If you’re looking to learn IT skills and about tech-related topics online, then two of the most popular choices that you might be considering are CBT Nuggets and Pluralsight.
CBT (Computer Based Training) Nuggets is known for having comprehensive certification training for professionals and learners. Pluralsight is great for both individuals and teams, and it brings about a slightly larger library of courses.
If you’re struggling to choose between CBT Nuggets and Pluralsight, we’re here to help. In this CBT Nuggets vs Pluralsight review, you’ll learn:
- Which platform is better for your learning needs,
- What are the main differences between the two,
- How courses look like with both platforms,
- How much they cost,
- and which platform might be better value for your money.
Which is Better: CBT Nuggets or Pluralsight?
Both platforms are great at providing in-depth courses on IT topics, although there are some differences between them that might make your decision easier.
CBT Nuggets is the better choice for you if you want a more relaxed style of learning and an interface that is easier to navigate.
Pluralsight is better if you prefer a more professional style of learning. It’s also significantly cheaper than CBT Nuggets ($29 a month vs $59 a month).
Pluralsight also has more courses to choose from and offers more variety in the courses you can pick.
In the end, it will depend on your style of learning – if you feel like you’d get more out of a relaxed approach, then CBT Nuggets is definitely the one to go with.
If you’re not sure what training you prefer, it’s best to take a free trial with both platforms first before deciding.
CBT Nuggets vs Pluralsight: Main Differences
To help you make your choice easier, let’s take a look at the main differences between the two platforms and see which one might be better suited to your needs.
Courses on Offer
In terms of the courses on offer, Pluralsight is the clear winner here.
There are two main paths you can take with Pluralsight:
- Skills – best for individual learners
- Flow – best for teams and groups of learners
You’ll find a much broader offering of courses on Pluralsight. The courses on this platform will be anything from business skills, cloud learning, to IT ops, data and machine learning, security, and software development.
On CBT Nuggets, the course selection is still neat, but it’s not as comprehensive as on Pluralsight. The majority of courses focus on vendors (Google, AWS, Cisco, Linux, Juniper, etc.), and there are also many courses on IT ops.
Pluralsight has much more to offer in terms of the number of courses they have, as well as the variety of courses.
Student Experience
CBT Nuggets wins this category, as it’s slightly easier to use and navigate.
The student experience with CBT Nuggets is on a high level. Thanks to its easy-to-use platform, the main site won’t overwhelm you with the choices like some other platforms do.
Your main dashboard will show you which courses you’ve taken recently, your progress, and you’ll be able to resume them instantly.
Pluralsight is not that far behind, but it’s not quite as elegant and simple to use as CBT Nuggets. That’s partly because of the huge library of courses Pluralsight has on offer, but also because the site is just not as neatly organized as the CBT Nuggets site.
Instructor Quality
Both platforms are great in their own way when it comes to instructor quality. Therefore, it will be important to know what type of learner you are before picking your winner in this category.
With CBT Nuggets, you’re getting a more relaxed approach to learning.
Think of the instructors on CBT Nuggets like your friends or colleagues. When you watch these courses, it will feel like you’re almost speaking to a friend, making the whole platform a bit more personable than Pluralsight.
However, Pluralsight’s instructors are professionals with decades of experience in given fields. But the delivery style of courses on Pluralsight is more formal.
Learning on Pluralsight feels a bit “stiffer” and traditional, where you have a professor teaching a classroom. It certainly feels like being in a classroom listening to these courses, which might feel a bit boring to some learners.
On the flip side, this is the type of learning that some learners prefer.
Course Quality
The course quality is slightly better on Pluralsight simply due to the fact that they offer more comprehensive exercises and they allow you to take notes.
This does not mean that Pluralsight’s courses are vastly better than CBT Nuggets’ courses. What makes it slightly better are the add-ons – more comprehensive exercises and the ability to take notes.
CBT Nuggets also has exams, and they are more like quizzes than pure exams. You don’t get feedback on your answers though like you do get with Pluralsight, which makes Pluralsight a slightly better option in this respect.
Another thing that makes Pluralsight’s courses slightly better is the ability to take notes.
While CBT Nuggets also offers individual coaching, you’ll see that this coaching can be very expensive and because of that, it’s not comparable to Pluralsight anymore.
For the money, Pluralsight seems to have a slightly better course quality than CBT Nuggets.
Pricing
For individual learners, Pluralsight costs only $29 per month, which will give you access to all of the courses on this platform. You’ll also get access to exams, customer support, and additional materials.
If you want a more comprehensive library and additional exams, projects, and certifications, you can opt for the Premium plan ($49 per month).
In our opinion, this will be the sweet spot for most learners since the Premium plan offers you access to projects, but will still be less expensive than CBT Nuggets
CBT Nuggets, on the other hand, can be quite expensive. The monthly subscription costs $59 per month, although you do get a 7-day free trial if you opt for the free trial option.
For this money, you’ll get access to all of the materials on the platform including exams and any additional materials you’ll need for different courses you can take here.
Considering the money you’ll have to spend for both subscriptions, I’d say that Pluralsight has much more to offer and it’s more affordable, making it the better option for most people that want to save money.
Style of Learning
Lastly, let’s focus on the style of learning since that’s the biggest difference between the two platforms.
If you want a more casual approach, go for CBT Nuggets. If you prefer a more classroom-like experience, then you can opt for Pluralsight, which is a bit more formal.
It will really depend on which type of learning you prefer. If you feel like you’ll get more out of a course that is presented to you almost from someone that’s your colleague or a friend, then CBT is the way to go.
But if you want to learn from industry experts, then Pluralsight is likely the go-to option, just know that the platform doesn’t feel as personable as CBT Nuggets.
One of the main appeals for CBT Nuggets is its casual style of delivery, which makes it feel as though it’s suited to you personally.
This is the difference between the two platforms and if you feel like it’s worth the additional $30 you’ll pay each month, then it’s definitely the one to go with.
CBT Nuggets: In-Depth Review
Let’s take a closer look at CBT Nuggets and what it has to offer.
Overview
CBT Nuggets was founded in 1999 initially as a computer-based training platform. It was first delivered offline but soon moved online and in the early 2000s, started to build up an audience of learners from around the world.
Most of the courses on CBT Nuggets are IT-focused and also dive deeper into some of the most popular vendors, including:
- Cisco
- Amazon AWS
- Citrix
- Juniper
- Linux
And several others. The vast majority of the courses are based on video materials, but you’ll also be able to take exams and have 1-on-1 lessons, but you’ll have to pay additionally for that to happen.
Signing Up
Before you start using the platform, you’ll have to sign up. You will have two options when it comes to billing: monthly or annually.
Although both of those will also offer you a 1-week free trial that will enable you to decide whether you want to continue or not.
After the sign-up is complete, you’ll be able to choose from the courses on the platform. To do that, you can simply pick the field you want to learn about, which is easily accessible from the main site.
Courses on Offer
There are two main types of courses you can take on CBT Nuggets:
- Vendors
- IT Paths
Under the field of Vendors, you will have the ability to pick from some of the most popular vendors out there.
These courses will focus heavily on working within the services of these vendors and providing you with actionable tips as to how you can master them so that you can do your job or apply to new jobs.
Some of the vendors that are focused on here include AWS, Check Point, Cisco, Citrix, CompTIA, F5, Google Workspace, Juniper, Linux, Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, and VMWare.
It’s in this field that CBT Nuggets does really well and outperforms Pluralsight, in our opinion. If you need to learn one of these vendors, then CBT Nuggets is hard to beat.
Additionally, you’ll also be able to choose from courses from IT Paths, which include: New to IT, Network Admin, Systems Admin, DevOps, Cybersecurity, Database Admin, End-User Productivity, Management, Programming, and Project Management.
Course Quality
Most courses on CBT Nuggets are presented by videos and by experts in the field. However, the courses here certainly feel different than they do on other platforms.
It feels almost as if you’re listening to a friend or a colleague. The courses are like a collection of Youtube videos where the instructor is trying to form a closer bond to the listener instead of just presenting the content inside the course.
Plus, there are quizzes and exams for each course.
You’ll have the ability to create your own quizzes, but you can take a quick quiz for each lesson, access it offline, and see your results. The feedback is not as in-depth as it is on Pluralsight, though.
Instructors
Most instructors on CBT Nuggets are industry professionals, but they present the course differently than on most other online learning platforms.
The most notable difference is the casual style of delivery. While this might suit some learners, others will find it slightly distracting, especially if you prefer professional-style courses.
All of the trainers, however, will have extensive experience and it will definitely always feel like you’re learning from an expert, it’s just that the trainers appear a bit more accessible and user-friendly.
Pricing
The monthly fee for CBT Nuggets is $59, and if you opt for the yearly subscription, it will cost you $599.
You get a week’s trial for both options which you can cancel at any time. For the subscription, you’ll get access to all of the materials on the platform, including exams.
Pluralsight In-Depth Review
What does using Pluralsight feel like?
Overview
Established in 2004, Pluralsight was initially meant for training companies. However, Pluralsight soon developed into an online learning platform for IT professionals and those who wanted to develop career skills.
Today, Pluralsight is one of the biggest online learning platforms with millions of users worldwide, and many courses in different categories.
Most courses are IT-focused, but you’ll also find other categories on the platform as well.
Signing Up
When you get started with Pluralsight, you’ll have to choose which plan you go for – Standard or Premium.
Both will offer you a free 10-day trial, giving you access to all of the platform’s features for 10 days before you have to pay the subscription.
After selecting the plan, you will have to enter your information to get started.
Courses on Offer
There are two main types of courses you can take:
- Skills
- Flow
Skills are meant for individual learners, while Flow is meant for teams and groups of learners.
If you’re an individual learner, you’ll then have the ability to pick your next move according to your preferences. If you want to learn a particular skill, then Skill IQ will pair up all the courses relevant to a particular skill.
Role IQ, on the other hand, will hand-pick all of the courses that will be important for your selected role within a company, or the desired role.
Paths are also a popular way to learn, where you can pick your learning path and see which courses are relevant for that path.
There are more courses on Pluralsight as there are on CBT Nuggets. Some of the categories of courses on Pluralsight include Business Professional, Cloud, Data and Machine Learning, IT Ops, Security, and Software Development.
Course Quality
Most courses on Pluralsight are video-based courses. You’ll have the ability to take notes, which is a feature that you won’t find on CBT Nuggets. It’s a minor advantage of Pluralsight that some users won’t mind, while others will appreciate.
Each course also has its own exams and quizzes, which feel a bit more comprehensive than on CBT Nuggets.
The fact that you get feedback for each answer feels like you’re getting slightly more in-depth exams than you get on CBT, where you’ll only find quizzes.
Overall, the course quality on Pluralsight is on a very high level.
Instructors
On Pluralsight, the instructors are also experts and professionals in their fields.
However, the main difference here is in the style of delivery. The instructors on Pluralsight have a much more formal approach to learning, which will appeal to you if you want to have a classroom-style learning experience.
Overall, Pluralsight has more instructors than CBT, and some instructors will teach several courses, too.
Style of Learning
The style of learning on Pluralsight is much more formal and professional-like than on CBT Nuggets.
The instructors will rarely feel casual and are not as approachable as they are on CBT Nuggets, which is why some people gravitate towards that platform.
But if you prefer a more formal style of teaching, then Pluralsight is definitely the better option to go with.
Pricing
Pluralsight’s individual subscription cost $29 for the standard and $49 for the premium subscription.
For teams (with the Flow subscription), the fee will be anywhere between $500 and $800 per year, depending on the type of subscription you choose.
CBT Nuggets vs Pluralsight – The Final Verdict
So, what’s the final verdict? Which is the better platform to choose?
Both platforms are great in their own way.
But if you prefer a more casual approach, then CBT Nuggets is definitely the better option. It’s also the better pick if you want to learn about vendors, but it is a bit more expensive than Pluralsight.
Pluralsight is better if you prefer a more traditional learning approach. It is slightly cheaper and it has more courses on offer, as well. It won’t feel as personable and casual as CBT Nuggets, though.
