Basic free classes, paid classes ranging from | X | X | Analyzing and Visualizing Data with Excel, Public Speaking | |
| FutureLearn | A community that focuses on courses in specific subject, short courses for learning new skills, microcredentials, and other online resources with both paid and free classes. | Both | X | X | Learn to Code for the Web, Antiquities Tracking and Art Crime | ||
| General Assembly | An ongoing learning platform with a huge community of over 20 campuses, 10,000+ hiring partners and tons of full and part-time courses. There are also free offerings and resources like webinars and other tools. | Both | Free livestreams, online courses run at varied prices ($$$) | X | X | Intro to UX, Digital Marketing, Photoshop Bootcamp | |
| Girls Love Travel | A digital global community for active and aspiring travelers of over 900,000 members – and a VERY active Facebook group. Great for asking travel planning and content creation questions! | Free | no classes, free resources | X | N/A | ||
| LinkedIn Learning | Platform that partners with LinkedIn and focuses on courses in business, marketing, creative, tech and other areas. | Paid + Free Trial | Free month trial; under $30 monthly | X | X | Figure Drawing, Digital Strategy, HTML Essentials | |
| Matador Network | Matador Network is a great travel community that features tons of travel guides, vidoes, contribution opportunities and other community and networking resources. | Free | No classes, free resources | X | N/A | ||
| MediaBistro | A comprehensive online community that features a job board for creatives, editorial resources, classes in creative fields and other resources. | Both | Free basic classes, 14-day free trial for MB Unlimited, or under $15 monthly | X | X | Intro to Storytelling, Website Redesign for Marketers | |
| MOZ | A comprehensive SEO platform with paid tools, free resources and other tools to help you learn about SEO. | Both | MOZ Academy is paid, advanced software tooI is also paid, SEO learning center is free | X | N/A | ||
| Pluralsight | A tech skill-focused platform that helps businesses and individuals upskill to create progress through technology. | Paid + Free Trial | 10 day free trial; under $30 monthly | X | JavaScript, C#, Ethical Hacking Fundamentals | ||
| Search Engine Journal | A really comprehensive platform for everything SEO-focused, including newsletters, podcasts, free webinars and conferences. | Free | N/A | X | N/A | ||
| Sidewalker Daily | A travel marketing consulting agency that not only runs campaigns for brands but also works with influencers and content creators to coach them on all the different aspects of the travel business. | Both | Free resources, webinars, etc.; paid coaching sessions | X | X | Pitch as a Micro-Influencer, Create a Social Media Report | |
| Skift | A research-based travel community that offers newsletters, webinars, livestreams, panels and other resources. | Free | No classes, free resources | X | Airbnb CEO Keynote, Travel’s Path Forward – Travel PR | ||
| SkillShare | An online learning community that focuses on inspiring people to get creative with free and paid classes on topics like illustration, video, freelancing and others. | Free | Free | X | X | Write a Persuasive Essay, Fundamentals of Google Analytics | |
| TBEX | The largest conference and networking event for travel bloggers, journalists, content creators, travel brands and more – plus an online platform, digital community and more. | Free | No classes, free resources | X | N/A | ||
| TBO Academy | A platform that provides free online courses for the travel/tourism industry. | Free | No classes, free resources | X | Digital Marketing, Pricing Journeys | ||
| TogetHER Digital | Digital networking platform – membership gives you access to networking opportunities, knowledge hub, webinars and panels, and other resources. | Paid | N/A | X | X | N/A | |
| Travel Massive | A community focusing on events, a global chapter network, webinars, a newsletter, job marketplace and more for travel industry founders and creators. | Free | no classes, free resources | X | X | Reinvent Your Business Using Social Media, How to Start a Podcast | |
| Udacity | A flexible digital education platform (also for-profit institution) that focuses on technology to assist learners in career preparation (more focused on deep learning than Udemy). | Paid + Free Trial | One month free trial; under $300 per month | X | Intro to Machine Learning, Digital Marketing | ||
| Udemy | An open-course platform focused on tech, marketing and multimedia classes. Subject matter experts can also tech/list instructional videos for payment. | Paid | X | X | Intro to Music Production, Web and Software Development | ||
| Wanderful | What started as a women’s homesharing network turned into a community for travelers to connect and learn. Membership is paid but there are also free meetups, webinars, a newsletter and other resources. | Free | No classes, free resources | X | X | N/A | |
| Khan Academy | Looks small and mighty (mostly geared toward a younger audience) but an amazing resource for stats knowledge, computer programming and data science classes! | Free | Free | X |
Looking for some inspiration to go along with these online learning platforms? Check out our most recent interviews – featuring stories of trailblazing womxn in technology, creative fields and travel. See them all by following the links here: