Datacamp vs Pluralsight – Which Is Better?

DataCamp and Pluralsight are both providers of data science training courses. You might be wondering which one is better, or if you should pay for both services.

In this DataCamp vs Pluralsight article, we will discuss the similarities and differences between these two companies to help you make an informed decision about which service to use.

What is DataCamp?

DataCamp is a data science learning platform with courses on R, Python, and SQL.

It was established in 2013 as a Harvard University spin-off by instructors from the university’s popular Data Science Professional Certificate program.

In 2017, DataCamp was named a Leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Visualization Tools.

It offers three types of free user accounts: learners, mentors, and instructors. Learners can access the self-paced courseware that has been created by DataCamp’s team of expert teachers for a number of courses.

They also provide mentorship for learners who are registered under the Mentored Learning plan.

Instructors can publish courses, track student progress and performance, interact with students through discussion forums, etc., using DataCamp’s course authoring tools.

DataCamp courses are highly interactive and engaging, with videos that are recorded in front of a live audience.

What is Pluralsight?

Pluralsight is a tech learning platform that offers both video courses and interactive online courses.

It’s known as one of the best sources for tech, data science, business, and creative training with over 6000 on-demand IT and development courses available to test or subscribe to.

It’s one of the companies that is continuing to disrupt what traditional education looks like with over 100,000 students learning on the platform each month.

Pluralsight also has more than 500 expert-authored courses covering development topics like Data Science Fundamentals (Microsoft), Android Development Fundamentals (Google), and iOS 11 & Swift Fundamentals (Apple).

Users have access to courses on Pluralsight via paid subscription, which can be made monthly or annually.

The subscription services work across multiple devices, including PCs, Macs, Chromebooks, iPads, and iPhones.

All the courses taught on Pluralsight are placed in categories according to skill level, from beginner to expert.

Pluralsight is not only an instructor-led training (ILT) platform but also provides access to its library content through authoring tools for corporate trainers and online learning professionals who wish to develop their own courses or curriculums.

The Pluralsight library has courses on nearly every topic you can think of and is constantly expanding.

How they work?

DataCamp

DataCamp focuses on Data Science and Python, with some content for other languages such as R.

Students can take the data science course from their website by signing up for an account or logging in if they already have one. The courses are video-based and feature both instructors and students.

The course material is organized into modules, topics that cover a general concept in data science such as working with common Python libraries.

There are about 15 hours of content for each topic covered in the videos which can be accessed at any time during or after enrollment in the course.

It is similar to other online platforms that offer standalone courses for data science.

Data science students can pursue tracks in data science and machine learning

You can switch back to your dashboard at any time during or after enrollment in the course.

As mentioned earlier, it is very similar to other online learning platforms where you can choose from a variety of different data science tracks including machine learning with Python, data visualization with Dato and advanced R.

This is a great way to learn about the basics of machine learning for beginners as well as more experienced individuals who want to expand their knowledge on this subject.

Pluralsight

Pluralsight works from a set of courses created by experts from around the world.

Pluralsight’s mission is to give you the skills that companies need, and they work with top technology organizations to determine what those are.

You subscribe for access anywhere, anytime, on any device, watch as much as you want, and learn what you’ve always wanted.

Pluralsight is divided into the following categories:

• IT and Developer Skills – This section is aimed at professionals who want to learn how to develop software or increase their technical skills or career. It includes courses on technologies such as Python, Java, .NET, and more.
• Business & Creative Skills – This section focuses on professional development, including presentations and leadership courses.
• Explore – This section is for those who want to learn anything they like. It includes categories such as history, photography, or game design.

Verdict

The courses are designed to teach you how to code but they do not include any actual coding exercises.

However unlike DataCamp, Pluralsight provides a live programming environment where you can ask questions and receive feedback at any time during or after enrollment in the course, so Pluralsight takes this bout.

Course Quality

DataCamp

The course is very much in line with the video courses on sites like Udemy.

It’s great to be able to ask questions and get answers from fellow students or instructors that might understand your problem faster than someone else trying to help you out.

The course quality is great. The video lectures are clear and the instructors have a strong grasp on the material being taught so they can explain it in different ways to help you understand better if something isn’t clicking right away.

They don’t create courses just for DataCamp, but actually use real-world examples that seem relevant to the topic being taught.

It seems like they have an actual passion for teaching programming which is always a good thing to see when you are trying to learn something new.

Pluralsight

The Pluralsight library is extensive, covering most major programming languages and platforms.

There are also courses for technical certifications like PMP or ITIL that can help you build skills in your current role as well as prepare you for future roles within the company (all with certificates to prove it).

Unlike DataCamp, many of their courses are not free, but they do offer some free courses on basic topics so you can try out what their library has to offer.

Pluralsight’s biggest strength is its content quality and depth of material covered in each course. You can search their library by topics, languages, and platforms.

Certification

DataCamp

Although DataCamp is a new player in the market, it’s quickly gaining popularity. DataCamp focuses on data analyst/scientist certification and offers free courses with paid verified certificates for purchase.

DataCamp has an open source philosophy which means you can contribute to its content creation while taking advantage of the platform features at no cost.

The free courses are created by DataCamp staff and community members.

The platform is built to provide a very good learning experience where you can easily track your progress, watch lectures on the go with its mobile apps, or review lessons from any device at any time of the day.

It also provides a forum for professional development which allows learners to connect with others in the community and socialize.

Pluralsight

Pluralsight certification is one of the most popular and common certifications for coding boot camps, especially in big cities like New York, San Francisco, or Seattle.

Pluralsight’s subscription-based certificates cover more than 5000 online courses on a variety of topics including software development, IT administration, digital marketing/UX/UI design, and more.

You can also add certificates such as DataCamp or Microsoft to your profile after finishing a few courses on Pluralsight’s platform.

Verdict

Both platforms offer certifications for software developers but what are the key differences between them?

Even though this is a Pluralsight vs DataCamp piece, It is difficult to say which certification is superior to the other, although DataCamp offers more job opportunities than Pluralsight according to Course Report.

For example, you can connect with tech companies like Facebook or IBM via DataCamp whereas there are only a few available at Pluralsight.

Subjects taught

DataCamp

DataCamp teaches the following subjects:

• Introduction to Python
• Data Analysis in Python
• Intro to SQL & Databases (using PostgreSQL)
• Intro to R Programming Language
• Advanced R Training Course
• Intro to Data Visualization with Python
• Advanced Python Training Course

Pluralsight

Pluralsight teaches the following subjects:

• Introduction to Coding in JavaScript and jQuery
• Using AngularJS for Web Development
• Getting Started with Bootstrap & Responsive Design
• Adobe Photoshop CC Essential Training (self-paced)
• Excel 2016 Essential Training
• Introduction to C++ Programming (self-paced)
• Intro To Java Programming for Complete Beginners – Learn by Example, The Fundamentals of Object Oriented Programming with Java

Verdict

Both Pluralsight and DataCamp are beneficial for students who want to learn data science concepts, however, there is more variety available at the former.

User interface

DataCamp

DataCamp has a friendly and efficient interface that makes it easy to understand how to get started with learning data science.

There are only two steps, sign up or log in if you already have an account and then click “Get Started” on the page for your chosen course.

If you don’t have an account yet, click the button for creating one and fill in your email, username, and password. Click “Create account” when you are done to finish the process.

You can also use your Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn accounts to sign up if you do not want to create a new account.

Once you are logged on, you will be prompted to complete a quick survey.

There are only a few questions to answer, so it will take you no time at all to complete this step of the process.

After that is finished, you have two options:

If you want instant access and do not need any hand-holding or guidance through your learning experience choose “Self-Paced”.

If you want access to expert instructors, choose “Courses,” then select the subject that interests you most for your first course experience with DataCamp.

Pluralsight

The Pluralsight user interface is very modern and sleek, making it easy to navigate through the content of their website.

Users can easily navigate their way through the website in order to search for courses, find what they want, and then sign up.

Signing up is fairly simple and the process is not confusing.

They have a large database of different courses that can be viewed in many different ways, including by subject or difficulty level.

This makes it easy for people to find what they want quickly and easily while also getting an idea of other related topics so they know if there are any gaps in their knowledge.

People can also track their progress through each course so they know where to focus and what topics they should work on next.

This makes it easy for people who want to continue learning after completing a few courses or if someone wants to pick up something new in the middle of other courses without starting over.

Verdict

For some users, DataCamp is a lot more technical with its user interface, making it seem like you need some sort of programming background just to use the site.

However, this also makes DataCamp seemingly more direct and to the point.

The user interface is also very modern but can be a bit cluttered at times, making it hard for users who are new to coding courses online to find what they need quickly.

Pluralsight, on the other hand, is as easy as using other similar platforms like Coursera and Udemy, so it comes out clearly the winner here.

User experience

DataCamp

The DataCamp user experience is focused on simplicity and efficacy.

The learning interface is very intuitive, with a minimal number of features that are relevant to the user’s needs without overwhelming them.

Users can choose between courses that have already been created by experts in different areas or create their own pathway through an area they’re interested in exploring further using the “My Courses” tab described below.

The “My Courses” page is a great feature as it allows unprecedented flexibility in the way users can learn.

Courses are presented as tiles and clicking on one of them will bring up an option to start this course from the beginning or continue from where you left off last time.

You also have access to any courses that may be relevant for what you’re currently learning, plus a list of courses you’ve already finished.

This is a great feature as well because it puts the user in control and allows them to plan their own learning journey according to what they’re interested in or need for work purposes.

However, I believe that this page could be better organized: there’s no way to distinguish between completed and unfinished courses, which is only possible by looking at the numbers next to each course.

A new page where you can pick courses according to your needs, with a clear distinction between completed and unfinished courses would be helpful.

This could be organized into categories or difficulty levels, for instance. I believe this would make it easier on users’ part when they’re planning their learning journey.

Pluralsight

On the other hand, the Pluralsight user experience is not as good. Users may find problems navigating and searching the videos they want to watch, which is a big drawback for Pluralsight.

Users can also encounter bugs or errors when creating an account or logging in. They will be logged out after several hours of watching courses, and there are no auto-login options available.

The Pluralsight interface is available on mobile, but it is a bit slow to use.

The website may crash during peak hours of traffic when there are many users trying to access the platform at once.

There are also some technical difficulties with Pluralsight’s video player which causes playback issues for some users; sometimes videos won’t play or will be out of sync.

Verdict

DataCamp and Pluralsight both offer the user experience of a self-paced learning platform. This means that you can work at your own pace, set goals for yourself, and track progress as you go along.

However, DataCamp is more interactive than Pluralsight because it does not only provide video content. It also offers coding experiences, quizzes, and activities that allow you to apply what you’ve learned in a real-world context.

You can even work with other data scientists who already have experience using DataCamp to solve problems together.

Pros and Cons

DataCamp Pros

• Open for new instructors: With DataCamp, anyone can become an instructor. All you have to do is submit a video of yourself teaching an example or lecture on any topic.
• Engaging and interactive courses: DataCamp courses are more fun, engaging, and interactive.
• Community Q&A: When you have questions or need help with something on your course, the DataCamp community is always there to give answers.

DataCamp Cons

• With DataCamp, you don’t get the opportunity to work with a dedicated team like Pluralsight.
• Also, there is no commitment in terms of hours and material for each course.
• It can be difficult to design courses when you are working on your own time. Additionally, it takes longer to finish training with DataCamp.

Pluralsight Pros

• You can start a discussion on the forum.
• Courses are regularly added: Pluralsight has a team of experts that regularly add new courses.
• Professionally narrated: All the videos come with professional narration, which automatically makes for better quality content.

Pluralsight Cons

• Not open to everyone: Only users in the USA and Canada can enroll on their website because it is only available there.
• Not a free resource
• Fewer experienced instructors
• Some of the courses are outdated.

Similarities and Differences

Similarities

Even though there are several differences between DataCamp and Pluralsight, both websites have quite a few things in common.

In addition to the courses mentioned above, both websites offer some form of certification for completing a course successfully or achieving a certain score on assessments associated with that particular course.

DataCamp and Pluralsight also have an interactive interface where you can practice coding while reading through content about each topic.

Finally, DataCamp and Pluralsight both provide courses for free; you only need to pay if you want the certification.

Differences

DataCamp and Pluralsight also have several differences. The main difference between the two websites is course length. On average, courses on DataCamp range from 30 to 90 minutes in length while most courses offered by Pluralsight last up to 12 hours.

Another difference between the two websites is price. DataCamp courses are free, but Pluralsight requires a monthly or annual subscription fee.

Pluralsight and DataCamp also differ based on the variety of courses offered. Pluralsight offers more than 1100 courses, while DataCamp offers roughly 100 different coding-related courses and 150 non-coding-related topics.

Pricing

DataCamp

DataCamp has a completely free plan, but with certain limitations.

If you want access to some of the advanced features, pricing starts at $12/mo for a basic plan, which provides access to all courses and three projects.

If you need more than that, their most expensive training package is the enterprise account which is custom-priced. They have something for everyone’s budget.

Pluralsight

Pluralsight starts at $159/mo for a basic plan, which provides access to all courses and three projects.

If you need more than that, their most expensive training package is the premium at just under $240/yr.

Final words

In summary, both DataCamp and Pluralsight are great platforms to learn data analysis and programming skills.

However, each platform has its own benefits that will help you decide which one is right for you.

The good news is that these tools offer free versions or trials so it’s easy to test them out before committing your money or time.

As far as the price goes, Pluralsight is a little bit more expensive than DataCamp.

However, right now there is a discount on the normal monthly payment of $29.99 for new memberships so it’s a bit of a relief.

Both DataCamp and Pluralsight have excellent customer service that will respond to any questions or concerns you might have.

The final choice is up to you.