The Online Course Comparison
AustraliaWork skillsReviewed 11 November 2026
Five kinds, compared plainly
There are five main kinds. Accredited training through TAFE and other registered providers leads to recognised qualifications. Free government career sites help you explore. Global subscription libraries offer wide choice. Pay-per-course marketplaces sell single topics. Focused practical courses teach everyday work skills. The right kind depends on whether you need a qualification, a direction or a skill.
Search for an online course and the results run for pages. This page sorts them into five kinds, and each kind does a different job. No single course is best for everyone. Start with the kind that fits your goal, then compare the courses inside it.
Accredited training
Some jobs, licences and further study ask for a set qualification. If yours does, choose accredited training from TAFE or another registered training organisation. What you pay depends on the course, the state you live in and any subsidy, so ask before you enrol. Ask too how much of the course is online. This is the better choice whenever national recognition is the point.
Free government sites
Government career sites cost nothing, and they are the place to begin when you have not settled on a line of work. Use them to look into occupations and to search for courses. Teaching the skills is not their main job. They help you pick a direction, so your study time and money go to the right thing.
Subscription libraries
A subscription library gives you a wide catalogue for a regular fee. Some hold university and industry courses, with certificates. This kind suits you when you want to sample many subjects, or when you want to learn from a university. Check which country each course was written for, because workplace rules differ from place to place.
Marketplaces
A marketplace lists courses from many different instructors, each sold on its own. It suits you when you want one narrow topic, such as a single software tool, and would rather not pay an ongoing bill. Every instructor is different, so judge each course by itself: read the outline and check when it was last updated.
Practical courses
It teaches a set group of everyday work skills in a planned order, from start to finish. It is not a qualification and it is not a giant library. It suits you when you know the gap you want to fill, such as communication or getting a job, and you want one clear path. Worthy Courses, which we make, is this kind.
The short version
Ask three things. Do I need a recognised qualification? If yes, go accredited. Do I know what work I want? If not, start with a free career site. Do I want one skill, many subjects or a full set of work basics? That points to a marketplace, a library or a practical course. You can use more than one kind over time.
From the course
Picking a kind of course is easier once you know what matters to you. This passage is from Skills Profiling and Values, the free demo lesson in the Getting a Job course by Worthy Courses.
Your values are the things that matter most to you. Some people value helping others. Some value creativity. Others value security or independence. There is no right answer. Knowing your values helps you choose careers that will keep you motivated over time.
Your interests are the topics and activities you enjoy. If you like being outdoors, a desk job might not suit you. If you love talking to people, a customer-facing role could be a great fit.
When your job matches your values and interests, you are more likely to stick with it, do well and feel good about your work.
From the list below, pick your top three values. Then rank them from most to least important:
- Helping others
- Earning good money
- Being creative
- Working outdoors
- Having a stable routine
- Learning new things
- Being part of a team
- Working independently
You can read the whole lesson free at the Worthy Courses demo.
Below is one example of each kind. We weighed three things: its purpose, the way it is priced and the reader it suits. Worthy Courses sits at the top because it is ours and it is the one we would choose. Each of the other four comes out ahead in the case shown.
Our pick, declared
We make Worthy Courses, so weigh our view with that in mind. Here is our case.
Lessons are written in plain English, at a Grade 6 to 9 reading level, so they make sense the first time. Learn at your own pace, on any device. Each module has a quiz, and the course ends with a scored final assessment. Pass it and you earn a verifiable certificate of completion you can show an employer.
Every full-price purchase funds one free place, given through an eligible organisation.
A single course costs $299, and you keep access until you finish it. A pack of any 3 courses costs $599 and the full set of 9 costs $799. Both packs come with lifetime access. Prices are in Australian dollars and include GST.
Try the free demo lessons: one real lesson from each course, no account needed.
If you need a recognised qualification, accredited training is the better choice.
Readers ask
About our course
No. It is not a nationally recognised qualification and it is not accredited training. Worthy Courses is not a registered training organisation. Pass the final assessment and you earn a Worthy Courses certificate of completion.
About any course
They do different jobs. Go to TAFE when a recognised qualification is the goal, and pick a short practical course when everyday work skills are the goal.
About our course
No course can promise that, and we do not. It teaches practical skills you can use in a job search and at work.
About any course
Yes, as a first step. A free government career site helps you choose a direction, and a free sample lesson shows how a paid course teaches before you spend anything.