Overview
LinkedIn Learning (owned by Microsoft) is a subscription library of thousands of courses across business, marketing, design, technology and creative skills, taught by named industry instructors rather than anonymous creators. A subscription costs $39.99/month, or $239.88 billed annually (effectively $19.99/month) — and it's already bundled free into LinkedIn Premium Career/Business plans some users may already have. Many public libraries (over 2,700 in North America) also offer free access through library card portals, making it one of the more accessible paid platforms. Because it's backed directly by Microsoft/LinkedIn with transparent, published pricing and completion certificates that link to your LinkedIn profile, legitimacy is not in question — the tradeoff is breadth over specialization, since it's a general course library rather than a focused program in one money-making skill. Best for freelancers and job-seekers who want a wide, affordable library of professional skills (and a visible LinkedIn certificate) rather than one deep specialist course.
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What's included
- Thousands of courses across skill areas
- Certificates linked to your LinkedIn profile
- Often free via library card access
- Bundled into some LinkedIn Premium plans
Pros
- Backed directly by Microsoft/LinkedIn — high legitimacy
- Often accessible for free via public libraries
- Certificates visible directly on your LinkedIn profile
- Broad library covers many freelance-relevant skills
Cons
- Breadth over depth — not a focused specialist program
- Subscription cost adds up if not using library access
- Course quality varies by instructor
Frequently asked questions
Quick info
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